These past two weeks, I was with the five-year-olds and three-year-olds. The five-year-olds were way more relaxed than the four-year-olds, which was refreshing. It was crazy to think that just a few weeks prior, they were the four-year-olds who would tire me out. I had a lot of fun with them. I have a strong connection with a student with Down Syndrome. It was great to see her again. There was a moment this week when I was communicating with the vice principal, and Google Translate did not work, but I could understand her well enough to respond in Japanese. The staff was so excited, and honestly, I was too. My communication is improving!
There is a new student in the five-year-old class. She recently transitioned from their academy for disabled children, so she is having some difficulty adjusting to the school’s routines and expectations. She does not get overstimulated easily, but she has difficulty processing verbal instructions. She is very tactile, sensory seeking, so patting her arm repeatedly or swaying while she sits on my lap helps keep her calm. She has the sweetest laugh when something excites her. I could tell she was most likely autistic, and that was confirmed by the teachers. The attitudes about autism here are different from what I am used to. The teachers treat it as a very sad burden, which it can be, but Americans usually have a more nuanced and well-rounded view of autism, from my personal experience. For example, many teachers were shocked that my sister has a job and a driver’s license despite being autistic, whereas in the United States, that is not usually as surprising. Since the teachers have seen how well I work with the kids with disabilities, they have put me with them more frequently. I don’t mind, I have been working with people with disabilities almost my whole life, so I am comfortable with that responsibility. I have also been given the responsibility of helping the kids who have trouble falling asleep at naptime fall asleep. I am usually able to get them sleeping, and it makes me feel very accomplished.
The school hired a magician to come and entertain the children one day. It was a very cute performance that the kids were extremely excited to see. All morning, the kids kept reminding me about the magic show. The show was great, I could tell how he did many of the tricks, but there were a few at the end that I have no clue how he did them.
I did music therapy with the two-year-olds. They are so adorable! Many of them were curious about my guitar, so I gave them all turns to strum at the end of my session. I was impressed with how well they followed my instructions. Typically, children of this age group need extra assistance, so I was prepared for that, but they understood everything very well. They followed all my movements during the instrument play without needing verbal instruction to do so. They loved using the egg shakers. They loved my modified freeze dance and thought it was so funny when we were all frozen. They even did great listening to my lyrical cues in a movement song to catch what movement they needed to do. When I did music therapy with the three-year-olds they sang very loudly and were great at identifying their colors!
After I finished music therapy with the three-year-olds the five-year-olds came into the gym and the teachers told me not to go anywhere. One of the teachers went to the piano and began to play “Happy Birthday!” All the children and staff sang to me and gave me a little crown. It was so incredibly sweet that I started tearing up! Over the weekend I had a great birthday! My host family took me to a wonderful local Italian restaurant. My friend Emma told me that when I get back she is going to pay for us to go skydiving as my birthday present! That was the most exciting gift I could ever ask for! It gives me a really big bucket list task to look forward to when I am back in America!
I got a day off from volunteering because Naoko (my program director) wanted to take me out to do a cultural experience in Japan. She took me to an old onsen in an old castle that is owned by her friend. It had the most stunning mountain views! It was relaxing and full of history. It is hard to describe how it felt, but being immersed in another culture like this is an incredible feeling. Naoko told me all the nice things the nursery school staff had told her. According to Naoko, they told her that they love having me and appreciate the initiative I take in the classrooms to help the teachers. They also told her that they are incredibly impressed with my music therapy sessions and how professional I am. They were even worried I was overworking myself on the music therapy plans because of how well they have been going! It was incredibly flattering to hear that and reassured me of the difference and impact I am making. The staff even told Naoko they are considering hiring a music therapist to come to the school after I am gone! Which is exactly the goal of my work here! After the onsen, Naoko took me to meet a music therapist her husband met at a conference. She did not know much about him or his work, so she was a bit nervous. I got to observe two of his sessions, and they were incredible!! He is amazingly talented and everything I was taught in college. I got to ask him questions in between the sessions and learned that he is one of the pioneers of music therapy in Japan! He is one of the founders of Japan’s music therapy association! I was stunned and amazed. Naoko had no idea either! What an incredible opportunity that came about as the result of many coincidences lining up in perfect timing. It shows God’s faithfulness and was, yet again, more reassurance that this is where God wants me to be. The next day after volunteering I went to my friend Megan’s apartment since she was hosting an event. We all ate taco rice and played a new board game. I had a great time!
My friend Hiro took me to a Toyohashi baseball game. It was super fun! The crowd was very excited throughout the entire game. I liked watching them play. They were not MLB-level players, but it turned out to be an exciting game. Toyohashi won as well!! Hiro and I got to know each other a lot better, and despite being so different, we relate on a lot as well. It is nice to have a friend. Over the weekend, my sister and I played video games like we used to when I was at my internship. I also hopped on a call with Emma and Allie for crochet club, but I forgot to buy yarn. It was still fun, though! It was nice and relaxing. I have been taking my weekends slowly and trying to be present.