Speech Season

With the cool air blowing in after the typhoon a week ago (which featured canceled trains and torrential mists), speech season has begun. I had forgotten how much I love tutoring speech contestants-- students who want to learn about how to properly pronounce a "th" and aren't too embarrassed to try sticking out their tongue. It is very enjoyable working with students who like talking English and are working hard to learn a performance piece. Being able to mention linguistic phonic rules and the students understanding and being grateful for the explanations also pretty excellent.

And, with cooler weather, we are heading into midterm season, so the workload has lifted for me (though it has become rougher for the other teachers). It is a nice relaxing time.

Also higanbana, red spider lilies that sprout up all over Saga during late September and early October, are in bloom. I remember them very fondly from last year, and it's nice to see them again.