Friday, Apri; 30, 2010 Fair

　I walked with a light step this morning, hoping I would weigh less than usal, but that was not the case as it turned out later. At work did one job after another as planned. Therefore my level of satisfaction was rather high today. I handed in my Assess-and-Nurture System report. On my way home while walking from the station, for some reason or other I remembered a man whom I would often see along the shopping street. He was always working busily. He might be dead now. My image of him was vivid. He must have been as old as I am now. As ship leaves no traces on the sea, people leave no traces in the world. Wnen I see a vacant lot, I often find myself unable to remember what building was there. I had this feeling of uncertainty tonight.

Thursday, April 29, 2010 Rainy and then cleared up.

　After the usual morning walk, went to the convenience store to get the two books I had ordered online. Watched the usal morning Korean drama and went to buy takoyaki. In the afternoon went to the bookstore near the station and browsed for a while. Did some shopping and came back home. In the evening saw the last two episodes of Songdong Nyowang, a Korean period drama.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010 Cloudy

　Made an English �Thandout for the next class and Student Coucil settlement of accounts for this past school year is over at last. I made a silly miscalculaton in making both ends meet. Decided to help with sign language at school every Friday this school year. The plastic instruction signs for the fire extinguishers on the fifth floor were wrecked-I have never seen this type of vandalism. Just insane.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 Rainy

　This morning I could not get up early enough to take a walk. Maybe I am pretty tired now. I forgot the spellings of some simple Korean words. I made some simple mistakes while speaking Korean. Checked in three library books and went to the sign language club's weekly meeting. The place was full. Then bought some bred and went home. After eating lunch went to the Korean language school. On the way home got a bottle of pure (undiluted) sake.

Monday, April 26, 2010 Cloudy

　A Korean study session as usual. I had an early lunch before this. The first period was Reading. There were more students present than I had expected. The class went smoothly, but one student came up to me later, saying she did not understand a thing, which was not true because she did read in English when I called on her. I remember her talking to another teacher like that before. I felt tired all day today.

Sunday, April 25, 2010 Fair

　Arriving at school, did the cleaning as usual. Then prepared for today's English study session. Began getting ready for my next English �Tclass. Then came a student with his mother to meet me. Quite a busy day. Charged my Edy on my way home on the train. Did some shopping at the usual supermarket. The weather turned out to be warmer than I had expected. I got a bit sweaty as I moved and ran around.

Saturday, April 24, 2010 Cloudy

　Weeded the backyard after cleaning the balcony. Took our cat to the veterinary hospital. The vets said she was doing O.K. She was so scared before going there that she urinated in the car. Poor Kyun! She is going to have the stitches removed on the 31st of this month. Bought two pairs of jeans after eating noodles for lunch. It got cold suddenly this evening. Concerned about our son, who might have gone to work this morning, dressed lightly.

Friday, April 23, 2010 Cloudy

　Reported for work 30 minutes later than usual because I was supposed to make the rounds after hours. So I did. Smoking is banned on the premises of the school, but it is not obeserved by some students. Taught English �Tfor the first time this school year. I decided to do two new things-teaching them phonetic signs and an English saying every time I teach them. This is what is called "value added."

Thursday, April 22, 2010 Rainy

　Three meetings in all. I am sick and tired of meetings as always. The atmosphere at work is very management-oriented these days.-little breathing space. However, this is a characteristic of the whole Japanese society, where human relationships are tattered. I am fed up with this whole system while I enjoy interacting with some students who I can be of any service to.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 Cloudy

　School has started for our students, too. Today I had an OC�Tclass and Homeroom. The OC�Twas O.K., but this new homeroom class seems to have poor chemistry with me. Just my intuition. I hope I am wrong, though. According to the new English teacher who came from a daytime school, working at a high-level high school is really tough-no time to breathe while at work. This is partly due to the five-day week system, he says. Things have changed!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 Cloudy

　Checked in two library books and checked out two, too. The place was full at the sign language club's weekly meeting. Bought some bread and went back home. Ate lunch and went to the Korean language school. This was the very first class this term. Our cat was spayed today at the veterinary hospital in the neighborhood.

