Wednesday, April 30, 2008 Fair

　Our second son is back home now from Tokyo. My wife is tickled to death, watching a baseball on TV together. I seem to have caught cold. I am feverish and have a sore throat. My muscles hurt all over. I will have to go up to Tokyo tomorrow. I hope I can make it. I watched a Yahoo movie online today for free, too. Actually two movies-one in English and the other in Japanese.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 Fair

　Went out just once today to buy some udon for lunch. For the rest of the day just relaxed at home, doing things like taking a nap, watching a Yahoo movie, reading about the teaching of English online and doing some mind-mapping on it. I also need some principles to do my teaching on. The title of the online movie was "Blood City, LA Vampires" or something.

Monday, April 28, 2008 Fair

　So much to do, so little time and energy. I am aware of the order of priorities. During the consecutive holidays, that is, from tomorrow through May 6, iwill have to do all the work I have in mind. Tomorrow is most for planning. On May 1 and 2 I will have to go up to Tokyo. I may have to work around the house, too, doing household chores.

Sunday, April 27, 2008 Fair

　No class to teach today because I now belong to the daytime section. Spent most of the day studying and preparing for my next classes. Talked a lot with the other teachers, too. The place was breezy today. Put my clock on the wall so that everyone could see it, at the request of one of the teachers. Got a couple of nails from one of the janitors. A boil has formed on the upper jaw. It hurts. A cold or due to stress?

Saturday, April 26, 2008 Fair

　I went to a clinic this morning. The doctor is a cardiologist. The area around my heart sometimes aches and I find myself out of breath when I walk up to the fifth floor of my workplace. I had my electrocardiograph taken and he asked me detailed questions about my condition. In conclusion, he said I am OK. Maybe aging... I am old now. I should realize I cannot make progress the way young people do. I need to look at life differently now.

Friday, April 25, 2008 Fair and breezy.

　　Taught three classes in a row today. My voice got hoarse. However, students' participation was not bad. Playing the cassette for the Reading class today seemed to be a waste of time, so I did not do that. There were some odds and ends to get over with, contacting a student who has not bought the texts yet, checkin the students documents and also their addresses and phone numbers, shooting the breeze with a colleague, making a teaching plan, and so on and so forth.

Thursday, April 24, 2008 Rainy and then clioudy.

　I was busy with one thing and another all day today. Prepared for tomorrow's classes. Wrote info on the board for my homeroom students. Also put away the sheets for those of them who did not come to this past homeroom hour. Printed out the attendance sheets for English �T. Got the grade book ready. Ate okonomiyaki for supper. Did some pringting in the printing room.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008 Fair and then cloudy.

　The first day for schooling this school year. Quite hectic. I had two classes to take care of. As soon as I got to school, I had to do the priniting. There was a subject rep conference at 6:00 p.m. I handed in the who-is-in-charge-of-which-students' reports slips today. I had another colleague double-check them with tme. Today I really made a silly mistake in Korean when I asked one of our Korean teachers a question.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008 Overcast

　A substitute holiday. The sign language club and the Korean class as usual. Checked out a book from the municipal library. Got to prepare for tomorrow's English �Tclass. I mean, I need to do the planning. First thing tomorrow at work got to do the printing. Ate some sweets over a cup of tea with my wife at home in the late afternoon.

Monday, April 21, 2008 Fair

　All day at work busy working out the workload of each English teacher. I could do this because all the necessary lists of students taking each subject were given to me today. Anyway it was almost done at the end of the day. Sent a reply to the student teacher's university, saying we would take care of her. Prepared attendance sheets for homeroom activities and shool events. One the vice-pricipals explained to me about what papers to hand in as a teacher in charge of the newly employed one. Quite a hassle. There were a few things missing from the school records, so I was told to fill them in. Some of my homeroom kids came to me for help because they came to school to buy their textbook. Quite hectic. No time to prepare for my Wednesday classes
　

Sunday, April 20, 2008 Fair

　This morning I was out to lunch at work. I got the meaning of a flyer wrong. I found it in my pigeon hole first thing in the morning. My mind was not functioning O.K. maybe. Well, shame on me! Today I read a lot about the teaching of English, and also explained to a coupleof colleagues about what to do as student council treasurer. On the way to work and also way home bought something to buy for lunch and supper respectively.

