Mr. Toki

First: Happy Birthday to Shannon Borcherds! Love you and hope your birthday is amazing!

Today all 3 of the classes I taught were with Mr. Toki. He sits across the room from me (well, I'm in the middle and he's near one of the ends) so I didn't really know much about him. I had met him but that was it. MMM, he was very nice and funny!

My 3 classes with him today went so well! After the first one, he told me, "That was really fun!" During the third class he went in and out which made me feel great as it communicated to me that he trusted me and knew that I would do fine without him there. (If there is any disciplining to be done, the JTE - Japanese English Teacher - does it. That is, I have whatever authority is given to me. If that makes sense. If they wanted me to observe every class, that would be what I would have to do!) One student in my third hour was kind of a punk, but I look forward to bantering with him and using him as an example (as he seems to have no timidity about him!). Today that class asked me my age and I answered the way I have for every class who has asked me that, "Secret! Secret! Come ask me at lunch and I will tell you." I don't care if they know my age. I'm trying to convince them to use English outside the classroom! In any case, when I gave my answer they all laughed and "ahhed" but this kid goes, "BOOOOO!" And they all laughed at him, as did I.

In the between class stages I was going crazy. Luckily one other teacher came by and asked me about next week and gave me something I could prepare. (And I miscounted before. I had 8 lessons planned INCLUDING that self-intro.) So NOW I have 9 lessons planned for next week. I still need to make worksheets for them but I have them all planned out. It's just a matter of sitting down with a computer and doing it. They said they were lending me one at the school so I've been waiting on them. If not, I will put them together Saturday. That will at least give me something to do.

This is off topic but it's important to me that I say it: Everyday, twenty times a day the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" plays in my mind. It makes my heart hurt but it also makes my heart hope. Hopefully the hope will win out!

So, back to school, during the times I wasn't planning, I tried to study Japanese. I would have been more successful if I were less tired. I just feel BEAT during the day. I hope my body/mind adjust to this schedule soon. I was going to use last week to become accustomed to my schedule but instead I slept less, cried more, and couldn't eat. Ya it didn't help me prepare. Anyway, all the classes I had today were 3rd graders (seniors) and the second class was especially spunky and fun. They are Toki-sensei's homeroom. So the atmosphere of the class was already one of fun and that helped me a lot.

So I got on the right bus, I taught 2nd, 4th, and 6th period. I saw more chanting and singing (so cool)! It's raining - yay! And now here I am at home. :)

Funny moments:

One teacher, when he passed my desk at lunch, shook his head and laughed at me. I forgot my chopsticks at home and was eating my lunch with a spoon. I think he thought I'm not able to use chopsticks (it's almost always the first question I'm asked by Japanese people I meet). I wanted to get him back and be like, "Listen, I just forgot my ohashi at home!" But the only word I knew in the sentence in Japanese was "ohashi: chopsticks." Wait... wasuremashita is I forgot (I believe). Anyway... dah!

After cleaning today the other vice-principal came over to talk to me. I don't know if I was in trouble or he was saying nice things to me. :/ I have no idea what he said. Then he asked how I came to school, "By bus." So I'm wondering if he was asking why I've been late to the morning meeting both days. I get there as soon as I can and I was told I could come later! Hashimoto-sensei hasn't been here so ya... that's why I think I may have been in trouble. He was smiling the whole time, but I wouldn't be surprised if that's just a Japanese, "softening the blow" technique. Makes me feel anxious. I take the earliest bus and I get up to the teacher's room as fast as I can. :c Hopefully Hashimoto-sensei is here tomorrow and can tell them he told me I could come a little later and that I could leave at 16h00 (though I've been leaving around 16h30). It's so hard to want to be able to explain myself and not have one word come to mind. *sigh* Still I'm sure it was comical for outsiders to see him come up to me and start talking to me and be nodding and I stand there and listen for 5 minutes and at the end I say, "I don't understand." LOL Dang it - I even know how to say "I didn't understand" and could have done that!

On the bus home I thought about what I wanted for dinner (soup and I had some) and then I just started craving a crusty bread. There's a bakery, "Michel," 2 blocks from my place. So when I got off the bus, I stopped there first. Imagine my delight when I found crusty cheese bread! I worried a little at the color of the cheese and the semi-melted appearance but my craving won out and I got it. Ya... NEVER eat Japanese cheese bread. They used cheese that tastes like Velveeta, American Cheese... chemical cheeses. (No wonder they didn't melt!) The crust of the bread was good, the insides were bad. Here's a picture of it:

Why do you torture me thus!?

 Good, crusty breads are hard to find here as is cheese. I hoped I'd hit the jackpot, but it was not to be. So glad I didn't buy more of it! Anyway, my love to you all!

XOXO, A