You might have noticed this blog has been silent recently. I just came back from Britain but didn’t want to publicise my absence. Back at work, I put together a presentation of some of my photos for the kids I teach, but often the reaction was not what I expected.
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I thought the Hollywood depiction of Scotland was sufficiently widespread (Braveheart, Highlander, Groundskeeper Willie) that children might recognise the national dress. Instead they looked at the photograph blankly and asked if he was a man or a woman. The teacher stepped forward and I presumed he was going to help me out. He then explained how, in Scotland, the men wear skirts.
The best suggestion regarding the bagpipes was that they were some kind of pistol. |
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This cow was confusing. Many kids (10/11 year-olds) just plain didn’t know what it was, not even in Japanese and with prompting from their homeroom teacher. |
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Most kids knew this was a type of owl (although not the English word for it), but many of them shouted out ‘ikemen!’
Ikemen means something like ‘cool face’ and refers to cute guys you wanna DO something to, but are too young or “too old” to understand what that might be. It’s like when your mum says Harrison Ford is “easy on the eyes.” Instead of praising their hot bodies, you try to focus on their exuberance. So why is an eagle owl an ‘ikemen’? I can only guess it’s something to do with the big eyes, but otherwise it’s a mystery. |
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One class started laughing when this photo came up. The Japanese teacher was puzzled too and asked what was strange about it. The reply? “It looks like Thomas The Tank Engine!” |
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Clockwise: peas, black pudding, clapshot (turnip and potato mash from Orkney), haggis and sausages. I had another slide showing the ingredients of haggis, but it was black pudding that intrigued classes the most.
In Japan, there’s no real concept of ‘pudding’ as a ‘heavy cake-like dessert’ let alone older definitions under which Yorkshire pudding and black pudding exist. What we have in Japan is purin, which refers only to a light custard dessert. To imagine this made of pigs’ blood is a delight to a certain type of child. |
Well, I can see why the owl photo is considered cool. With its big orange eyes, his black “eyebrows” and his overall fiery gaze, he’s kinda impressive! :D
And I must say, I’m surprised by the fact that Japanese kids don’t know what a cow is. There isn’t any in Japan?
I suppose I was thinking more of the Johnnys you get here. He doesn’t look much like Matsumoto Jun, that’s for certain.
I have no idea why they didn’t recognise a cow, but maybe they’re not used to seeing photographs.
How could they not know what I cow is? Isn’t that kinda… basic kindergarden knowledge for anyone? :p
You would think so. I know they go to milk factories in the third grade, and I presume there are cows there…