There are all these swallows that nest under the ledges of the schools. There are some nesting in the second floor walkway of my junior high school where I pass from the teachers’ room to classes. They cheer me a bit, huddled down in their mud-bowl nests. I can barely see their dark blue heads and red throats poking over the top, and their double pointed tails; they can never fit those in.
But everyday, I’ve been noticing mud crumbles on the walkway. The nests had been broken one by one, until all of my sweet little swallows were gone. After the first or second one, I figured that it was just the wind or that they had been constructed poorly. Oh silly swallows, this is natural selection at work! But when all the nests were all broken I knew for sure it was no accident.

I lost a lot of faith in my students. To their credit, the swallows wouldn’t have lasted a week in an American middle school. But, I have held Japanese students up to a higher standard than American students. They don’t seem as horrid as I remember my classmates being. But maybe that’s just because I don’t understand what they’re saying. I walked into one ichinensei class today and a boy started going “waaahaaabaaa” at me. I could tell he was trying to mock the way I said things, but just by yelling really loudly and trying to make non-Japanese-like sounds. But when I instruct, I’m very careful to articulate very carefully. The fact that this kid was just yelling undistinguished vowels at me shows that he has learned absolutely nothing. I was irritated but not insulted. I wanted to tell him that he looked really dumb.

A couple weeks ago, at one of the elementary schools, a girl had found a dazed sparrow and had brought it into the classroom in her hands. It had probably run into one of the windows. The kids were all crowded around and screaming excitedly. Hordes of yelling children are just about the worst thing for a little bird, so I tried to shoo them away as I scooped it up and put it a cardboard box out on the balcony. As soon as class was over, they ran back out onto the balcony to go look at the bird. By then, it had recovered and flew away in terror. But I don’t blame the kids, they were just curious.

When do they change from inquisitive and concerned to spiteful, from wannabe healers to willful agents of destruction?

But in the afternoon, I noticed a dark rim around one of the broken nests. There was a little swallow sitting in it, eyeing me nervously as she applied a fresh glob of mud to a new layer of nest. Brave, determined little bird. Gambatte! Can I be as courageous and steadfast as you?

Engrish of the day:
From the back of the “Transparent both sides tape” I bought at the 100 yen store.

(Note in regard to use)
oAfter removing the soiling of the surface which is used cleanly please use. oWhen falling, to paste those which are easy to be broken, please do not use for the dangerous place. oWhen peeling off, to peel off slowly from the wall surface, after that please remove the tape. *Depending upon the material of the wall surface because to be hurt, notice ones fall, after testing beforehand, use. In addition, when peeling off depending upon the material of notice ones, because there are times when it breaks note. oWhen notice ones have done the cirque, there are times when it peels off, after resetting on the basis of the cirque, use. oThe direct sunlight is avoided, please keep at the place where the hand of the young child does not reach. oYou do not use other than original use, insert in the mouth please do not stick to skin.