Thank God for Skype

As you know, the Miss World Competition was on Saturday (Sept. 30). Now I just happen to love the Miss World competition and this was a Miss world Final that I COULD NOT miss because Sara, my friend, was in it. But here in Japan I found myself faced with a major problem. I don’t have a TV and with it coming on at 3 o’clock in the morning my time I really couldn’t go visiting. I saw on the Miss World website that you could buy the programme for $2 US and watch it online, and so, with my newly acquired credit card I did so. Clearly, that was not the solution cause all now mi nuh get it.( I trying to get a refund) But Thank God for Skype and a lovely sister, Karena, who gave me a running commentary, because I was able to hear everything that was happening, as it happened and for FREE. When you call on skype you don’ pay nuh money. (www.skype.com - If you have people abroad and you want to siddung on the phone and don’t worry about the bill running up- this is the thing for you. Just download it, get a head set and you are in business)

How thrilling it was to hear the blow by blow accounts and the excitement came to a climax when Sara Lawrence, Miss Jamaica 2006, was named Continental Queen ( I hope you realize that that was no easy feat because the competition is quite intense). I am certain that my quiet, Japanese neighbours thought I was being hacked to death when I let out a piercing scream in the wee hours of the morning when this news was announced. I just want to say how PROUD I am of Sara for representing the beautiful island of Jamaica well. And I know she will be a great continental queen.

Yes people say Miss World is skewed and political and I tend to agree cause mi nuh know how Miss Czech republic who like to play with turtles and eat chicken win. First of all if you know anything about turtles you know that them nasty (pure disease live on them) and den to make matters worse She not even say what type of chicken she likes - curry chicken, baked chicken, sweet and sour chicken or boil chicken- she just say so-so chicken. I thought it rather anticlimactic but that certainly was not able to overshadow the joy I felt for Sara’s victory and I am thankful I was able to experience it via skype.

What are you interested in?

The topic for this week’s lesson is ‘interests’. You may or may not know, but I prepare one lesson and teach it fourteen times for the week. (Thank God I am one of those persons who don’t mind repetition. In fact the repeat button on any CD player is my favourite because I will listen to one song a million times and I still don’t get tired of it) So in this class the students are supposed to draw something to show what they are interested in. After, everyone is supposed to guess what that thing of interest is. Simple enough. But before they do the guessing game I usually walk around to ask "What are you interested in?"to get them to speak in english, but also to make sure that I know the right answer (teacher cyan look like claffy – no sah.)

Without a doubt I know that the boys going to draw some sort of ball- baseball, basket ball, foot ball, tennis ball etc. But I go to this one boy’s desk and he has a picture of a face. This one throw me now cause it isn’t a easy guess. So I ask him “What is this?” He says, “you” so I say “Oh, how sweet!! You drew a picture of Maria. Ok show me the picture of what you are interested in.’ Hear the pickney nuh “I am interested in you, Maria.’ Of course I just burs’ out into a big laugh cause whoever spread the rumour of the shy Japanese student definitely missed this one. Anyway,I hope is just interested in Maria from a cultural perspective - LOL

How I got on Japanese Cable TV

In Japan I get a lot of attention. Perhaps its my magnetic personality. What do you think? LOL - you know is tru I’m a little more tanned than the masses. Anyway with that said it’s hard to be inconspicuous.

The other day I went to a dance. Now this dance is no passa passa business. Although I am sure you could probably find something like that here , cause the other day I met this student and when she heard that I was from Jamaica the first thing she bawl out is – “ Jamaica! PASSA PASSA.!” Apparently she had the DVD’s, anyway back to the story. At the dance all the groups in the community who practise the traditional dances come together and have a dance fest. The moves are pretty much set so even is you don’t belong to one of these clubs once you catch the steps you just keep doing it over and over until the singer cut the song. Many people come out to this event.

So I’m at this dance with my landlord who is like a community leader (the good type), when I see this lady approaching. When she came close I saw the the words CABLE TV on her shirt. Now she wasn’t shooting anything but when my landlord told her that I was from Jamaica and I was teaching at Fuse High school the lady just prop the camera on her shoulder and what you know- I was in the video light . But mi nuh shy so when I saw the light in my mind I jus’ say “ACTION”. I had gone to language training so I could say my name and where I came from. With my best Japanese accent I start off. The lady probably think that I can talk now so she asking me all manner a questions but after the name and country sentence I draw blank. Anyway all I do is keep on smiling. So now you can say that you know a Japanese Cable TV star.