Hop To It!

(I teach English at some public schools in Japan. There is a game I use with the fifth year elementary kids to help get used to counting where I split them into teams to play rock-paper-scissors against the computer. Losers sit, winners stand, ties stay how they were, and we count people standing and sitting to decide points.)

Me: “Okay, team one is five people. This team two is six people and team three is five. Hmm. Team two can I have a volunteer to play samurai?”

(The samurai moves to which ever team has the most sitting people to help them. They usually sit in a chair at the front. I apparently didn’t make that clear this time )

Little Girl: “Hai.” *raises her hand the fastest*

Me: “Okay, come up here for now.”

(Nods and comes up to the front. We have the first round and I go to the team that scored lowest.)

Me: “Okay, ask her: ‘Please help.’”

Team: “Please help!”

Little Girl: “Okay!” *extends her arms and proceeds to hop over to the team as if she were a kuangshi, a hopping vampire from Chinese and Japanese myth*

Me: “Umm, okay.”

(The little girl proceeds to act like a kuangshi every time she switches teams and does very well at counting. At one point I look over and see a student has put a piece of paper on their forehead like the special prayer charms that are supposed to control a kuangshi.)

Me: “Another one.” *to the girl* “Are you biting people?”

(At the end of the lesson.)

Me: “Okay, everyone say ‘Thank you, kuangshi.’”

Class: “Thank you, kuangshi!”

Kuangshi Girl: “Hai!” *waves and hops back to her seat*