Monday, April 19, 2010 Cloudy

　Did not walk all the way this morning while taking a walk. I just did some shopping at the supermarket on the way home, for we were out of bread. Had a Koreean language study session for the first time in many days. Then my homeroom student came. I helped her return a textbook and buy a couple of new textbooks. Back home saw "Merlin" on TV.

Sunday, April 18, 2010 Fair

　Because I left for work at 7:45 a.m., I had no time to take a walk this morning. As soon as I got to the room on the fifth floor of the school building, I cleaned the floor as usual. Then made a plan for the day, and did everything almost as planned. I had an English study session with my Korean friend for the first time in many days. I printed a handout for my first Reading class and spent some time reading a couple of books. Since my wife was down in bed with a headache, I suggested that we eat boxed 'suppers' this evening. Back home happened to see the last episode of "Gost Whisperer."

Saturday, April 17, 2010 Cloudy

　Took a morning walk as usual. Then to the English conversation school. There were ten people present, including our instructor and myself. Back home ate Japanese noodles for lunch. Took an afternoon nap. Uploaded something new onto my web page. Went to the neighborhood pastry shop and bought some cakes and had a tea break with my wife. Relaxed all day. Tomorrow is a workday.

Friday, April 16, 2010 Rainy

　I had no time to take a morning walk because I was busy working on the Super Crossword. It was when I was on the train on my way to work that I finished it. The good thing about doing a crossword is that you can forget about everything else-a spiriitual state of selflessness. At work everything went as planned. Made an English �Thandout, prepared for the first Homeroom, called a homeroom student, and so on.

Thursday, April 15, 2010 Cloudy

　There were two meetings-one for Student Council teachers and the other a regular one. At the latter one, the vice-principal said those of the teachers who did not stand up for the national anthem at the entrace ceremony would have to go see him. There arose a bit of dissention. Today we did the so-called block check. I found a mistake. One of my homeroom students turned out to be taking four credits more than she could for her subjects set up by the school. I was part of the mistake. I called her up. I was so busy checking the subjects taken by my homeroom students that I was exhausted at the end of the day, ending up accomplishing nothing else. Just tired. No sense of fulfillment.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 Cloudy

　In the morning took a brish walk as usual. after doing the radio exercises, reading the Morning Letter in Korean, and read some pages of a few different books. My attitude to my work was quite positive today, accomplishing almost everything I set out to do. Prepared for my first Inclusive Hour for the graduating students. Made a couple of handouts for my first OC�Tclass and also the first pronunciation practice sheet for English �Tclass. A full day.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 Cloudy

　Because I had to see the dermatologist, I decided not to go to the sign language club's weekly meeting. I tried to make an appointment on my cellphone, but there was something wrong, so I used the house phone. I ended up being the 13th this morning. Too bad. Returned two library books and checked out four books and bought bread as usual at the supermarket. Went shopping for cat food in my car with my wife. The BBC of tmy homepage became full, so created another archive.

Monday, April 12, 2010 Rainy

　At work first on gate duty from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Ate a quick brunch. Then helped a fellow teacher take care of his new students. The so-call sign-up assistance time began around 11:45 a.m. and ended around 2:30 p.m. At first I made a silly mistake, giving the first few students a sheet I should have kept. Usually I would have never made such a simple mistake, but something made me do that. One possibility is that the homeroom teacher showed the blue sheet to the students, explaining today's procedure. I think he might have said tbe students were supposed to take that sheet and the white payment sheet to the office. At least I felt that way. I was hypnotized by him. Anyway I solved the problem with the help of some other colleagues. That was a close call. However, it was not such a big deal because we could manage without the blue sheet anyhow.

Sunday, April 11, 2010 Cloudy

　No time to takea morning walk this morning because I had to report to work early. Got to school before nne. On duty at the gate between 10:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Then prepared for tomorrow's sign-up assistance. Took some time. Helped the homeroom teacher set up his classroom. I did this four years ago, but totally forgot about it. Anyway it is complicated and tiring, for this class consists of students who have been transferred from another high school or have entered this high school after quitting another high school.

