English Conversation

So, today I had my first English conversation class. It was pretty cool. I'm quickly becoming aware of the fact that my English might be pretty far from standard, which is really interesting to me. I mean, I've always known that even though the way I speak seems normal to me, it is different from the way people speak in other parts of the U.S. and in other countries, but I never had any idea of the degree. Some of the things people've been commenting on are really interesting.

For example, people have been telling me that I speak really fast, and the English teacher with whom I teach said that people on the West Coast of the U.S. tend to speak a lot faster than those on the East Coast, who have more of the remnants of the British English. I don't know how much of that is bull and how much is true, but I have definitely not noticed that before. One of the people in the English conversation class also commented that people on the West Coast use phrases like "gonna" and "wanna" instead of "going to" and "want to." I always thought everybody did that! It's crazy. So I've been learning just how necessary it is to enunciate every syllable, ending, and beginning of each word and to slow down when talking in class. It feels weird now, like I'm always talking down to people, but I'm sure I'll get used to it and figure out just the right combination.

In other news (I say that a lot don't I?), I bought a bunch of groceries today. I finally broke down and bought both cereal and snacks. I was really trying to avoid buying the snacks because I figured I don't really need to eat when I feel that little urge to eat something at night or between meals, and if I don't buy anything, I can't eat anything extra that would probably be unhealthy and I'll save money too. But I've been getting sooo hungry sometimes so I bought some delicious red bean snacks and crackers. As for the cereal, I didn't want to get it because, hey, I can eat cereal all the time at home, and I do. But getting up an hour early just to put the rice in the cooker and have it ready 15 minutes before I have to be at work just isn't worth it anymore. I was actually hoping to get some energy bars cuz those are good and would be awesome for eating a quick breakfast before work, but I couldn't find any!! Blast!! Next time. Well that was an interesting post.

I bought a camera but am disappointed with it because things seem tinted dark or orange. I'll figure it out.

It's weird, I actually felt some kind of pride at having a distinctly Los Angeles accent and imagined myself talking with my friends in our Los Angeles accent, and thought about how it's hard to understand to non-native speakers the same way Kansai-ben (the Japanese dialect in the region I'm living in now, Kansai) is. I've never had that thought process before; it was kind of cool, hehe.

I'm getting to know the kids at my school, which is AWEEEEsome!! So far, our conversations have centered mostly around 1) how I look like Hirai Ken, a Japanese pop star (I have been told this many times.), 2) how my hair is stiff and what I use to make it so, 3) if I think Obama will be assassinated, 4) and me getting tickled, which wasn't really conversation but I used it to teach the kid an English point! - "You like that, don't you?" "...what?" "You like tickling people." "...what?" "You like...(acting out tickling) tickling people." "Haha, yes," then he ran away. I like getting and giving random "Hi"s, "Hello"s, and "Hey"s to middle schoolers, it's fun.

I'm also extremely dark and surnburned from being in the sun all day watching TAIIKUSAI PRACTICE!!! YEAH!! It's awesome! Taiikusai = sports day, except at Haga Middle School that means tug of war with huge, long bamboo poles, boys carrying each other and trying to snatch headbands off each others' heads (like that pool game where you lift up someone else and try to knock over the other person. Today they played it that way. It was really funny and awesome to see some intense toppling of middle schoolers), groups of boys making themselves into different formations at the blows of a whistle, and groups of at least 10 people running with their ankles tied together. Among others. I cannot wait for sports day. It's this Sunday and I hope to take lots of pictures. The end.