communication problems
have you ever had a conversation with someone, and had no idea what they said?
well, i've just experienced something vaguely similar. Was just on the phone with someone, about being picked up to go to my last taiko event on Saturday. He lives not far from me, near the station & i think was trying to describe where his house is so he can pick me up. Well, I'm not sure where he lives... something about the river ending (well i know where the river is), and the station, and he'll phone when he'll leave the house - or something. But do I walk to the station - and if so, along by the river, or along the road? Oh dear, what a pickle, hopefully it'll sort out by saturday and i'll find him! My language is actually atrocious- think it's gone downhill recently. I have some books for study but can't get my head round them when i open them, it's all going horribly wrong.
Feel a bit like Manuel from Fawlty Towers.
Although I know it is sometimes harder on the phone than in person... I've just finished a fun project with my 3rd years (before the cricket/ culture stuff). We had them firstly look at a world time chart and learn about world time differences [which reminds me, is Britain 8 or 9 hours behind me now, i can't remember?- have you 'jumped back' from BST yet?], then think of somewhere they wanted to phone in the world & what to ask, and then using skype everyone phoned an English speaking country. -Mostly Australia, due to the time difference & also NZ. It was hilarious. Students phoned places like GUCCI and asked 'What time do you open?' Well, they didn't really get it & the person in Australia would say, 'Sorry, what time do we close today?' and give an answer.
Students phoned football clubs, supermarkets - 'Do you sell tofu? How much is it?' and travel companies, 'Do you have a bus tour to Ayres Rock?' That one got a bit complicated when the man on the other end wanted to know where she'd be coming from, and when she was wanting to travel! And the woman from 'Balloons over Brisbane' said she couldn't tell us of the flight time tomorrow because we didn't have a reservation. But one of my favourite parts was after the student said, 'Hello, is that..... I'm calling from Japan', & the woman said, 'Lovely'.
It's wonderful what you can do with technology... and a really good Japanese teacher you work with! Which leads me on to say - well back to the top really, that I'm giving up taiko . I tried to give up 2 weeks ago and almost posted a triumphant post, but I got ill and couldn't go to my final event. But they said 'don't worry you can do another one!' - at which point I sighed and thought it'd never end. But on Saturday, I'll play at some mystery event at Grandy 21 (ie i don't know any info) - this is assuming i'll be able to meet Satou San for a lift [the same place that Japan lost to Turkey in the 2002 FIFA world cup] and officially end my taiko playing career. I hope it won't be too awkward now that the group know I've quit. But hey it just has to be done.
I wanted to stop, so I could have more time to do other things- see friends, run, study Japanese and generally have more time, not doing 6-9 hours practice a week in a place I didn't really enjoy it, never really spoke much and never really wanted to do it in the first place. I like watching taiko and it's fun to play at times, but i started to do something to keep me occupied, rather than really wanting to do it. The fact that it's pretty much the best group in Miyagi means that they're pretty hardcore, music is tough and remembering bars and bars of different rhythms, movements and counting without a score infront of you is pretty hard. I give up! I'm sure I'll see the group around a lot though - eg. on my way to the 10k yesterday, I saw them loading the van in Rifu at a little before 8am - they're much in demand for events, which is great for the kids who enjoy it and spend every spare second tapping out these rhythms, but it's their niche and not mine. If I learnt anything over the past few years, it's if you don't want to do something you don't have to do, there's no reason to stay on doing it. It's too hard to say no to lots of things, but sometimes it's the best way.
Now I shall attempt to open my Japanese book. Not sure i'll learn a word- or a picture though...
well, i've just experienced something vaguely similar. Was just on the phone with someone, about being picked up to go to my last taiko event on Saturday. He lives not far from me, near the station & i think was trying to describe where his house is so he can pick me up. Well, I'm not sure where he lives... something about the river ending (well i know where the river is), and the station, and he'll phone when he'll leave the house - or something. But do I walk to the station - and if so, along by the river, or along the road? Oh dear, what a pickle, hopefully it'll sort out by saturday and i'll find him! My language is actually atrocious- think it's gone downhill recently. I have some books for study but can't get my head round them when i open them, it's all going horribly wrong.
