Muggy Day

Insect count: 0! MMM!

Today started out ok. The sun rises around 430 here so I wake up between 430 and 530 everyday (and most typically between 520 and 530). This morning was no exception. I woke up at 522 and grabbed one of my hair socks to cover my eyes and had a small heart attack as I realized I had less than an hour to sleep. Monday-Thursday I wake up between 630 and 645. Fridays I have to wake up between 610 and 625. Today was 610. If only I hadn't realized I had less than an hour left! Dang it. Then my mind wouldn't settle down and go back to sleep. (So I yawned at work a lot, lol.) One funny thing - I almost passed out! I stood up and I got tunnel vision so I said, "Whoa!" And my whoa sounded very far away and it was muted. But, mmm, I didn't pass out. :) Oh man, I got close in the temple a couple times before I came to Japan. -- Side note for that story. I was going to the temple every week and this week I had gone to do sealings. (If I have any readers that are not LDS, sealings means I "stand in" as a proxy for a deceased person ~a woman~ to be sealed to her husband for time and all eternity, or a daughter to her parents.) Well the sealers (the man who pronounces the blessing) typically say, "Please warn us if you start to feel faint or dizzy." I had, before, scoffed at such people. How does that saying go? The foolish laugh? That's me! In any case, I got through about 3 daughters and I started to feel REALLY nauteous. I raised my hand to get the sealer's attention and said, "I don't feel well." His eyes went wide when he saw my face. I guess I was pretty pale or green. In any case, he had some missionaries help me to my seat. I sat down, and the room felt very hot. Luckily the woman sitting next to me had a fan and lent it to me. We also cracked the door open to let in more air. After I felt I had recovered I wanted to try again. It had been a good 20 minutes and I thought surely there wouldn't be a repeat act. Oh ho! As he was finishing up the FIRST daughter, my vision started going black and all I kept telling myself was, "Don't fait. Don't faint. Don't faint!" I heard the sealer say, "We're gonna lose her!" And then I couldn't hear anything or see anything anymore. I felt some arms pulling me up so I figured the blessing was over and as little as I wanted help to my seat, I couldn't see or hear so I had to be led. I said aloud, "I can't see or hear." So they would know I wasn't being obstinate. Once I was put on my chair, I put my head down and took slow, deep breaths. In a minute or two (felt like much longer) my vision was restored as well as my hearing. It was a crazy experience! Anyway -- this morning! I got out the door on time so I didn't have to run for this bus either. The Friday bus leaves RIGHT on time - if anything, it leaves 30 seconds early so I always have a little extra stress when it comes to Friday mornings. So I figured it was a blessing I woke up early as I got a jump on taking some pain medication, I was able to lie on the heating pad for a bit, and then I was already awake when my alarm went off so I moved faster than I have otherwise. I got ready for school, got my things together, and off I went. The bus ride was nice - I took a picture (it's below). My pain hasn't been too high today (compared to usual that is, lol) and I'm VERY grateful for that! The first half of my walk to the school was pleasant. The second half it felt like I was walking in a sauna draped in a wet blanket! I guess I hit that magic time when the universe's oven timer dinged and BING! Humidity, on! Still, I brought both my fans so it was all good.

My first class went really well. I covered third person and even the student who usually doesn't participate was doing his worksheet. I pointed out that the English infinitive to the conjugated third person was easy and so he did all that. (He skipped the Japanese to English verb match.) The other students were still working on the rest of the sheet when he finished and at first he was feeling like the king of the world, judging by his grin. Then he seemed to get a little worried and tried not to let me see, but started doing the rest of the worksheet. :) Yay! He had an appointment at one point so he had to leave, but it was a huge victory for me that he participated (and fully this time!). Or goal was to sing a song. I provided the lyrics for the primary song "Saturday is a Special Day," and with their third person sentences they wrote, they provided the actions. :) (Before any of you wonder why I planned singing for Deaf students, this is what happened. Last week, I taught Mai. Mai is not Deaf, nor is she deaf. She is mentally retarded. So I have sung a couple simple songs with her to help her remember and practice days of the week as well as animals. Well, last week Sugita-sensei heard us singing. On my SLP for the following wee ~this week~ was written: let's sing songs! ... Okey! So I was blessed with inspiration and we sang that song. It worked out very well!)

