I have to do it again: the day I use a Japanese toilet!

Ya, that's right... I did it again. I feel very accomplished. Once again, did not pee on myself or the floor. *pats self on back* And funny thing happened on the way to the bathroom... but I'll put it in funny moments.

So, today was really good. I ran around a bit crazy this morning because I was quite tired when I woke up and was a bit sluggish. Part of the problem is needing to lug so much stuff to school with me. I brought my computer, the cord to charge it, my phone's cord so I could use the interwebz, my lunch, umbrella, other personals, and omiyage (gift from America for the teachers, vice-principal, and principal). I gave the principal a little cork board plaque (I think it may be meant to be a coaster) that had a cartoon picture of Los Angeles with 2 small peanut butter cups and 2 Dove dark chocolates in a nice bag. To the vice-principals I gave a little plaque (the other ones were San Francisco, the Capitol Building, Hollywood, Chicago, and ... oh! The Empire State Building) each and 2 peanut butter cups taped to it with a little ribbon around them. Just sec, I will take a picture of the ones I'm giving to my other school to show you ...Ok so that's done and hopefully it will be ready to go by the time I'm done writing.. can't wait to have real speed internet again! In any case... I gave the teachers a peanut butter cup each. There is quite a large faculty. I brought 60 peanut butter cups. I felt sort of ridiculous going around to each teacher, but I wanted to thank them for letting me come to their school and I wanted to respect Japanese culture.. it was just hard to have no idea what they said back to me unless it was, "Thank you."

Today I taught my last first grade class and third grade classes (the ones I had not yet met this week). My first graders were so bright! They asked me the largest range of questions this week and were the fastest, by far, at the alphabet relay! They were quite reserved and I think I worried them (as they weren't sure whether they should laugh or not), but I'm so excited to teach them! Ok.. confession time: I'm excited about teaching all my classes. Tomorrow I go to the Deaf school and I can't wait!!

(Last night I got a call from my head teacher Ann asking how everything was going. I told her I loved the school, loved the students, I was just in love with this position. Then she asked about lesson plans in the works. I told her I had a lot going already and was just waiting to get word on the last ones. Ya I had no problems to report - other than that last minute class addition and that wasn't really an issue - more of a bureaucratic detail. Anyway, it was a nice chat and she's very English so it's really fun to speak with her. -- What I mean by that, for example is when the call was over she said goodbye 5 or 6 times. Really. In her adorable accent, "Goodbye! Goodbye! Goodbye! Goodbye! Goodbye! Goodbye!" I'm not sure why I consider that English - some movie or tv show I'm sure. In any case, It was nice to have a chat with her and I'm so glad I had nothing ill to report (mmm).)

So I taught my classes (one of which I only got 15 minutes to introduce myself then was ushered out. :/ I joked with Oikawa-sensei that I was being kicked out, but he said the students were going to work on an extracurricular test preparation.. so ya I was sent back to the teacher's room. Really it was a blessing as during all my prep periods (I finally got my SLP for next week from Interac for Minami) I was making worksheets like crazy. I made 7 worksheets today! I have to see if I can find a printer on Saturday and if not, print them out at 7-11. Yes my American friends, yes. There are copy machines at the 7-11s here! It's something that I'm STILL not used to seeing even though they're ubiquitous here. Just crazy! I don't know about Russia...

So, I got a TON of stuff done today. I was working like crazy just about every minute. I hope the students like the worksheets I made. I worked really hard on them and tried to make them fun. I also have word on a lesson plan for the week after next so I will start making a worksheet for that too (they love giving out worksheets here) when I'm caught up with next week. During lunch I pulled out a Sudoku puzzle reasoning to myself that this was my lunch period and I could relax a little. The other teachers were working when they finished eating so I started to feel a little guilty. I don't want to get in trouble, but my brain needed a break/fun! I put it away after one puzzle even though lunch wasn't over. Still, my brain got a small break and I didn't get in trouble (mmm) - of which I know that is. LOL