Saturday, April 10, 2010 Cloudy

　I took it easy all day today. In the morning made a phone call to a library because I made a procedual mistake in borrowing a book online. In the evening again listened to the late Mr. Kawai Hayao talk about a new parent-child relationship online. When it comes to problems of the mind, there are no ready-made answers. Instead of using material things, you need to use your mind or head or rack your brains. In other words, even if your heart is heavy, you must try to think hard. And being a copycat will never work. Here, too, hard work is needed.

Friday, April 9, 2010 Cloudy

　At work it took only half an hour to set up the gym. I transferred all the files in the SSC computers onto the new computer for my personal use. Took less than half an hour. Of course I did this after plugging my computer in, but I had a little difficulty findiing an outlet. I am restricted, however, to using the computer in the staff room. as yet. While I was at it, I found the floor under my desk such a mess, and I happened to find some documents left behind by one of the teachers who left this school in the past., eventually shredding them.

Thursday, April 8, 2010 Cloudy

　Finished reading a book written by the late Kawai Hayao. When I was younger, I read quite a few of his books. When I was attending a series of special summer lectures in Korean at Tennri University, he had a stroke and was hospitalized at a Tenri Hospital. He had long been in a coma and never became conscious again. The first time i saw him was when I was still in my thirties. That was at Shitennoji Temple.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010 Cloudy

　A sign-up information meeting for new students. I am supposed to help with a tranfer students' class, which is going to be quite tough because these students often come from technical high schools and have taken a variety of subjects. There was a Student Council teachers' meeting. I was the clerk today. On report duty for an hour. Handed in the school records of three homeroom shtudents who have quit school.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010 Cloudy

　A makeup holiday for this past Sunday. Took a morning walk and went to the sign language club, paying this year's membership fee, 2.400 yen. Coming back home, ate spaghetti for lunch and took an afternoon nap. My wife walked to her mother's place to talk with a care manager. Today saw Elizabeth Kubuler-Ross on YouTube, whose later years were apparently unhappy because of her illness.

Monday, April 5, 2010 Fair

　At work finished filling in the English �Tand OC�Treports with answers. As for the English �Treports, uploaded some hints, too. Called six homeroom students becuase they had not finished the necessary procedure for this school year. Also got a letter from a homeroom student asking for a year's leave of absence from school. Back home I will watch "Merlin" on TV.

Sunday, April 4, 2010 Fair

　It felt cold today although the temperature itself was not too low. This morning I happeded to hear a story on the radio. Its title was "Under Cherries in Full Bloom", written by Sakaguchi Ango. I found it quite intriguing. At work could pass the time doing things at my own pace. Did some reading, too. A homeroom student came to see me with her mother for help. A couple of colleagues, too, visited my room and asked me some English or Korean questions respectively. Spent some time shooting the breeze with another fellow teacher as well. Preparing little by little for my coming English classes.

Saturday, April 3, 2010 Fair

　Took a morning walk . Then off to the English conversation school, where I spent two hours or so using English. Coming back home, gave my mother-in-law a ride from her doctor's office to her place. Ate noodles for lunch with my wife. Then went shopping for daily necessities, such as shampoo, laundry detergent, cat toilet sand, toilet paper, Kleenex, and so on. Took a coffee break and rested in my futon for some time. Today our son had a date with his girlfirend. He packed his lunch and went out happily.

Friday, April 2, 2010 Cloudy

　Worked on the Super Crossword first thing in the morning. So tough. Maybe have to redo it. Refrained from taking a morning walk because I was not in shape yet. At work read some printouts on the new curriculum on the teaching of English and also a library book by the name of "Ambiguous Knowledge." Did some cleaning around the desks in the English Interview Room.

Thursday, April 1, 2010 Cloudy

　There were four different meetings as usual today-a joint staff meeting, a regular staff meeting, a subject meeting, and a Student Council teachers' meeting. I sent mail to two ex-homeroom students, informing them of their new class and student number. Somebody said it was too soon, though, because some students may get confused. A new comer to the English department is a male teacher who looks gentle. I shredded all the unnecessary slips and papers.