Monday, October 31 ,2011 Fair

　In the morning something that hurt my feelings happened at home. However, I think I solved that problem peacefully, though I was disappointed a bit. In two days the second-term exams are starting. I am not feeling good today although I tried to be good. I wonder why that is. I don't want to fight or want things to go the way they are not supposed to be going. Well. maybe that is life. Humans are just at the mercy of something else beyond thier power. What a pity!

Sunday, October 30, 2011 Rainy

　Stayed at home all day. Did nothing in particular. While at home, I have got to take care of the cats, clean here and there, etc. I watched a couple of Chinese period dramas. Another week has begun. What kind of week will it be? Just another week? Nothing new?

Saturday, October 29, 2011 Fair

　Watched The Secret on DVD. My Korean friend gave me the DVD the other day. At the same tiime finished reading the book version as well in English. I have heard about the law of attraction, but I did not know what it really meant. Now I know better what it means. Like attracts like. Thoughs become things. If you feel good, you are on the right frequency, etc.

Friday, October 28, 2011 Fair

　Because of the two typhoon which came in the directrion of our prefecture two schools days were cancelled this term. Hence today's extra classes. I had more students I had expected. Corrected over 20 reports. Read a lot. I still have a lower backache. I consulted my orthopedist. His advice was to hang on to a bar.

Thursday, October 27, 2011 Fair

　Took a couple of hours off today, too, since I did all the day's work. Plus there were no students today at school. Just correcting the reports was a bit tiring. Had a Korean study session. Changed the style. I also participated in activities, reading the text and sovlivng the problems together.

Wednesay, October 26, 2011 Cloudy

　I hate to be megalomaniac, but I want to think thoughts as big as the universe since I live in this tiny world of public school teachers. At the same time, though it may sound paradoxical, I want to make much of little things happening in class or in helping my students. Both of these make me feel good. However, if I think thoughts related to the workplace in general, the way it is managed and how human relations go, I often feel negative feelings. Therefore, I focus on my students, looking at this one student right in front of my eyes. That's it.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011 Rainy and then loudy.

　In the Korean classroom the other students seemed to be speaking Korean quite fluently. On the other hand, I am still far from being fluent in Koorean. After this Korean class, ate my supper and went to the Chinese class. I am still a beginner when it comes to Chinese. 　

Monday, October 24, 2011 Cloudy

　Another hot day, unlike in fall. Maybe the temperature was around 28 degrees Celsius in the classroom in the afternoon. After teeaching in the first period, had an English study session with my Korean friend. Then ate bento and kept checking the reports up until I left the workplace. There were around 40 of them. I was kept busy all day as usual.

Sunday, October 23, 2011 Cloudy, occasionally rainy,

　Having worked hard this past week, I think I deseve a take-it-easy mode now. Actually I took a couple of hours off today and got back home. Now relaxing at home. To my wife every day is Sunday, though. I am hoping for the same relaxing mode, but such a day may not come for ever. I may die in harness. Well, I would not complain. Being able to work all your life must be the happiest lifestyle.

Saturday, October 22, 2011 Cloudy and then rainy.

　I was rather active in the morning, going out here and there, but in the afternoon, I turned into an inactive entity. Late in the evening coming back to life again, read a book or two and studied Chinese and Korean. Something was wrong with my iPod, so I brought it back to factory default.

Friday, October 21, 2011 Cloudy and then rainy.

　Thinking I was going to teach three classes in a row, I went to work. But a student came over, asking for my help.. He let me know that I had English �Tto teach.in the first period. I checked the schedule and found he was right. Too bad. I had four straight classes. So I did, and I was tired out. I had been working for seven straight hours. I ate my supper after seven. At this workplace some teachers work like a dog while others take it easy shooting the breeze-inequality in terms of workloads.

Thursday, October 20, 2011 Fair

　Maybe my fatigue has piled up. The first part of the pin number of the computer at work just did not come to me. I must have had a mental block. I am actually sick and tired of the way things are at work-so inhuman and depersonalized. So many control freaks lacking in humanistic emotions. The way things are now, I do not have much in this world.

