I walked to the train station today with the wind blowing snow all over the place. The blizzard seemed to be confined to my part of town, because when I got on the train and started west, there wasn’t any snow blowing. When I arrived in Takasago, there was a bit of snow on the ground, and it was a first for me to walk to school in the snow.
My entire morning was spent studying and doing lesson preparation. I talked with Mr. Hayashi about world peace, and with the history teacher about hybrid oranges.
As for classes, I had a couple in the afternoon, and they went pretty well. The students were full of energy, and the classes always seem to go better when they are wired. I really enjoy teaching my students. Even though their level of English is not high compared to other schools, they will usually listen when I am talking, even if they can’t understand. They will struggle to figure things out, and when the light dawns in their eyes – it’s a great feeling.
After school we had a lecture from a visiting counselor who was advising us on how we can best counsel students that need extra help. They have a counselor that comes to our school once a month to deal with any issues that students want to address. It seems like a good idea to me, especially with the suicide rates in this country being so high. Mr. Hayashi considers it a waste of time and money – he says they need security guards more than counselors.
I went over to Azusa’s place for her English lesson, and her mother made me a nice big cup of coffee when we were finished. That hot coffee kept me going on the walk home – that and the gloves, scarf, giant jacket, and four layers of clothing underneath.
I caught dinner at Ito Yokado – some Korean food that I am hoping to cook myself someday. My research method is to eat it, ask the cashier what some of the vegetables are, and then try to source the veggies for myself.
Back home I had a package waiting for me. The music teacher, who had been laid up in the hospital for more than a month with heart problems, came back to school several months ago. He sent me a package of household cleaning supplies as a thank you for the small cash donation I gave him, and as kind of an announcement that he is officially back on his feet. It was a nice gesture – he probably spent all the money that we gave him on gifts for us.
Tomorrow is the last day of winter according to the calendar, and there are some interesting ceremonies that occur in Japanese families. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow as I eat sushi without talking, facing the lucky direction.
