Enoshima Aquarium

I posted earlier this week about my students outing to the base pool - this Monday they took me to the aquarium in Enoshima.  Most of my students took the month of August off because the kids are out of school, but these two families weren't going out of town so we decided to do outings instead of formal lessons.  It's been fun!  

**Disclaimer - all photos were taken with my iPhone so they aren't the best quality**

 

Fish from Sagami Bay

Fish + coral

This Japanese man ruined my stingray photo!

Giant spider crabs

Eel (photo courtesy of Yuna)

Yuna + Kokoha looking at the jellyfish

The jellyfish hall was my favorite part of the aquarium

I have no idea what this ugly guy is ...

More jellyfish

Sea turtle!

Waiting for the dolphin show to begin.  I really liked the aquarium because it was right on the beach and parts of it were open air so you could see out to the ocean.  That is Enoshima Island and Enoshima Tower in the background.

Kokoha + Yuna watching the dolphins in the side tank

Snack time!

Dolphin show!

Kokoha petting a shark

Kokoha + Yuna

The beach with Enoshima Island in the background

It was a fun day!  And now I want to take a trip to the beach!

Japanese Field Trip

I'm working on my Australia blog posts (going through 750 pictures takes some time!) but in the mean time, I thought I'd share photos from the field trip my Japanese students took to base!  

We had a slight snafu - I picked them up at 10:15 and we headed over to the pool ... which doesn't open until 12:00.  WHOOPS.  But they got a drink at McDonald's and came over to my house to meet Miss Lucy and color a few pages.  We finally made it into the pool and spent a few hours there before heading over to the food court for lunch.  It was a fun outing!  I really enjoy spending time with my students outside of our formal lessons - I think it gives you a deeper relationship and they see how you use English in an everyday setting!  

Yuna

Genki, Yuna + Kokoha

Me and my cute little students!

We went the Monday after I got back from Australia and it was the only day I had to work that week ... how can you even call this "work"?!

Teaching English

Happy Monday!

Sorry for my absence last week friends!  I would love to tell you it was due to something fabulous like a vacation, but the truth is I started working!  Which could be considered fabulous I guess - just not vacation fabulous.  

Anyways, I was fortunate enough to see a post on Facebook from a woman getting ready to PCS back to the States.  Her husband was retiring and, in true Navy fashion, they didn't know if they would be leaving mid-June or sometime later.  She was teaching English out of her home and needed to find new teachers for all of her students.  I went to her house for an "interview" and was slightly disappointed to find out I was not the only person she was considering for the job.  However, there was no need to worry - Annie had plenty of students to go around!  She split her classes between me and two other ladies and I still received 25 students.  The Navy finally gave them their orders and we had two weeks to do the hand off.  I watched her teach a few classes and then I taught a few classes and she critiqued me.  I am teaching two classes a day, everyday during the week, except Tuesdays.  My students range in age from 3 to 14 and I am loving them!  I was slightly worried because I had no teaching experience, but Annie already had a great teaching structure in place and I was able to take over fairly seamlessly.  I feel very fortunate to have inherited a "full-time" teaching job!  

On top of teaching, they finally added another yoga class to our fitness schedule so I am now taking two yoga classes a week, two Body Pump classes a week and trying to fit in a couple of runs a week.  For the first time in two years, bathing suit season is right around the corner and I plan to be ready!  

Add in taking care of Lucy, the house, our finances and everything else while J. is away and life is pretty busy these days.  I have to say, I am loving it.  I was dreading the start of June and, so far, it has flown by.

I hope June is treating you well!