Tuesday, May 31, 2011 Fair, occasionally cloudy.

　After doing my daily routine, went to the Korean language school. Learned Korean proverbs today. On the way home bought okonomiyaki for supper. Exhausted, I took a nap after supper. These days I feel education is being used politically. They say for the sake of students, which is a falsehood. Come to think of it, however, this has been a historical fact. Mr. Ikko Koga's words come back to me-"Education should have nothing to do with politics." He really is a genius.

Monday, May 30, 2011 Rainy and cloudy.

　What a hectic day at work! Teaching three classes in a row anc checking around 40 reports, I even had no time to go the rest room. I had my supper well past egiht , which means I had been working for eight hours or so without taking a break. Maybe this will be the way teachers here work in two years' time because they say they will reduce the number of teachers by then. Is there hope for better education? It has been lost lost, but the future is even gloomier.

Sunday, May 29, 2011 Rainy

　Went to my mother's place-the 2nd anniversary of my father's death. While the priest was chanting the sutra, my legs went to sleep-a kind of torture. The sutra is gibberish to me. Ate lunch together and came back home. It was raining rather hard. Back home, watched three different Chinese dramas and one Korean drama. Cleaned a little as usual. This morning walked in the rain and my shoes got soaked up.

Saturday, May 28, 2011 Rainy and cloudy.

　Our cat jumped at the window this morning. I wonered why she did it. I turned my eyes to the window pane, on which I found a centipede Yes, the rainy season has set in, which also means the centipede season. I hate it. Who likes it? Today I was at home all day, watching TV, cleaning the rooms, etc. My wife went out in the afternoon. I called to my mother's house. Tomorrow I will take a day off although it is a workday.

Friday, May 27, 2011 Rainy

　This happens rarely, but today I had no classes to teach. I now have the second-term reports almost ready. It took rather long toTakie a double check on these reports.Checked around 20 reports. Finished making thenext Reading handout. I have three pedometers, and two of them are out of order. I need to use the last one.

Thursday, May 26, 2011 Rainy

　The rainy season has set in where I live. At work there two meetings. One is teachers's education session, and the other a joint staff meeting for the annual budget. Printed some handouts for the next classes and the human rights homeroom hour next month. Began making the next Reading handout.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011 Fair

　These days I get up a bit later than usual, so I cannot do my daily routine. Has there been a change in my system? Have I gotten one notch older? Well, anyway I will see. At work checked 20 reports, teaching two classes and having a Korean study session. Prepared two handouts and put club budget sheets into pigeonholes.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011 Fair

　Today's homework for the Korean classroom was writing a short story. In class I read mine to the class, never expecting a big hand. On the way home bought something to eat for supper. Although today was a day off, it has been a full day, no time to take my morning walk. I even visited the library to check in and check out some books.

Monday, May 23, 2011 Rainy

　Over 20 reports to check and just one class to teach, but kept busy because I had a lot of other stuff to do such as an extra meeting and some sheets to print. There was a call from a colleague just before I left. He said there was a call from somebody outside citing my name. Strange call. The entropy of this world seems to be constantly increasing.

Sunday, May 22, 2011 Cloudy and rainy.

　Today's outing was called off due to bad weather. When I got to Kyoto, it was raining rather hard. Ate my box lunch at home although it was quite late in the afternoon. Watched one drama after another at night. Got quite tired. There are quite a few books to read as well. My wife has bought another exercise machine, which, I am afraid, may become bulky trash soon.

Saturday, May 21, 2011 Fair and then cloudy.

　My daily brisk walking first thing in the morning as usual. Then off to the English discussion session. A group of ten today. Order our first-born son's birhtday cake and bought something to eat for lunch, on the way home. Took an afternoon nap and went to get the cake and then to the municipal library, returning one book and checking out five items. Did a little cleaning around my desk. Will watch sone dramas at night. Tomorrow is a workday-outing to Kyoto. However, tomorrw's weather will not be good, I am afraid.

Friday, May 20, 2011 Fair

　Was able to take it easy both at home and at work. Tried to straighten out the desk at work but accomplished not too much. The day after tomorrow is our outing day, so prepared for it. Tomorrow I will to to the English conversation session and also to the municipal library. After reading this motivational book on cleaning, I thought I had coined a new word, "arearinze," but I was wrong. It should be "arealize."

Thursday, May 19, 2011 Fair

　There were three meetings. Most of the day was spent for these meetings. Everyone expressed their opinion. My next handout remained unfinished. Another mistake in the Student Council financial report. However, it was a good thing that it was pointed out before it was printed for the next leaflet. Another full day.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011, Fair

　Distrust is prevalent in the world of teachers. How can schools function properly in this situatlion. If the premise is wrong, how can good results ensue? Well, I just try to do my best for the student who happens to show up right in front of me. That is all. I do not want to talk big. I will just do little things for each student who is right in front of my eyes.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011 Fair, thundershower in the afternoon

　Took a brisk morning walk, bought some bread at the supermarket, watched the mornig Korean serial drama on KBS, ate lunch and checked out a book and Two CDs at the municipal library on my way to the Korean language school. After studying there for two hours, went to work. I took four hours off today. At work checked the reports and corrected a couple of errors in the 2010 report on final accounts.

