Sunday, November 02, 2003
Sorry that I haven`t posted much lately. It`s just that basically....nothing blog-worthy has been really going on. But I have some new stuff, so read on...
This has been one of the best weekends I`ve had since coming back to Japan...
Friday was a very busy day at work....I had eight lessons, which is a lot considering how things have been. It was also the birthday of one of our students so I got her a small cake and we all sang her Happy Birthday (in English, of course!). Then, after work, I went out to an izakaya for a few drinks. It was very relaxing and I had a good time....so I ended up kind of "celebrating" Halloween after all....
Yesterday, on Saturday, were the two Halloween parties. I was going to go to the kid`s party to help out BB, but I was needed in Tachikawa to prepare for the adult`s party. For the adult`s party, one of the teachers provided the food...from the American air force base! So it was all genuine American junk food, like Doritos, potato chips....and real pizza! And there was more beer than you could shake a stick at!! I finally got to meet one of my coworker`s daughter, who is now working at Tachikawa. I also got to see JS for the first time in a while. All in all, it went really well, I think. I happened to bring along some CDs so I was able to create a more "part" atmosphere....and a few of us actually danced! It was fun!
And today...
Today was the first day of Sodaisai...once again we come full circle. To be honest, I was kind of strange being there, especially at first. I thought by being there, I would be able to relive last year...but that ended up not being the case. I saw so many people...but sometimes I wouldn`t know what to say...it was rather awkward sometimes. And being there, talking to some of the Japanese people I know...it became so obvious that my Japanese is deteriorating. At one point, I couldn`t take it anymore. I just sat down dejectedly somewhere....for some reason this depression came over me....some sort of cloud. I kept thinking that it was no use being there and that I might as well leave. But something made me stay. I think it was the fact that I had told someone that I`d be there pretty much all day that helped me decide to stay. Anyway, after that, things went MUCH better. I went to the International Student stand, where I had worked last year. The North American group made MUCH better food this year...even though our stand looked better, I think ;-) And they also had a really awesome Hawaiian dance that was A LOT better than our highly disorganized one. And I got to see some of the exchange students that came in March (and are therefore still here). It was really nice to see them
Friday was a very busy day at work....I had eight lessons, which is a lot considering how things have been. It was also the birthday of one of our students so I got her a small cake and we all sang her Happy Birthday (in English, of course!). Then, after work, I went out to an izakaya for a few drinks. It was very relaxing and I had a good time....so I ended up kind of "celebrating" Halloween after all....
Yesterday, on Saturday, were the two Halloween parties. I was going to go to the kid`s party to help out BB, but I was needed in Tachikawa to prepare for the adult`s party. For the adult`s party, one of the teachers provided the food...from the American air force base! So it was all genuine American junk food, like Doritos, potato chips....and real pizza! And there was more beer than you could shake a stick at!! I finally got to meet one of my coworker`s daughter, who is now working at Tachikawa. I also got to see JS for the first time in a while. All in all, it went really well, I think. I happened to bring along some CDs so I was able to create a more "part" atmosphere....and a few of us actually danced! It was fun!
And today...
Today was the first day of Sodaisai...once again we come full circle. To be honest, I was kind of strange being there, especially at first. I thought by being there, I would be able to relive last year...but that ended up not being the case. I saw so many people...but sometimes I wouldn`t know what to say...it was rather awkward sometimes. And being there, talking to some of the Japanese people I know...it became so obvious that my Japanese is deteriorating. At one point, I couldn`t take it anymore. I just sat down dejectedly somewhere....for some reason this depression came over me....some sort of cloud. I kept thinking that it was no use being there and that I might as well leave. But something made me stay. I think it was the fact that I had told someone that I`d be there pretty much all day that helped me decide to stay. Anyway, after that, things went MUCH better. I went to the International Student stand, where I had worked last year. The North American group made MUCH better food this year...even though our stand looked better, I think ;-) And they also had a really awesome Hawaiian dance that was A LOT better than our highly disorganized one. And I got to see some of the exchange students that came in March (and are therefore still here). It was really nice to see them
If I hear "ikaga desu ka" one more time, I`m gonna scream!
My brush with (political) fame...
Earlier this week, I had to go to Tachikawa to teach some classes. When I arrived at the station, I saw a huge crowd of people in front of the station entrance and I could hear someone talking over a loudspeaker. Now, I know that parlimentary elections are coming up, so I figured it was some candidate or other. But I noticed that the crowd was a little too big for just some candidate. Could it be...? I found a spot where I could look at what the crowd was looking at and sure enough....it was Prime Minister Koizumi! He looked just like he does on TV. Of course, I couldn`t understand a word he was saying so the only thing left for me to do was to act like some starstruck fan and take pictures. Unfortunately the pictures came out really blurry. Also, I had to get going to work so I really didn`t have much time to stand there and look at him, so I left...
Earlier this week, I had to go to Tachikawa to teach some classes. When I arrived at the station, I saw a huge crowd of people in front of the station entrance and I could hear someone talking over a loudspeaker. Now, I know that parlimentary elections are coming up, so I figured it was some candidate or other. But I noticed that the crowd was a little too big for just some candidate. Could it be...? I found a spot where I could look at what the crowd was looking at and sure enough....it was Prime Minister Koizumi! He looked just like he does on TV. Of course, I couldn`t understand a word he was saying so the only thing left for me to do was to act like some starstruck fan and take pictures. Unfortunately the pictures came out really blurry. Also, I had to get going to work so I really didn`t have much time to stand there and look at him, so I left...