I meant to pull some chicken out (of the freezer) this morning for dinner and had just forgotten so when I got home I pulled out some chicken out anyway and thawed it with some cool and then warm water. I made Japanese White Stew. It was SOOO good. It was hard to not just eat it all though I technically don't have the stomach space! LOL I brown some onions with butter, cooked the chicken and the added the water and milk and white stew mix. MMMM I had a little milk left over and though I don't care for milk and Argentine milk was so horrifying I was afraid to try foreign milk again, I drank the rest of it. It was pretty good. :) I can't see myself becoming a milk-drinker but I definitely have less of an aversion to it. Oh! Also, on the way home I stopped at that bakery again. I was determined to get some crusty bread and... I found some! The name of it? (LOL) Huransu Pan. (France Pan - which is the Spanish spelling and pronunciation but I believe it originally came from the French - pain) It's meant to be a baguette and it was SUPER cheap! Well, it was a couple dollars, but it's cheaper than the pastries that are a quarter its size. So I had some nice crusty bread with my stew. Also, once again, it was hard not to just eat it all though I wasn't hungry after having dinner. Oh! I brought some Cajun spice with me to Japan (and mmm as they don't care for spicy food here) and I added a big sprinkling to my white stew. The white stew was already delicious and the cajun made it to-die-for. I'm trying to make my time at home relaxing and significant. Right now my days are DRAGGING. When I teach, it's seconds long. But everything else goes on forever. It feels like 4 weeks should have passed by now. I suspect after a while it will get like my mission - the days are long but the weeks are short. Right now, the lessons are short and everything else drags its feet. I was seriously just sitting here thinking I had missed them reading my name in on Sunday at church but then realized it hadn't been Sunday yet. *shakes head* It's not that the week has been super awful (I mean, I've been down about feeling lonely and wanting someone here with me but I've been coping as best I can)... I don't know what it is. So I'm trying to make my nights good so that I won't hate the weekend. I often felt in the US that my weekends were far too short. I felt cheated and not ready for the next week so I'm trying to avoid that situation. I don't want to start dreading work! I don't know if that's possible for how much I love those students and how well I get on with most of the teachers. It makes me wonder about my predecessor. No one has said to me, the way I was told in previous positions, "You're so much better than the last person!" But most of the JTEs have been very welcoming and kind. Kanamori-sensei, who teaches second graders, told me that we will be teaching together in October. (That's when they will add the other second graders.) I'm not sure if I said so yesterday but she is the one who told me about the Boston Marathon bomb. In any case, she goes out of her way to talk to me and today she said, "I very much look forward to team teaching with you. I can't wait to see your pictures!" Uh... pictures? Maman? Could you delegate to one of the kids a job of scanning pictures from our time in California? She said that to me after I told her I was from California and Utah. Then she asked me all about California (she's been there once) and then the line about photos.

So that was my day. I got so much done today - and though I have to get up extra early tomorrow I am very excited to meet the Deaf kids! Although I'm a little worried about how they expect me to teach them spoken language. I will be supplementing my speaking with signing (as I have been doing a lot already!). Love to you all! XOXO, A

Funny moments:

As I was going around handing out the chocolates, I got to Suzuki-sensei (the male one,) and just reflecting: the more I work with him, the more I like him. He's just a cute, little, old Japanese man. He's very sweet and has a very good sense of humor. So once I got to him, I handed him the chocolate and he asked me, "What is today?" (I thought he was asking for lesson planning and team-teaching purposes.) "Uh.. the 18th I think? No wait.. the 19th? I'm not sure." Then he pointedly looked at the chocolate and I realized what he was asking. "Oh no! That's for omiyage!" -"Oh! Thank you!" -- Oh and did I tell you, the math teacher seems to really like me. Well, he often practices his English with me. It makes me happy though that he's comfortable talking to me because most teachers are afraid to talk to me - worried they'll embarrass themselves. Well, I feel the exact same way!

So, on the way to the bathroom, I was walking behind Suzuki-sensei (m). It was the tail-end of lunch and a group of girls was eating at a table 30 or so feet from the faculty bathroom. The girls all waved and called out, "Hello!" to me. I hear it often but it never fails to warm my heart. In any case, just as I was waving back and saying, "Hello!" Suzuki-sensei calls back to them as well. AHAHAHA! He thought they were talking to him. He hadn't known that I was behind him. He hung his head and went and sat in a corner of the room. LOL He was so cute about it and made us all laugh. :) One girl called me over and said, "I'm Spongebob!" --Because Japanese students in jhs and hs have to wear uniforms, they express who they are through their bags and pencil cases. A few girls this week have had Spongebob cases - I remarked to all of them as I walked around that I loved Spongebob. So she is one of those girls. :) I know 2 student's names and I'm not sure I could pick them out of a crowd. *stricken face* Oh man... I WANT to learn all the kid's names, I'm just not sure how to go about it. There are rolls for each class but all the names are in kanji. *facepalm* ... Anyway, sorry that was my other funny moment with Suzuki-sensei.

The balloon bag is the one for the principal - the one for Minami's Principal was clear but I couldn't find another clear one.. so ya balloons. :D Then the 2 vice principal gifts. The other teachers get a loose peanut butter cup (it's my understanding that the gifts have to have levels... if not, oops!) - I bring the candy to school in a nice bag so it looks good. :)