booobies!

[Misty]

Now that I have your attention...

I am currently teaching English to schoolchildren in Japan. So far it's going great; Japanese children are very sweet and fun to teach (there are exceptions of course, the kind that make you want to rip out your ovaries to ensure you will never ever breed, but overall the kids are great).

Teaching has been quite a learning experience. For example, one of the first Japanese words I learned from my students was "baka" (meaning stupid, idiot, etc). I also leaned about "kancho", which is the Japanese version of Indian Burns/Pink Belly/Purple Nurple/Smurf Bite; they poke you in the butt with both index fingers, as if giving you an enema. They usually do it to each other, but I've been a victim more than once.

But the funniest story concerns boobs, and the young Japanese student attempting to cop a feel. I myself have trouble filling out an A cup, but once in awhile a kid will try to grab the forbidden fruit. Most Japanese women aren't much bigger than me, so you can imagine how a Japanese boy would react when confronted with the D-cups of my Canadian coworker "Kate".

Kate told me stories about how some of her older students would gape at her and say "oopai...oopai" under their breath (guess what it means). One day as she let out one of her classes (11 and 12 years old), one boy lingered, taking an extra long time to pack up. The other students were gone by the time he was done, and Kate ended up walking him to the door. Suddenly he "tripped" and grabbed her boob for "support" (the trip was so forced it was obvious he planned it). Still, my friend was , and let out a yelp; her student looked at her in fear before fleeing from the classroom as fast as he could.

Kate was more amused than angry; she was laughing as she told the story. I usually find the occasional attempt to grab my boobs funny too, although I make sure to let the child know in a calm but firm voice that that kind of behavior is not acceptable.

Maybe it's just a Japanese thing. All you customerssuck gentlemen never tried to pull a stunt like that when you hit puberty, riiiiiight?

Side note: Anyone else on this board ever teach English in Asia? I've been here almost ten months and plan to stay a total of 2 or 3 years. I'd love to hear your experience and/or our advice.

[Greenday]

Hahaha, kancho. I've heard about that. Read about it in journal entries from some guy who moved to Japan and taught there. He said guys would try to do it to him all the time. I gotta look for those entries sometime.

http://outpostnine.com/editorials/teacher1.html

^there's the link^

[protege]

Dad's been over to China to teach English at least twice. Most of the people he dealt with were very nice, and enthusiastic. Over there, they don't have many opportunities to "practice" their language skills. These are people who *want* to learn our language, but also what Americans were really like.

One of his most popular things, was about what really goes on over here. He said that they were most interested about things that would be found in a typical American home. Not what was *available* but what he actually had. So he took over quite a few photos of the house, our cars (including the MG in bits!), my cat, etc. All of that went over very well.

He was actually sad he didn't get to return last year. The program got temporarily sidelined over lack of volunteers

[gunsage]

I was informed there'd be boobies? Guys? ...Man.

[Rahmota]

I also leaned about "kancho", which is the Japanese version of Indian Burns/Pink Belly/Purple Nurple/Smurf Bite; they poke you in the butt with both index fingers, as if giving you an enema. They usually do it to each other, but I've been a victim more than once.

Ah yeah my friend in the Navy when he was based at Yokohama said the JDF guys would find that funnny. Goes to show no matter where you go in the world certain things remain the same......

Maybe it's just a Japanese thing. All you customerssuck gentlemen never tried to pull a stunt like that when you hit puberty, riiiiiight?

Not somethign as blatently obvious as the fake trip grab but I do remember the ummm yawn and stretch accidentally let them walk into your outstretched palm cop as they walk up the aisle behind you in lab. Not that I have direct knowledge of that....

[BookstoreEscapee]

And the Japanese are supposed to be so polite...