TT

First: Happy Anniversary Maman & Papa!! Love you both!!

I believe they will all be Toki Tuesdays - but next week I will try to think of a different title. :)

Today started well though I dragged my feet a little and got to the bus station much later than I would like to arrive. (One minute before the scheduled bus arrival. Too close for my comfort - though the bus was 3-4 minutes late.) On the bus I did something new - I read a book. I'm reading the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. I'm really enjoying the books. I was enraptured the whole ride and was loathe to put my book away. In fact, when I got off the bus I felt quite disoriented since I had been a magical world away! It was an odd sensation.

Once inside the school I went upstairs and quietly slipped into the teacher's room. They were saying sports and then numbers and then there would be applause. I assumed (and checked with Toki-sensei and this was the case) that they were reporting how the school had done in various sports. (Minami is well known for their sports.) I clapped with everyone else but couldn't figure out the numbers fast enough to know if we won. Also, I wondered if the Japanese do what Americans do - list the home team's score first then the opposition. So even if I figured out the numbers I would be unsure who won. LOL

In any case, I taught three third grade classes today. I made a matching worksheet that turned out to be REALLY hard. I worked SO hard to simplify the definitions - it was HARD, but the definitions for the most part were still too hard. *facepalm* Sorry guys! Toki-sensei made a comment that it was pretty hard but he also said he thought it was a good activity for them. I felt really bad. :/ They're all words from their reading! So I guess if nothing else, maybe they'll understand the reading really well now. In fact, part 2 required them to illustrate two of the words (a good check for understanding). The students were VERY creative with their drawings. I was so impressed. My only real problem during the day was that I was STARVING, oh and the midday "iron eyelids" thing. Today it was a physical fight to keep my forehead from banging onto my desk. I don't know what it is! It's like a net cast over me - it suddenly hits me and it takes a herculean effort to repel! In any case, after I ate my lunch I was hungry again fairly quickly. That was frustrating for me but lunch time was over and too bad so sad.

Suddenly I had a thought that jolted me awake: my work report was due by 17h00 and I wouldn't even get home until 17h30! I hadn't brought my computer so I pulled up google drive on my phone and hoped that they wouldn't get upset with me. I was working. So after a bit I was able to figure out how to do it and turn in my report. However I also remembered that though I had some shopping I needed to do (and had planned to do) when I got home, I had to turn in my travel receipts if I wanted to be reimbursed. Considering those receipts total over $150, I was motivated to get them turned in.

So after school, I impatiently (well more like worriedly) waited for the bus. It was 5-7 minutes late so I was feeling fairly anxious about getting home and then to the office to turn in those receipts (they leave at 18h00). I read on the bus as long as I could and I was enjoying the book but then I got freaked out thinking I might miss my stop and stopped reading. In any case, luckily the office is only 14 minutes walking distance from me so I knew I could make the trip in 5-7 (depending on lights) on my bike. I arrived home around 17h30, grabbed the receipts and pedaled off. Though before I did that I noticed a "missed delivery" slip. I grabbed that and took it with me (I ordered a case for my phone on amazon.jp)

On the way, I noticed people gathering on the street. It was Ishiwarizakura!! (Rock-splitting cherry tree) It's very famous in Iwate (and probably all of Japan). The Japanese see it as a symbol of who they are as a people. It was beautiful and I had been meaning to see it (especially since this is the blooming season and it doesn't last - and actually Kanamori-sensei asked me THIS MORNING if I had seen it yet and when I said I had not yet done so, she came by my desk THREE TIMES to tell me I needed to see it. LOL). I'm so glad I ran into it! Here it is:

Ishiwarizakura

Rock-Splitting Cherry Tree

(mmm) I'm, again, very grateful I ran into it! Then I continued to the office. I turned in my receipts and said hello to everyone. They asked me about school and I told them a few anecdotes and told them how much I loved teaching. Bryan, who is amazingly awesome, called the delivery guy for me and arranged for him to come back. He told the guy I would be there by 18h30 (35 minutes from then) to be safe.

Then I'm cooking dinner and Bryan calls me. "Why aren't you home!?" "Uhh, I am home." "Oh, well the delivery guy said he knocked and you didn't answer. He left your package on the ac unit." *I look outside.* "Ya, nothing here." "Uh oh. Maybe check around back? Bruce's side of the building?" *I walk around the entire place* "Ya, not here." "Ok, I'll call him back." Then Bryan calls back a few minutes later. "Ok, he's coming back. Maybe wait outside for him?" So even though I had JUST sat down to eat my hot dinner, I went outside into the cold to wait. The delivery guy stopped and made this shocked face and then said, "Sumimasen!" And ran to a different apartment building. LOL He came back with my package apologizing profusely. I shook my head and said, "Ok, ok." -- And that was my jolly roger. (Maybe that belonged below?) Anyway, then I went back in, ate dinner, read a little and now I'm writing. :)

Funny moments:

One boy got a "great idea!" He was frustrated with the matching worksheet and decided he would guess. He asked me to come over 3 times to "check" his answers (his guesses). SO funny, he didn't make any correct guesses. I would point down the page "No, no, no, yes (an answer he already had), no, no" and he would wail in mock despair. Thank you for entertaining me kid! LOL

My phone case lights up! It was unexpected and REALLY not me - but it's funny to me because I'm sure it was listed in the details but since I don't speak Japanese that well... ya. LOL It's a jolly roger too! Who gets a psychedelic jolly roger!? No wonder it was cheap! Sheesh.

When I first arrived - well, first I biked a block past the office since I was still thinking about the Cherry Tree. Luckily I noticed quickly and turned around. When I got to the office I chained up my bike, got in the elevator... and stared at the buttons. I couldn't remember the floor at all! I thought 6 sounded right so I pressed that button. When it got up (and they have an elevator camera), I must have looked suspicious poking my head out of the elevator and looking around. LOL But it was the right floor so yatta!

I'll share a coworker's funny story. I may have done so already (and if so, sorry), but I mentioned before that we talked and shared stories. One of which was Tom's. (He's from England.) He said that his class was being slow coming to the front so he said, enthusiastically, run-run-run-run-run! He said that now his students say "rub-rub-rub-rub!" (imitate him and the sound of "run"). - This story would be better if I could tell in person. Maybe I can get a video! Just sec...YAY! Here you go:

Oh yes! One more thing! I got to use my fast finishers in the first class. This one bright girl just BREEZED through the definitions and so I pulled out the word search and the family (かぞく) crossword in which all the clues are in kanji. She excitedly chose the crossword. Then her friend finished and I gave her one too. Then 2 other girls finished and they took the same puzzle. Then the boy in their group called Toki-sensei over (he had worked mostly on his own - I think he was shy about working with 2 girls) and asked him something in Japanese. "Ask her!" Toki-sensei replied. They both looked at me and this poor kid's face went scarlet. Toki-sensei kept goading him to speak to me, giving him different sentence/question starters, "Can I have..." "I would like.." The kid sort of looked at me miserably, lol, and I took pity on him after a minute. "Would you like one?" He nodded morosely (which made me laugh since he was so somber about getting a game), but he happily accepted the paper. :) So yay!

I've been here for more than a month (I think it's been 39 days) but this is the first entire calendar month. Feels crazy! As usual, I hope all is well with everyone! XOXO, A