I'm ready for my close-up...

I was at school on Friday when I heard the secretary talking to one of my Japanese English Teachers and mentioning my name frequently. As I got up to investigate, my JTE came up to me and asked if anyone from KHK, Kuse's local TV station had spoken to me. "No", came my answer, with me wandering what she would say next. "They want to interview you for TV" was what she said next. And at 3pm a woman from KHK TV turned up at school to ask me in person if they could interview me. And more. They didn't just want an interview, they wanted to make a film about me and the ALT in Kuse. I only got in on the action because I took over one of LeeJay's schools when she left in August. And as they told me what they wanted me to do I started laughing inside. And secretly laughed all weekend...

Monday came and I was ready for my close-up. And action shots. And demonstration moment.

They came to school and filmed me walking home. They took me to the supermarket and filmed me buying cauliflower, potatoes and spinach. They took me home and filmed me cooking curry. And they filmed my CDs, my photos and numerous other things. And then came the moment when I almost burst out laughing. Anyone who's seen a few Japanese TV food shows will no doubt have been rendered speechless by the constant stream of glazed-eye bimbos that tilt their heads, slightly dribbling to declare every concoction that enters their mouths "Oishiii!!!" (i.e. Japanese for "deeelicious!!!"). And as I was filmed eating my curry I had to utilise every bit of self-control I could muster as my soon-to-be-interviewer asked in Japanese, "so, how is it?" There is only one possible answer to this and I had to try and not spit curry everywhere while I laughed out a garbled "oishiii!!!"

The interview that followed was rendered atrocious by the fact that my vocabulary has been possessed by the spirit of an 18th Century schoolboy who likes to say, "Gosh!" and "Crikey" at every opportunity. And because I kept trying not to laugh.

They have yet to film me teaching (Lord, oh Lord!) but the finished product will be aired on TV on March 8th. It may rank up there with my close-ups on Ricki Lake...