Yesterday I taught some classes of first-year students... they were very genki. I must have had about a hundred kids crowding around me asking for my autograph. It's really flattering in a silly way. :) Japanese middle school kids can be so sweet.

Anyway, teaching those classes of first-year students really renewed my faith in what I'm doing here. There are times when it seems like my job is pretty pointless, and even though I'm enjoying myself, it seems like my work isn't really helping anyone. After all, if I only see each class once or twice a year, how can I help improve their English? I am just a novelty item! I always love doing my job, but if I start thinking about the real purpose behind it, it can give me a headache.

But yesterday truly reinforced my reasons for being here. The lesson plan involved having every student give me a simple greeting (i.e. their name, hobby, "nice to meet you") followed by a handshake. The teacher I was working with asked the students to raise their hand if they had never shaken hands with a foreigner before. About 90% of the students raised their hands in each class. I was amazed, and it suddenly dawned on me... these kids may see foreigners walking around town, they may have called a cheerful "harro" to them... but most of my students have never had any meaningful contact with foreigners. I mean, I knew before this that most of my students didn't have much experience with foreigners, but this was the first time I saw concrete proof of it (all those raised hands), and it suddenly seemed all the more real to me that I would be the first foreigner they would shake hands with. Wow. That's quite a responsibility, isn't it? I wanted to be sure to encourage each student and make them feel at ease.

So I gave every kid a great big smile when they greeted me- and I didn't have to fake it one bit... I honestly couldn't stop smiling, especially when they said things like "I like money," or when the more confident, class-clown-type boys would firmly clasp my hand with both hands and give an overly-enthusiastic, showy handshake, like an American businessman closing an important deal. I love hearing about each student's interests, and watching them bravely communicate in English with a foreigner for the first time. It really made me happy.

One of the teachers I work with told me I am the window to a new world for the students. We laughed a bit, and I told him that was very poetic, but I guess it's true after all. Amazing. What an honour.

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