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Well this is the 3rd blog I've started since I got back to Japan in August. I'll try to remember the password this time and I'll try to find the posts I posted already. This will be a combination of just what I'm doing every once in a while, essays about cultural aspects that aren't often talked about, opinions and whatever. I'll try to make an index of words that I use in Japanese (words that don't really have a good English translation)

The main purpose of this blog is to not forget English or important events and chronology.

Summary of the last few months

August - 15th- Came here with no paycheck coming my way until October 20th and enough to live for 1 month (08/15-10/20, do the math). Stayed in a Ryokan (traditional inn), a crappy hostel, my girlfriends aunts house and a hotel for a week. 2 days of orientation and being nervous. 1 week of studying and enjoying my favorite parts of Tokyo (Shimokitazawa, Yoyogi Kouen, Ikebukuro etc.)

September - 1st - Started work. Was told to make an introduction lesson about myself and hometown in 3 days. Given no information about the students level of English, the format of the worksheet, and what classes were like. When questioned, the teachers all said "Anything you make will be fine, I'm sure. You are a native English speaker"

I work for 2 schools. Monday and Friday I'm at School A

School A- I found out recently, is the LOWEST ranking school in Saitama. At first I thought the kids were just lazy but I'm starting to think a good portion of them are Autistic, Dyslexic, OCD, etc. and this is coming from someone who thinks some 60 or 70% of people with disorders are falsely diagnosed, but I really think a good half of the students could be fairly diagnosed with something other than ADD/ADHD. And I'm willing to bet less than 10% are. The teachers here are great. They all take their job pretty seriously despite complaining about wanting to go to a better school. They are friendly and treat me as an equal. Unlike a majority of Japanese people, most of them are willing to admit to themselves that a foreigner is capable of comprehending their language and so they don't usually force me to listen to they're terrible English. Actually some of their English isn't so terrible.

School B- This school ranks dead middle in Saitama. It is so mediocre I cannot even explain it. While in school A, I know 16 teachers names, I know about 5 teachers names at school B despite the fact that I'm there 3 days a week instead of 2. I spend most of my time in the English teacher faculty room where no one can judge me for going on the computer. I am over-protected by T Sensei who is an incredibly nice guy but a little bit KY sometimes (I'll explain KY some other time). He acts as my benevolent boss despite having no real authority over me and I can't complain because he is the only person that gives me any useful feedback on ANYTHING and he is the only person who takes my position and my contract into account. I usually have 1 teacher telling me a worksheet is too hard and 1 telling me its too easy. I've almost quit over this because no matter what the compromise, someone is unhappy with me. T sensei has become the final word on these kinds of issues and while I'm sure he's throwing his weight where it doesn't belong, I'm almost always thankful for it. The ALT position is often absurd and useless but I'll talk about this another time.

October - No money. At all. I cooked almost every night. Nothing that cost more than $5 a meal. Lots of Curry, eggs, and stir fry. Developed a strange and absolutely harmless health ailment I don't feel like discussing. I have no idea where it came from but I suspect the amount of preservatives in almost everything that doesn't come straight out of the ground (I saw a piece of bread last 4 months before it grew any mold).

Saw Ego-Wrapping, my favorite Japanese -band- (as in non-solo artist). Fun poppy jazz-rock music. Not exactly Ska but same kind of mood and instruments.


November- Holy shit, it's gone. Finally had money but not enough; had to catch up with all the things I hadn't bought. Realized that at Japanese schools almost every week has a day off or a day with no classes. Spending a lot of time studying. Started tutoring JAPANESE (NOT ENGLISH) because I devote a whole day to teaching a language I don't feel fully qualified to teach (though more qualified than most others teaching it). I've spent the last 3 years with Japanese grammar and vocabulary and I haven't touched English grammar in years. Just because I use it well enough doesn't mean I know how it works. And I'm a pretty good f-ing Japanese tutor, I think. Girlfriends birthday part 1 - dinner and drinks with her mom - was great. Lots of speaking Japanese and enjoying the coolest and strangest slightly-over-middle-aged woman in Japan. Part 2 - a cafe/restaurant/bar marathon at Shimokitazawa, my favorite part of Tokyo. Imagine a 10 block squared maze of aforementioned cafes, bars, restaurants, and specialty shops, complete with alleyways, dead ends and a cheese at the end. I still haven't found the end. Went to a bar that kind of looks like your in a magical cave. They were playing Tom Waits.



Onward

On Friday I'll see Shiina Ringo. As I've told many of this blogs potential readers, Shiina Ringo could have been everyones answer to the 40 or so years we've had since the Beatles. The only problem is that America has a hard time accepting music with lyrics they don't understand and sadly, without being big in America, there isn't much of a chance at becoming an international classic, let alone internationally known. Her album Karuki Zaamen Kuri no Hana is the greatest pop album I have ever heard and the song Souretsu may just be the greatest musical achievement in the past 100 years. It is really difficult to admit that this is my opinion and not fact.

I'll also take the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (Level 2) on December 12. This would basically give me an official document that (falsely?) asserts that I am bilingual.


Ok. Now someone better read this before I forget the password.