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Last week I was lucky enough to go on two day trips with the children I teach. On Wednesday I went to Osaka zoo with the first graders. My only demand was I wasn`t placed with Yuto`s class. Yuto is in the Bible. He with the 666 tatooed on his forehead and accompanied by high-pitched staccato violin picking.

My wish was granted and I did a good job of helping the teacher manoeuvre forty kids through shanty homes, tramps and crazed cars on the way to the zoo.

Once inside I continued the exemplary job until my eyes rested on an adult male tiger roaming his uncaged area. “Jesus Malarkey Christ!” I exclaimed and abandoned the children in an attempt to get as many photos as I could on the whistle stop tour.

There were many groups of school and Kindergarten kids there all wearing their uniform and a cap in a different colour for each school and it often got hectic trying to sort the kids out from each other.

On Monday I went sweet potato picking which is a traditional autumn activity for school children.

The plot I was allocated yielded two small potatoes and a larger one whilst everyone else got around eight. There was something fishy afoot but I clung to my prize like an Olympic champion displaying his medal.