some thoughts

a lot has happened since i've been here. i've been here 5 weeks today (wait, am i counting that right?) and things are finally settling into a bit of a normal schedule. though everyday brings a different class schedule, so there really isn't a rhythm to the school day. the day itself is general the same though. my saving grace at this point. though i have been falling asleep with the lights on, horizontal on my bed in front of the tv the last couple nights. and i don't really even DO anything.

i'm trying to find the fine line between being appalled at the inability of students to actually speak english having studied it for 4+ years (by the time they graduate high school, that have studied for 6 years) and being sympathetic toward more than 2000 students who are being forced to study a language they have no interest in nor see any practical use for in their future. to some, it's like calculus was to me. when will i EVER need this?

i've been catching up with old friends, both from 5 years ago as well as from last year. i have made one new friend, not couting the "friends" i have in the teachers at school. i met her at church about 3 week ago and we are going to go out sometime soon. in my cynicism of the moment, i think, "at least church is good for something." making friends will by far be the hardest thing for me in japan. age, language, job/position, sex, etc are all factors that make forming friendships a challenge. either they are my age, but male, or they are female but 10 years older. or they are still a student and i have a tighter "real world job" schedule. and time. time is huge. it takes time. and my experience tells me that it takes more time with japanese people. and i'm not saying that to be racist...it's just a cultural thing. they have a very "surface" world and breaking into the "real" world gets more and more difficult as you get older. children are less aware of these things but slowly boundaries and expectations and taboos come out of the woodwork and eventually everything is just based on obligation.

i want more than obligatory friends.

peanut butter & jelly

the first official day of school was today. we were done by 10:45 and i didn't actually teach a single class. but hey, if that's the pace we're setting, i'm alright with that.

the internet situation will be annoying for another month. then the yahoo bb people will come and hook it all up. until then, i have to pay for the internet cafe (talk about overpriced...) or if the school gets me a username and password set up here soon, i can use the school's internet. tomorrow, yes, saturday, i have to be there. no classes, but full timers have to be there whether they have classes or not. i have 2 desks (one in the high school and one in the middle school) and so far things are looking good.

that's it for now. off to my peanut butter and jelly sandwich that i so diligently made this morning, thinking (silly me!) that we would have a full day.