Saturday, April 19, 2008 Cloudy

　Just spent two hours speaking English in the morning . There were only four of us, including our instructor. We discussed English language education in Japan-why Japanese are so poor at English, etc. When we are taught English in class, there is little interaction. So there were two key words-interaction and Japanese mentality.

Friday, April 18, 2008 Rainy and cloudy.

　On my way to work bought a box lunch at the supermarket along the shopping street. These days I often drop by this place. I also got some kimchi and shin ramen at Korea Town. At work I filed away the documents for the new homeroom students. I listened to some English and Korean online. I tried to think about what to teach for my first OC�Tclass.

Thursday, April 17, 2008 Rainy

　Just a regular staff meeting. It was rather long-two hours or so. So much information because we will start to teach classes next week. There was an election for new chairpersons, too. Blew up a small sheet with the English alphabet on it so that we can use it in class. Texts-for-free slips were due today. I began to prepare for next week's classes.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008 Rainy and then cloudy.

　There was an orientation for freshmen. Quite a few of my homerroom students came. I took them to the library and career guidance room. Also I expalined how the system goes at this schol by using a handout and the guidance booklet. This orientation is a school event worth two school hours. There was a slip from the department of school affairs, telling us the deadline for the report allotment. However, it seemed difficult to meet it, so I told so to the one in charge, but the reaction was rather cold and indifferent. It was silly of me to expect her of a good response.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008 Fair

　Today being a substitute holiday for this past Sunday, I went to the sign language club and the Korean language school. At today's sign language meeting were quite a few unfamiliar faces, and in today's Korean class was our new teacher because today was the first day of this term. Our first-born son, too, went to work for the first time today after his two weeks' training camp in the Kanto District.

Monday, April 14, 2008 Cloudy and then fine.

　The entrance ceremony and registratiton for the daytime section of our school is over. I am glad it is over. Today was super hectic. One thing I need to keep in mind is that I should have given them directions orally before their medical checkup. One of them was absent. I called him twice. The second time I did, I left a message on the answering machine. I was exhausted at the end of the day.

Sunday, April 13, 2008 Cloudy and rainy.

　Went to work earlier than usual. I was on gate duty. After the entrance ceremony for the nighttime section was over, I went to the 7th floor to see one of the teachers collect documents etc. and explain everything. It took a liittle over one hours and then there was a medical checkup for junior high graduates. When everything was over around two in the afternoon, I began to prepare for my turn tomorrow with two helpers. Well, I think I can manage.But I want to avoid the rush hours tomorrow. Will I have to take an hour off?

Saturday, April 12, 2008 Cloudy

　I did nothing special today at home. Just rested well. In the evening went shopping at the usual markets and bought some things. These days prices are constantly on the rise. On the contrary, my pay keeps going down. Life is getting harder and harder. Osaka's governor is cold-blooded enough to cut our salaries by 10 percent from August on. He is never able to understand oradinary people's hard life, earning 300,000,000 yen a year himself.

Friday, April 11, 2008 Overcast

　Quit the union because I feel little affinity with them now. I understand that the union is for helping each other or the weak. However, it lacks this point of view recently. It has no soft place now-just a bunch of people thinkinng about themselves. Now I have little to expect of them. They do almost nothing even if I am in trouble. And originally I am not so politically inclined. Just a click of the mouse did all the red tape.

Thusday, April 10, 2008 Rainy

　Handed the ex-students' papers etc. to their next homeroom teacher, explaining a little about everything. There was a meeting for us English teachers. On the way to work I almost got off at the wrong station because I was so absorbed in a book. This sometimes happens to me. Preparing little by little for my classes. I have realized that this Internet thing is an anonymous, risky thing. In the past there were some people I hardly could understand.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008 Cloudy and rainy.

