Pretty Happy with Life

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2006/8/2

Tomomi cried. I walked into work today, and she said hello like usual. And for a few minutes I worked on preparing my lessons before she asked me if I was quitting the company. She said it in this really casual way, in a really soft voice. And then I said yes, and she started crying. I think was a combination both of knowing that she’d have to deal with angry parents again, and that she’ll miss me (no, I’m not egotistical enough to automatically think everyone will me, but she said she would—in as many languages as she could muster while crying). Anyway, then I started crying, and we were both crying, and I’m shocked. Japanese people don’t cry in public; and usually not about business either—another reason I think she might miss me. I told her that I would explain it to the parents so that she wouldn’t have to. She’s actually been thinking of quitting too, she told me. Anjo school is going to die.

Anyway, as you may have guessed, we had a huge talk, and she told me that she understands. She knows there is more to it than I told Adachi, because she looked at me and told me that if she were in America being treated the way Adachi is treating me, she would have killed him. I think I’m going to give her The Elements of Style as a good-bye gift. She’s studying English really hard, and is good enough that I think it will help her writing.

I wish Adachi would have let me tell her, but I suppose it is his job to do things like that. I shouldn't hold it against him--I just want to. Anyway.

I was thinking about English and Japanese today, as per usual. It must be tremendously difficult to learn a language with what, 16 different tenses! Especially considering that Japanese has 2. The adult students in one of my classes don’t quite understand the present continuous (I am ~ing), which is frustrating, but they don’t to use a textbook, so I don’t have much chance to explain.

I may need to go for another interview next Wednesday, which would be really horrible for my manager. We’re short staffed, and Rob and Tracey are on vacation, and Wednesday is the day that the angry mother’s kids are taught (they’re angry that teachers change so much). Maybe I can work it so I leave on Tuesday (which is a day I only work 2 hours anyway), stay overnight wherever, and manage to get back to Anjo by 3:30 on the Wednesday.

Finally, congratulations to my Holly, who is expecting her first in about eight months. Wow, I’m beginning to feel old.

Emotionally exhausted. The end.

2006/8/04

Yay weekend!! It’s the Anjo Tanabata Matsuri (one of the three best/most famous in Japan—along with Sendai and one in Kyushu). I’m going to wander the hell around Anjo for 5 hours tomorrow to see the stalls, shows, etc. Taiko in front of Anjo Eki! You better believe I’ll be there. Probably it’ll top the performance at Denison earlier this year, despite how delightful that was.

After that I’ll watch the Okazaki Hanabi Taikai (read: big firework-y nonsense) from my friend’s apartment roof. I’d watch them in Okazaki Koen (where they have food vendors and a castle and stuff), but it’ll be crowded, and I kind of want to hang out with Lesley and Simran and Jenni before I probably have to leave. Anyway, watch for a post about an awesome tomorrow (as if I’ll post this before then…hah. I need internet). I love matsuri. Although, it did make my commute home crazily crowded. But all the kids have these toys shaped like big beetles that they drag around with them and I can’t get over that!

Today was pretty cool. Rob and I had an entire conversation in Japanese in front of our students, and it was hilarious to see their jaws drop. Totally blew their minds. One of them, Shota, taught me a Japanese game called babanuki today. So cute!! He was very careful about explaining it simply, and miming things (the way I do when I teach). Also, he was very fastidious about how the cards should be laid out, and that we were cleaning up all the time. The Japanese are fastidious on the whole. It makes me feel like a slob. Granted I am sometimes, but not all that much!

I think Tomomi actually will miss me, which is nice, because I know I’ll miss everyone I work with except Adachi. We’ve been having these really intense conversations lately, and slightly gossipy ones, and today I stayed after work about ½ an hour talking for her before we decided that we’d just have to talk about it again. It was just about romantic (or not so romantic) woes, but it was fun. She’s trying to think of ways that I can stay in Aichi and Japan. I promised her I’d help her learn academic English writing. It should be a fun challenge. I mean, she’s good at English (really good!), but academic writing is hard for natives. However, knowing that she wants to learn it makes me glad I’m going to give her The Elements of Style.

Speaking of Adachi, the bastard was at Anjo school the other day, and had the balls to lie to me again. He’s a crappy liar. But it did make me cry—I admit. Rob (who is a really hilarious Canadian fellow) just looked over at me and said ‘I want you to know that in any disagreement between employees and management here, I do not side with the management’. The way he said it was funny, and it’s too bad that can’t be conveyed on an electronic medium. He also looked at me today and told me that my country pissed him off sometimes. I had to agree. We laughed at that.

Finally, I said in one of my posts that I saw ‘old-fashioned’ train driving like in a video game I once played. That was a mistake--It’s not old-fashioned, they still drive that way—except for the trains seem to accelerate on their own and all the drivers do is brake (which is pretty darn hard!! They have to stop to a few centimeters of precision). At least, this is what I glean from my observations through the window on my way to Nishio. Take it with a grain of salt. I know nothing.

Ok, time to head to the train station to head Anjo-ward and spend lots of money I shouldn't be spending. Yay!!

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