Wed. Aug. 6 – “My car is named Tundra… in Canada, you have the tundra, right?”

It was another day of watching kids practice their speeches. I seriously can’t get over how adorable these kids can be! First of all, students all need to wear matching uniforms. At this school, the girls usually wear a crisp white top with a pleated skirt in navy blue. The colour of their running shoes is determined by their year – the third-years have a bright orange stripe. Whenever I say good-bye for the day, they giggle and say, “See you again!!!” Tomorrow’s my first day teaching alone… I hope it goes well!
Tundra, Canadian pine and Anne of Green Gables – these topics made my day! In the teachers’ room, two senseis were sharing their knowledge of Canada with me. One dude also asked if we have bears in Canada; he made the funniest “growling bear” face, so I cracked up. As one of the Japanese students walked by us, this teacher pointed out the kid’s buzz cut and asked if Canadian boys do the same. I feel like this dude and I will have some pretty hilarious conversations.
When I got home from work, I decided to walk to my nearest train station for kicks. It only takes 20 minutes, but it was super sketchy since the sidewalk ends and you need to walk beside the deep rice paddies. I’ll take the other main road next time, or taxi. The sun sets pretty early here, too. By 7 p.m., the city sits in darkness.
The lack of street signage in Japan still baffles my mind! Sure, the main roads are graciously adorned with street signs. But there aren’t any road signs to be found in residential areas