Yesterday a private student told me that I was the best teacher she has had. Let me lay out my system: Each month, I choose an article. It gets discussed on the third week, but the first week is discussion questions about the same topic, and the second week is vocabulary that comes out in the article. The last week is more discussion, and in the case of a big class, a possible debate or something.
There are two classes where I just do free talk with beginners. They are obviously not made to do articles. But I am considering starting homework, because the teacher in me can't stand to see people not make progress.
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I have been stopping foreigners in the street to ask them if they game. It's not like in America where you can go to any old hobby store and get ten willing nerds, who have lots of free time because they live with their mothers, to join you just by mumbling "THAC0". I am considering going to a web sight named something like "Japan Friends" where I met people before and asking if anyone wants to polish their English via D&D. They can learn useful words like eldritch, arcane, and ichor!
This game nanpaing has netted me a couple friends (and a fridge!), so I don't regret it. It is a lot like asking a stranger for a date though, which kind of reminds me of my college days. The people on my floor in the dorms, because they were totally awesome, started "The Pimpin' Club" to build strategies to meet girls. The first assignment was to ask a girl out. I was the only one that went through with it, and the club broke up soon afterwards.
Around that time I started sitting with girls I didn't know in the cafeteria. It was so awkward, but I did get a friend out of that too. Even fell for her for a while; it changed my life. But this post is too long and pointless now, so I'll just recommend: Don't be afraid to meet people.
That was a quite adorable ramble, I must say.
ReplyDeleteThere's a "gamers meeting hall" of sorts near my work. I've never been into the traditional board game RPing, though. I was more of a fan of the online sorts back when I had more time than I knew what to do with.
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I don't mind talking to strangers myself, but sometimes I get awkward reactions from people in Japan, so I've kind of just kept to myself. In Korea people just start asking me for my life story, but in Japan it's like I'm pulling fingernails. Example:
I was strolling through a packed parking lot, having just found a spot, and I noticed another open space. Some girl was driving around with her windows down, slowly, so I thought she was looking for a spot. I was walking by as she cruised past and said, "あそこには駐車が空いていますね。" and she responded with an awkward nod and this look on her face like I was trying to really nanpa her. I thought to myself, "Pffft, %@#& it for trying to help someone out."
And that's my pitiful story of random social interaction in a parking lot in Japan. The end.
I don't really get it. But ok.
ReplyDeleteThat thing about the "old hobby store" is so true LOL. Like wow so true on 27 different levels.
ReplyDeletepointless and long, sure. but informative to some extent.
ReplyDeleteNow I feel like doing something random, like..walking up to 10 different people at school and asking them something.
But what to ask them is the real question.
I personally am not a gamer. not 'cuz I don't like them, just because I never really could afford games/game systems.
So Nampaing works? I should try it haha. You got friends that way?
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