Phew!

So I've finally got my study time for the day.  I decided to update my blog to recount todays events.  (It was a typical day, so I think it's only right that I relay such information so that when I say, 'for the past few weeks it's been nothing but humdrum,' you know exactly what humdrum is.

I just found some apple tea that smells exactly like the Turkish/Greek apple tea we encountered on our last journey there.  I'm just letting it stew now.

So the day started frantically, with two early morning classes.  I was busy trying to prepare the things for the lesson, but the principal of this school wasn't having any of it.  He was too busy telling me that I shouldn't roll around the office on the wheelie chairs, because it's not professional.

Aside from the fact that I don't get paid enough to listen to mere bluster, I'm a representative of England, and I think, to a man, no Englishman can resist rolling around an office on his or her wheelie chair.

The tea tastes NOTHING like it smells.  I'm so disappointed.  I brewed a whole pot, too.  Anyone who can send me some real apple tea, the stuff that's so sweet it rots your teeth before it even comes in contact with them, will receive something Japanesey in return.

Anyway.  The first lessons' teacher really does not like me in her classroom.  We have minor power struggles every time we teach together, so today, after another embattled classroom experience, I went on the charm offensive.  I saved her about an hours work by showing her how to use the laminator properly (so the work doesn't crinkle) and chopping up the myriad papers she was laminating.  I don't know if it worked, yet; the next lesson will tell me whether I need to be even nicer or not.  To be honest, I don't know if I have that depth of kindness within me.  I have work to do too!

The next class was a bunch of tiny, tiny people.  I don't know what grade they were, but they can't have been more than five or six.

I just realised why this tea tastes odd.  It's not apple tea, as advertised - but tea with apples.  That's false advertising right there, and grounds to sue.  Or sew, as I've seen it spelled on internet forums.  ('I'm gonna sew your ass,' no, please don't.)

The second class went smoothly.  Unspectacularly, that is to say, I expect none of the kids to remember a thing next time I see them, but smoothly nonetheless.  You see, everything I say is translated into Japanese for the kids.  So why do they need to learn anything in English when the answer is right there, standing next to me?  One of the many stupidities of Japanese language learning.

So those two classes, (and one cancelled class) aside, I've been making materials (on the biggest cutter I've ever used, it cut through sixty sheets of laminated A4 in one go) and lesson plans.  Now to do some university work!

がんばります