Nothing terribly exciting is happening, but here are a few of the normal things that have been going on.
1) I’ve had a terrible cold for the past week and a half! It started in my head, moved to my throat, has now settled permanently in my nose, rendering a trash can full of tissues. Gross. I’m ready to be able to breathe! I went home from school early last Wednesday and missed my Japanese class, much to my teacher’s chagrin (this is the second time I’ve missed class in three weeks). That night one of my friends biked over from Maebashi to bring me ginger ale, throat drops, and lemon tea, which was much appreciated and helped a lot. The nurse at school finally convinced me to go to the doctor, so I went with her after school yesterday. The doctor’s visit was all in Japanese, but it was super quick (20 minutes from in to out) and super cheap (1480 yen for the visit plus 4 different kinds of medicine). I hope I get better soon: it’s been 10 days now! Come on!
2) It’s been unbearably hot recently! Hot like you take a cold shower, step out, and are immediately covered in sweat again. During the winter’s frigidity, I had forgotten what the summer was like. Now I remember. The rainy season is over, and 90-degree mugginess has arrived. I come home from work, close myself in my bedroom, and turn on the air conditioner. Classrooms at school are sweltering, even though they’ve got the ceiling fans on. Only the staff room is air conditioned, and thank God for that. But we are all suffering.
3) I haven’t gone to the track-and-field club after school for almost two weeks! It’s terrible! I just don’t feel like being outside and running recently. On Saturday, the big Rikujo Taikai (Track-and Field Tournament, kind of like Field Day in elementary school) was held. I really wanted to be there all day to cheer for my track friends, but I had to miss the morning to teach a class. I arrived in time for the all-class relays, which were done under a drizzly sky. I even met two girls’ mothers, and was happy that I knew who their kids were!
4) The kids are starting to give their "Reflection" after cleaning time in English! This started when the VP wasn't there one afternoon, so the secretary and I became in charge. For the past three days, the kids who clean the staff room are trying their best, and it's so amazingly cute! They come up with sentences like, “Today, clean-shimashita. Tomorrow mo fight-o shimasu! Gokurosama deshita. Thank you!” Today it was, "Today wa chotto slow deshita. Kondo motto fast shimashou." You tell 'em, Hajime!
5) I have a story about a crazy newspaper seller guy, but I'll write that later.
6) I’m going home in three weeks, yo! In the meantime, here are my plans:
July 2: Fourth of July/Canada Day BBQ at Onogami Onsen Park
July 3: Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), Level 4
July 8-10: Fuji Lakes trip
July 15: Takasaki ALT Farewell Party
July 16: International party at Gunma University in Kiryu (my new Vietnamese college girl friend invited me)
July 20: Last day of school for summer break!
July 22: I’ll fly away, oh glory . . .
Tentative U.S. Schedule:
July 23-25: Sleep
July 28-30: Wilson
July 31-August 4: Lake Gaston with the fam
August 2: My 29th birthday (eeeek!)
August 4-8 (?): Winston-Salem/Greensboro
August 9-10: Wilson
August 10: Depart from RDU
August 11: Arrive in Japan. Sleep for three days.
I'll try to write interesting blog posts during all my travels. Thank you for being interested and for reading. :)
I am bummed:( I won't be able to see you when you're in NC. I am not going to NC until Aug 15-18. I wanted to go the week before but it didn't work with the person I was going to be staying with. I hope you have fun and we'll have to catch up next year.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you get to go home for a bit! It may not be any cooler though.
ReplyDeleteGoing to the doctor in your second/third language is always intimidating. Does it make you think about all the women you interpreted for in doctor's visits in the US?