For today, I would like to take a step backwards to my recent past, the summer of 2008.  Prior to joining the JET Program, I worked another incredible job in Montagnola, Switzerland.  I was a  counselor for the Chateau des Enfants camp at The American School in Switzerland.  My brother spent a year studying at T.A.S.I.S. to “mature for college,” and the only way I could not hate him for life was by spending a period there myself.

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Was an blissfully busy month of rewarding work, eye-popping scenery, new friends, relationships, and incredible children.  The kids were from across the globe, including exotic spots such as Oman and the Philippines.  The Russians were a particularly joyful group.  One of my favorite lines came during a game of knock out, when one someone commented on a Russian making a “dirty move,” legally knocking their opponents ball away.  Not missing a beat the elementary schooler replied – in his second language no less -

“We Russian.”

Yet quintessential perk of the job was not the location, gelato, free booze, kids or staff, but “rest hour.”  After an all-you-can-eat delicious Italian inspired meal, the kids were encouraged to sleep for an hour and rewarded with chocolate if they did.  So long as you were not on duty, the same rules applied for counselors.

If I find another job with that built into my working day, I will die a spoiled man.

Aside from the fun, though, it was the perfect introduction to my current role as a teacher.  My only previous experience being in a position of authority over children came in high school as a Sunday School Helper.  C.D.E. was a child relations boot camp, and after dealing with between 60 to 100 kids roughly 24 hours a day I was ready to teach.

It was all about learning how to effectively communicate with the children, and things like “slow transitions are death.”  I also picked up a few games, one of which, “Follow the Leader” connects this post to my Tuesday.

During my Monday pre-meeting lesson with the elementary school Japanese teacher, she mentioned to me I had around 15 minutes of the lesson set aside for a game of my choosing.  Hearing news like this is fine, with a day or so to prepare, hearing it in a meeting less than an hour before the day’s over is less fine.

Thankfully, given it was going to be a hard lesson, the game did not have to involve English.  It was just to be a “fun” reward for the kids.  Hearing this I was at first frustrated about having to stay late at work to find a game online somewhere I could easily translate into Japanese, when “Follow the Leader” popped into my head.

The game was a staple at C.D.E., but explaining it in Japanese would be a different matter.  Combining my sub-kindergarten level language skills with a series of diagrams similar to the two below, I pulled it off – if you couldn’t tell I’m going to explain the game now,

Follow the Leader | Figure One

The game starts out with one member outside the circle, “it” – marked by the triangle on the diagram – who has to cover their ears with their hands and close their eyes.

At that point, the “leader” – marked by a circle – is silently chosen by the previous “it” – if the game is in the first round, the leader is usually chosen by the adult.

Follow the Leader | Figure Two

After selection, the “leader” begins a pattern with their hands. The pattern is limited only by one’s imagination. Standards are head patting, arms crossed shoulder patting, two to three claps, etc. All of the “followers” – x’s on the diagram – imitate, trying to be discreet with their eye contact, so as not to tip off “it.”

At this point “it” is welcomed back into the circle – usually by a yell – and has three guesses to determine the leader, or else they lose the game. Obviously then, the goal for the leader is to be subtle enough not to be noticed.

Regardless of outcome the leader becomes the new “it,” and leaves the circle.

Game worked wonderfully today, with the kids and the Japanese teacher all smiling and laughing.  Only interesting part was when I was “it,” I chose to lose, missing on all three guesses.  In response, the teacher said something I could not understand in Japanese, and then one of the more eager children jumped up and started tickling me hard, to which she smiled.

I did not appreciate nor feel I deserved my punishment.

Écrit près Charles Jeffrey Danoff | Homepage | danoff dot charles at gmail dot com

EDITOR’S NOTES:

• Best weather of November today: sunny all day, and warm enough that despite waking up too late to put on socks and be on time for work, my feet were fine. Sadly I did not make it out for a photo, because I became engrossed in reading about Twitter and updating my profile.  Even if I now like my profile, it was not worth missing the day.  Hopefully tomorrow will give me another chance, before winter darkens our skies for good.
• Was added to my first “blogroll,” courtesy of John Stupart.  He was the ALT last year in Sarafutsu, where Alex is currently stationed.  Reflecting on his time abroad he wrote Monday,
  • “It’s so easy to think back on Japan with rose-tinted glasses because it’s really the kind of place that makes you forget the bad things so very easily. It gets lonely, sure, but then the weekend arrives right before you’re about to beat up small children/puppies with a baseball bat and you go snowboarding with some very good friends or grab some incredibly fresh sushi in Wakkanai which would make those mainland ALT’s cry at their inadequate failfish. It’s a very up and down kind of existence, and that’s pretty damned ok by me. At least now I can sorta think back on Japan with extreme fondness rather than remorse.”
  • He is now back home in South Africa.  His blog is good to read on the regular though, and also if you search through his archives you can find some more good stuff about Northern Hokkaido.  He has been added to my blogroll under “Northern Hokkaido Co-Conspirators.”
• Speaking of Alex, we had a gentleman’s bet as to who would be the first to give in and turn on their gas heater at home.  Most Japanese had theirs on by 11/1.  I am proud to say that, despite constant mockery and questioning from my Japanese friends when they found out I did not use it, I won.
• Finally, my good friend James posted a charming slideshow of his apartment on Flickr.  Should you want to know what a Northern Hokkaido Japanese apartment is like, click here.