Christmas Party

Today there are several Christmas parties. One during lunch for the students, one after for the teachers that involves alcohol and probably pizza. I won't be going to either, but will be spending time with my students. I bought them some presents and made brownies for them. I have been very busy hanging out with my students recently. We went to eat okonomiyaki this week. It was really delicious. On Monday I went shopping with two of my students, the okonomiyaki was Tuesday night and Wednesday I went shopping again and got 30% off because my student was working at the store I went to. Yesterday, I went home and relaxed. This morning I did laundry because I'm just about out of shirts to wear. Today is lunch with students and dinner is ramen with another student. Saturday I'll be finishing a movie with the older students and ice cream after with an exchange student. Hopefully I'll be able to pick up my packages. I was finally able to write letters to my friends back home. It's just been a really busy several weeks. Not that I'm complaining, I love my students. They are the most wonderful part of my job. They make me very happy, but also make me feel like a mom sometimes. Also, this week my shower hose broke. Since other teachers will be leaving, I have also been thinking of moving. I may move to a place a little bigger than I already have. Let's see... I think that's all that's been going on so far. Eating with students, 5 hour karaoke, shopping, talking, giving away scarves and just trying to be the best person I can be. I'm glad to say that I was too busy to open my laptop the last two days at work. On Wednesday I have movie dates with two girls in the morning and three others in the afternoon and then I have class. This week has been an easy teaching week since all my students are doing presentations this week. I'll need to figure out the grading, but I guess that will have to happen sometime, but not now. Also, I need to renew my visa and buy my ticket home and figure out how to send money home. Just a normal day for a very popular teacher. Have a wonderful day! ttfn.

Sick Sick Sick

When I finally get a vacation, I get sick. I had aches and possibly a fever through the last week/weekend of November. Then I got back into the routine of going to work and stuff, but suddenly my throat wants to get sore. I went to comic con, so maybe that had something to do with it. Anyway, I wasn't able to finish the 30 days, I did get to make a pie for my coworker and that was about it. I wanted to bake more for my coworkers or students, or write love letters, or donate to some causes, but time just wasn't on my side. Now, I just really want to go home, but I still have one more class to teach, hopefully I can get some more rest and get over whatever it is I have now. ttfn.

Tabehodai (食べ放題）

Do you know tabehodai? It means all you can eat. This is what I did at a grilled meat restaurant with my students. We went after class on Thursday. I wasn't super full, but began to get full once we finished 90 minutes of eating. It was the first time I cooked the meat. It was nice to hang out with my freshmen. We had a lot of fun. They were also Spanish majors, we spoke English, Japanese and Spanish. That weekend I played Jeopardy with the old people that I teach on Saturdays. They said they had fun, so I'm glad. I've been in a sleep fog all week and even now. I have taught two classes already and have one more. I don't know how I'll survive. I haven't been doing much besides reading and working and crocheting. I did get to watch a movie last night, but it was one that I had already seen. At times when things are stressful, it's nice to have a routine, so I'm glad I prepared my lunches and breakfast. I only have to think about dinner tonight. However, there isn't any school the rest of this week because of testing. I don't think I've done much towards my goal.

Acts:
15-17: Help students with conversation journals (homework)
18: Make banana bread for student
19-21: Spend free time with students watching Netflix, sharing the banana bread I made and hot chocolate I bought for them to enjoy for their only free period in their busy schedule

It's tough being popular

It really is though. I have so many things going on this month. Last weekend, I went to see Atomic Blonde and got a discounted ticket. Afterwards I waited for my student to finish her part-time job and then we ate dinner together and sang karaoke. This week, I had ice cream and dinner with the same student on Wednesday and then last night I went to eat steak to celebrate a coworker's birthday. Tonight I will be going to Ikea with some third-year students. Saturday is another gathering of teachers. Next week I will be hanging out with my first freshmen ever and the following day will be yakiniku with my current Spanish major freshmen. The following week I have three dinners planned with coworkers since we will be off from school and it also happens to be Thanksgiving. And I already have plans for next month. I know it sounds like I'm complaining, but I'm really grateful. It can get pretty lonely being in a new country with no one to talk to or do things with. I'm just very time at the moment and want a little break, but I think if I can manage my time a little bit better everything will work out. Also, I might have to limit the impromptu things like going to get ice cream or eating out when I have perfectly good food at home. I need to remember to make time for myself. Oh also I started a writing/language exchange with a Japanese teacher this week. It has made me want to start studying again, well I always was, but now I want to be better. I guess that's it for now.

