Friday, April 30, 2004 Cloudy
Wrote a manuscript for the school periodical
in the morning, and then went to the hospital
for neck traction. Coming home around noon,
prepared lunch for the two sons and myself.
In the afternoon, watched the two videos
sent by STEP and practiced evaluating examinees'
ability. Sent the results to STEP headquarters.
Thursday, April 29, 2004 Fair
My fatigue must have piled up for the past
two hectic months. Today I rested my tired
body all day. My wife did not go to work
today. She was relaxing all day. Our older
son came back home from Kobe at night. Last
night our younger son was staying overnight
with his friend somewhere in Osaka City.
Wednesday, April 28, 2004 Cloudy and windy.
A strong west wind was blowing today, not
as strong as yesterday, though. My older
son was such a scatterbrain today, misplacing
his cap and cell phone at home and losing
and retrieving his wallet on his university
campus. I took care of the Co-op delivery,
which came around 2:00p.m. Food was plentiful
and the kashiwamochi was so delicious I overate myself. I have
a sweet tooth.
Tuesday, April 27, 2004 Rainy
From 10:00 a.m till 3:00 p.m. I was with
the sign language circle members, practicing
sign language, talking in sign language,
and eating lunch. I enjoyed myself. In spite
of the rain and the strong wind, attendance
was good−ｗell over twenty. Since my wife,
who now has a cold, wanted to go see the
doctor, I drove her to the office on her
way back home.
Monday, April 26, 2004 Fair, cloudy, and
then rainy.
To me, 'the Golden Week' is starting tomorrow,
ending on May 5− nine consecutive holidays.
But I have lots of work to do. Not golden
at all. Maybe many Japanese suffering from
cabin fever will be going abroad. I wish
I could, but come to think of it, the Earth
itself is a small, enclosed space. I like
the Carpenters' songs, but I did not know
the song "I Need to Be in Love."
The lyrics are great.
Sunday, April 25, 2004 Fair.
I had a full day today. No time to catch
my breath or shoot the breeze at work. Just
before going to the classroom to teach, I
took a very short nap in the librarian's
room, resting my neck. I had two classes
today. The students were O.K. It was pretty
chilly on my way back from work. A red sky
in the evening. That was a beautiful sunset.
Saturday, April 24, 2004 Fair and cold.
My wife has a cold. Recently there have
been drastic fluctuations in temperature.
Kind of like summer today and winter tomorrow.
I have a bit of a sore throat, too. It is
so cold now at night.This morning met a friend
at a coffee shop and talked about this and
that. Took an afternoon nap and then went
to pick up my wife at the hospital, eating
out and going shopping for some daily necessities
like toilet paper and tissues.
Friday, April 23, 2004 A brief morning shower
and cloudy.
Last night I changed trains at the usual
station and was waiting for my train. Then
the platform got crowded little by little.
That was a bit strange. Then came the train
and an announcement that there had been an
accident. When I got off and began to walk
home, there were policemen here and there
along the railroad. I overheard one of them
bawling over the radio. Somebody jumped in
front of a train and committed suicide. The
body was dismembered and the police finally
identified the suicide by the belongings.
So the accident took place in my town. Is
the pursuit of happiness one of our unalienable
rights? Taught in the classroom for the first
time this school year-Day One.
Thursday, April 22, 2004 Fair
Anyway I worked out my own calculation
of each English teacher's workload for this
school year. My colleague and I finished
it at work today. In order to do it, it is
necessary to know enough about the students.
It is what is called 'handwork.' I have to
prepare my lessons, but I am too tired now.
Wednesday, April 21, 2004 Fair
Uploaded a new page to my home page. It
took me three hours or so to do that because
I had listen to the tape and read the reference
book. I was so tired from it that I took
a short afternoon nap. When I got to work,
it was a little before 4:30 p.m. There were
two conferences to attend. Then began figuring
the workload of each English teacher with
the help of an experienced colleague. This
will be continued tomorrow as well. Very
complicated!
Tuesday, April 20, 2004 Cloudy
It being an off-day today, drank beer at
lunch after the sign language practice was
over. There were about ten of us chatting
in sign language. During the morning practice,
we played a game and I made a booboo and
was in for a 'fun' punishment. I enjoyed
all that. It has been decided that we are
going to Arashiyama for our spring outing.