After that lesson, I was in the teacher's room doing some last minute things for my lesson with the elementary kids and chatting with Kawai-sensei. I asked her about something my students taught me yesterday: an action plus "oko!" They said it meant angry. I checked with her and she laughed and laughed at me. She said only young people say it. I said, "I am young!" She laughed REALLY hard at that, lol. I laughed too but then pretended to be upset. "Oh, only for teenagers?" "So! So! So!" (Essentially, "Ya! Ya! Ya!") Then when it was time, off I went to the elementary school.

On the way to the elementary school, I stopped by the junior high school to say hello. When I entered the room, no one was there. I walked over to the other door and started to leave when suddenly the VP ducked into the room. Her back was to me, but she's SUPER nice and we get along really well so I called out, "Hello!" and was about to say "Ohayou gozaimasu," but at my hello she screamed. Oops. I startled her. LOL I apologized and went on to the elementary school. Once there, I set up in the classroom and waited for the students to arrive. As it turns out, their schedule IS a bit different so I thought I was going to be late but I was a little early. Soon the girls arrived and I hung out with them. I interacted as much as I could with the JSL I know thus far. They chatted and showed me their fish. Soon the other little boy showed up and he went WILD when he saw my laptop. I brought it because I had pictures on it as part of my lesson. (By the way, my lesson was to teach, "What's that?" ... That's it.) He loves computers. He got so crazy about it the JTE had to tell him to calm down and sit down and no he couldn't play with it, etc. Poor guy, it made him really upset. However, the lesson went really well I think. :) In fact, once again I had things leftover that I left with the students. I was then escorted downstairs by the whole class (the first time this has happened), THEN they followed me all the way to the end of the hall. (Where the elementary school ends ~ then you go outside and go up to the junior high school building.) I was really touched that they wanted that extra time with me. Especially when out of all my students they're the hardest for me to understand. They not only speak Japanese, but with Deaf Voice as well. I have NO problem at all with Deaf Voice and I can understand it in English but a foreign language.. it's been a little rough. Really when it comes down to it, if I could understand the Japanese itself I would be a lot better off, but as I don't yet... I'm just glad they love me! I AM trying!

On the way back, I stopped again at the jhs to apologize all over again. However, Nagano-sensei was the only one there. So I tried to explain what had happened (in my limited Japanese and) with lots of gestures and he cracked up. I asked him to give a message to Anpo-sensei (the VP): roar! LOL

When I got back to the high school teacher's room, I struggled through telling some teachers what had happened and they supplied me with new vocabulary! YAY! Mwahahahaha! Anpo-sensei (the name of the VP), odorokaseru (to surprise), and fukukouchou (vice-principal ~ which I had learned a few days ago and forgot, now it will stick!). When Kawai-sensei got back, I told her the story. During lunch when Sugita-sensei came back, I told her the story in all Japanese. :D Although I stumbled through the verb (odorokasemashita) and the rest of the teachers chorused in for me, lol. I was like a three year old who makes their mom laugh with a joke and continues to tell it all day. I couldn't help it though! I just wanted to tell everyone in Japanese. :) After I finished, Kawai-sensei loudly said, "Good job!" (not sure if to my Japanese or the fact that I scared the VP), but we all, the entire room of teachers, laughed. Good times! I then went back to the jhs teacher's room and wanted to tell them too. Most of the teachers were gone on a school trip, but I got to tell two other Japanese teachers in Japanese about it. The VP laughed and put her head down. Then she explained the story. .. that poor woman! I'm glad she likes me! ... at least she DID...

