So I teach business now

Before I run away to Hokkaido for the Sapporo Snow Festival and some snowboarding (!!!), I feel compelled to procrastinate my packing and share this with you:

I was once again pimped out to a company to teach a private English lesson to employees. I was pretty excited about this, as it is from 10-12 every Saturday which means two things: 1. I lost my really low level lesson I taught at 11 (although I did lose a great class as well @12), and 2. Since I will be working starting at 10 instead of 11...I get to go home an hour earlier than everyone else!! Score!

I went to the company for the first time this morning. It's really close to my work so it's convenient. Someone from our head office met me at the train station and walked me over for introductions. I got a little scared when we arrived. The last company I did this for was SUPER casual. When we arrived, we had to call the receptionist on this random black phone sitting all by itself in this giant entry in order for them to open the door, and then we were led to this sterile white room with black leather couches with nothing else at all, to wait for my students. So I sat there starting to wonder if this would be so great as it seemed really formal and strict and super "Japanese business work ethic" mode. To my surprise, in walked three 30 something year old men. Two were in casual clothes. The head office lady left (is it bad I don't even know her name?), and left me with them. I thought this week's lesson would be kind of stupid, as our head office planned it out so we would spend one hour doing "introductions" and then the next hour doing the first unit. Sounds fine right? Um..the first unit was how to do introductions (in a business situation...but STILL). LUCKILY these guys are really chill and hilarious. Their English is so-so but I loved how they would randomly crack up at each other trying to speak. Usually when Japanese people don't know how to do something they just shut up and act like statues. So the two hours actually went by quite quickly.

However, I quickly realized something. Let's see...I am teaching 3 businessmen who work for a large real estate loan company, and I am teaching them how to conduct business practices in English. Like I know anything about this! I mean I know how to make a killer introduction, and how to shake hands appropriately...but when they started asking specific "business talk" questions I found the BS just starting to flyyyy out of my mouth. That is one huge habit I have. I am asked a question I don't know the answer to and before I can even think of some good ways to postpone the question, a BS answer (could be right, could be wrong) comes out. I seem to always leave the students satisfied...but sometimes I find myself after class furrowing my brows unsure of what I just did to their lives with my answer. Ohhh the power I actually have as an English teacher! This company's future of conducting all their business in English kind of rests on 23 (almost 24!)-inexperienced-with business and life-me. Oh well, at least I have taught them how to make a killer first impresion, right??

OK time to pack! I booked this trip soo long ago it still hasn't hit me I am flying out tomorrow...