Feel a bit like Manuel from Fawlty Towers.
Although I know it is sometimes harder on the phone than in person... I've just finished a fun project with my 3rd years (before the cricket/ culture stuff). We had them firstly look at a world time chart and learn about world time differences [which reminds me, is Britain 8 or 9 hours behind me now, i can't remember?- have you 'jumped back' from BST yet?], then think of somewhere they wanted to phone in the world & what to ask, and then using skype everyone phoned an English speaking country. -Mostly Australia, due to the time difference & also NZ. It was hilarious. Students phoned places like GUCCI and asked 'What time do you open?' Well, they didn't really get it & the person in Australia would say, 'Sorry, what time do we close today?' and give an answer.
Students phoned football clubs, supermarkets - 'Do you sell tofu? How much is it?' and travel companies, 'Do you have a bus tour to Ayres Rock?' That one got a bit complicated when the man on the other end wanted to know where she'd be coming from, and when she was wanting to travel! And the woman from 'Balloons over Brisbane' said she couldn't tell us of the flight time tomorrow because we didn't have a reservation. But one of my favourite parts was after the student said, 'Hello, is that..... I'm calling from Japan', & the woman said, 'Lovely'.
It's wonderful what you can do with technology... and a really good Japanese teacher you work with! Which leads me on to say - well back to the top really, that I'm giving up taiko . I tried to give up 2 weeks ago and almost posted a triumphant post, but I got ill and couldn't go to my final event. But they said 'don't worry you can do another one!' - at which point I sighed and thought it'd never end. But on Saturday, I'll play at some mystery event at Grandy 21 (ie i don't know any info) - this is assuming i'll be able to meet Satou San for a lift [the same place that Japan lost to Turkey in the 2002 FIFA world cup] and officially end my taiko playing career. I hope it won't be too awkward now that the group know I've quit. But hey it just has to be done.
I wanted to stop, so I could have more time to do other things- see friends, run, study Japanese and generally have more time, not doing 6-9 hours practice a week in a place I didn't really enjoy it, never really spoke much and never really wanted to do it in the first place. I like watching taiko and it's fun to play at times, but i started to do something to keep me occupied, rather than really wanting to do it. The fact that it's pretty much the best group in Miyagi means that they're pretty hardcore, music is tough and remembering bars and bars of different rhythms, movements and counting without a score infront of you is pretty hard. I give up! I'm sure I'll see the group around a lot though - eg. on my way to the 10k yesterday, I saw them loading the van in Rifu at a little before 8am - they're much in demand for events, which is great for the kids who enjoy it and spend every spare second tapping out these rhythms, but it's their niche and not mine. If I learnt anything over the past few years, it's if you don't want to do something you don't have to do, there's no reason to stay on doing it. It's too hard to say no to lots of things, but sometimes it's the best way.
Now I shall attempt to open my Japanese book. Not sure i'll learn a word- or a picture though...
posted by bananatree @ 12:57 pm
5 Comments:
Hello. Is that Ayres Rock? Do you sell Tofu?
No i don't sell tofu, but Gucci closes at 6pm.
Tha sounds like a fab class Han! And well done on the giving up of Taiko. I've managed to do three weeks of jazz classes (dancing not singing) and two weeks of ballet! I'm well impressed. AND, I joined the gym. Today, however, I seem to have done something to my leg, so won't be visiting the gym tomorrow - typical!!
oh and PS: I often have conversations I've missed the gist of, mainly cos at the moment I am slightly deaf (oh the ironies) and if I can't lip read then I miss lots of important bits! x
well, i've nearly given up taiko. It seems to never end... Before my final fling event on sat, I ended up (cancelling something else &) going to a practice yesterday. And now the lady's trying to get me to go along next Weds as well, because an NHK (Japanese BBC equiv) film crew is coming along. Don't think she understands that I want to stop, have other things to do, and don't want to go. argh!!!
Does that mean that if I don't want to go to work then I can stop going?! :)
That sounds like such a fun class Han - can imagine the pure comedy-ness!
Well done for giving up Taiko - are you managing to fill your time with other things now? Hope you're not back to being bored! Are you still running? How's the Japanese going?
Right, dinner's now over so better go flex back in.
Love Becca xx
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