(no subject)
Travel tip: If you go to Japan, don't get sick. I've been fighting a variety of throat-y symptoms for a few days now and today I left work early and went to a doctor who spent about thirty seconds listening to my chest and three seconds looking in my mouth and told me I had a cold, thanks, here are some pills, come again. He did not ask me any questions, nor did he answer any of the ones I asked him, nor mention the earache I told him about right off the bat. I'm calling in to work tomorrow and considering seeing a different doctor, though I gather from Japanese/JET friends that my experience was more or less par for the course. At least the first thing he said was "It's not influenza," so that's a plus.
Other than that, and the returning cold weather, things continue to go well here. I had a parent observation day with one of my hardest elementary school classes, but somehow managed to get them up and participating for once, so it wasn't nearly the traumatic experience I expected ("Get that foreigner out of here, we hate him and we hate his sideburns!"). Middle school goes; last week, the entire second year stayed home for most of the week because a significant percent of them had the flu. I think their teachers were happier for the break than they were. My students got a real kick out of seeing me in a typical Japanese "I'm sick" surgical mask today, especially one of my favorite third years who's been crutch-bound for the past week - we briefly commiserated over our various ailments in the hallway. One of the third year girls is preparing for an English speech contest, and I've been repeatedly surprised by the ability she's been hiding behind her silent wall of Japanese-teenage-girlness.
Yuka is also sick - being an elementary school teacher, it'd be more surprising if she wasn't - and when she heard I was sick too, she came over one afternoon with a whole bunch of soup and some spray throat medicine with a picture of an ill giraffe on it. She also said she'd lend her car to an upcoming shopping trip in which I intend to pick up a bunch of new house things - curtains, sofa covers, etc. - to finally make this place look a bit more like my home. Especially since I just signed the form that keeps me here for another year.
Went to Osaka over the weekend, where I lucked upon a big discount on a pair of headphones I'd been eyeing for a while. I ended up spending about as much as I would have anyway, but I also got a decent portable headphone amp, too.
And then today, as if to prove to the universe that I am an utter simpleton with no real problems in life, I spent money on an extra-rare old PlayStation game in which the player assumes the role of a schoolgirl whose only ability is to swing on a fishing line in the manner of a grappling hook.
Other than that, and the returning cold weather, things continue to go well here. I had a parent observation day with one of my hardest elementary school classes, but somehow managed to get them up and participating for once, so it wasn't nearly the traumatic experience I expected ("Get that foreigner out of here, we hate him and we hate his sideburns!"). Middle school goes; last week, the entire second year stayed home for most of the week because a significant percent of them had the flu. I think their teachers were happier for the break than they were. My students got a real kick out of seeing me in a typical Japanese "I'm sick" surgical mask today, especially one of my favorite third years who's been crutch-bound for the past week - we briefly commiserated over our various ailments in the hallway. One of the third year girls is preparing for an English speech contest, and I've been repeatedly surprised by the ability she's been hiding behind her silent wall of Japanese-teenage-girlness.
Yuka is also sick - being an elementary school teacher, it'd be more surprising if she wasn't - and when she heard I was sick too, she came over one afternoon with a whole bunch of soup and some spray throat medicine with a picture of an ill giraffe on it. She also said she'd lend her car to an upcoming shopping trip in which I intend to pick up a bunch of new house things - curtains, sofa covers, etc. - to finally make this place look a bit more like my home. Especially since I just signed the form that keeps me here for another year.
Went to Osaka over the weekend, where I lucked upon a big discount on a pair of headphones I'd been eyeing for a while. I ended up spending about as much as I would have anyway, but I also got a decent portable headphone amp, too.
And then today, as if to prove to the universe that I am an utter simpleton with no real problems in life, I spent money on an extra-rare old PlayStation game in which the player assumes the role of a schoolgirl whose only ability is to swing on a fishing line in the manner of a grappling hook.