"Do you know the Backstreet Boys?"

The other day after school, I was playing with my fave shogakkusei (elementary school kids). Nao-kun was sitting beside me on the swings, and shot me a devilish smile. "Kore wa nan desu ka?" he said. ("What is this?") He produced one of my laminated flash cards from his pocket. What a funny kid, taking my precious teaching resources! I'm glad I got it back, though!!

I moved onto the see-saws with the little ones. As they bobbed up and down, I'd count aloud in English. One of the parents walked by, and she asked if I was indeed "Gemma-sensei."

She excitedly used her broken English to ask me some questions. Now, most people like asking me what is my favorite Japanese food or if I'm married. But no, she asked me: "Do you know the Backstreet Boys?" We giggled like little school girls, and compared our favorite songs. We figured out that we're both fans of "I Want It That Way" and "Everybody." Ah, the notion of internationalization seeps through at odd moments! We were both pretty stoked to find common ground in our musical tastes.

But the kicker of this tale? So, she asked I knew her son. She then mentioned she coached him to ask if I liked the Backstreet Boys a few months ago. And it all came back to me... I ate lunch with the third-graders last year. After their time dedicated to brushing their teeth, K-kun tugged my hand and asked: "Do you like Backstreet Boys?... My mother likes Backstreet Boys!" Bless his little heart.

So, K-kun's mother and I stood in the playground, singing snippets of our favorite songs. I told her that next time I do karaoke, I will definitely request one of the Backstreet Boys greatest hits. Because I want it that way.