November 12th-13th in 2015

Well, let’s see, what happened yesterday (the 12th). Well, Yamasaki was a freaking hit. I love it there. The magic didn’t go over as well as hoped (with the 6th graders I botched one trick, and one little bastard in 5th grade snuck a peak at how I did another one. I need to know more so that I don’t do a trick 2x in a row). However, we had so much fun. Oh my goodness did we have fun. I had lunch with the sixth graders, who hadn’t met me before, and we got on right away. And then there was recess. I played soccer harder than I think I played it in the entire duration of my pee wee soccer career put together. I taught kids the art of the “psych out” by using noises to scare players with the ball. I also did that weird crouch thing while making a loud noise and raising my hands dramatically. They told me that I was going Super Saiyin. I told them, no: I’m going Super Gaijin. After that, I was repeatedly instructed to pose, scream, and declare Super Gaijin! We lost 6-0, btw. Still, it was fun. I had a few saves, and a few good psych outs, and a moment I impressed everybody by heading the ball. We didn’t start to REALLY lose until I got distracted and went off to play with some of the super little kids. I also ended up hurting myself going for a slide to kick a ball out from in front of a kid. Tore the knee of my pants a bit. Also my knee. Still, I can replace the pants, and I used the injury as a pretext to avoid tea ceremony. I was a big hero at recess, despite sucking by and large. And it was fun to be that exhausted. Especially after not having had a real walk in a few days, or a real workout in ages.
As for the classes, I had a ton of fun. Fifth grade I’d had before, so we actually did lessons. I made Kabuki poses to accent various language points, much to the amazement of kids and the teacher, but, man, did those kids pick up quickly. I really dominate those elementary classes, and they love it. And they pay attention. And they learn. That’s the goal, really. If it’s impossible not to look at me, it’s impossible not to listen. And if you’re listening, you’ll learn. At least for a bit. Especially if the correct response elicits more insane kabuki from an obese gaijin.
Then came 6th grade. I’d had lunch with them, but I’d never taught them before, so class turned into a self introduction. Then a Q&A. Had a lot of fun doing that. Then, it was time to go back to the BOE. I talked a bit to the staff first, then drove back. Oh, I forgot to mention: I was so hungry before class that I actually stopped at a Lawson and picked up some crackers. It was just too much not to. Ritz crackers are not very healthy, as it turns out. However, I still stayed under the calorie goal, largely through soccer and through having almost nothing for my actual lunch. I love being able to throw the doctor under the bus about me not being able to eat. I hope he never hears about it.
Then, time to return to the BOE. It was an utter waste as, by the time I got there, I had fifteen minutes to kill before turning around and going back, so I spent it chatting it up with my coworkers. I explained to them my great theory of the secret of Miyanojo: Once they graduate high school, all of the young people run away to the bamboo forest until they’re married with children, then they’re allowed to return to Miyanojo. That’s why there are students, and married women with children, and nothing and no one in between. They were amused, and, of course, confirmed it, telling me that the forest is a great place, and that I should go there sometime. I replied that I had the wrong sort of eyes. I almost pulled them slanted, which ALWAYS amused the Chinese, but realized that Japanese people are a lot more sensitive, and decided that cowardice was the better part of valor. I also just spelled valor with a u, meaning I should stop reading things written by those evil Canadians.
After this pleasant chat, I stopped by Plasse and picked up cereal, sushi, and, of course, mikan. I need to remember to get yogurt today, though it’s not as critical as breakfast is more optional on the weekends. Then off to 7-11 for salad. Then, I went to my tea Sensei’s house (need to learn her name) and apologized, but explained that I was injured and wouldn’t really be able to sit, so I was going to have to skip class. Seeing as I was obviously covered in dirt, limping a bit, and had damaged pants, the story was believable. Also true. I have found, however, much to my chagrin, that believable and true are often not the same thing.
I went home, I ate, and I got into the tub. For whatever reason, I didn’t feel like doing the same relaxation exercise I’d done the night before, so I put on what I thought was Gymnopedie 1-4, but ended up being an hour repeat of just number 1. Which was fine by me. I dozed off in the tub a few times. Finally, around 8, I tried to go to bed. It didn’t work. So, I read a bit of BBC on my phone, and I read a LOT of The Tale of Geji, and finally got off to sleep 11:30ish. Which was annoying and frustrating. The sleep meds don’t seem to be doing much. I’m sleeping a bit more, I guess, and I’m waking a bit less, I guess, but the last few days I’ve just felt utterly and completely exhausted. Maybe it’s the diet? Still, I calculated that if I can lose 1 kilo a week, or, rather, a fraction more than that as I’d be 152 lbs. Still, here’s to hoping, ne? I do find myself feeling very weak and very hungry these days. I wonder if the hunger is in any way related to the gallons of coffee I’ve been drinking. Not literal gallons (surprisingly enough for me), but I’m finding that in mornings when I drink a lot of coffee, I don’t drink as much throughout the day and I seem to feel hungrier. I do wonder if there’s a correlation. That’s one thing that worries me about the seeming weight drop this week. How much is water weight? Considering the extremely variable of my fluid intake, from half to two gallons of liquid per day, it’s hard to estimate much, especially when I’m heavy on the diuretics these days.
It’s raining, and I haven’t heard from Tinder girl. Doubt we’ll have a walk today. I was supposed to teach with Ebihara, but, apparently, she’s in the hospital. So I’m working for Matsumoto, which is more fun anyway. Inori is gone. Apparently her sister is in a coma, the specifics I don’t really know. Those notebooks I graded are still on her desk. I hope her sister is okay. As for Ebihara, Matsumoto seemed to not want to discuss what was wrong with Ebihara. I hope she’s okay. She was out with an eye infection a while ago.
Anyway, I’m tired, and it’s raining (it’s been on the verge of rain for days, giving me an awful headache) and I’m behind on my guitar, and I want to sleep. Well, too damned bad? I’ve got a guitar lesson and a haircut scheduled for tomorrow, but I’m kind of dreading both. Need to remember to hit the bank today. Also the laundromat. I wish I had a dryer. Or that it were ever dry enough to dry things. I think I’m going to buy a dehumidifier today. It’s expensive, but I think it’s necessary. Spending nearly $10 a week on drying clothes . . . the thing will pay for itself.
I got up this morning at six, I even used my fancy (super not fancy) new alarm to make sure I would, but I went right back to bed. I didn’t expect this will be a normal thing. Maybe I’m just too stressed about a lot of things. Maybe it’s the food. Or the too much exercise. Or the bad weather. We’ll see. I do need a good night’s sleep. I think maybe on Saturday, I’ll go to bara for some debauchery. By which I mean drinking, karaoke, and ogling the actual (probably artificial) cleavage of the middle aged owner, and the hardest working pushup bra in existence on Unwedmother-chan.
Man am I out of shape. But that soccer yesterday was fun. Almost totally worth it.
I feel like I should be in class doing something now, but, there shouldn’t be class now. I think maybe the schedule is off today and nobody told me? These things do happen sometimes. Or, at least, it seems like they would if they haven’t already.
Guess it’s time to finish this post. I’m finally here, at my desk, able to talk, and people aren’t talking.
Oh well. I’m sleepy and incoherent anyway.