About once a month, when my other schools are busy, I get sent to go teach at the local kindergarten. Actually, it's not really teaching. It's more like I get sent to go play at the local kindergarten. I really enjoy these visits, although they are often very tiring and I'm pretty sure that whenever I get sick it's because I caught something from one of those snot nosed little kids. Yesterday was a typical kindergarten visit. I showed up, did about 30 minutes of English time with the older kids (introducing new words, practicing phrases like "My name is...", reading books), then about 30 minutes of play time (we played some board games and card games), a break for afternoon tea (yogurt and fruit), then I spent some time playing with the other younger classes.

These visits are always a good opportunity to practice speaking Japanese. Kids at this age have enough trouble speaking their own language so they're often hard to understand, but we have some great conversations. This is an example of a typical conversation ("J" is me and "S" is one or more students).

S: What's your favourite food?
J: Uh, I like steak.
S: Ohh. Ok. What's your favourite colour?
J: Blue, like my eyes.
(kids look at my eyes - some are amused, some are a little scared)
S: Why are your eyes grey?
J: Grey? My eyes are blue.
S: Ohh.... so why are they grey?
J: What are you talking about? I just told you. They're blue!
S: Ummm. Ok, why are they blue?
J: I don't know. Why are your eyes brown?
S: Hmmm.
(long pause while they think of an answer)
S: Are you married?
J: Yes. I have three wives.
S: Oh, really? What's your favourite food?
J: Uh, steak.
S: What's your last name?
J: Um, Gorilla. My name is Jonathan Gorilla.
S: Hah hah hah! The teacher's name is Gorilla!
(runs off to tell the other kids - spend five minutes rolling around on the floor laughing)
S: Which masked rider do you liker better, Masked Rider Yellow or Masked Rider Blue?
J: Um. Blue?
S: Oh, me too! What's your favourite food?
J: Have you been listening to me?
S: What?
J: Never mind. I like steak.
S: Oh. By the way, I like your grey eyes.
J: Thanks.
S: So, do you have any children?
J: Yeah. That kid over there. (point to a random child) He's my son.
S: Really? Kenta is your son?
J: Yes.
S: He doesn't look like you.
J: Yeah, he looks like his mum.
S: Really, who's that?
J: Oh, his mum is (insert random famous celebrity name).
S: Ahh, I see.
(pause while the student picks his/her nose, scratches his/her butt or starts a fight with some other kid for no particular reason)
J: I've gotta go now.
S: Ok. Bye...... Oh, by the way, what's your -
J: Steak!

Yes, this is a typical kindergarten conversation. Crazy kids...