Friday, February 29, 2008 Cloudy

　Almost finished fiiling out the school records after handing in the ones for the graduating students. This year the school records from their former schools are supposed to be given in. Rather troublesome. One student came for her makeup. Another failed to come because of urgent business. There were some calls for us English teachers. No time to attend today's rehearsal for tomorrow's commencement. Have to report to work early tomorrow.

Thursday, February 28, 2008 Cloudy

　Two conferences-one lasting for two hours and the other for more than two hours. Exhausted. I am not interested in either. I find neither exciting. It is work, so it just has to be done. That's it. These days most young people look on their jobs as not worth doing. I can understand their mentality. Something is not right at workplaces across this country. The biggest mistake is this rigid evaluation system, which makes work far from interesting. Who has created such a system?

Wednesday, February 27, 2008 Cloudy, occasionaly sprinkling.

　A curriculum committee meeting was held. The participants were the subject reps. Nothing substantial was brought up. Two homeroom students came for their sign-up. One makeup and one retest. One to help with her reports. I hate to have words laced with poison rained on me. Some self-righteous speakers are pathologically incorriible.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008 Cloudy and then rainy.

　Today's sign language club's meeting was cooking class. I didn't know that, and went to the usual place, finding nobody there. Did a little shopping and getting water at the supermarket, I came back home. Then there came a man from the post office. My wife was buying insurance for our younger son. In the afternoon went to the Korean language class as usual.

Monday, Februray 25, 2008 Fair

　There was the so-called "graduation judgement conference" today. It lasted for two hours or so. Before that a staff picture was taken and there was a student couincil teachers' conference. I put the sign-up realted papers in order today. Also double-checked the subjects the students will be taking this next school year with the help of another teacher. Sent the graduation students an invitation to the commencement

Sunday, February 24, 2008 Fair but cold.

　The last day for student counseling for their sign-up. Wrote for the last time to those of them who did not come after all. There still are some students whose paperwork is incomplete. That has to wait as is often the case with them. Inputted the data so far gathered for sing-up. One student came to see me for her English �Treports.

Saturday, February 23, 2008 Cloudy

　It was not too cold today, but so windy. Tomorrow the temperature is to drop sharply by ten degrees or so, so I will have to watch out and dress warmly. Today went out with my wife in our car to buy cat supplies at Konan. Tomrrow is going to be a long day at work, so I had better relax at home today.

Friday, February 22, 2008 Fair

　Student counseling for the sign-up all day at work. Really exhausted. Resumed readking the Yonse Korean grammar book. I need to do it. Helped one student with her reports. Checked some reports. Thanks to my wife's box supper, I could manage to work today.

Thursday, February 21, 2008 Fair

　These days I often take a few hours off. I did so today, too. At work filled out about 70 % of the school records. Prepared for student counseling for the sign-up for the last time. Put in order the homeroom money expense reports so far handed in, by using Excel.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008 Fair

　Took a few hours off, but worked really hard for more than five hours straight. Put homeroom and club money reminders in the pigeonholes. Corrected the next Reading and English �Treports and handed them to the lady in charge of printing. Handed in a slip asking for money for commencement-related expenses. Took care of one retest. Prepared for the sign-up assistance. While in the staff room, acted as gofer. Put the Student Council accounts in order.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008 Fair

　Just meaning to get some more z's, overslept and did not go to the sign language club today. However, went to the Korean language class. Today the one who had never been absent was absent without notice. Wonder what happened. At last caught someone I needed to talk to on the phone.

Monday, February 18, 2008 Cloudy, flurry, and fair.

　It has been a long day-a Korean study meeting in the morning, some students coming to see me or calling me, reports to check, the next reports to proofread, student counseling for their sign-up, and so on. So busy I had little time to breathe.

Sunday, February 17, 2008 Fair and then cloudy.

　Early in the moning drove over to Kobe for the last time for the rest of our son's stuff, mostly clothing this time. According to the weather forecast, it was going to snow or rain. That is why my wife and I left early. The next English �T report is ready now. I worked on it whenenver I had time today.

Saturday, February 16, 2008 Fair

　Good but cold weather. In the morning chatted in English at the English conversation school as usual. In the afternoon the mover came, bringing in our first-born son's bed, refregirator, washer, and desk. In the eveing there was a reunion for Tenri University Korean Language course teachers. Came back home before midnight.

Friday, February 15, 2008 Fair

　A Korean study meeting in the moning. Ate out for lunch for the first time in many days. Helped three homeroom students sign up for the next academic year. It took quite long. Some retests to take care of and some reports to check. Did one job after another all day. Tired out. The first deadline for inputting the results.

Thusday, February 14, 2008 Fair

　Inputted the results, to begin with, at work. It took quite some time. The next Reading report is almost ready. Now I must work on the next English �Treport. The sign-up assistance preparations have been almost made, too. There was an extra staff meeting for the student suspended from school. Have to get ready for tomorrow's Korean study meeting.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 Fair but cold.

