Thursday is my easy day. It comes at the perfect time, too. After wrapping up three classes in the morning, I was all set to relax and study in the afternoon. I declined an invitation today to join the PTA on a trip to Okayama prefecture to do some wine tasting (!) and eat lunch at a French restaurant. It sounded like fun, but the price tag was around $60, so I think I’ll skip it. Still, the wine tasting might have been fun. I’m going to file away that idea for later on.
We still haven’t heard how the teacher is doing that is in the hospital. The students are being kept in the dark, and the teachers aren’t allowed to tell them what’s going on. I’m not sure why – but hopefully he’ll be better soon.
Today we had a rehearsal for a presentation that the students that went on the Australia trip are doing. I have a small part – I’m supposed to ask them (in Japanese) if they plan on going back to Australia. The students were nervous and excited – they are making the presentation in front of the whole school tomorrow.
When I got home I had a package notice in my mailbox, the second one in two days. Since I had the evening free, I walked to the train station to pick them up at the post office.
As I was walking to the station it started raining, and I was totally unprepared. I had to stop in at Carrefour to buy an umbrella. As soon as I went outside with my new umbrella the rain stopped. It didn’t rain again the whole night. I can control the weather, apparently, for the cost of a mere umbrella.
I picked up my packages and brought them home, and my folks came through in a big way for my birthday. A warm pullover sweater, cookies, a jumping monkey toy, tortillas, some books, a salame, and lots of hot sauce. My brother sent a T-shirt from his radio station, so I can advertise that around Japan. I had a great time opening presents, even though it’s before my birthday. I used the tortillas as an excuse to open things up, and then I just went nuts. It was great!
Tomorrow we’re going out to celebrate my birthday. It’ll be me, Mr. Komuri, the history teacher, Mr. Hayashi, and Mr. Kimura. As Mr. Komuri says, it’s a “sausage party”. I taught them that expression a while back and it’s really catching on. They love saying it loudly in English in the middle of the staff room – nobody else, not even the English teachers, have a clue about what it might mean.
This weekend another typhoon is coming through to coincide with my birthday. I don’t know how big it will be, but I’ll have to spend some time on Saturday tying things down on the porch.