Wednesday, October 19, 201 Fair

　While walking this morning, listened to Yanagida Kunio, the nonfiction writer, on my iPod. He is already 75. No wonder I am almost 60, which makes me realize the brevity of life. When I was around ten, I was afraid of death after seeing an American war movie on TV, in which a conscientious submarine captain loses his life trying to save one of his men. Mr. Yanagida says he has been facing ever since he was nine years old. We have something in common.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011 Fair

　Like at the timee of last year I am now on a very tight schedule on Tuesdays, learning both Korean and Chinese. I leave home around noon and come home before 9:00 p.m. Returned three library books today.

Monday, October 17, 2011 Cloudy

　Took a walk late in the morning. At work just one class to teach, checking over 20 reports and making an OC�Thandout. However, got quite tired. Had an English study session. I have gained some weight these days. I need to refrain from eating and drinking after hours.

Sunday, October 16, 2011 Fair

　Today being a workday, went to the eductional ceter for the autumnal event at this time of the year. On duty for an hour in the afternoon. On the way there ran into a couple of colleagues. One of them said something maybe half in malice. As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. For your sanity better to associate with such people as are on the same wavelength.

Saturday, October 15, 2011 Cloudy.

　Just the English conversation session in the morning. Took it easy in the afternoon. Worked on the Super Crossoword in the evening. A restful holiday. Our elder son went to his friend's wedding, probably not coming home tonight, painting the town red.

Friday, October 14, 2011 Cloudy and then rainy.

　Today's class attendance was not good. It began raining hard in the afternoon. Maybe that is why. My colleague proofread the exams, so they are now ready to be printed. Tonight my family is celebrating my birthday-one day late. Yesterday our favorite confectionery was closed.

Thursday, October 13, 2011 Cloudy

　Today is my 59th birthday. Little did I dream that I would become this old. On the way home, iit began raining, and my colleague, whom I happened to meet on the train, suggested that we take a taxi., and so we did. Spent most of the day sitting at the computer, making handouts. Just worn out.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011 Cloudy

　Got up early and took a walk. At work made the reading exam. Checked 20 reports or so. There was a joint homerool session in the AV room, where a documentary on gender indentity disorder.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011 Cloudy

　Did a lot of shopping at the usual supermarket-bread, sake, dried fish, bananas, an apple, figs, and pickles. Checked out three library books. Went to the Chinese class in the evening.

Monday, October 10, 2011 Fair

　Yesterday was a workday. Sat at the computer for several hours making exams. Not finished yet. Had an English study session with my Korean friend. Today weeded the backyard. Quite a few cobwebs here and there. First removed them. There were a couple of green caterpillars, too. Cleaned inside of the house as well.

Saturday, October 8, 2011 Fair

　My days at work are numbered now. I do not have much in the present workplace because it has lost its charm because of political intrusiveness. Education is originally free and adventurous. Some of my ex-colleagues were such nice teacher, but some of them are dead and gone now. Those were the days...

Friday, October 7, 2011 Fair

　At work just one class to teach, but dozens of reports to check. Also made the last two Reading handouts, which was so very tiring. TGIF. I will relax at home today, drinking a bit at night. I deserve that after working this past week in this hell of a place. I do not mean my students, but all this rotten system.

Thursday, October 6, 2011 Fair

　Today' teachers' meeting lasted for an hour or so, which is very good. Thanks to that, I could make some handouts to use in class. As a result, however, I got tired at the end of the day. I needed to drink a little at home.

Wednesday, October 5,2011 Rainy, occasionally cloudy.

　Yesterday I was in no mood for anything, but went to the Chinese class in the evening. Today at work the fire drill was officially called off. However, the earthquake part was done, which brought about confusion as to whether to take the attendance for that. That was the boss's decision, though. Somebody else will have to clean up the mess.

Monday, October 3, 2011 Cloudy and chilly.

　It was pretty cold in the eveing. However, told all of a sudden to be on duty in front of the school cafeteria because CS�V's entrance ceremony was being held. This kind of thing was not done last year, though. Work just keeps increasing at work, which makes it impossible to do really important work, that is, helping students and teaching subjects. Yesterday the athletic meeting was held. The 1000-meter race went very smoothly. I was on the ground almost all day. The day before yesterday preparations were made for the athletic meet. Things have been quite hectic at work for this past week.