Final Speeches

This Monday started off like usual. I got up at the right time and went to school. The classes were the same, but today for the 7th grade we asked them about how the fun faire went for them. They didn’t get many of the answers that we were looking for. They didn’t go on their quest to answer questions that were on the sheet of paper, but they did manage to talk to some people. I think the point of the whole fun faire was just to get the students to talk to people so they could improve on their English. And it’s supposed to be fun, which of course, is the point. They struggled a little bit at the beginning, but after awhile and asking friends for help they were able to figure out most of them.

The 8th graders had to give their speeches as their final exams. But it’s really only just a practice for them because their big end of the year contest on March 12 is the one they want. There are only 6 awards going out to the whole of 8th grade, and I will be a judge for the event. I’ve heard many of their speeches many times, and I know who will do well and who won’t. I don’t know what the criterion will be and how the judging will go, but I have an idea of who will do well. In this class, the test went over a little bit meaning we didn’t finish. The final students were getting antsy of it so we had to end it and come back during their home room time because they were just going to practice for it anyways.

In the second 8th grade class, they did fairly well. I think the 8th grade has some of the highest level of English speakers so they will be really difficult to judge. I think some of the people in this class were able to really do a good job, even though they are the second highest level. I think some of them will win in speech contest.

After all the speeches, CP and I went over the reviews for the fun faire and read what people had to say about the event. They were really expecting a lot. Most of which never read the instructions for how the events were supposed to go. I could agree that they were a little confusing, but I think that if at least the students were speaking then everything was good. I didn’t read anything that was saying that it sucked so that was good.

Then we had English club afterwards too. In club, all we did was go over a Play that CP bought in her trip to Nara for the JALT conference. We did the first play; it was about the Exam, since exams were last week. We thought that it would be good, even though all the girls said that it they did poorly on their tests. That’s not a good thing.

I also talked to BH tonight too. I think it’s something that we both needed to get out into the open. It’s something that was left unsaid. I know that she didn’t like the fact that I was in Japan, but I always have felt as if I was to blame for that. Which, I feel I’m not. I don’t understand why everyone felt as if I left them behind. As if they could go to a different country and leave all their friends behind to have an enjoyable life, but I couldn’t. What’s up with that? So tonight, I set things straight. It’s the selfishness from many people over the years that I’ve been stuck in the position that I was, and now that I’m free from that, I’m going to keep on running. I hate to be too honest, but if you don’t like that, then I don’t like you either. It’s taken me a long time to be able to say that, but I really want to let people know that I’m not as nice I as I was before. I have a far greater perspective now that I’m all the way over here. I really believe that if you can’t be happy for me, then your opinion doesn’t really matter to me. We are all on the same boat and we all are trying to be captains of the ship, but I’m finally going to take the wheel and steer the way I want to go because I know that’s what’s best for me. I left America, in search of myself and to become someone who is going to do something amazing. I’ve got to become more than I really can imagine I could be, and I’m going to let go of those people who drag me down. Everyone makes their own path in life; I’m just working on making mine. There are those who follow, and those who lead. I’m glad to say I’m leading my life.