World Traveler: Much accomplishment in spite of illness

Insect count: 0 - hopefully this means that though the summer is dragging on, they are going into hybernation or whatever - just "away" is enough for me!

T5B: 1) I have people who really love and care about me here in Japan. 2) I had some medication to help me through the morning. 3) The students wrote more funny stuff on their worksheets. 4) The discs I burned yesterday are in the hands of the third grade teachers! 5) I was able to exchange for something I really wanted at the Daiso.

basal temp: 36.38

Today started with a knock on my door as I was getting ready. I wasn't dressed and it sort of freaked me out. Who would be calling at this time!? I quickly put some clothes on and found out it was Shinoki-shimai. Ok, sorry, let me back up. I got a call last night after 2200. I was frustrated when my phone started to ring as I was already in bed. Then I was worried when it turned out to be the elders. E' Norawong told me that E' Akiyama (the zone leader) felt inspired to check up on me. Since he speaks very little English he called E' Norawong and asked him to call me. I appreciated their concern, but it also worried me. Yesterday was bad, but not as bad as Monday or Sunday. It made me feel like, "What do they know that I don't!?" The last time that a zone leader felt inspired that I needed special attention, I ended up in the hospital (during my mission). In any case, somehow half the ward got involved. This morning E' Norawong called me while I was on the bus and said my home teacher (Shuwa-kyoudai) put my name in the temple. Then I got an email from Yasue that said Shinoki-shimai and Murakio-shimai (who I didn't know was also a nurse) were going to give me medicine before but then didn't because I'm seeing the doctor anyway and they weren't sure how I would react to it. However, after hearing what my priesthood leaders were doing, they wanted to do something too. So she stopped by this morning and left me some medicine. There was kanji on the outside (I'm assuming the instructions) and inside I found little packets with powder in them. It made me feel like some drug deal had gone down at my place! LOL In any case, since I couldn't read the kanji, I opted to mix it with some of my drinkable yogurt since I figured it would be pretty bitter. Ya.. it all sank to the bottom of the cup. That last swallow... *shudder. Then I realized I hadn't even eaten breakfast yet so I hurriedly ate. Yasue told me that they were worried since I had taken so much medication to sleep and said that I should only take one packet. I reassured her - as I was already planning on doing just that. Then told her that the allergy medication was for the drowsy factor, the Tylenol PM for pain, and that primrose is a natural oil (you can't OD on that stuff). Still, I had planned on only taking one to stretch them just in case the doctor still won't do anything. So getting ready took longer than anticipated and I had to hurry to the bus, but I made it on time and the bus ride was nice (I emailed and got that phone call). I'm so grateful for the outpouring of love. I have felt pretty awful and it's very touching to know that people here are taking time out of their day to help me. Oneechan sent me 3 or 4 emails. :)

When I got to school (I was JUST on time for the meeting, YATTA!), I started working on prep. I made a worksheet (just by hand since I had the time) for my jhs kids this Friday. (I'm SO excited to teach them ASL! -- Last night Elder Norawong was trying to convince me to go to the hospital. I told him, my periods have ALWAYS been this way - the new thing is the cramps not ending.) At some point I chatted for a little bit with Haruna-s (f) who is a math teacher. She was making a prop for class. I recognized it and said, "Graphing! X, y axis!" "Hai! Hai! Yes!" Then she made a motion that she was going to include z as well. "Oh cool! 3D!" I said. She nodded then went back to her desk. In my head, I said to myself, "It would be look like..." that's as far as I got before I shut myself down. DAH! It seems I've now passed the point of no return. My English has gone beyond repair! ;)