Monday, May 16, 2011 Fair

　Student Council discipline-related work took up over two hours. Hence quite a few backlogs left behind. The way it was done leaves something to be desired. I wonder what it is. After all, what kids do at schools seems to be the epitome of the world. There used to be some persons of depth worth listening to when I was young.

Sunday, May 15, 2011 Fair

　Took a brisk moring walk. Whie I was at it, returned the library book I had intended to do so. After eating lunch, saw one Chinese drama after another. These Chinese dramas, such as "Sonshi's Tactics", "Three Kingdoms(Sangokushi)" and "Dai Min Empire", make me feel how small human beings are in history. We are like bubbles appearing on the surface of water for an instant.

Saturday, May 14, 2011 Fair

　Finished reading a library book entitled "What Is Deflation."(『デフレの正体』) Reading it, I felt as if the scales had fallen from my eyes. This book had been written before the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake, so the situation seems a lot more difficult to save. I must return this book first thing in the morning tomorrwo. It was due today.

Friday, May 13, 2011 Cloudy

　Although I had no class to teach, I felt rather busy. For one thing, I was on duty twice-at the parking lot and canteen (actually canceled ). Prepared two handouts. Had some students asking me questions about their reports. Handed out the class money to a couple of homeroom teachers. Still seven or eight teachers left. Nearly 20 reports to check.

Thursday, May 12, 2011 Rainy

　Since Arpil 29, when my former PC broke down, this new one and my web page seem to have been quite incompatible. I am not sure even now why there has been such a glitch. Anyway things are OK now. I am exhausted from working by trial and error for so long.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 Rainy

　Took my morning walk in the rain under an umbrella. Near the station some people were handing out somehing for a traffic safety campaign. They gave me one, too. It was a handkerchief. Nice of them. Hasegawa Hirokazu'a books on counseling are written from an interesting angle. Such students as their teachers find easy to handle tend to get into trouble in the future. It seems paradoxical, but this is a recent trend.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011 Cloudy and then rainy.

　Yesterday's aftershock still remains, but I am grateful to the gentle and kind doctor. Thank you, Doc! This morning took a brisk walk as usual, doing my daily routine. In the afternoon went to the Korean language school. Finished reading another library book and returned it at night through the book drop because the library was already closed.

Monday, May 9, 2011 Fair

　I have long had piles, and I had a very good doctor who used to take care of my piles. This morning I went to see him for the first time in 15 years. I was in the waiting room and heard the doctor' voice, which sounded rather young. My name was called and I got into his room. There was a doctor I had never met. He was my doctor's son. My favorite doctor, according to the son, passed away last year. It came to me as a surprise.

Sunday, May 8, 2011 Fair

　Prepared two handout for the upcoming classed. Had an English study session. Coming back home, watching some dramas, Chinese and Korean. Tomorrow I may have to go out early in the morning.

Saturday, May 7, 2011 Fair

　Our second son has gone back to Tokyo. I miss him. He said he relaxed a lot while at home. He even went to see a movie with his mother. They are manga fans and saw Konan. They love One Piece, too. Went to the English Discussion Circle this morning. We have some knowledgeable persons who often have the floor. Knowledge is power.

Friday, May 6, 2011 Cloudy

　Today's Reading work sheet was defective. Too bad. The 2nd-term Reading reports are almost done. It has been quite hot today. I got sweaty walking to school from the usual station. Corrected the Student Coouncil treasury settlement for 2010.

Thursday, May 5, 2011 Fair

　Did not get outside at all today. Just read a coulple of books, although not finished yet. Our first-born son went to work although it was a holiday. Our second son was also working ion his computer here. I was kind of out of shape. Tomorrow is a workday.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011 Cloudy

　Last night our second son came back from Tokyo, a bit before midnight. I want to finish another book or two during the holidays. Our sons ate their mother's dishes, played their games, and relaxed, forgetting about their work. In a word, "mattari" is the way they spent their time at home.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011 Cloudy and rainy.

　Read a library book almost all day. Its title is "Nclear Power Plants, Shoriki, CIA." This Meiji-born politician, former owner of the Yomiuri Newspaper and Nihon TV, tried to become a prime minister by utilizing nuclear power in vain. What an ambition! However, he died alone with nobody close to him on his deathbed. He is said to be a cat's-paw of CIA, introduing nuclear power generation into Japan. To him, even nuclear energy was jsut a means of getting political power.

Monday, May 2, 2011 Cloudy

　Went to work. Did more work than planned. The 2nd-term OC�Treports are almost ready. Begun making Reading reports for the 2nd term, too. Write in the form for Assess-and-Nurture System against my will. Down with this system, which spoils education. Even the way things are now, both teachers and students are feeling small because of this sense of hopelessness in this day and age. What more do those bigwigs want of us?

Sunday, May 1, 2011 Cloudy

　Brisk walk and something for lunch on the way home. A little cleaning and watched "Three Kingdoms" and "Mytth", both Chinese dramas. Alllthough I need to read some books, I was in no mood for that. Instead listened to some songs ln YouTube.