What did you do at work today?

As per usual, I got to work at around 8 AM and prepped for my classes. Fresh coffee was brewing in the teacher's room and everyone was joking around and cheerful. The sun was shining outside and kids popped in and out with questions and random anecdotes that only young children and adoring adults find interesting.

And so began another day teaching at elementary school. Out of everything that I've experienced in Japan, teaching the younger students has been the highlight. Why? First of all, because they're still too young to worry about being 'cool' and instead bring a refreshing sense of excitement to learning. Second of all, they don't seem to care that my Japanese is . . . shall we say . . . lacking. Even if I don't understand what they're talking about, they continue to run their mouths at 100 miles/hour. If their monologue ends in 'ka,' I respond with a 'hai' and they seem satisfied. If only all communication was that easy! Finally and perhaps most importantly, the kids really seem to dig me. Maybe that sounds egotistical, but the truth is, how can you NOT like what you're doing when ten kids jump up and down screaming your name after you walk through the door?

So, in case you were wondering, at work today I sang some songs, practiced counting from 1 to 20, played games, and went to the beach to pick wakame - a form of edible seaweed. When I got home this afternoon, my pants were soaked with sea water, my face was sunburnt, and I was exhausted, but who can argue with such a day?

What did you do at work today? I can only hope that you had as much fun as I did.