Panic at the Get-Go

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13

I woke quite rested at 7:30.

…

*profanity*

I'm not sure how I messed up setting my alarm last night, but I didn't have time to figure out. I threw on clothes, threw my laptop in my bag, tore around the apartment brushing my teeth while gathering my stuff, threw my leftover Pizza Little Party pizza into the only Tupperware around and rushed out the door.

See, as you remember, Nishi and catching this train is the bane of my existence. To make the rapid, I need to leave by or before 7:30. The local comes a few minutes later. At this point, I was worried about even making the local. I ran down the street, probably looking like a crazy person and definitely breathing heavy, as people turned around to look at me.

As I was approaching the station, I saw a train leaving. Dejected, I was resigned to taking whatever train would be next and texting ahead that I'd be late. Wonder of wonders, however, that was the RAPID, I saw leaving and I managed to make it onto the platform a minute or so before the local came through. Now, of course, I want the rapid, but, to hell with that, I was grateful that I was even going to get the local!

I hopped on, cramming myself in and listened to Pollyanna on the ride up. God, that girl is beginning to drive me crazy. The LED signs on this train are in Japanese only, so I need to listen to the announcements to make sure I know when to get off. That'd just be lovely making my train, then missing my station. But I made it just fine and made my crazy walk to try to make it to school before 8:25. I saw Andrew on the way, but obviously couldn't stop to talk for more than a moment. First time I've seen him on my way to school, though. I made it at about 8:28, and was a few minutes late for the staff meeting. Given that I don't think Justin went to the staff meetings at all and that I hadn't even been up for an hour, and that I don't understand a word they say anyway, I didn't feel too bad about this.

I settled into my desk. Eventually, I caught my female ALT (who still needs a name, gah!) and confirmed with her that there were no classes today. She asked if I had a free moment to talk about the exam. She then had to run off to a meeting, but I said I'd be at my desk (where else would I be?) and she came back about 15 minutes later and handed me the completed exams. I mentioned that I'd messed up the score at Kogyo and it was only 28 points. It seems I did that here, too, but she noticed and made the other part 72 points to even it out. That worked just fine.

She said that the students were good and next time I should make it harder. I'm fine with this, and, yes, many of the grades were good, but she also went an added Japanese to some sections which made it easier. Personally, I'd rather leave the English easier and cut Japanese than keep the Japanese and make the English harder. But, so it goes. I spent from about 9 to noon grading and was feeling rather brain-dead by the end. I was rather impressed by the scores, but then, I made it ridiculously easy. The average was probably about 83%.

As I turned in my lesson plan last week for the next to weeks at Nishi, I found myself with some spare time on my hands. I had expected to talk about it today, but my JTE has not said a word to me besides announcing the exams. She wasn't at her desk when I brought them over to her. She's not social with me like the Koko teachers. Seth, the male JTE who sits next to me isn't here today.

I had reheated pizza for lunch, then spent the next four hours alternating between updating this blog and downing tea like there's no tomorrow. The sit toilet (versus Japanese squat toilets, which are most common here) has a heated toilet seat. It's always a bit of a surprise, but, really, it's addictingly lovely. A neighboring teacher told me I type fast, though I am not typing loudly, so I don't think it was a pointed comment. Typing English is probably faster than typing Japanese because we don't have to deal with entering kanji.

I talked with my female JTE toward the end of the day and asked if it would be possible to get a seating chart of the teacher's room, so I could begin to learn everyone's names. This idea required a bit of explaining, but she said that she'd contact the teacher in charge and they'd get me a Romaji translation, so that'll help. I also asked about tea ceremony lessons, and she made some phone calls, but they're only done on Mondays. I'm trying to remember if I was told this before or not. She did have the good advice to ask at my kimono lessons, as kimono women would probably also tend in those circles.

At 4:30, I headed out. I hadn't had as much work to do and didn't have anything I desprately needed to do, so there was no good reason to stay. Nishi always makes me feel guilty for leaving, somehow. Like I'm being a bad teacher. But I work so late at the other schools that I don't feel nearly as guilty. Plus, they know as well as I do that I stop being paid at 4:15, so I won't stay just to stay.

I listened to perfect little Pollyanna all the way back to the station. On the platform, I met up with Jane and we both pulled out our earbuds and talked. She spent the weekend in Osaka. We saw the most gorgeous sunset from the train. I wish I'd had my camera, but it wouldn't have done it justice.

I walked back home from the station, opened my door and was greeted by my messy apartment. Ah, yes... THAT.

So, I pulled up Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog on my computer and started cleaning. I organized the papers on the kitchen table. Did some massive throwing out of stuff. And eventually swept the floor and washed my vanity, which was starting to resemble a furball, as that's where I comb my hair. I picked up dirty laundry, thrown haphazardly around in my rush to get to work this morning, or in the brief time it took me to stumble to my futon when I got back from Tokyo. At this point, I still need to organize the second tatami room and clean the tatami in both rooms, but it's been major progress. I also need to do laundry, but it was already dark and I didn't know if I trusted it to dry overnight on the line.

I really, really, really need to get that shelving for the kitchen so I can move the Paris shelving into the Library, at least for now, to hold books so I can organize the stacks of papers still on the floor in the second tatami room. I'm living here, but that room still makes it look like I'm living out of a suitcase.

Oh, I hung up some of the things I bought. I put the fan up on my wall in my bedroom. And I hung the picture of the little girl in the kimono. It's AMAZING how much BETTER it looks! It looks like a HOME! I made pancakes for dinner and am beginning to panic about how low my peanut butter stock is getting. I'm going to have to start investing in peanut cream. I also really need to go shopping. Basics like milk, butter, bread, and eggs are really, really low. I also finally put my bulk baking goods into their new jars: flour, sugar, pancake flour, and a small jar for cornstarch. It works much better than dealing with twistie ties and tupperware. And, of course, frees me up more tupperware for other things (like bringing my pizza to school.) But, of course, I need the shelving to put them on, as right now, they're neatly lined up my my kitchen table. But I need that table for eating and as counter space for cooking.

Happily tumbled to sleep, being very careful to make sure my alarm was properly set.