I started a money system where I will pay students to practice English with me outside of the classroom, using fake money that I print myself that has something to do with my home state in the US. This month, I offered them 15$ (UNHEARD OF SUM) for each letter that they write to me. I told them that because it was December, and Christmas was coming up, I wanted them to make a lot of money. I also offered to make them dreamcatchers, personal ones, if they paid me 60 fake dollars. So, students who normally are too shy to talk to me have been writing me letters.
This girl wrote me a letter before. I had talked about how in America, we don't go out and buy a traditional Christmas cake. That's a Japanese tradition. They asked me what I did instead. I told them that I bake cookies with my family. This girl then took it upon herself to bake me cookies, and write me a letter saying that she hoped that they made me feel "like home". I cried. I wrote her back, telling her all about the cookies my family makes.
This is her reply to that simple letter. She has no idea how happy I am that she cares so much that the dreamcatcher doesn't even matter.
In my recent reply, which I have yet to give to her since my 2nd years are visiting Kyoto, I gave her the recipe for the Peanut Butter Kiss cookies that she wanted to try so bad.
I don't understand how some JETs come to Japan andaren't doing it for thesekids.I'm super biased, maybe... I don't know Japanese, and I'm not a real big traveler all the time, so maybe this is the only thing that I am good at. But i think it's a good thing to be good at. I think my lack of the language keeps me from lapsing into their L1. My kids at my base school shout "Good morning" and "good afternoon" and "hello" to me all the time, even when I am walking with other JTEs. They know that I want them to practice English.
TL;DR: This letter is one of the things that makes any frustrating day that I have more than bearable.
