The following are all quotes from student essays from my various schools – all sannensei and ninenseis (juniors and seniors). A lot of these came from essays they wrote about various social issues in regards to Japan, and I have arranged them based on topic and have included helpful topical headings. Please note, original spellings and grammars have been maintained for the integrity of the authors’ intentions.
These kids are brilliant.
• On the aging population:
“Old people should be kept by their children. If some of them have no child, I think they invite their own misfortune.”
• On the nature of love:
“I’m for the plan for two reasons. One is that we can probably do everything for our own favorite person. The other is that we are alive because of love.”
“But I think ‘love’ is important. However it’s easily beaten by vice.”
“I think, at least, love is stronger than money. But, love is weaker than friendship. If I must choosed love or friendship, I would choose friendship. Friendship can break love. However love can’t break friendship.”
“I think love is useless our lives and money is stronger than love. First, although we have a lovely feeling or love someone, love doesn’t any affects our lives. We can do without love. The other, I think money is much stronger than love. We can do without love, but we can’t do without money.
• On foreign policy:
“You should refrain from recommending many Japanese cultures to her simultaneously and pretend to respect American culture.”
• On Marx:
“It is impossible to make everyone in the world have the same amount of money. There are poor people and rich people.”
• On saving the environment:
“The word ‘mottainai’ is used so many in Japanese life. The word means, ‘Let’s save more energy.’ If a man keeps water running, let’s say him, ‘Mottainai!’ and he would stop the water soon. U.S.A. is very large country, so you [Jessie, the American ALT] are the first person that use the word ‘Mottainai!’”
“Mottatnai is used when
Oh, sorry, I don’t know.”
• On perseverance:
“On New Year’s, I’ll visit Grandfather, but next year is very important for students because we have an exam. That exam is in order to enter the gate of university. So, next year may kill us.”
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Friday, March 2, 2012
Graduation Day
I think winter might actually be starting to melt away here. The snow banks are smaller, the wind less biting, and the temperatures rising a little at a time. Also, the sun doesn’t set at 4:30pm anymore. Now it’s more like 5:30!
Yesterday was the graduation ceremony for the sannenseis. Although I don’t know many of the sannenseis at my base school (I know, like, four), I went to that ceremony, because it was my base school’s, and I had been warned that it would be a rather dull affair. Graduations in America are loud, and there is a lot of clapping and yelling. In Japan, the students wear their regular school uniforms, they march into the gym to clapping, and then no one claps or makes any noise for the next hour. Each homeroom teacher reads out every student’s name, the student yells “hai” back, stands up, and then sits down when their class list has been read. A few speeches happen. The gym is very cold. The students all file past the teachers on their way out of the gym, and though most kids looked like they were trying to hide grins, several girls were very obviously in tears and trying to hide those behind their long hair. At least, they don’t have to wear ridiculous square hats which serve no purpose other than to hold a tassel.
It all made me think about when I was in high school and graduating. American graduations are far more “Yatta!” kind of affairs, in which everyone is happy to have finished. There is a lot of clapping and yelling and speeches where people make stupid jokes that everyone laughs at. Japanese graduations are somber, times to reflect on the great weight of the future and show appreciation for the people who have made it happen. They are very different kinds of things.
I was told graduation parties do not exist here, and I find that to be a gross misfortune. Do students not know that parties are when you get lots of money?! Apparently not. If they did, obviously they would have graduation parties. Additionally, the ceremony was on Thursday morning, and on Friday there was regular classes for the ichi- and ninenseis. I had assumed that the sannenseis wouldn’t be at school, because, obviously, they had graduated. But no. A lot of them were at school today, in their uniforms, running in and out of the teacher’s room with essays and homework all day. And I’m sitting here wondering, What the hell are you people doing here?!? Go home. Go to college. You’re done. Graduation ceremonies mean you are done, and you don’t have to come to school anymore.
Again, apparently not. I have no idea what they are studying for, because as far as my understanding of the system goes, all of them should have gotten into university already, and if they haven’t, than they are fat out of luck until next year. I could be wrong. I tend to wrong about these things pretty often.
But either way, congratulations to my kiddies who are moving on life! At other schools, I know I am losing some of my favorite classes and favorite students, and I’m already thinking about how difficult it will be next year when I lose my ninenseis, whom I am much closer with at all four schools. However, these thoughts are sad. Let us dwell on the badass futures these kids have. Oi.
Yesterday was the graduation ceremony for the sannenseis. Although I don’t know many of the sannenseis at my base school (I know, like, four), I went to that ceremony, because it was my base school’s, and I had been warned that it would be a rather dull affair. Graduations in America are loud, and there is a lot of clapping and yelling. In Japan, the students wear their regular school uniforms, they march into the gym to clapping, and then no one claps or makes any noise for the next hour. Each homeroom teacher reads out every student’s name, the student yells “hai” back, stands up, and then sits down when their class list has been read. A few speeches happen. The gym is very cold. The students all file past the teachers on their way out of the gym, and though most kids looked like they were trying to hide grins, several girls were very obviously in tears and trying to hide those behind their long hair. At least, they don’t have to wear ridiculous square hats which serve no purpose other than to hold a tassel.
It all made me think about when I was in high school and graduating. American graduations are far more “Yatta!” kind of affairs, in which everyone is happy to have finished. There is a lot of clapping and yelling and speeches where people make stupid jokes that everyone laughs at. Japanese graduations are somber, times to reflect on the great weight of the future and show appreciation for the people who have made it happen. They are very different kinds of things.
I was told graduation parties do not exist here, and I find that to be a gross misfortune. Do students not know that parties are when you get lots of money?! Apparently not. If they did, obviously they would have graduation parties. Additionally, the ceremony was on Thursday morning, and on Friday there was regular classes for the ichi- and ninenseis. I had assumed that the sannenseis wouldn’t be at school, because, obviously, they had graduated. But no. A lot of them were at school today, in their uniforms, running in and out of the teacher’s room with essays and homework all day. And I’m sitting here wondering, What the hell are you people doing here?!? Go home. Go to college. You’re done. Graduation ceremonies mean you are done, and you don’t have to come to school anymore.
Again, apparently not. I have no idea what they are studying for, because as far as my understanding of the system goes, all of them should have gotten into university already, and if they haven’t, than they are fat out of luck until next year. I could be wrong. I tend to wrong about these things pretty often.
But either way, congratulations to my kiddies who are moving on life! At other schools, I know I am losing some of my favorite classes and favorite students, and I’m already thinking about how difficult it will be next year when I lose my ninenseis, whom I am much closer with at all four schools. However, these thoughts are sad. Let us dwell on the badass futures these kids have. Oi.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)