Job Discussion Forums

[Guy Courchesne]

An unexpected package arrived at the school today. It didn't blow up after a little shake, so I opened it.

Three school kids from a Midwest US school sent us a 'Welcome to Our Culture' pack. In the package were two US flags, a fuzzy soft football, as well as cutout pictures of cows, a dictionary, a map of the US, and of Hindu god Shiva. There was also a CD by Dirks Bentley, a video cassette of 'an old cowboy movie' called 'The Sacketts', and a two page note explaining their project.

This is really, really cute.







I suppose they found our address on the Internet, but didn't realize we're not a Mexican elementary school. Fortunately, there's an elementary school here across the street. I'm sure the kids over there will appreciate getting this.

[Kaspar Hauser]

Having lived in Mexico, I find this really hard to believe. A package from the USA was actually delivered to an address in Mexico? It wasn�t stolen or ripped open and looted by the Mexican postal service thieves? Come on, Guy, you�re making this up.

[Guy Courchesne]

It arrived in a taped-up Reebok shoebox and it looked like it had been to Iraq for a tour of duty, but the contents were more or less unscathed. By the post stamp, it took 30 days to arrive as bulk mail.

[denise]

Cute! I don't like their comment about sports, though. Oh well. They're only, what, 12 or 13 years old?

d

[Guy Courchesne]

Yeah, I expect the Mexican teacher at the elementary school to maybe 'tactfully' handle that sport comment. I figure grade 6 students? When do US kids start taking a Social Studies class? Or an economics class - noting that 'no tariffs on imports' comment as well.

[Pollux]

I have a class of 10-12 year-olds in Poland.

Would anyone with a similar class like to receive a package from us? We'd like to send one thing that represents our country(they decide and I buy), and a letter to go along with it.

There will be no mention of tariffs, I promise.

With any luck this can be expanded to around the world package.

[furiousmilksheikali]

What was all that about tariffs? A little incongrous, I thought. Is there some "beef" between Mexico and the States over this?

I'm sure the US put some tariffs on steel from Japan, recently.

[Guy Courchesne]

Here's a bit of fun, or work I guess. Try deconstructing the lesson. What did the teacher assign exactly and how did the students get the info?

It's a nice idea, isn't it Pollux? I hope you get some responses. Imagine the looks on the kids faces when you bring in that package from Thailand, or Canada, or whichever far off places the kids can rush over to the map to point at.

[Gordon]

No tariffs, eh? Guess they never heard of softwood lumber.
But, you can't blame them. Their letter sounded more intelligent than most.

[yaramaz]

[Sweetsee]

When you say 10-12 year-olds Pollux, how old would that be here in Japan? Reason I ask is because I have a sophmore high school class that would love to receive a package from you. They must be 15-16 year-olds.
Enjoy,
s

[furiousmilksheikali]

10-12 year olds in Poland are the same age as 10-12 year olds in Japan.

[craftynick]

[gaijinalways]

That's pretty a pretty cool idea Guy, and not a bad project to do, even for university students.

As to Sweetsee's comment/question, some teachers here have opined that uni students in Japan are often mentally about the same age as junior high to early high school kids in the US and in Europe. Now, whether the 10-12 years old kids here are more mature or equally mature as their foreign counterparts.......

[Sweetsee]

Ali I see that your voice has changed but your breath still smells the same.