30 Self-less Acts
4-8. Review other students essays when they message me at 12 in the morning and I arrive at school and immediately set about helping them.
9-10. Paying for dinner
11-13. Buying students ice cream when they're having a tough time with classes/tests/exams/life
14. Give away brownies to students

No Thanksgiving

It may not be a shock that there is not Thanksgiving in Japan. Nothing to buffer the leap from Halloween to Christmas. On November 1, Starbucks immediately had the Christmas cup and flavors going on. I don't mind it too much, since I don't go to Starbucks. However, I refuse to play any Christmas music in my class.

I was thinking of going to a restaurant that was having a Thanksgiving dinner special, but now that I think about it, I don't really want to do that either. I'd much rather go home and be with my family, but that might not be the smartest thing to do. I'd probably have jet lag and I will have to find someone to cover my class for that Saturday. I don't know what I'll do, but I know that I don't want to be around my co-workers. I'd much rather watch some movies, read a book, go eat some ice cream, maybe some shopping and finish up a blanket or two.

Recently, I lost my glasses. I tried to look for them, but no luck. I was nervous to go get a new pair thinking I had to speak a lot more Japanese than I know. However, I went 20 minutes away from my school and was able to get a new pair within an hour and a half. I'm not 100% satisfied with them, but they work and my eyes don't hurt, so I guess they're okay.

During the last break, I made a trip to Saitama for ice cream and found out the second place I wanted to go to was closed down. However, I had fun going and enjoyed my ice cream. I'm trying to hit evey Cold Stone in Japan. Oh and the school festival was fun, but I got a headache the first day and there was a typhoon the second day. Other than that, it was fun. I guess that's it for now. ttfn.

30 Self-less Acts:
1. Make brownies for co-workers
2. Revise a student's resume who wants to work in Indonesia
3. Meet with student to go over her essay for another class

School Festival

Today is the last day of teaching this week, so I'm writing this now because I won't remember on Friday. I only have one class today, which is good, but for some reason I'm just so tired. Last night was pretty fun, got steak with my coworkers. It was very yummy and they had a make your own waffle station. Today there is some event in another building and I was hoping to go, but right now I feel like being in a dark warm room watching movies. Maybe I can work that out somehow. It also decided to rain today, I thought after the Typhoon on Monday, there wouldn't be any more rain, but I was wrong. So we had over two weeks of rain and then two very sunny and windy days and now back to the rain. I think an ice cream run is in order. However, I'm not going far in the rain, so maybe I'll have to stick with something local and boring. Nah, it's not worth it. Anyway, back to the festival.

This weekend is Hamakaze festival. It's two days of food and dancing and fun. It is all student run so my students will be performing or cooking/selling. I always buy a ton of green curry because the Thai teacher makes it so well. I'm also looking forward to some pastel and to see my students perform. I'll have to prepare myself for all the yelling I plan to do. And Sunday there will be some idol here and so we'll need to lock our office and stuff. It's so crazy how much this school does to get noticed. Not for having smart students, but for all the other things it does. I guess that's how you make money as a company/university. I think that's it for now, sorry this post isn't so bright and cheerful, I'll be better next time. Until then ttfn.

Caged Animal

Sometimes I feel like one of the animals you see at the zoo. Just minding my own business, but for some reason people keep coming around and staring at me. This is actually not far from the truth. In the building where I teach my classes, the walls are actually glass and they frequently have tour groups going around. The groups stop and stare at me or at my class and it's really distracting. I don't feel comfortable and can't be myself with my students. I'm hoping to not have any classes in this building next year.

This week has been very eventful. I had ice cream with some students on Tuesday, after class. We talked and laughed and took pictures. Wednesday was the crazy anniversary day with 200 guests and camera crews. And so I went out to eat ice cream and have dinner with an exchange student. And yesterday I went to my student's part-time job at a Spanish/Italian restaurant. It was so good and she gave us some free things. It was a very good night. Today I don't think I have any plans. I may need some more sleep. I'm also glad I haven't gotten sick yet. I've been drinking ginger tea every day and I'm so grateful to be able to drink it.

Also, my boyfriend sent me a package of wonderful things. It's nice to receive things that remind me of him. Tomorrow will be my body guard's birthday and I forgot to send her a package. I'm always forgetting something. Maybe next week I'll remember to do it. I think that's it for now. ttfn.

