7Y0M 5Y4M 補習校始業式 Penang Japanese Saturday School

ペナン補習校の始業式。アラタのクラスは男の子ばかり5人。先生は大変だと思いますが、よろしくお願いしま～す。

英語だけしかできなかったら、ただのハーフアジア人。純ヨーロピアンでないから、どうしても分が悪い。ここは一つ頑張って日本語もできる限り習得して欲しい。モトの経験から、中3までは補習校へ行かせた方がいいらしいので、それが目標。これはかなりハードル高いけど。

補習校ウエッブサイト:-
https://sites.google.com/site/penanghoshukojunbikai/

Penang Japanese Saturday School has started. In Arata's class, there are 5 children, only boys. It must be challenging to the teacher.

If Aratakara only speak English in the future, in European countries, they would have to live just as one of so many Asian/Eurasian who only speaks English. They wouldn't be treated totally equal.

I would like them to master Japanese. Moto once told me, it would be ideal if children finish Japanese Junior High level of literacy, and this is my goal. It must be very difficult to keep going for the next 9 years, but I will just try for my boys' future.

https://sites.google.com/site/penanghoshukojunbikai/

7Y0M 5Y3M ランカウイ Langkawi

冬休み、どこも行かなかったので、Jason抜きで2度目のランカウイ。海とプールに入り浸りでホテルに缶詰の予定・・・。

We didn't go anywhere while Jason was on holiday for about 10 days. I decided to take boys to Langkawi. It was our 2nd time there and we were going to stay at hotel throughout our stay...

だが、暑いから部屋に帰りたい！と、水着でいる時間はたったの1、2時間。

Aratakara complained it was too hot and wanted to go back to the room. They were in swimsuit only for about 2 hours everyday.

シュノーケリングをしたのもたった5分。

They snorkelled only for 5 minutes.

水が冷たいとか、くらげに刺されたくないと文句が多い。

They said, "the water is too cold" or "I don't want to be stung by jellyfish."

お風呂は部屋から見える仕組み。

You can see the bathroom from the bedroom.

バルコニーで朝食を食べてみたり。

We had a breakfast in our balcony.

テレビを観てばかりいる子供を置いて、一人で何度も砂浜を散歩してみたり。

I often left boys in the room, as they wanted to watch TV!, and went for a walk.

海やプールに入らないから退屈になり、タクシー使ってあちこち行き予定外の出費。なぜこの暑い国でペンギン！？（Happy Feetを彷彿させる。）

They got bored as they didn't go to the sea or pool as we planned, then we ended up spending more money to go to different places by taxi. Why penguin in such a hot country? (It reminded me of 'happy feet'.)

ロープーウェイ乗り場まで行くも、強風の為休止中。5分で80リンギもするエレファントライドは、2年前に続き2回目。

Decided to go to the cable car station but because of strong cross wind, it wasn't running. Aratakara went for the elephant ride. (It was their 2nd time - 80RM only for 5 mins!)

飛行機の中では大騒ぎ。一番後ろの席にしてよかった。

I was glad I'd chosen the seats at the back.... they were so noisy...

プールサイドのシャワーに登り、怒られたタカラは、相変わらずどこでも登る。

Takara was told of by climbing up on the shower at the poolside. Still he didn't stop climbing up things...

猿もいました。でも、これはタカラ。

We saw some monkeys in the hotel compound, but this is Takara.

ホテルではデビットカードしか持って行かなかった為、ひどい扱いを受け、立腹したママはTripAdvisorに投稿。

The hotel was supposed to be good. But as I only carried a debit card, they treated me very badly and I was so embarrassed. I posted my complaint to the Trip Advisor!

