Dartboard

It’s Tuesday and I’m back at school. Monday school was canceled because of the typhoon and I had a wonderfully lazy day inside my apartment. They typhoon was really mild, not nearly what it was cracked up to be. Don’t get me wrong; I’m really thankful! I’m also thankful it was just bad enough that I got to stay home for the day! I spent most of the day on my computer—completing my two goals of 1. finishing putting up photos on this website and 2. clearing out my email inbox. Despite a very long (and marvelous) interruption with Daniel on video-chat, by the time I went to bed, the website was finished and I had not one email in my inbox. I also took a 3 hour nap and totally caught up on my sleep.

When I woke up from my nap yesterday afternoon, however, I had these horrible cramps. In fact, that’s why I woke up, I’m sure. I don’t have any painkillers with me because I assumed I’d buy some here when I needed them. Of course I don’t think of needing them until I NEED them and I’m in the middle of a typhoon with no access to them. I decided to try Hatakeyama, who lives just upstairs, and what a lifesaver! Naoko gave me something—I’m not sure what it is, but I’ve written down the name so I can buy it later—and it worked miracles! I am eternally indebted to this family. Needless to say I slept peacefully and didn’t even cringe when the alarm went off at 6:30 this morning.

Today is my dad’s birthday. He would be 57 years old today. It’s the first thing I thought of when I woke up this morning. I wish he could see me here, surviving in this tiny town in Japan. I know what everyone says, “But he can see you everywhere now,” but it’s just not the same. I want to say it’s just not true, but I don’t know if it’s true or not. I only know it’s not the same as me seeing him see me here.

In Memory of William Michael Kenney.
Papa at the farm in 2000.

At work today I finished my self-introduction lesson and am completely prepared for my first class on Thursday. I teach an upper level class of sophomores with Tomonaga-sensei during fifth period. It’ll be the trial run for this lesson. Friday I’ve got three classes, two more with Tomonaga and one with Hatakeyama, a mix of upper and lower levels.

This afternoon Hatake took me out to Wakamatsu Junior High and I met the kocho-sensei (principal) and two JTEs (Japanese Teachers of English) out there. They are both young, substitute teachers, filling in for the regular teacher who recently had a baby. They will be here until April, so the majority of the year I will spend with them. I’m going to Wakamatsu on Monday afternoons to lesson plan with the teachers (Kondo-sensei and Fukuda-sensei) and then I’ll be there all day Tuesday and teach six classes! I have no idea what the levels of the students are, but I’m guessing pretty low since they only start English instruction in junior high. (I say “only” as if we have such a great system in the U.S. where they start in elementary school like they should.) Hatakeyama assures me they will have plenty of energy, and I’m certainly looking forward to that.

And tonight’s the big night! I get the keys to my new car. Her name is Midori-chan. Midori means green in Japanese, but also has the meaning of “old woman.” When I asked Hatake what her name was he said IT didn’t have one. So I asked if it was a “he” or a “she” and we determined definitely a woman. Then I asked what characteristic about her stood out in the 10 years they known each other. And he said, “She’s old! There’s no airbag and the tape deck is broken.” So after some deliberation we came up with Midori-chan, which I think is a perfect fit! It incorporates both her color and age! Tonight we are going to clean her together and then I get to give Hatake a ride to school tomorrow.

Hatake has been driving me to and from work everyday now. But he has to leave for work at 6:50 a.m. once school starts tomorrow and technically I don’t need to be at work until 8:15 (for the teacher’s meeting). But since Hatake has been so generous by giving me his car even before he has had his second car shipped over from Nagasaki, we are getting up together and leaving at 6:50 a.m. I know I’m leaving over an hour earlier than I’m suppose to but I’m looking forward to having Hatake in the car the first few times I drive. There are probably all sorts of rules I don’t know about here!

Okay, we’re on our way home now so I’ve got to run!
Love,
Sierra and Midori-chan