I will be participating in it.
Monday, April 19, 2004 Rainy
The morning traffic was so heavy when I
drove my wife to work. Maybe because of the
rain. We got stuck especially on the road
leading to the railroad crossing close by
the nearest station, the area in front of
which is now being developed. Therefore,
the traffic lights do not seem to be well
synchronized or regulated. It began to rain
cats and dogs when I was about to leave for
home after a day's work. There is a senryu
which goes,"Taking shelter from the
rain, going out, in the pouring rain."
Sunday, April 18, 2004 Fair
Took three hours off this morning and got
to work around noon. I kept busy at work.
Two of my homeroom students came to see me
in the teachers' room. I had to do a lot
of dubbing. It took several hours in all.
Actually I was the last one to leave the
teachers' room. I worked overtime without
getting paid extra−the so-called 'service'
overtime work.
Saturday, April 17, 2004 Fair
Spent two hours conversing in English at
the usual English conversation school this
morning, ate pouch-packed curry for lunch
all by myself at home, and then walked to
the hospital for neck traction. Coming home,
worked on the Super Crossword, picked up
my wife at the hospital, and ate out at the
usual Japanese restaurant.
Friday, April 16, 2004 Fair
Decided to take a half-day make-up holiday
today, just to slow down. I still have three
more make-up holidays left−a reward for
working so hard last month. Last school year
I was fortunate because people around me
in the librarian's room were nice, but this
school year I am out of luck. Working with
somebody who is not friendly but accusing
spoils your day. If possible, I want to shun
such company. Such people are incorrigible,
not my kind of people. I like fun people,
not 'responsibility' people who just spew
venom.
Thursday, April 15, 2004 Fair
I am being so rushed these days that I
have little time to relax. At this pace,
I may get workaholic. I had better stop and
think now. This is not the way I want my
life. Moving out of the librarian's room
was such a hassle. I walked up and down the
stairs, carrying my stuff. I also shredded
so many unnecessary papers. The men's locker
room stinks, but I cannot but use it now
that I have no place to rest my ailing neck.
Wednesday, April 14, 2004 Rainy and then
cloudy.
There was an orientation for freshmen today.
It took about an hour. I had to interview
a couple of students afterwards. I will have
to get out of the librarian's room. I liked
it there, but I no longer belong there. Today
I ate a caterer's box lunch for the first
time. It was O.K. It cost me 380 yen. Very
reasonable.
Tuesday, April 13, 2004 Fair and later cloudy.
After driving my wife to work, went to
the sign language circle. Then ate lunch
together as usual. Went to the hospital for
neck traction in the evening. A well-known
professor of economics at a prestigious university,
who has often been seen on TV, has been arrested
for peeking into the skirt of a teenage girl
by using a hand mirror while he was on an
escalator behind her. I got the impression
that the dark side of the real him, which
he had long suppressed, went out of control.
We need to accept both light and dark sides
of us, although it is often so very hard.
Monday, April 12, 2004 Fair
My working hours are usually in the afternoon,
but today I had to report to work early in
the morning like yesterday. And today is
a weekday. Rush hours! I decided not to take
any express train. I took my time and went
on a local express train. From this coming
Wednesday on, I will order a box lunch together
with some colleagues in the office. Not every
day, but once in a while.
Sunday, April 11, 2004 Fair
There was an entrance ceremony today. I
hate to wear a suit and a tie. I do not like
ceremonies. I've had a long day, and I am
exhausted now. I am in charge of a freshman
class this year, so I am all the busier.
It took a whole day to take care of everything.
I am glad it is over. My firstborn son came
home from his apartment, riding his brand-new
motorcycle all the way. It took him three
hours. Our younger son drove back there tonight
with his big brother following the car on
his motorcycle, my wife being the navigator.
