January 29th through February 2nd in 2016

Well, the nomikai on Friday was a rousing success. I had a great time. The party was fun. Found out that Matsumoto is either divorced or separated from her husband (I love when I’m let in on gossip) which explains a LOT. I was also incredibly bemused when Higashi sensei pointed out the giant wooden penis in the restaurant we were having the meal in. Hadn’t noticed. Hadn’t noticed the two foot wooden penis by the door. Oh Japan.
After the nomikai, a bunch of us went out for Karaoke. I love karaoke for its own sake, but this was really fun. There was a drunk old man who loved to dance to my singing. He was good, too! We even danced together for a bit. I think my singing and drinking generally impressed. Unfortunately, this day blew the diet streak. After the big nomikai meal, and after the drinking party, fearful of a hangover for Saturday morning, I ate a big bowl of ramen and gyoza. Not the best (or worst) decision I’ve ever made.
Sleep was fitful and awful that night, but, I ended up waking up, far too early, feeling better than I had the last several times I’d drank. This leads me to suspect that those things I had worried were hangovers were just the result of weather changes. For whatever reason, the last few times I’ve gone drinking, we’ve had crazy weather shifts, which generally leave me feeling sick. Not getting hangovers is something I’m proud of, and I was terrified that I was losing my edge. This does not, thankfully, seem to be the case.
Pathfinder was fun. Far, FAR, too many players. A lot of glitching and buggery. Still, enjoyable. During the session, Scott announced that Amanda had gotten engaged. That was, of course, not the best news to get. Still, it wasn’t awful. The other players have no idea how diplomacy works. Meanwhile, my character doesn’t, so I can’t really help them.
After that, I canceled guitar. Between all of the beer, and all of the VERY spicy garlic ramen, my stomach was in no condition to be left alone in a room with another person. To say nothing of the high likelihood that I wouldn’t make it a full hour without needing to leave the chair for twenty minutes or so. I ended up going on a long walk, eventually, with no real problems. Apparently the major episode before I canceled the lesson was the last of it. Oh well.
I feel like maybe something else of note happened on Saturday, but I really don’t think so. Woke up way too early, game, no guitar, long walk (went to a park I’d never been to). Tiny bit of cleaning. Mostly I was tired. Really tired. I didn’t study, like I should have. I started to, but my brain was too exhausted. Not much guitar either. Getting through the walk was difficult enough.
Sunday I slept a long time, but it didn’t seem to actually do much for me. I walked to the culture center and watched the band concert. Chorus for several of my elementary schools, and a band performance for Eshin. Then band performances for the two middle schools with band. Then the Satsuma high school band. Then the Satsuma town band. It was rather nice, but I was so sleepy it was hard to focus. I wish I’d sat closer to the front, but some students asked me to sit in the back with them. Hirakawa, I think. Yeah, sounds right.
Beyond that, nothing really happened of note. Managed the walk, and that was about it. I’m really disappointed that I didn’t learn a magic trick like I’d promised myself that I would. I don’t know why I was so exhausted. It’s really bothersome. I think maybe it’s psychological. That’s worrisome.
Monday I went to the BOE and waited around to go to Shiraogawa. Sam was with me, which was nice. Sadly, the 3/4 class was canceled, so we only got to do the 5/6. I like Shiraogawa. Anyway, we got there, played gym with the kids (soft volleyball, which is exactly what it sounds like, volleyball with a soft ball. Very popular with kids here). Then it was time for one class. Then lunch (Sam ate with 5/6 and I got 3/4). Then recess. It was a rather dull recess, especially for Shiraogawa. Usually they give me the third best recesses after Yamasaki and Sashi. Then came the next class of 5/6. Eikaiwa was scheduled for 3 PM, and I’d told Kazumi that there was no problem because I had thought that I was going to Sam’s school with him rather than the opposite. So, Sam ducked out early while I stayed to teach until the end.
Eikaiwa was fun. Megumi showed up for the first time in months. Even though she’s not really a romantic option, a cute girl of 33 is welcome among the sweet, but elderly, usual ladies. After eikaiwa, I bumped into her at 7-11. Sam had mentioned how good the pastrami sandwiches were during eikaiwa (I’d recommended them to him before). So, Megumi decided to get one. Found out later that night that she loved it.
