tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post3010144288132819501..comments2023-10-21T11:44:45.588+01:00Comments on ResidentAlien: Just Talkin' 'bout ShaftMary Witzlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-31112144604794611442007-09-03T23:53:00.000+01:002007-09-03T23:53:00.000+01:00Thank you, Debra. I didn't spot this comment until...Thank you, Debra. I didn't spot this comment until weeks after you posted it -- sorry!Mary Witzlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-22036709725893874922007-08-22T22:07:00.000+01:002007-08-22T22:07:00.000+01:00Great story and great description! I am still chuc...Great story and great description! I am still chuckling.debrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17676300309029588465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-34255034882598870282007-08-21T22:17:00.000+01:002007-08-21T22:17:00.000+01:00Kanani -- I still know every word, every bit of th...Kanani -- I still know every word, every bit of that song -- and I know just when to come in, too. And you are right: nobody can sing it like Isaac Hayes. And remember those chains? Bless his heart, Ushio-san could never have managed the chains! Glad he didn't try to; that would have tipped me right over the brink.Mary Witzlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-66534849348055962602007-08-21T22:00:00.000+01:002007-08-21T22:00:00.000+01:00Canyoudiggit?I LOVED that soundtrack.I listening t...<I>Canyoudiggit?</I><BR/><BR/>I LOVED that soundtrack.<BR/>I listening to it over and over again as a kid...<BR/>I was the outcast of the sixth grade for even knowing what it was. <BR/>Truthfully, no one can sing Shaft like Isaac Hayes, just like no one will ever lead the Love Unlimited Orchestra like Maurice White.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, hilarious story. I can just see you trying to be so polite teaching them those words, that swagger. Too bad you couldn't find any bling to help put them in the mood!Kananihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08317494343177263398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-64612619034330949402007-08-21T21:21:00.000+01:002007-08-21T21:21:00.000+01:00Eryl -- No sandwich board! The shopping mall was ...Eryl -- No sandwich board! The shopping mall was humiliating enough. One guy really did have to put on a tutu, though; I didn't make that up.<BR/><BR/>Brian -- I loathed using tape recorders in the classroom, but they really could save your voice in a big lecture hall. I once had to teach a class of 120 with a bad case of laryngitis (I had it, not them, that is) and I don't think I could have made it without a tape recorder. But reading out the lyrics for the Theme from Shaft, I felt as though I was in a Monty Python sketch. <BR/><BR/>Kim -- Coming from you that is such a compliment, so thank you!<BR/><BR/>Sara -- Thank you for visiting my blog, and I am happy to have a fellow English teacher from Japan around! I tend to write a lot about Japan and would love hearing your Japanese stories too.Mary Witzlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-51458967970703926052007-08-21T19:40:00.000+01:002007-08-21T19:40:00.000+01:00"If you should ever want to feel ridiculous for wh..."If you should ever want to feel ridiculous for whatever reason, I strongly suggest that you do the same thing." I know you can't hear it, but I'm LOL. <BR/><BR/>I taught English in Japan, too, on Okinawa. One kids' class and one of adult "conversation" to three businessmen. The last was easy...I just brought in cool articles to discuss or we played word games. I have no idea if they learned anything, and thank the Lord no one asked me to sing. My husband did get up on stage once and lead a whole bar in Thailand in a rendition of Country Roads.Sarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-15051686947059165452007-08-21T10:27:00.000+01:002007-08-21T10:27:00.000+01:00Brilliant story and superb piece of writing, Mary....Brilliant story and superb piece of writing, Mary.Kim Ayreshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02656677501116622953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-47805820799077341582007-08-21T08:08:00.000+01:002007-08-21T08:08:00.000+01:00Great story.God's blessing and curse on tape recor...Great story.<BR/><BR/>God's blessing and curse on tape recorders. I used them to learn several of my acting roles and got thoroughly tired of listening to my own voice.<BR/> <BR/>Praise be I could use typed out flash cards as well.<BR/><BR/>I even used pre-recorded speeches to help out students with the odd tricky vocal role -- in pausing particularly--but at least I did not have to sing for them. That would have been more than just offputting for them.<BR/><BR/>A useful teaching tool, but .......<BR/><BR/>patterjackbrianf@ozonline.com.auhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17365273528988879923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-85963439377179977342007-08-20T22:50:00.000+01:002007-08-20T22:50:00.000+01:00What, no sandwich-board? I'm devastated!What, no sandwich-board? I'm devastated!Eryl Shieldshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01818102006775827503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-35001753453560426472007-08-20T19:53:00.000+01:002007-08-20T19:53:00.000+01:00Carole -- I'm not sure how kind I was to him, but ...Carole -- I'm not sure how kind I was to him, but at least I never burst out laughing. We had some pretty close calls, but I always managed to keep a straight face. But yes, I did see the longing in him -- honest, it would have been hard for anyone to miss.<BR/><BR/>Eryl -- I made up the part about the sandwich board! Another woman I knew had to do that; I categorically refused. I did have to accost people at a shopping mall, and I just hated that. But I did appreciate Ushio-san's attitude and have always remembered how conscientious he was about doing things just so. <BR/><BR/>Davimack -- I lived in Japan for seventeen years, during which time I was always amazed by the Japanese tendency to perfectionism. Everything had to be just so, and any deviation from this often caused real panic and concern. But Ushio-san's triumph was all the greater in my eyes because he started off so far from the mark and was so determined.Mary Witzlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-15063716115622169422007-08-20T17:34:00.000+01:002007-08-20T17:34:00.000+01:00Such hope and brightness.I believe that other cult...Such hope and brightness.<BR/><BR/>I believe that other cultures focus upon different things, somehow, than Western cultures: it's perfectly acceptable to have done something as well as you could, rather than to have lived up to some "objective" concept of good, at least in certain circumstances. That understanding of where to draw the line ... is somewhat lacking, perhaps, and I'm glad that Ushio-san could be happy.David T. Macknethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03074123750929335716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-10996401248736254042007-08-20T13:24:00.000+01:002007-08-20T13:24:00.000+01:00What a great job! One thinks of teaching English a...What a great job! One thinks of teaching English as a bit staid, holding up a pen and repeating the word over until the student gets it, that sort of thing. But going about dressed in a tutu or sandwich-board and teaching someone to sing the theme tune from Shaft! Sounds great.<BR/><BR/>I also love the attitude of your student. That he wasn't going to let a little thing like not being anything at all like Issac Hayes get in his way. I need a bit of his confidence.Eryl Shieldshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01818102006775827503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-8866458492806556582007-08-20T12:41:00.000+01:002007-08-20T12:41:00.000+01:00Great, great story. It is always amazing what dri...Great, great story. It is always amazing what drives people to do things. But if a person is driven to sing the theme song of Shaft, I can't think of a kinder teacher. Because the best thing is--you see the heart, the desire, the longing instead of just a man doing karaoke.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03828426520214270655noreply@blogger.com