My first lesson was with my sport second graders (easily my toughest critics) - we had a BLAST today. We played thimbleful (they LOVED that) then we played a matching game that didn't keep everyone's interest but I decided to commit and finish it (it was matching American to Japanese emoticons). As I was setting up the game (at the beginning of the class, before the bell) my hands were trembling REALLY badly. I was afraid the students would wonder what was wrong with me. In fact, I would say my hands were shaking. I think it was a combination of hunger and pain returning. After the matching game, we had a quiz. I made faces and they had to choose the right American emoticon to match the displayed emotion. When we got to the winking smiley face, I winked. During the quiz they were quiet (this is a miracle for this class) so I heard a boy in the back say, "Sekushi (sexy)!" "Aww thanks!" LOL Then most of the boys busted up and started cat calling. I did it out of habit, responding that way, but then I blushed when they cat called. DANG IT! At one point in my life I got rid of my penchant to blush. Why is it back!? In any case, they REALLY enjoyed that. But I played it up and it was fun/ny. Then I asked them to create their own emoticon and write a message to their friend to go with it (like a text). I took pictures of two similar examples but they both made me laugh (they are below). I then had a prep period and lunch. I worked on other small prep things (getting worksheets ready, etc) and then killed a little time before lunch. All through the morning and afternoon I felt woozy. I think it was the combination of little sleep (I had really bad nightmares last night that kept waking me up and made me have very restless sleep), a pain medication that actually worked but taking it on a primarily empty stomach, and the heat. It was HUMID today. It rained on and off all day. It would rain and the humidity would go up. Then the sun would come out and the temperature would go up. Before the sun could burn off some of the moisture, it would rain again and the humidity would climb another few points. Sheesh! It was SWELTERING today. Like it was during the peak of the summer. I had already forgotten how bad it had been! Still, I only suffered from "phantom cramps" - that is, small echoes of the normal mountainous pain. So THAT was glorious. Little by little though, the pain ratcheted back up into place. During the lunch period Toki-s approached me. I had momentary panic but what he wanted to tell me was that he had listened to the cd and that it was PERFECT. He said I didn't talk too slow or too fast and that it was very well done. I thanked him and then we talked about tomorrow. Although I was scheduled to teach only 20 minutes of Oikawa-s's class we decided I would teach the whole period as Oikawa-s is still in the hospital :/. (Oh and I had given the three cds to Fujieda-s after the morning meeting.) Then off he went.

I then was teaching 5th and 6th period. Ooh boy! I threw up. :/ The pain got back high enough plus the heat... and I threw up. During class! :/ However only a couple students noticed since I was in the back and it was during a time when they were supposed to talk to one another. (So 40 students talking = a lot of noise) They had horrified faces but I said, "Daijobu, daijobu." In retrospect I'm not surprised I freaked them out. But what choice do I have? I'm not about to walk out on my class! I already told the elders I wasn't going to go to the hospital last night and that I would stick it out until Saturday. And that's what I intend to do! Even with that, those two classes went very well. The students and I had fun. They are showing increasing mirth at me trying to use some Japanese. They help me though, so it's fun and I appreciate their help. After I had finished teaching 6th, Hashimoto-s and I were walking back to the teacher's room when M from 1.6 (sport first graders) called at me from in the hall. He LOVES to talk to me and I love that he loves to talk to me. He told me he had gone to PE and we chatted as we walked down the hall. Then he noticed my ring. He asked me something in Japanese. "Gomen, wakarimasen." He called Hashimoto-s over and asked him for a word in English. "Married." LOL He asked me if I was married (I've been telling everyone that asks that I am). "Yes!" Then he asked me if my husband was American. "Yes!" Oh man, that made him SO happy. LOL I wonder about this kid.. but I'm SO glad he called out to me from down the hall and walked with us. I'm really touched he wanted to talk to me. :D It also means that though that class went abysmally poorly the other day, I still have one ally! Thank goodness.

Back at my desk, I corrected the other 160 worksheets I had collected (plus the 37 earlier - not too high for today ~What am I saying!? 197 wksts isn't too bad!? LOL Japan continues to change me). Then I helped with cleaning time when it came along. Oh -- during the class I taught with Hashimoto-s he suddenly turned to me and said, "What is the name of the protagonist in Back to the Future?" In my head: What is this? A how nerdy is Ann quiz? And I answered right away: "Marty McFly." LOL He then said that his character's catch phrase was "Cool." That surprised me. To me, Marty McFly's catchphrase is "This is heavy." Then again "cool" is a pretty ubiquitous word to me so he might say it a lot and I just didn't notice it.

After school I walked out to the bus and emailed my mutual tutor (I help her with French and she helps me with Japanese). I told her I had thrown up and I was willing to meet with her if she wanted but that I didn't feel well. She told me to rest up and I gratefully accepted. When I got off the bus, I made that exchange at the Daiso (yatta!), and then went home wracking my brain. I knew I had another errand but I couldn't remember it (I remember NOW when it's too late :/ but that's ok ~I need to get another bus pass). When I got home I changed and ... motivated myself (that's how you say it in English right?) to get back out and do my grocery shopping. So off I went to the store. Just like yesterday, as soon as I pedaled a few blocks it started raining. Water in my eyes. Yeehaw! I got my groceries (I didn't get everything on my list because it wasn't there - BUT I found black pepper popcorn! So I got one for my dinner and one for my food storage. DELICIOUS!). I then pedaled home, put my groceries away and ate. I just watched a couple episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist and now I am typing this. During lunch today I recorded a listening exam for the first graders so as soon as I am done with this I will be burning another 3 discs. (HA! Toki-s asked me how I had managed to get those other CDs burned so I told him. "I took a voice memo on my phone. I then emailed those memos to myself, downloaded them at home, dropped them into iTunes and then burned them onto discs." I said it very matter-of-factually. Him: *mind blown.) I hope I sleep much better tonight. I am feeling super icky. Hope you're all doing well. XOXO, A