June: June 23 - June 28, 2017

June 23, 2017

Bleh.  The heat is getting to me.  Once classes start, it’s not so bad, I have AC or fans or manic energy to carry me, but I’m easily overheated and the school gets just a smidge too hot for me, even now when it’s not the hottest it will be.  Still trying my best to adapt and deal to this style of teaching.  For the most part, I’ve got it down.  I consider myself a middling teacher, perhaps a harsh criticism of myself more than truth, but…I am just more comfortable with adults, as the interest and control is generally there.  That said, you can have a lot of fun just joking around with and laughing at yourself along with the kids.  An entire class worked together to try and block my entry into class and I nearly pushed through five people holding the door shut.  Once they saw that, when I backed off to get better footing, they opened the door.  We all had a good laugh about it.

I was given a melon today and it was very good, very sweet.  I appreciate gifts like that and have had small trinkets like a paper crane or a silly fan gifted to me by students and others looking either for a funny joke or some small appreciation.  Because I am a sentimental shmuck I ate half of it and gave the rest to the Yakiniku bar.  The master was having friends over and still served me, so I offered him and his friends the half of the melon I didn’t eat.  Not sure if they liked it, but they at least showed appreciation, which was nice.  It was really sweet and delicious.

Finally, I started playing Resident Evil 4 again because I bought a Japanese copy way back when I first got here and since I’ve got at least a week or two before my new games arrive, I figured…what the hell, I’ll play something fun.  I could go back to Gwent, but ugh…I hate some derogatory remarks here, but I know I’ll go back to it.  It’s a fine game, but I am frankly too frustrated with it to play right now…maybe later.  The truth is that real people suck online. I also want to say that the HD port of RE4 has basically made all the textures stupidly obviously low res, so while the characters look decent, the rest of the game looks like ass.  That said, still a blast to play and a damn fun game, in spite of a poor port job.  Anyway, speaking with my family and heading out for a bike ride tomorrow.  Looking forward to it.

June 24 – June 25, 2017

Life’s funny, isn’t it?  I’ve known since I was young who I was.  Melodramatic, dark, but heart of gold underneath it all.  The only thing I’ve wanted to do was help others…and I think that’s one reason I write.  I like telling stories.  Stories help you in ways you yourself don’t realize.  That’s why I want to be a writer.  Heh, I just wish the ambition I’d chosen was easier or that at least it was easier to do with more regularity.

I talked with a lot of people this weekend, so my mind’s kind of…in the future and in dreams.  I spoke with my parents, my best friend in the US, and a dear dear friend in Australia.  You know, when I was younger, I thought it would be fun to actually be the villain…when I came to terms with what it meant to be a real villain, not a camp bad guy…it horrified me.  And when I was talking with those close to me, I find myself wanting to help.  I…have a bad habit of lecturing others or of trying to give speeches though so…hehe.

Anyway, that out of the way, this weekend I took some photos for my blog of the rice paddies growing, I biked into the mountains and saw a cool school built into the hills, I had a bath at the bath house and got to eat good food all the time.  I got some foreign groceries I think I’ll like, I bought some new video games, and I was able to do some relaxing and write for a bit.  I think this is a typical weekend for me now.  A bit of exploration, a bit of relaxing, and at least 2-3 hours of writing.  It’s nice. 

I don’t know where the future is going to take me, but I take some pride in the way that I’ve become.  I’m always saying my being honest or straight arrow will come back to bite me, but I don’t know any other way to be. I don’t want to be any other way.  I feel a bit jealous of Takeo Gouda though.  I started reading a new series, Ore Monogatari, this weekend about a guy similar to me, but with the muscle to back up his desire to help others, finding a girl who loved him for him.  I have to admit…I’d like that.  It’s been a time of reflection on who I am and what I want to do.  The answer to the first is, I’m a good guy.  The answer to the second is, write.  Now…if only that would pay the bills, hehe.  Well, another weekend down. I’ll end by saying I’ve only fallen in love a few times.  They’ve generally ended in disaster for one reason or another.  Reflecting on it, I think I missed a chance with someone special.  But the important thing is that they’re happy and I’m happy.  And I am pretty happy.  I love this town.  This job, while stressful, is nice and this life is okay. I’m not content to rest just yet though.  I’ve a book to finish and a love to find.  It will happen…I don’t always believe that, but for now…sure, why not?

