New Job
Before she left, Jody had a second job working in three nursery schools. I took it over from her and had my first shifts yesterday morning and this morning. It's for 30 mins a time and twice a month at each of the schools . So only 3 hours a month, but it's exceptionally good pay - £50 an hour! - which will really help here as rent/gym/fruit is 'not-so-cheap'.
The actual job is great fun, and fits in with my schedule perfectly. The schools are about 20 minutes away and the company pays for travel expenses too.
Baby Home Melody is a chain of nursery schools, and each has about 30 children. Their faces light up when I'm playing games, singing songs and generally being crazy with them. There is a bit of teaching English too, as I have (and can make, if I'm feeling artistic) flashcards and books to use. But mainly, the Schools prefer teaching through song and actions.
So this month I chose body parts and colours:
1. Hello Hello Song*
2a. Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes (they love different speeds)
2b. Body Parts flashcards
2c. If You're Happy And You Know It
3. Five Little Monkeys (their favourite song)**
4a. Colours flashcards, and find same colour in the room
4b. Book - 'The Rainbow Fish', with swimming actions
5. Hokey Pokey
6. Goodbye Goodbye Song***
7. The kids grabbing me and not letting me leave.
They're very cute. Some of them won't let go of my legs, one girl kept kissing my hand, and three girls fought over who got to hold my hand in the hokey pokey. With that many kids, accidents are bound to happen and some might sit out, so I only have to entertain the ones that want to be entertained.
Other than that, I have three days off. Today I chilled after the nursery school. But tomorrow I'm off to Nikko - a heritage site North of Tokyo - for two days with Keiko. Should be fun and relaxing although the weather's meant to be rubbish.
Talking of travelling, have fun in Barcelona Oli. Ole!
*Hello, Hello, Hello, how are you,
I'm fine, I'm fine, And I hope that you are too.
**5 little monkeys (hold five fingers up)
Jumping on the bed (jump)
One fell off and bumped his head (smack your head)
Mama called the Dr and the Dr said (phone gesture)
NO MORE MONKEYS JUMPING ON THE BED! (jump and point)
(carry on 4,3,2,1,0 monkeys) - try it, it's fun. honest.
***Goodbye, Goodbye, I had fun with you,
Goodbye, Goodbye, And I hope that you did too.
4 comments:
I read your Fuji story and it's a lovely story. I wish this blog stuff had been around when i did what you're doing. All i've got to show is a box of yellowing papers, copies of letters i wrote and notes that I made.
The "Let's climb Fuji" story is something else we share. I was there in I think 92 - might have been 91 or 93. Probably 92. We’d been to Fuji before. There’d been a massive earthquake scare – “It only happens every 72 years and this is the year”. Someone’s mother had rung to say that it had been on the news in Australia and this gave the story an air of legitimacy. It was only later when we realised that a koala stuck up a tree is front page news in Australia that this lost its sheen. Anyway, Tokyo evacuated. We didn’t know what to do. Everything was a sign. We had to get out. Tokyo was doomed. It was going to swept away under a sea of lava and if we weren’t careful we were sailing away too. We had to get out. A friend borrowed a car – you know – and him and Katie and me and Cathy headed off. Don’t know where. Don’t care. Just get me out of bloody Tokyo. Ben drove. It’s his thing. He drove. And where did Ben drive us in this car he’d borrowed? Fuji. Fuji – the perfectly formed mountain with it’s five perfectly formed lakes that had been created the last time Tokyo had been swept away by a massive earthquake. Obviously the best place to go. Obviously a very safe place to go. We had a bit of a mad night in this B&B at the foot of the mountain (that’s a different story) and the next day headed off. Away from Fuji. Away from bloody Fuji with it’s perfect lava and perfect peaks. We drove and drove and ended up in this town – no idea where it was. We drove around and drove around. There was this lake with properly huge pedalo boats in the shape of ducks and swans. The usual mad Japanese stuff. We looked at a map. This town was exactly at the centre of the island. Now then. For those who don’tt know, the main island (name, Phil please) is shapewd like an arm, bent at the elbow. And we were at the elbow. Now then, the story goess that once upon a time the isdland was a straight lump of land. And then there was a massive earthqwuake in Tokyo and the island cracked. And where we were, that was where the crack was. This was obviously the best place to go. Obviously a very safe place to go.
Anyway, that was the first taste of Fuji. A few months later, a different crew decided to go and climb Fuji. We headed off last night, got there at some nonsense time and, what can I tell you? What I can remember is this. The paths were littered with items of clothing that people had discarded on the way up cos it starts off very cold and gets very hot. But my memories of Fuji are slightly coloured by this. Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but… We drove in a van we’d borrowed and when we got out, someone said they had an idea. Why don’t we all take a load of acid and climb up Fuji tripping? Good idea. It was very funny. I think there was a lot of slow walking and going “Wow” at the colours and shapes and stuff. I’m not entirely sure how far we climbed. I know I didn’t hit the peak – I saved all that proper stuff for Nepal – but it was a hoot. The usual trade-off of us and the Japanese folk looking at each other with a mixture of bemusement and wonderment. Them with their perfectly formed clothing and perfectly smooth paths up the perfectly formed side of the perfectly formed mountain. Us, kinda dishevelled and frankly not that perfectly formed. Still, no one fell off though which was always bonus.
Nice story Jeremy (although I am a little shocked too). Not really.
Philip - sounds like the nursery thing is working well. £50 an hour!!!!!! Nice work if you can get it. You are definitely a born teacher.
Check out your e-mails by the way. I just sent you something you might find interesting!!!!!
update!
updated! read all about it!
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