いかん崎と鬼がらみ

I have been talking to my students much more than I did before. I always thought I had a pretty good relationship with my students, but ever since I have started using more Japanese it has improved even more. In fact with some classes I talk to them rather often, and as such some of my students have been teaching me some BIZZARO words. I was really surprised when some students taught me "ikanzaki", they all told me that it meant "mottainai" or "a waste". So I thought to use it so I would never forget it. So in the next class when a kid was sleeping in my class I told him "ikanzaki", and NO ONE understood, they thought I was making fun of another kid whose name is kanzaki. Ikan, can mean not good, or bad. They thought I was making fun of his name!

So I told the girls who told me this, that I used it, and they all went. "NO! Only this class!" So I thought they made this word up.

Cue in a month later and the word "onigarami". This word means consisting of ogres, so I obviously thought they were insulting me. Especially when a girl told me me and her were onigarami. But EVERYONE knows what it means. When I ask them to explain it to me, they all are like ...............???????????? And then give up.

So I asked some teachers, none of them knew these words. And when hanging out with a bunch of 20 something year olds they also did not know these words. Had these kids just made this stuff up?! Well I decided to check the internet and they are actual words! BOTH OF THEM!!

Ikanzaki does mean a waste, and it can also mean something that is bad. I have no clue on the origin. Onigarami means that you are friends who often talk and play around. So my students aren't fucking with my heads, they just have no idea how to explain the words, and they are teaching me such inside words and new words not everyone has heard of them.

I think it is rather cool that I am now becoming rather cutting edge on this stuff! Go me!

I am working on my SEMESTER LONG PROJECT! I am actually unsure if my students can do this, but I have since convinced myself THEY CAN! And even if they can't I am going to make them do this, even if it kills them! Sadly trying to find 45 boards for 356 kids is a tall order, and I am currently going around schools asking for their discarded cardboard boxes. Go hobo Kristen, I think it will take me awhile to cut the boxes and then tape them back together.

If this project goes well, I will feel very satisfied with my final year, regardless how the next 6 months go. (The project is planned to end in March) I got my students to participate for a speech contest, the first time possibly ever in this school (at least according to the teachers), and one of them actually got second place! I will have gotten my students to learn and be evaluated in a new way. (Via posters and colored pencils and research) And will have gotten some students pen friends, so that their learning of foreign cultures can continue long after I am gone. If I can get my English Club up and running then I will feel on top of the world, but as it is I just hope the other three things will pan out.

Also on another note, I have given up on Alcohol. How long this will last is doubtful, but after a weekend of drinking culminating with a drunken weeknight that led me to stumble home, I have decided enough killing of brain cells. I have drunken enough in my life. Hell when I turned 21 I drank on average 12 drinks almost every night! That went on for almost a year, and even before that I probably drank the equivalent of 10 bottles of vodka when I was younger (if not more o.0). Even though I drank enough to put down a bear, I never really got too sick or hung over, but on Tuesday was I EVER hung over. It was PAINFUL, and my stomach did not recover for DAYS. I still think my mind is a bit fuzzy after that incident.

So with that, I decided to just stop drinking. Granted it is fun, but I've given up enough brain cells to the cause. I want to die a bit young, I do not want to die now.

And if I need to die now, than I hope it is in the fettle position huddled in my sleeping bag from the cold.