Pervert kids

[snarp]

Today it was kind of warm in the classroom, so I pushed my sleeves up, allowing Zuzu, Princess, and Cookie to discover my arm hair.

Zuzu said, “That’s a lot of hair!”

“Yup. So what’s this letter?”

“S! S is for snake!” (One of the reasons I love Zuzu - even when she acts up, she keeps participating in class.) “Why do you have so much hair on your arms?”

“Princess, what’s this letter?” Princess, who does not have Zuzu’s multitasking abilities, was too busy trying to pinch my hair to respond.

Zuzu demanded, “Are you actually a man? Are you a man who changed into a woman?”

Cookie said helpfully, “That’s called a “New Half.”"

On the theory that denying outrageous accusations made by children has never in history done any good, I said, “Yes.” I wish I could figure out whether “New Half” is derogatory, so I know whether or not to yell at the kids for using it.

In Bonze, Jerkface, and Ken’ichi’s class we were playing a game where I gave each of the kids a color of Jenga block, and they had to try and collect all their color by completing a complex feat involving marbles. Bonze is named for his haircut, his extreme stoicism, and his voice, which sounds unnervingly like that of an unpleasant priest of my reluctant acquaintance. He had the red blocks, and was using them to make a line of torii. I found this adorable. (Bonze doesn’t like being found adorable.) (And I’m aware that multiple torii are for Shinto shrines and not Buddhist temples, yes.)

(Originally published at SarahPin.com. You can comment here or there.)

Comments

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

You need to make a yon-koma of your teaching life and get it published. XD I don't know if it should be in Japanese or in English ... If you can't draw, I think (out of all the comic-strip generators I have saved on Delicious) http://stripgenerator.com/ has the properly Kafka/Zim-esque look to it.

I suppose the kids haven't seen enough foreigners to know that we're generally hairier, and hairy barbarian isn't just a stereotype, haha (actually I have no idea what your ethnicity is, so I shouldn't jump to assumptions :P). But what a conclusion for Zuzu to jump to. Bwuh.

I get the impression that "new half" really is the standard mainstream term in Japanese, but I don't know what the transgendered women themselves think about it.

[snarp]

If I were to be a comic strip, I would prefer more of an Azumanga Daioh style.

Zuzu wasn't serious about that suggestion, she was just trying to be obnoxious. Her and some of the other kids' surprise at my body hair is actually pretty justified - I am extremely hairy. I shave my face every other day. (My doctor informs me that aside from shaving, the only reliable treatment is basically hormone replacement therapy, which she refuses to prescribe for purely hair-related purposes. Given that I don't want, like, cancer, I'm fine with the shaving.)

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

Oh, I didn't think Zuzu was SERIOUS, but what a thing to just come OUT with, even as a joke conclusion. hahaha. I guess she succeeded with being obnoxious though. It's probably something the kids heard on TV and don't quite grasp...

I reckon you could do your own strip--your faces the other day were very cute. Sadly I don't think any of the comic generators I've bookmarked are quite up to Azumanga Daioh standards.

[elongated-tito.livejournal.com]

I generally think it's charming when kids are (or act like they are) unaware of correct social niceties. But then they go and turn it on you and you realize they are all little demons.

Also, I don't know why you got the hirsute gene and I didn't. (And you are not "extremely hairy". You don't look like Chewbacca or anything.) But I got the addictive personality gene, so it probably comes out even in the long run.

[snarp]

Zuzu is not really a demon - she's just rude. The kid I have tomorrow who throws things and then, when scolded mildly, cries so hard his mom thinks I'm killing him, is a demon. He calculates.

If Chewbacca is the standard, then no, but I am definitely unusually hairy. I have more facial hair than the owner of the school, which I posit is the source of his hostility.

[lacrimawanders.livejournal.com]

I believe "new half" is just M > F. I have never seen it used the other way around. I regularly get asked what gender I am at preschool.

Also, hey, hello! I'm up in Sanpoku, north of Murakami. I was curious if there was any one else on LJ in Niigata and got sidetracked from doing productive things. Do you mind?

[snarp]

No problem! I haven't traveled enough to have any sense of what the various parts of Niigata - what's Sanpoku like? (I assume that it is cold. That is a given.)

The other day Zuzu accused me of masculinity yet again, though this time more vengefully, because I gave her extra homework.

And holy crap, I have read some of your webcomic...

[lacrimawanders.livejournal.com]

Fallen's not my webcomic, just my icon source. ; )

Sanpoku is not all that cold - it's got some pretty deep snows in the mountains, but is mostly gorgeous beaches (with no waves) in the summer. Excellent for swimming and barbecue parties.

Traveling in Niigata is pretty great. There are a lot of different places to go, and the ALT culture is pretty friendly. Bonus.

[snarp]

Can you suggest anywhere? I haven't really done much traveling since I got here - I've only even gone into Niigata twice, and both times I had errands that took up the whole day. I am lame.

I have encountered two other English speakers living around here online, and none IRL. There are a couple of other English schools within walking distance, so I assume other gaijin do exist, but...

[lacrimawanders.livejournal.com]

Whoa, no way! You haven't done any exploring at all? Go into the city, the circus is in town. Go visit the shrine at Yahiko (name of the station is also Yahiko, not JR but hyperdia/jorudan will still turn it up fine), or out to Nagaoka. Up in Murakami there are some castle ruins, hiking, a salmon "museum", and a library with a planetarium.

If you want to meet a real, live non-Japanese, I would totally be up for hanging out. : D

[snarp]

I've walked around the area where I live, but that's about it - I am prone to getting in ruts and just coming home and reading! It's a character flaw.

Sure! I'm going home for Golden Week, but definitely when I get back - it is very boring here.

(It's probably incredibly sad that the item on your list that intrigues me the most is the salmon museum. I'm now sitting here imagining exhibits on the great deeds of important historical salmon like General Pinkishson and the Dowager Empress Deliciousiana. Please do not crush my beautiful dream and tell me it's not like that!)

[lacrimawanders.livejournal.com]

If it's not like that, it should be!! Salmon are pretty great - maybe the most delicious of all fish.

Random question that may lead to questions that have actual connections to previous conversation - are you interested in kimono at all?

[snarp]

In the sense of looking at them, yes - I lived near Nagoya before, and I had a bad habit of wasting hours poking around the used kimono places there... In the sense of making/wearing them, not so much, for I lack both the necessary sewing and motor skills. And you?