Saturday. April 10, 2004 Fair
Yesterday I worked for more than eight
hours straight after I went to work. No time
to take a break. My neck was screaming. On
the way home last night, when I got on the
train, there was a vacancy next to a gangster-looking
man. A slightly drunk gentleman was looking
for a seat and tried to sit down there, but
the guy was so scary he gave up. At the next
station, a woman got on the train and squeezed
in there without hesitation. Oh, women, they
ARE strong! Frailty, thy name is men. Today
my wife and I drove our first-born son to
his new apartment and bought him a microwave
oven, a gas stove, curtains, and so on. Took
a little over an hour via an expressway.
Friday, April 9, 2004, Fair
A boil has formed at the base of my tongue,
and it hurts. I hope it will disappear soon.
This hectic beginning of a new school year
may have decreased my power of resistance.
At yesterday's teachers' meeting, it was
some kind of callousness that I felt from
the new principal. I hope I am wrong. In
Iraq three Japanese have been taken hostage
by an armed group, which threatens to kill
the three unless Japan's Self-Defense Forces
withdraw from Iraq. During the Vietnam war,
I heard the slogan "Make love, not war."
We need it again. History repeats itself.
Thursday, April 8, 2004, Cloudy
Last night there was something wrong with
Ichitaro, the word processor. I tried to fix it,
but tinkering with this and that, I seemed
to have wrecked my Ichitaro. Poor Ichitaro and poor me. So it is gone now. I am in
trouble. I am not used to other word processors
like Word. Too bad. Right now I am too busy to do
anything about it. Ashiya Gannosuke died
of heart failure yesterday. Gone is another
familiar face on TV.
Wednesday, April 7, 2004, Cloudy
I do not know why, but I was depressed
all day today. I did work all right at work.
Nothing depressing in particular. Is it a
mid-life crisis or something? Maybe not,
although I am right in the middle of middle
age. My wife is having a tantrum because
our first-born son is moving out soon. He
is going to live near his university.
Tuesday, April 6, 2004, Fair
Went to the sign language circle. The rep
of each section was chosen and plans for
this year were discussed. Took all my family
to the Japanese restaurant for lunch. We
all happened to be at home. Took a long nap
after coming back home. Although we planned
to enjoy the sight of cherry blossoms at
night, my wife said that she was too tired
to do that. She has been overworking herself
these few days, making out a monthly work
schedule for her hospital.
Monday, April 5, 2004, Fair
This morning the sky cleared up, not a
cloud as far as the eye could reach unlike
yesterday. Traffic was so congested both
ways when I drove my wife to work. Caught
in a traffic jam twice, I was a bit irritated.
Today I realized again that I am really weak
in janken(rock, paper, scissors). In deciding who
does something by janken, usually the winner wins, but if the loser
wins, I am very likely to win.
Sunday, April 4, 2004, Rainy
It rained all day. Gloomy weather. The
weather forecast proved wrong. I was in no
mood to do anything. I dillydallied in front
of my personal computer. After all, I forced
myself to do the work I had planned to do
in spite of my reluctance. I kept working
for a few hours on end, and I got a stiff
neck, feeling sick. So, I sat on the chair
back massager for a while later.
Saturday, April 3, 2004, Fair and windy.
There was no English conversation class
today. They failed to tell me about it, so
I went there. My instructor, however, was
good enough to answer the English questions
I had. My wife and I went to the usual pet
food shop and were lucky enough to win the
monthly lottery and got about 4.000 yen's
worth of cat food for free.
Friday, April 2, 2004, Fair
The overnight rain seemed to have stopped
early in the morning. When I was almost at
the end of "Rich Man Poor Man"
last night, I did not want to finish it because
I kind of anticipated a tragic ending. Why
does a man have to die when all is going
well with his life? I spend most of the day
uploading some new stuff to my website little
by little−hints on 'the reports ' for the
1st term, etc.
Thursday, April 1, 2004, Fair
On my way to work, there was a railway
accident resulting in injury or death again.
So I made a telephone call to my school,
saying that I might be a little late. After
all, I made it a little before 12:30 p.m.
What a day to start a new school year! So
many suicides on this line these days.! Life
is tough. Naturally, some people do not have
much in this world. At work, I tried to access
a certain page online to go through some
necessary red tape, but the network was so
busy it was impossible. I wonder if this
system will really work. At least it did
not today.