　There was an orientation for the procedure of the coming sign-up. I needed to explain Basic English a little in detail. So I did. However, another English teacher later criticized me, saying my explanation meant that students should not take Basic English. I never said anything to that effect. I was speechless. How could anyone have such a misunderstanding? I cannot help detecting malice. Anyway I hate to live that way. I will forget about it now.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008 Overcast

　The tulips in the backyard are almost in bloom. They are purple and pretty. I took a picture of them with my cellphone. Went to the station barbershop all the way although today was a day off and there was no need to change trains there. Attended the sign language club's weekly meeting. There were some new comers. Ate sushi for lunch and went to the side dish shop in the neightborhood and bought some traditional side dishes. They tasted OK.

Monday, April 7, 2008 Rainy and then cloudy.

　The last day for sign-up or registration. As for my former homeroom class, 18 students out of 19 got registered. Not bad. I kept calling one of them in vain, but she came anyway. One could not come, but I gave her a hand. Just one failed to come without telling me why. Anyway I did all I could for them. Four students from my ex-class left school. I removed theri school records. I call the part-time English teachers, telling them we were having a meeting this week. I can watch TV on my new cellphone, which is good for a change, but if I watch TV, the battery goes down quickly. Preparing for classes little by little. Made a few sheets for the entrance day and also for the orientation. Printed 50 more copies of the English �Treport, too.

Sunday, April 6, 2008 Overcast

　Called those of my fomrer homeroom students who had not come to pay their tuition. One of them had a phone number that is not valid. Another did not answer. And another cannot come tomorrow. Until tomorrow I am their homeroom teacher and supposed to help them as much as possible. I will do so. New textbooks for us teachers came, although some are yet to come. Looks like I will have to print 50 more copies of the English �Treport tomorrow on my own. They say the reports will be running short. Prepared a sheet to use on the entrance ceremony day.

Satuday, April 5, 2008 Fair

　Went to the city library in the neighborhood in the morning and spent two hours or so reading. During that time I had three phone calls-one nuisance call, one from the au cellphone shop, and the other from my wife, who went to the cellphone shop with me later. I bought an Aquos cellphone today. In the evening went shopping. The price of canned cat food has jumped from 198 yen to 258 yen. Unthinkable!

Friday, April 4, 2008 Overcast

　At work spent most of the day on the fifth fkoor, gathering info on what to teach this coming term by reading a book. I had some phone calls and some viisitors. So far only seven or eight of my 19 homeroom students came to school to pay their tuition and get their textbooks and 'reports.' I will have to make phone calls those of them who will not have not come yet the day after tomorrow. I had a phone call from Ms. Lee, who is my ex-Korean teacher. That was an invitation to a party or something. We talked in Korean on the phone.

Thursday, April 3, 2008 Fair

　Ours is a society in which honesty does not pay. It is a value which is also disregarded in the educational world. Educators are often liars. So are teachers. Hence this cut-throat socity. I am originally not politically inclined, but I have been a union member. However, I wonder if I must reconsider it now. The union is no exception. Just the rule of survival of the fittest applies. Education is originally for teaching young ones to help the weak. That is not the way it is now.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008 Fair

　Had to double-check the schooling schedules. Did it all on my own in the English Interview Room on the fifth floor. It is very quiet and good now. Hope this will last. For one thing I can play classical music. Filled in the 1st-term English �Treports with answers in red. Took some time. Did some more cleaning. Wrote student numbers on the blackboards on the second foor. My right wrist hurt. In the process of improving my Excel sheet for calculating wordloads for the English teachers. Printed 60 copies of the sheet which is to be used for the sign-up procedure orientation on the 9th.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008 Cloudy

　Day one of the new academic year. First a joint staff meeting starting at 1:10 p.m. and a staff meeting for the correspondence course starting 1:45 p.m. Then a subject conference between 2:30 and 3:00 p.m. , and then a conference for each division of school duties for one hour or so. Today I needed some info on this past year's accounts for the settlement. Anyway I managed to make both ends meet. There are a few problems, though.