School (Again) and Unorganized Thoughts

I don't have much time, but I thought I'd write a bit about school. It's going really well. So far I've taught about 10 classes, the same lesson every time with just a few variations, and I think I've got it down pat by now! I could probably do it in my sleep--! It's my self-introduction, in which I tell the class about my family, my city, my cat, of course, the food I like (they love hearing about mole--"Ugh! Chocolate sauce on chicken!?!"), and everything else. Then they get in groups and write questions for me; I can't count how many "Do you have boyfriend?" questions I get. I think I get 3 or 4 in each class every time.
The schedule changes a lot here, especially since we just got back from summer vacation. So for one day, Tuesday's schedule will really be Wednesday's schedule, but in reverse order, or Thursday's schedule will be Monday's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd period, but Friday's 4th, 5th, and 6th. I get confused so I just wait for my team teacher to come get me and tell me when and where we're teaching.
Yesterday I went with the Special Ed. students to make edamame. It was a lot of fun, especially when the lead teacher started writing in romaji on the board, as if I could understand "arau" better than the real characters. (I learned it means "wash.")
I love hearing the school band play every afternoon. For the few days before the performance that I wasn't invited to, I would walk to my car with the strains of Sibelius's "Be Still My Soul" (not sure its real name...) wafting through the window. It was beautiful, and to be a middle school band, they're great!
I'm trying to study Japanese every day, but sometimes I get frustrated and quit. I'm getting there, though! I even was able to ask the librarian in Japanese if a certain book was in the library, and she understood me! Hooray for small victories!

This weekend one of my friends and I are going to a restaurant with some other ALTs, then she's spending the night a la middle school. Tomorrow morning, hopefully, the NTT folk will be at my house with an internet connection, and then tomorrow evening I have a shopping date with a Japanese girl. I've been passing out my email address like a fiend; any time I go shopping and the salesgirl speaks English, I get her number! (Well, it's happened twice...) I'm going to hang out with the girl who sold me the couch next Friday, and with the girl who works at Lush next week sometime. I think this could be the start of some good language exchanging! Speaking of language learning, I start my Japanese classes at the community center on Monday night. The center is only a few blocks from my house, a good bike ride away.

I'm exploring the area on my bike in the evenings. I knew there was a park near my house, but I didn't know how beautiful or vast it was! There is a pond in the middle with paddle boats, and a tumbling waterfall that runs into a small creek. There are already leaves on the ground like it was fall, although it's in the mid-90s almost every day. We just got (another) advisory that it'll be over 100 next week--oh, autumn, doko desuka?!

If all goes according to plan, my next update will be from my computer at my house, but of course you never know what could happen.....

I hope everyone who's reading this is well, and that you would let me know if you read this blog. I'm trying to see who's interested....