Daito Meets the Big City

This week, Minami Daito Jon is crashing at my place. It`s not often that these distant island-boys like Jon (whose island is a small rock in the ocean, 17 hours by ferry away from the Okinawan mainland, with nothing but sugarcane, 1,500 people, and a karaoke bar) come to visit us in the big city. This time round Jon made the unfortunate decision to see even more of mainland life: he came to school with me. Except actually I was sick and he ended up going to my school by himself. My school is half the population of his entire island. Now, I`m not a Hater. I didn't send Jon to any badly behaved classes. In fact, I sent him to 3 classes that I describe as well-behaved.

On Minami daito there is no high school, bc there aren't enough people. Plus, picture growing up on a rock with 1,500 people. You know everyone and see them every day. The kids are well behaved, don`t have evil influences or motorcycle gangs, etc. Jon said that after his day of classes at Ginowan High, he has a new-found appreciation for Daito kids. Yes, Jon was not impressed by academic excellence at Ginowan High (though he quite enjoyed my students genkidom outside of class). Jon did not find the classes I sent him to well-behaved, as I had described them. So, I had meant that they were quiet. But when I say `quiet` the truth of the matter is that they are completely unresponsive. A lot sleep, the rest are zombies. Won`t talk. Won`t nod. Won`t show a single sign of life. Sullen stares from all sides. But at least they're not yelling, tying each others heads up with tape or standing on the desks. You know. Thats what I`d been thinking when I said well-behaved. Oh well. Its all for the best, as Jon will now go back to his rock a happier man, content with the well-behaved, bright-eyed children that are his to teach. Above is a picture of Jon with 2-3, the one class that did make him happy. They are the best class in school! See if you can find Jon among the crowd.