Typhoon #15 kept the school closed for two days, meaning that today is the only day of school in a three day week (Monday and Friday are public holidays). Given that today (sep 22) is the only day they will be at school from the 16th to the 26th you would hope they would be a little more interested in their lessons with me, their preccious, exotic, ALT. But no, blank stares and un-filled-out worksheets prevail. Not that I don't feel partially responsible for the little brats' lack of interest. Walking about in the typhoon like a bloody idiot has given me a cold, and I feel like my head is full of cotton wool and my arms have fallen off. The combination of unmotivated students, and cold, has left me slouching around the school feeling down in the dumps. That is... Until.... I saw the hands-down happiest face I have ever seen in my life. No jokesies. Let me tell you all about it.
During the summer vacation s student approached me and asked if I would talk to him in English, a request I was only too happy to oblidge. It took me a long time to work out what exactly he wanted to talk to me in English for, but eventually, using a combination of mime and written English, I understood that he wanted to know English for a job he was applying for. Thankfully I actually had experience in the position he was after, check out at a supemarket, so I was able to make him a list of useful phrases, which we practiced together.
The boy started coming to see me once a week or so, and through conversations with his home room teacher and his guidance counsellor, i found out that he was pursuing this career path instead of going to university, and that to get the job he would need to sit an entrance exam and pass a panel interview. This was quite shocking to me, I couldn't imagine having to sit an exam to get a check out job in Australia! The penny dropped further when someone explained that the supermarket is owned by the much larger Hankyu company, a massive organization that owned train lines, shopping malls and department stores, hotels, and even an all women theater troupe. Far from being just a job working at a checkout this position provided a foot in the door of this massive company, a chance to work from the ground up. In Japan a lot of hiring for management and executive positions is done internally, and provided you keep your nose clean and work hard there's a good chance an entry level employee will never work for another company. It was a shame that this bright, charismatic kid didn't plan to go to university (the path you have to take to be a manager or executive of a large company in Australia or america) but aiming for this job certainly wasn't a cop out.
He kept coming to see me, excited to be able to say in his interview that he was taking private oral communication lessons, and I taught him useful phrases like "the eggs are in aisle five" and "would you like that in a seperate bag".
Last friday he sat his written exam (which included a written English section!! For a supermarket job!!!) and had his interview.
Today, when I was walking back from the canteen, with my four dollar packet of fried rice and fried chicken (there was a token cabbage leaf included to break up the beige and brown) I saw him talking to his home room teacher and guidance councilor. He shook the councilors hand and turned to his home room teacher and that's when I saw the happiest face I have ever seen.
Congratulations _____ kun! I think you are awesome! I hope you have the best long weekend ever, and enjoy the rest of your last year of high school knowing that you're future is secured!!!
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