Rainy Season Part Two

So it will be raining for the next week and a half. Today I had to walk to school in mist. The mist that doesn't let you stay dry even with an umbrella. I saw people wearing plastic suits. One was like a huge poncho that didn't just cover there body, but also wide enough to cover the their legs while the ride their bike. I saw another person in a plastic pant and jacket suit while riding their bike. Luckily my feet didn't get too wet. Both of my sneakers have holes in the soles. I'm going to have to figure out something for this second rainy season or pack two pairs of socks. Other than the weather, nothing else has changed much. I'm still working like crazy. They're doing some event for the 30th anniversary and I really do not want to be apart of it. I feel pressured, but I will not be recorded for any one. I'm not here to show you have diversity, I'm here to teach and that's it. Tonight I plan to hang out with students and get a huge parfait. It's going to be awesome and I'm not going to think about all the stupid things this school is doing to show that they are better than other schools. I know we need money for this new building, but more than half of the things they put in here is totally unnecessary. Anyway, I'm going to get something to make me feel better. ttfn.

Winter Blues

It's beginning to get cold here. I don't remember the cold coming so suddenly. Earlier this week I was able to wear a skirt and then Tuesday I was like, I need to find pants, it's too cold. I think I found some tights and have been trying to wear those. I'm still hoping it'll get warm again and then slowly become colder again. I need more time to prepare. In  Japan, most homes don't have insulation, so I have a heated carpet, a kotatsu and a space heater. But before I can take those out, I need to clean my fan, change my summer curtains for winter ones and prepare for the cold months ahead. And when they come, it'll be dark dark days. It's going to be hard to find the energy to get up and go to school, when I can just stay underneath my warm covers (I'll probably have four or five). The only thing I'm looking forward to is working out and seeing more of my clothes fitting me looser. I was just worried about that on the way to school. I just ordered some new under pants and bras and wondered if I keep losing weight whether my boobs would get smaller. Probably on my mind since listening to a podcast called Hahas for Hoohas. They were talking about big boobs vs small boobs. Anyway, I'll be working on updating my blog for my ties, so check that out if you haven't already. ahundredties.blogspot.com
ttfn

Allergies

Do you have any allergies? It seems that I have developed a few since coming to Japan. Here's the latest episode.

This weekend, I did a workout and wanted to drink a refreshing beverage after. I recently bought some chocolate almond milk, I used to drink it daily, but stopped some time ago. I gulped down the drink in minutes, but soon after my body started telling me something was wrong. The milk was coming right back up. It was so strange. I have had this milk before and never had this kind of reaction. Now that I think about it, I may have started to have adverse reactions to the milk, which is probably why I stopped drinking it. Just thinking about drinking it makes my stomach turn. So I tried to stop myself from throwing up by drinking lots of water, but it only helped to make the puking process easier. One good puking session and I was down, but my stomach still felt weak. I went to the store and bought some energy drink, orange fizzy drink, and bread. I made soup later and that was all I had. This morning I had yogurt and bread and seem to be feeling better. We shall see about lunch, I didn't bring mine to school today as usual. I'm thinking ramen might be okay. I don't really want any fried chicken or rice.

Besides that incident, I have been developing a nauseous reaction to nuts. At first it was whole macadamia nuts, then most recently it's been peanuts, like the ones in Snickers (I love Snickers!). And now I have to add almonds to the list. I'm afraid to go near walnuts or cashews now. How can this be happening to me? I'm already highly allergic to seafood. I used to say shellfish, but now I have to add squid and octopus to the list. I can't even breathe around squid, burns the tiny hairs in my nose. Even if I leave the room, but nose still burns. Anyway, I hope you don't have any allergies because they kind of suck. ttfn.

Purikura

Good morning,

It's about half way through the first period of classes today. I don't have to teach until after lunch. I have been listening to a podcast, well several actually and it's been making me want to update this thing. So here goes.

Do you know purikura, if not, it's amazing. It's really fun to do with a group of friends or in my case students. It's like a photo booth that you into and take pictures. You can choose backgrounds and add things onto the pictures once you are finished. I have a small collection of pictures that I have taken with my students.

Update time. It's two weeks into the second semester and I'm not super tired. I'm trying to balance all the things I want to do such as working out, studying Japanese, Spanish, French and now Indonesian. It's becoming difficult, but I'm going to push through. I also have to make time to hang out with my students. Tonight we are going to Outback Steakhouse. Tuesday, I went with 2 upperclassmen to yakitori, which is chicken on a stick and it's so good.

One thing that makes me sad is to think that when I leave Japan, I won't have access to all the good food here. I love okonomiyaki, monjya, yakiniku, yakitori and of course ramen. Before coming to Japan I didn't realize there were so many different kinds of ramen. You have salt, soy sauce, miso, tonkatsu and they are all very delicious. I'm making myself hungry just thinking about it. I think that's all for now. I'm going to try to be better at this. I'll try again for next Friday. ttfn.