April 13, 2004

• Edit: I now have the rough draft of the speech I delivered available, if you’re curious. It’s up at SIA-Speech01.doc.

  
  

  GTK – Great Teacher Kaiser

  
  

  Yes it has been a while since my last update; but there’s good reason for that. See, in the last couple of weeks I’ve written a few pages, finished my first Japanese novel, watched some kabuki, turned twenty-one, delivered a speech, and become a teacher.

  
  

  That’s right… I am now: Great Teacher Kaiser. Let’s make this year another great year!

  
  

  See, quite a few exchange students get part-time jobs while they’re in Japan. For English-speakers, English conversation or English teaching jobs are by far the most common (and easiest to find), as they offer fair hours and more-than-fair pay. But where most people do English conversation, or teach the English language… I’ll be teaching American History.

  
  

  Thus, I really am… Great Teacher Kaiser.

  
  

  The period of history I’ll cover will be until the 1780s–so, I’ll hit pre-colonization, early settlements, revolution, and the early years of the country. The only slight problem is that most people find the period between 1600 and the French-Indian War considerably boring–well… unless you like Puritan history and witch trials. Moreover, there’s the problem of finding enough students–if there aren’t enough, then I won’t even be able to start next Sunday.

  
  

  GTK’s Other Duties

  
  

  At the same place where I’ll be teaching insha’Allah I also delivered a speech (in English, and for compensation) and handled some question-and-answers. The topic: American Society from the Perspective of a Muslim. It was enjoyable, I’d say–I have the speech available now at SIA-Speech1.doc

  
  

  The same day was rough, however. In the morning via IES we went to Misonoza to view a Kabuki play; unfortunately, I had to skip out two hours early (halfway through) to make it in time to deliver that speech. So, I can’t quite comment on the quality of the play; but what I saw was enjoyable, special-effects and all.

  
  

  GTK’s Off-Time

  
  

  In the meantime, I finished my first novel in Japanese. It feels like such an accomplishment, so long as you don’t realize that it took me 3 months to cover 250 pages, and I still only understood 75% of it. Though, my reading comprehension has vastly improved due to that fact.

  
  

  The novel, by the way, is the first of the Lunar novelizations of Silver Star Story: wƒ‹ƒi|•—‚Ìs•ûx. There are 4 in this series, 3 in the Eternal Blue series, 1 side story for Eternal Blue, and 1 for Lunar: Magic School. One day, I will have gotten through all 9 insha’Allah, but for now I’m only on Volume 2.

  
  

  I already finished the only English book I brought with me a long while back: Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake. I may write a review of this some time, but for now I’m a bit too overworked. Though, I do strongly recommend the book, especially for anyone who’s grown up in a first-to-second generation immigrant family.

  
  

  Anyway, that’s about as long as I care to be for now. Until next time. Oh, and now that the weather is warm, a Boss Iced Coffee or Bosspresso would be nice right about now… After all, for GTK, every time calls for a Boss. KF

  • 2:26 am
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