7Y0M 5Y2M モンキービーチ Monkey Beach

10日以上連続で休みなんてマレーシア移住以来のJasonだが、疲れ切っていて旅行も行きたくないという。私はホリデーモードだから料理を作る気にもならない。さすがに退屈なのは子供達。

Jasonがモンキービーチへ連れて行った。1時間以上ジャングルトレッキングをしないといけないと聞いていたので、暑さに弱い私はパス。

途中、モニターリザード（おおとかげ）にたくさん出くわし、アップダウンのトレッキング。疲れてきた子供をなだめながら、2時間近くかけて到着したそうだ。（あー、行かなくてよかった。）

ビーチ自体は楽しそう。その上、なんと、ボートをハイヤーして出発地点まで帰って来れるらしい。それもたったの5分で！（帰りはボートだったということです・・・。）次回は私はボートで先回りしよう。

タカラの感想は「ユースパークの猿よりフレンドリーな猿だったよ。」

Jason decided to take boys to Monkey Beach. You have to take a jungle trek for about an hour to get the beach, and of course, I didn't go, I wouldn't stand the heat for such a long time.

They saw a couple of monitor lizards, going up and down. Boys started to complain the distance.... It took nearly 2 hours to get there for Jason. (I'm glad I didn't go!)

The beach itself looks very nice and fun from the photos. Well, actually, you can hire a boat to go there. On their way back, Jason happily paid 60RM for only 5 minute ride to the starting point. Next time, I will get to the beach first by boat!

Takara told me, "The monkeys there were more friendly than those at Youth park."

7Y0M 5Y2M 7歳 7 years old

アラタ7才。今年は初めて誕生日当日にパーティー。アドベンチャーゾーンも平日料金（その上6人で4人分料金）だったので意外と安上がり。

スマトラ沖地震の翌日生まれなので、誕生日が近づくと当時の地震や津波の事がニュースで取り上げられる。当時の津波によりマレーシアで犠牲になったのは68人、うち52人はペナン島。私達の住んでいるガーニードライブも津波で水浸しになり、バイクや車の被害があったそうだ。

Arata is now 7 years old. This is the first time Arata had his birthday party on the actual birthday. The Adventure Zone only charged us 'normal day rate' with some discount. So it wasn't as expensive as we thought.

Arata was born the day after 2004 Sumatra Earthquake and when his birthday approaches, we can't avoid watching the footage of the tragic event. 52 out of the total of 62 victims in Malaysia were from Penang. Gurney Drive, where we live, was also flooded and lots of bikes and cars were covered with mud.

6Y11M 5Y2M クリスマス Christmas

数日前から、「今日がクリスマスだったらいいのに」と言っていた二人は、クリスマスの朝、5時半に起きてしまった。さすがに、Jasonが「暗いうちはプレゼントは開けない」と言い、2時間ほど引き延ばし、私達はそのまま二度寝。

24日に寝付く前、タカラがベルの音を聞いたらしく、サンタが来たのを知っていると言っていた。

From a few days before, Aratakara kept saying "I really wish it was Christmas today." On Christmas day, they got up at 5.30! Jason persuaded them that we were not going to open the presents till the sun rose. Boys kept playing, we kept sleeping.

On Christmas eve, just before Takara went to sleep, he heard the sound of bells, and he believed Santa was there.

6Y11M 5Y2M ペナン日本人補習授業校準備校 The Japanese Saturday School in Penang

ペナン補習校準備校を1月に開校。(ペナン補習校ウエッブサイト)

日本人会、日本人学校、領事館、元補習校講師、元小学校教師…。いろいろな方面からのアドバイスを仰ぎながら準備を進めて来た。様々な方のご理解や、運にも恵まれ、とりあえず8人の子供で始めることになり一安心。

最終的には文部科学省の認定・費用の支援を受けることが目標。

補習校を文部科学省が支援するのは、「教育の機会均等」の憲法上の概念上、小・中学校は義務教育だから。これが海外在住子女にも広義で適用される。

その為、できるだけ多くの子供に日本人教育の機会を与えることが補習校の方針なので、非営利で行う事で授業料を低く抑え、且つ、授業の質を保つことが重要。

ペナンにおいて日本人学校に通っていない子供は、インターナショナルスクールか現地校に通う。ところが、駐在員家庭と国際結婚家庭では学費として出費できる範囲にも差があるので、費用の試算には特に苦心した。

