The Art of Forgetting to Set the Alarm
There's something unreal about waking up late for work. It's kind of like having a psychic sense that something is wrong the second you open your eyes. It's the way the sun is a little too high and you feel just a little too rested. After the initial realization, I always grab the clock and hold it close to my face in disbelief, then shake it hard as if shaking it would reveal a different time like a magic eight ball. Then I groan like a zombie after brains and, depending on the desperateness of the situation, I either roll around in bed cursing my stupidity or begin running around like a crazy person doing really stupid things like attempting to brush my hair with a toothbrush.
This morning I tried to put my pants on over my head. Yeah, it was that bad. I woke up with FOUR MINUTES to spare before I had to be out the door. My antics as I woke up and rushed around were sitcom-worthy. I could almost hear the laugh track going off as I stubbed my toe on the table while racing to the bathroom, letting out a stream of curses as I went.
Somehow I did make to work on time, though (with two minutes to spare, actually.) I really don't know how I pulled it off. Somehow I brushed my teeth, put on my clothes, and even made toast before I left the apartment exactly when I should've. As I drove to work, I recounted my dreams that I could so vividly remember then, but I don't remember them much now. I think they were about earthquakes.
So, the second school term starts in Kochi on Monday. As much as I hate sitting here being bored, it does beat the confusion and stress that sometimes comes with teaching. However, I'm hoping beyond hope that this year is better. I explained to the teachers at Sakawa JHS that I don't care if the class is boring and all I do is read from the book, I want to go to class! I was very honest and told them that last year I was sad and lonely when I didn't have classes. I know going to up to four classes a day plus elementary school is going to make me a lot busier and leave less time for planning elementary lessons and warm ups for Kuroiwa, but I think I'd prefer being busy out of my skull than bored out of it. I just hate sitting around so much when I know there is an English lesson going on which I could be a part of.
Please, let this year be better at Sakawa. If I have another miserable year like the last one, I don't know if I can last until August and still feign good relations with the teachers. They all drive me nuts sometimes, but I promise here and now that I am going to be much more firm about what I want, even if I have to be pushy about it. Well, pushy in the Japanese sense that I simply keep mentioning it until someone gives way. If I want it badly enough, I could go about mentioning it every couple of seconds. ;P
I'm also hoping that my supervisor will get going on the adult language class thing. I want to do it so badly! It would mean a lot of extra work and planning, but I think it would be very rewarding and I'd get to meet a ton of new people. It would also further my goal this year of getting more involved with the town. I'm sure to be invited to more events and stuff if I get to know more people in town. I'm hoping to improve my Japanese a little through this endeavor as well!
The weather has been pretty great here lately. Monday it rained all day, but in the evening it was so cool that I didn't even use my air conditioner! Yes! I bet that knocked a good 500 yen off my next bill.
I'm going out again tonight with the Sakawa peeps. We're going to my second favorite restaurant: Kaedea. I was completely bummed when I found out today that they're closing! Damnit. They have the best yakitori ever. Gaaaah. I'm so depressed that this will be my last time eating there. But, you know, life goes on. At least there's Osakeya. If that place went down, I'd never eat again in protest.
And that's all I have to say because work is finally over. Beginning Monday, be prepared to see a lot less of me online because I will no longer have access to a computer right at my desk. Also, I'll be, like, working. Which is always good.
This morning I tried to put my pants on over my head. Yeah, it was that bad. I woke up with FOUR MINUTES to spare before I had to be out the door. My antics as I woke up and rushed around were sitcom-worthy. I could almost hear the laugh track going off as I stubbed my toe on the table while racing to the bathroom, letting out a stream of curses as I went.
Somehow I did make to work on time, though (with two minutes to spare, actually.) I really don't know how I pulled it off. Somehow I brushed my teeth, put on my clothes, and even made toast before I left the apartment exactly when I should've. As I drove to work, I recounted my dreams that I could so vividly remember then, but I don't remember them much now. I think they were about earthquakes.
So, the second school term starts in Kochi on Monday. As much as I hate sitting here being bored, it does beat the confusion and stress that sometimes comes with teaching. However, I'm hoping beyond hope that this year is better. I explained to the teachers at Sakawa JHS that I don't care if the class is boring and all I do is read from the book, I want to go to class! I was very honest and told them that last year I was sad and lonely when I didn't have classes. I know going to up to four classes a day plus elementary school is going to make me a lot busier and leave less time for planning elementary lessons and warm ups for Kuroiwa, but I think I'd prefer being busy out of my skull than bored out of it. I just hate sitting around so much when I know there is an English lesson going on which I could be a part of.
Please, let this year be better at Sakawa. If I have another miserable year like the last one, I don't know if I can last until August and still feign good relations with the teachers. They all drive me nuts sometimes, but I promise here and now that I am going to be much more firm about what I want, even if I have to be pushy about it. Well, pushy in the Japanese sense that I simply keep mentioning it until someone gives way. If I want it badly enough, I could go about mentioning it every couple of seconds. ;P
I'm also hoping that my supervisor will get going on the adult language class thing. I want to do it so badly! It would mean a lot of extra work and planning, but I think it would be very rewarding and I'd get to meet a ton of new people. It would also further my goal this year of getting more involved with the town. I'm sure to be invited to more events and stuff if I get to know more people in town. I'm hoping to improve my Japanese a little through this endeavor as well!
The weather has been pretty great here lately. Monday it rained all day, but in the evening it was so cool that I didn't even use my air conditioner! Yes! I bet that knocked a good 500 yen off my next bill.
I'm going out again tonight with the Sakawa peeps. We're going to my second favorite restaurant: Kaedea. I was completely bummed when I found out today that they're closing! Damnit. They have the best yakitori ever. Gaaaah. I'm so depressed that this will be my last time eating there. But, you know, life goes on. At least there's Osakeya. If that place went down, I'd never eat again in protest.
And that's all I have to say because work is finally over. Beginning Monday, be prepared to see a lot less of me online because I will no longer have access to a computer right at my desk. Also, I'll be, like, working. Which is always good.