June 26, 2017

What’s there really to say about today?  I wanted to get some card writing done, but that didn’t happen so…maybe Friday or Wednesday? I also had a hellish Monday.  Monday is usually my relaxing intro to the week, but since the Eiken interviews are coming, I had extra classes along with my student journals to prepare for that.  It’s nothing too bad, I got to flex my interviewing muscle, which I do have, thank you very much.  Either way, I’m a bit tired.  I tried to use the grill function of my microwave and wound up warping one of my bowls.  Not a big deal, since it’s actually larger now, albeit with thinner plastic.  I need a new one, but this soldier has served me well and will probably continue to serve me well.

The school week always exhausts me, but I have new games to play, so I’m gonna do that.  Talk to you all later.

June 27, 2017

Back home, my father had a saying.  Some days, you eat the bear.  Some days, the bear eats you.  Today, I got eaten by the bear…well, partially.  I’ve gotten my junior high and high school classes pretty firmly down.  While they don’t always go how I want and maybe they’re not always full of games or what have you, I try but you know, I have them down to where I want them to go for grammar, procedure, and the students learning useful language and skills.  It works.  But with the kids, it’s much less predictable.  Will they be sleepy and uninvolved?  Will they be sugared up beyond belief? Will they be rude and speak poorly of me in ways I cannot understand?  The answer to those questions changes as easily as the tide and today I just got my butt kicked.  Plans were right, material was good, but the classes were either too amped up or barely awake.  Like I said, the older kids were fine.  I still feel I fall a bit into the trap of mediocore, though I’m trying a few new ideas out, but the classes run smoothly.  I also had to stay late today because we have some students who rotate in and out depending on their schedule.  These are adults, so this is work schedule.  This is fine with me, honestly.  Reminded me of my old days at EF where I was able to provide new words, grammar tenses, and tips to help with listening exercises, and help they did.

Anyway, enough belly aching over the frustration.  I’m getting a little better at paying no mind to others, as the comparisons I make with them often are to my detriment.  We teach in different ways and while I may not be better, I’m not that bad.  That’s something you need to tell you.  You have experience.  You have knowledge.  You want to help.  Even if you’re not wacky inflatable arm flailing tube man, you can still be a good human being and get the lessons done to try and help out the students.  I’m definitely still worried, but it’s getting better.

I got to talk with one of my old students from China for a bit today.  I sent out a few emails to try and reconnect and I’ve gotten some bites, which is nice.  I also got a letter from a friend stateside. No matter how small, news from home is nice.  News you can hold, even if you could have been told online.  It’s something real, I guess.

School life is still stressful…probably always will be as this job is harder in some ways than my previous ones.  Still like this town though. I also got asked to help one of the part time teachers with some English listening and culture.  Gonna need to make new material for that. We’ll see how it goes.

June 28, 2017

Not much to say today. As crummy as I felt yesterday is how good I feel now.  My classes all went really well, some due to my planning, some due to my students being motivated, though I did have to bring the hammer down on one student who would not listen at all.  Either way, it was a pretty good time.  Don’t get me wrong, still stressful, but it’s nice to have a few good days.  On the flipside, I did get told I might be roped into teaching a few extra classes Saturday because of a company event but…whatever.  No real point in complaining because 1, it wouldn’t do any good and 2, I’d do it anyway, because I’m that kind of guy.

Just really tired because of the workload so far.  Between the extra Eiken classes, the student journals, and the regular stress, I feel wiped, but I also put together a few new listening exercises for one of the part time teachers who is my friend because he and some other students are heading to Chicago in a month.  They want to know about some culture and to get some practice with harder language.  Hopefully, my exercises deliver. Now, tired, so going to bed.