余分なコストを押さえる為の交渉、授業料の設定…。学期により授業日数が違うから、学期毎一律にせず、割り出した日謝から学期毎の金額を算出すれば、1学期だけやってみたい親にもフェアだという要望もあった。

これは、やむを得ず、準備会で却下されてしまったが、その為2人の子供から国語教育のチャンスを奪ってしまった事が悔やまれる。

（写真はコンドのクリスマスパーティーで。建物の横にいきなりホーカーが出ちゃうところがすごい。）

3 of us have been setting up the Japanese Saturday School in Penang. It will be NPO and in the future, we want to have it approved and get some fund from the Japanese government. We've talked to the Japanese school, Japanese association, the consulate general of Japan, ex-primary-school-teachers in Japan, ex-Japanese-Saturday-School teacher.....

The Japanese Saturday schools are for children who don't go to full-time Japanese schools but go to the local or international schools instead. The schools help kids to catch up with the Japanese governmental curriculum so that the children will be able to settle back in Japan if necessary.

The Japanese government have approved over 200 such school all over the world. They help them because the first 9 years of the education is compulsory in Japan and we all have right to be educated. This applies to the Japanese children abroad.

It wasn't a plain sailing, though. 3 of us sometimes don't agree each other. Hopefully lots of Japanese, or half-Jpaanese, children will be able to have chance to learn Japanese.

6Y11M 5Y2M 他の幼稚園はいやだ Takara refused to go to a local kindergarten

アラタの学校の算数の宿題をオリにもやらせてみたら、ほぼ完璧！（『7』の数字が逆だけど。）とても誇らしげなタカラ。次男ってすごい。

私の場合、長男ですら手抜きで、文字とか全然教えてあげないから、次男なんて完全放置状態。でも、お兄ちゃんを見て育ちます。

純子先生によると、幼稚園では、年長さんになる前の中途半端な時期だそうで（ナニアでは年長まで読み書きを教えない）、いまいちやる気がなく、今まで丁寧に描いていた絵も、ぐちゃぐちゃにして終わりだったりするらしい。相変わらず、しなければいけないことも、気分が乗らないとやらず、事務所の前の長いすに横になったりしているとのこと。

そんな中、ナニア幼稚園の冬休み中に、他の幼稚園（ジェントルケア）に入れてみた。同じ年のナニア組の男の子も数名いるから大丈夫だと思ったが、一日行っただけで、激しい拒否反応。なにやら、たくさん怒られるからいやだということ。

ナニアは自由な保育なので、転園したり、小学校に進級したりした時に、じっとしていられない子供が多いと聞いたが、その通りなのだろう。まして、マレーシアの幼稚園は既にスパルタ教育重視。机にじっと座っていることすらできない子供には厳しい。

Takara tried Arata's homework of mathematics, year 1 level at Japanese school. Nearly perfect!(Look at the '7', it's the other way round, though.) Unbelievable. I don't spend time with my first-child Arata to teach or help studies, and for our 2nd one, I do none! But he can learn from his brother.... Amazing.

At Nania, Takara is in the middle of the middle and the oldest classes, and he seemed to be a bit bored, as Nania don't teach writing till they reach the oldest class, which is from April. He used to draw very well, but recently, Junko sensei found he is just so impatient - just draws circles and finishes. Sometimes he can't follow the simple rules every child has to do, and goes to the office to lie down on the sofa over there.

When Nania broke, I decided to send Takara to another kindergarten for a week. We chose the kindergarten because his close friends from Nania all go there for a few weeks. When he came back on the first day, he strongly complained about the place and he insisted he wouldn't go back.

Nothing can change him. He said teachers were so strict and he was often told off.

At Nania, children are not taught to sit down to study. The children are more free. So often when the Nania graduates go to primary school, they can't sit at table and concentrate. Well, that's the one. And in Malaysia, nearly all kindergartens emphasise on learning from such young age. For Takara, it must have been so stressful. He is a sensitive boy. I will have to look after him at home next week.