I was the third person into work today, which is saying a lot. We’re on a really relaxed schedule right now, and the new people are just starting to figure things out. Each new teacher arrived around eight in the morning, and each one was astonished that there were only a couple other teachers there. It’s Takasago Minami High School – get used to the laid back culture…
One of the new teachers was sitting at the desk, so I took the opportunity to strike up a conversation with him in Japanese. We made small talk for a little bit, and then later he came by and talked to me in English. His English was pretty good, considering he’s a Japanese teacher. He seems really nice – I’m hoping to chat with him more in the future.
The place was pretty deserted most of the day – I went through hundreds of flashcards, studied two pages of Japanese grammar, and had some good conversations with the other teachers. The teachers that now sit in my area are definitely more into Japanese, so I might be able to speak Japanese more on a daily basis. That’s a good thing, I think.
The history teacher invited me to go to lunch with him and the new math teacher, Watanabe sensei. During lunch the history teacher was telling her all about his “Achilles heel”, women. He told her “I can’t get the number”. She didn’t understand, because he was speaking English, but he explained it in Japanese. Then he asked her in English, “Won’t you give me the number?” I think she understood, but she pretended she didn’t, and the history teacher said that he’d translate it later. Uncomfortable!
I was out of there by 1 p.m., and since Kuniko had the day off she was able to meet me at my place to hang out for a while. We went shopping at Ito Yokado for dinner supplies, and Kuniko bought all kinds of interesting things. We had a meat and mushroom dish that was flavored with soy sauce and garlic, some rice, and a spinach dish with mayo and miso. It turned out great. For dessert we had a Haagen Dazs parfait – whoah… good stuff.
Now I’m heading to bed – tomorrow is another mellow day, and Thursday is picture day at school, one of the few days where I have to wear a tie. Ick.
