In new news: Friday was my second day at Shogunno, where I remain constantly amused at how Lyndal's students refer to her as Lyndalhaas sensei as if it were all one word. That's nothing, however, compared to the kids who can't pronounce "Industrial Arts and Homemaking" and have instead resorted to saying Lyndalhaas and homemaking. I just about died. Once classes were finished for the day, I also ran into Ayaka in the hallway, who – along with her amusing but not fantastically English-speaking friend, Saki – proceeded to take me on a guided tour all of the after school clubs at Shogunno. She was especially insistent that we go watch the (sadly, rained-off) soccer, and when I asked her if she liked soccer or the soccer boys, she just giggled.

One thing that becomes increasingly apparent the longer I'm there though? I had no idea how liberally I took from the snack box at Tsuchizaki until I came to this school and had to suffer through an entire morning of gnawing hunger. This lasted exactly until lunchtime, where – on my second visit to the school – I was given double school lunch and six (six!) bread rolls to take home. Do I really give off that desperate of a "Please feed me!!!" vibe?

( Continue reading 'Food for Thought' )

As John's visit swells my journal to Return of the King-like proportions, please enjoy yet another appendix showing the fruits of our 2am photoshoot around Sanno.

( Continue reading 'John in Japan: Photo Finish' )

The time had come for me to bid John farewell...and to once again watch my friends and co-workers cavort in soiled nappies to the unbridled horror of their onlookers.

( Continue reading 'John in Japan: Week 3' )

Today, I began working at a brand new junior school in addition to my own: an arrangement that will last until Lyndal's regrettably-timed illness allows for her belated return to Japan. I am, at the time of writing this, sitting at my borrowed desk (which my OCD and I spent 2nd period reorganising), drinking borrowed coffee, and plagued by two prevailing feelings. On the one hand, mental exhaustion from a day spent with 400 new students. And, on the other, an overwhelming desire to return to my own school from a sensation which can only be described as rapid-onset separation anxiety.

( Continue reading 'Separation Anxiety' )

Photos (#74-93)

Having done more than our share of sightseeing over the past three weeks, we decided to take Day 6 off and just went shopping.

( It more or less worked out that way. )

Photos (#54 onwards)

Day 4 was an exercise in subterfuge: first in trying to keep mum from discovering our ultimate destination, whilst simultaneously convincing her to climb up a mountain to get there.

( This proved surprisingly successful. )

So, in my most adventurous adventure to date, I just broke into my own apartment.

Having mysteriously lost my key somewhere between leaving the house and finishing up at the karaoke bar, I arrived home in the desperate hopes that I'd left the key hanging in the door. This proving far too optimistic, I then remembered that I'd left the balcony door open in order to air out the house. Using my ninja-like skills, I then proceeded to climb up onto my neighbour's (2nd floor) balcony from the alleyway below using all of the available street signs. From there, I was but one acrobatic leap away from my own balcony, from which I was able to enter the house and unlock the front door.

I'm fairly sure the stupidity and recklessness of this will hit me come sobriety morning, but - for now - I'm mostly relieved by the presence of a bed and the lack of necessity to phone my supervisor after midnight and ask her to go to the BoE and collect the spare key for me.

My thanks to all for their concern (in particular Wil for offering a place to crash), who I'll see at work tomorrow; hopefully with a resolution to this entire, frustrating mess.

Ganbatta, and good night.

And so - after a morning of playing "What's the time, Mr Wolf?" with 6-8 year olds - my most pressing work engagement for the next month is over. The rest of my Friday?

Double scoop Baskins Robbins (rose and hibiscus tea + tea & scones. 31st of each month = 31% off. Who knew?!); sunbathing on the balcony, lemon in hair, whilst reading Audrey Hepburn's life recounted by her son, cover to cover. Picking up my dry-cleaning from the ever-lovely old lady with her secret discounts; getting ready to pack for an impromptu weekend trip to Yamagata with Lindsay; seeing my first square watermelon.

The first real day of summer.

Photos

Having been remarkably lucky with the weather thus far, we were long overdue the rainstorm that arrived just as we were leaving Sendai. Other than the discomfort of hauling our suitcases through the downpour, however, this still wasn't especially day-ruining on account of:
a) we were going to be spending the next 6 hours on a train anyway, and
b) there was a good chance it might stop when we got 900km south of our current location.

( And ever onwards... )

Photos

Previous entry aside, I still have school days...and so the adventures continue. On Day 2 we stuck within the city limits to see what Sendai itself had to offer.

( The City of Trees )