Well, got home after 7-11 and ate. Then I think I studied a bit or something. I feel like I did something time consuming, but for the life of me I cannot figure out what it was. I was so tired, just exhausted. Well, I did the full 6 km walk that night. I also played guitar. I even (almost) finished my Japanese (missed 2 words). I also added weight training to my workout plan. And brought back the yoga. I took it VERY easy on the working out because the last time I tried this program I was in so much pain after one day that I had to discontinue exercise for a week. I don’t feel any pain today (slight tenderness in pecs, but that often happens from sleeping wrong which I’m sure I did). So I’ll up it the next time. It’s probably going to take me two months to get to the beginner level of training, but, so be it. I’ll get there when I get there. I’m interested in building muscle to speed up the ol’ metabolism.
Guitar last night was wonderful. I played longer than the 20 minutes that I assigned myself. I wanted to keep playing. I was just having fun with it. Some improvement, but a lot of fun, and that’s important. I’m starting to like the instrument instead of having it be a chore. That process has been happening for a little while, but last night it was stronger than ever.
I nestled down on the couch to watch Sound! Euphonium. I really like that show. I started watching it on Saturday night, and I finished it last night/this morning. Probably will write more on that somewhere else. Anyway, I just couldn’t sleep. Just couldn’t sleep. It was miserable and horrible. Part of it is my legs. They feel terrible. Not in an overwhelming ache just . . . twitchy. Can’t get them comfortable. I also have a gigantic knot in one calf that wants to turn into an agonizing cramp, but I’m not letting it. For now.
I’m pushing myself, and it’s rough, but I want to make this work this time.
Complicating matters was an event last night at the BOE. The photographer who usually does Satsuma cultural events invited Sam and me to do a tea ceremony thing. We didn’t want to. We’re doing it. So, for the next. Three Tuesdays, we’ve got to practice tea ceremony for two hours. Then we’ve got to serve tea for most of the day on the 21st. I think. I’m a bit confused as to what’s going on. At any rate, it’s another thing to add to the schedule. I’m doing fine as long as I can sleep reasonably well. I’m now in a battle of wills with my insomnia, and I’m determined to win this one. I may not quite get everything done that needs to be done, but I’m going to keep fighting to do as much as I’m able. It’s not as much as I’d like, but, with time, I’ll be more and more effective at fighting. I had been looking forward to a nice bath tonight. Nope.
Woah, there go the pecs. Yep, workout did something.
I’m debating about whether or not to do any leg work tonight. I’m thinking probably no. Not just because of the timing, but also because, frankly, I don’t know if my legs can handle it. I realize fully that I’m going to need to do strength training for my legs if I’m ever going to make my goal of running 10kph for an hour, but I’m so far from that right now that it’s not really worth killing myself right now. I want to push myself, but I have to do it responsibly. With how much my legs hurt right now, and with how much I suspect that they’re impacting my ability to sleep, I think that adding to it at this juncture is just a bad idea. So, we’ll see what happens.
I don’t like seeing teachers hit kids. Even worse is when they’re needlessly intimidating. I don’t mind corporal punishment administered in certain circumstances. I don’t like seeing students at risk of injury (thankfully none yet) followed by in-your-face screaming and humiliation. There are crying kids in the teacher’s office most lunchtimes. I wouldn’t mind if they’d done much of anything, but I saw a girl get bitched out worse than I ever got in my life for a good twenty minutes for chewing gum in class. Granted, I don’t know the context. I’m barely a guest in these kids’ lives, and their teachers are really surrogate parents. Still, I haven’t seen, or heard of, any of these kids doing anything to merit this. Some kids are bastards and need this treatment. But I haven’t met any here yet.
Anyway, tonight I have to rush home, change clothes, go for the walk as quickly as possible, then rush back, eat, change clothes again, and hurry to tea. I should probably drop of my overdue library book on the way. Then time to rush home, practice guitar, and go to bed. Not a fun sounding day, but, such is life.