　At work made another page of the next Reading report, with one more page left now, but I will still have to make the next English �Treport. Prepared for the next three students' sign-up assistance. One makeup exam in Reading and some reports to check. One English �Tretest to mark. Took three hours off. Cold on the way home.
　

Tuesday, February 12, 2008 Rainy, occasionally cloudy.

　As usual I had a sign language club meeting in the morning and a Korean language class in the afternoon. We had bad weather, and my wife was under the weather. Women tend to get tired easily as they get older. I should be understanding. I bought her something for lunch on my way home from the sign language meeting. Received a mail from a homeroom student. I have some students who contact me via email.

Monday, February 11, 2008 Fair

　I have been to my son's apartment in Kobe twice today. He will be moving out of there on the 17th of this month and coming back home to us. I transported some of his stuff such as the cupboard, his PC, his printer, his stove, his microwave, his futon, his rice cooker, his small table, and so on. I drove for a total of four hours or so. with my wife sitting by my side as usual. On the way home toward the evening, dropped by a gas station and went to eat some udon. We and our son ate udon for lunch, too, though. We are udon lovers. We got so cakes, too. At night watched some English and Korean dramas as usual.

Sunday, February 10, 2008 Fair

　Unlike yesterday it was not cold at all today. In the morning there were small patches of snow here and there, and as I walked to the station, the snow on the ground was almost gone. At work I happened to forget the PIN number and could not enter the office to swipe my ID card. There were makeups today-one for OC�T and another for one of my homeroom students. Also helped a student with her reports. Called another student, and so on. My wife went to our first-born son's place. He is moving out of his apartment soon.

Saturday, February 9, 2008 Heavy snow.

　Reported for work early for the final admission orientation for our school. I kept standing in front of the office for a couple of hours, giving directions, handing out disposable plastic umbrella bags and later application booklets. Snow accumulated so much for the first time in 11 years or so, and it was freezing cold. On the way home, my train came to a sudden stop. Somebody seemed to have committed suicide. I waited for an hour or so in the cold weather. Besides I was lightly dressed today, of all days. I was really out of luck today.

Friday, February 8, 2008 Cloudy, occasinally fair.

　Last night played mahjong online with my wife staying up so late I felt tired and sick. Today marked the rest of the exam sheets and sent them to the students. Prepared a little for the sign-up assistance period and madde a page of the Reading report. Got chiijimi from a friend, a Korean livinig in Japan. Nice of her.

Thursday, February 7, 2008 Cloudy, occasionally rainy and fine.

　Played online mahjong with my wife all night again last night, so this morning I felt so tired and sleepy. At work a staff meeting and two other conferences. After that spent almost four hours marking exam sheets and sending them to the students. There are still some left, but almost done. Thank Goodness!

Wednesday, February 6, 2008 Cloudy

　Preparing little by little, three students a day, for the coming sign-up assistance period starting on the 18th of this month. Discovered a mistake in the way the former homeroom teacher helped one student sign up for this school year. I mentioned this to him, who said you should have checked it, shifting his responsibility on me. I was speechless. This took me much time. Also there was a mistake in the OC�T exam , made by another teacher. I had to run around to correct it again. To err is human, to forgive divine, but ....

Tuesday, February 5, 2008 Fair

　A substitute holiday. In the morning went to the sign language club, and to the Korean language school in the afternoon. Coming back home, drove with my wife to buy some DVD-RAM's and some canned cat food. On the way home, dropped by a cheap gas station. High Octane gas was 148 yen per liter. Then went to eat noodles.

Monday, February 4, 2008 Fair

　Had a Korean language study meeting as usual in the morning. This will continue until March 3, and then we will have a two-month break, resuming it after May's consecutive holidays. Today things went as I had planned, so my level of satisfaction is rather high. However, it has been a long day, which tells on my aging body.

Sunday, February 3, 2008 Snowy and sleety and then cloudy.

　It was freezing cold this morning when I was on my way to work. The surface was quite slippery. At work waited for some students to come for their sign-up precedure. Marked the Reading exam papers, too. A few students came to see me. Most of today's work was waiting. Must send the second notice to those students who failed to come today.

Saturday, February 2, 2008 Fair and then cloudy.

　In the morning went to the English conversation school as usual. There were seven people, including our instructor. Then went to buy udon for lunch. Took a long afternoon nap and saw two Korean dramas. Played mahjong online with my wife. Intended to do some work at home, but in no such mood today.

Friday, February 1, 2008 Fair and then cloudy.

　Looks like my sleep has been so light lately I sometimes wake up during the night. I easily get tired. Is it because of aging? Well, I need to find a way that fits my lifestyle. We have decided to stop subscribing to the newspaper, but the news agency says we are on a three-year contract. Come to think of it, my wife signed the contract on condition that the subscription for the first one year would be for free. However, isn't this against the law? Anyway they must make money to live. A contract is a contract.