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YokohamaToday was another school visit and good news I didn’t feel as nervous because I was in a 4th grade classroom. Those are my people! The Bukko Elementary School welcomed me in with such kindness, I felt right at home. When I entered the classroom with Ms. Kijima the students were working on math. They were converting kg to g.
The final part of the day was my presentation. The kids were very surprised to hear that we have a 30 minute recess and that in PE we learn soccer, tennis, and baseball. I made sure to leave some time for questions. This part is going to weird, but this has been the saddest part of my trip so far. The questions started out so innocent.
“What’s your favorite Japanese food?” “Do you like baseball?” ”What’s your favorite color?” ”When did you come to Japan?” Typical 4th grade questions, which I love to answer. Unfortunately, the questions began taking a turn. The students began asking about guns. “Do you own a gun?” “Do you have to take a test to get a gun?” “Can anyone buy a gun?” “Is there a gun store in Brookline near your school?” I tried my best to answer these questions in a way that wasn’t frightening to the students. However, my stomach was turning with all these questions. These 4th grade students see an American and the first thing they think about is guns. That incredible sad to me. That, that’s what were known for. How tragic! Even though I was feeling sad about the questions we were able to move on and play a round of Simon Says. Then I had my celebrity moment. I had a very long line of kids who wanted my autograph! I felt very cool. I ended my time at the Bukko Elementary School with hugs, notes, and many “see you soons!” |