After that I went back and was going to work on prep. However, I was asked by Kawai-sensei if I wanted to take a walk. I said sure, thinking we would just walk the grounds and then go back... oh no. We visited the principal! He is a very kind man, but it was very intimidating to knock on his door. In fact, lol, she urged me to knock, then she did and when he called, "Hai!" I shook my head and refused to open the door. So she opened it and in we went. (Not that I thought we were going to knock and run... but still! The PRINCIPAL!) He invited us in (my hopes that it would be a quick hello were dashed) and we had a 20 minute chat with him. I was able to follow most it, mmm. :) He asked me about how I liked the school and I told him I loved teaching there. He thanked me for coming to the school and said he was REALLY glad that I was there. And then he said something about the students. I'm not sure what it was... but they were involved too. Either they like me or I'm good for them or something - he was smiling when he said it. :) So, yay! He asked me about my summer vacation plans and we talked about the weather in Japan versus the weather in the US. And then we were on our way. We stopped by the jhs teacher's room ~ I felt bad going back there but we only stayed for a minute. Then we went to the elementary teacher's room but no one was there. THEN, THEN!! We visited the preschool! It was my first time there and it was AWESOME! All these little Deaf kids running around signing was so amazing. They were so small and adorable. We sat down and tried to play with one kid but he was really funny about not sharing his toys. A little girl asked her teacher for my name. Her teacher was shaking her head, so I waved to get the girl's attention and signed "My name is Anikku" in JSL. She asked the teacher for my name again, she motioned to me and I spelled more slowly then the teacher repeated it again. She also signed it was difficult name. This other little Deaf boy ran up and gave me a little plastic plate with a plastic roasted chicken and a knife and fork. I thanked him (JSL) and pretended to eat it. He watched me in wide-eyed amazement then took it back. He soon came back with fish. I turned my head so he could only see my profile and pretended to eat the fish sliding it by the cheek he couldn't see. :) Then it was time for them to put away their toys and go back to class. A definite high point in my day. :D -- Oh! And on the way to that class a mentally retarded girl (not M) who stalks me when I enter the elementary (seriously - she follows me everywhere and her teacher has to drag her away) head butted me in the chest! Ow! Turns out she was trying to bow to me and didn't realize how close she was standing. --Oh! And earlier in the day I passed a guy in the hall I've never see before. I assumed he was a parent (that may or may not be the case). Anyway, his only comment after we greeted one another? He said I was REALLY tall. :) Yep. Even for American women. (I was as tall as him.)

(Sorry this is disjointed) - One story I forgot from a couple days ago. A girl stopped at my desk during lunch on Wednesday when she saw me with my lunch. "Carrot? Carrot?" She asked. "Hai! Ninjin! Carrot!" She then tried to ask and ended up motioning, was I going to eat it raw? "Yes! I love carrots!" I then asked for her name (I wrote it down, which is awesome as now I can't remember it), and found out she is in class 2.1! I told her I would teach her in "Juugastu" (October). She got REALLY excited which made me really happy. :) YAY! I'm so glad she stopped and talked to me. And now I know I have one ally in that class so it will be less intimidating to start teaching it. (LOL I don't know if you remember me telling you about when I saw 2.5 the first [and only, so far] time - a girl screamed. LOL Not EXACTLY the reception I was expecting. But the Japanese really do have a certain amount of xenophobia. It doesn't matter where I go in public, people are always staring at me. The elderly are funny about it. They will usually stand 6 inches away from me, facing me, and stare at me with their jaw dropped. Sometimes they follow me to see where I am going and what I am doing. It's like I'm a celebrity or a freak show. *laughs* It's intimidating sometimes but it's been ok so far.

Anyway, it's been raining since early afternoon (YAHOO!) and so I had my umbrella out when I left the school. I was also told about a festival they wanted me to attend (which means I'll get home REALLY late on the 19th). When I heard about it, I wanted to cry. Fridays are my early days and I get home SO late every other day it's just nice to have more time to unwind. However I just told myself, "This is your period talking. And you'll get to spend more time with the students! This will mean a lot to them." Just as my dad taught me, "You valued the time I spent with you guys MORE when I had to stop working to play with you." And he's right. When I knew my parents were using some of THEIR time on me, it made me feel great. So I'm happy to help my students feel that way. (Just feels overwhelming at present.) I needed to do some prep but that walk took a long time and also my cramps were so bad it took all my will power to sit up straight. So I have some work to get done this weekend. :/ Limor might be coming tomorrow to Morioka. I love seeing her, but I've been praying in my heart that she'll switch to next weekend. I have a ton to do, I feel awful, and I just want to lay on my heating pad the whole time. *sad sigh* Hopefully it will all work out. I also made myself some dinner when I got home and ate it even though I didn't want to eat. It's made me feel ill and I'm not sure what I should have done. I hadn't had dinner but my body didn't want it. :/ Just be nice to me! Well I've stayed up too late (was cleaning and doing laundry). Even though I can sleep in tomorrow, I don't like to throw off my sleep for the weekdays. I've got to finish folding clothes then get ready for bed. Hope you all had a wonderful fourth! I'm jealous I missed the fireworks! XOXO, A

(sorry, some photos removed)
 

Me on the bus this morning - that's Japan zooming behind me

The other style of Japanese bus

The back two rows were bench seats (I was sitting on one - the two seater is across the aisle and then the other bench is the entire length of the back of the bus)

There are buttons to stop the bus on the ceiling! ~ for those passengers standing