Monday, April 30, 2012 Fair

　Our second son got back home. We talked far into the night last night. Therefore, my wife and I felt so tired that we slept on and off during the day today. Our cirdadian clocks must have gone out of order. We are no longer young.

Sunday, April 29, 2012 Fair

　Began donating my books to the city library little by little. Today I donated the Darren Shan books. Today our second son is coming home from Tokyo. A while age there was a rather strong earthquake in Chiba Prefecture. Finished reading a paperback entitled "I Am Afraid of the Dark" by Sidney Sheldon.

Saturday, April 28, 2012 Fair

　Took a walk in the neighborhood in the morning and did a bit of "super slow jogging" in the park in back of our place. Did some household chores, such as weeding the backyard and cleaning the floor. Spread some powdery insecticide along the threshholds, too. Viewed a video on taichi, but hard to understand.

Friday, April 27, 2012 Cloudy

　Participated in a taichi session in the morning. Quite hard. Just one Reading class to teach. Got a Chinese text from a fellow teacher. Handed in the big list of graduating students for my homeroom. There are 23 of them in my homeroom class. Have to finish up the paperback because it is due tomorrow.

Thursady, April 26, 2012 Cloudy

　I got to the nearest station from home and found that the trains were not moving because of an accident involivng death or injury. My train was delayed more than an hour. I barely made it to the first piece of work at the workplace, perspiring a lot. Out of luck! My duty as chairman is over tdday. What a relief! Handed in career-related stats for my new homeroom class and began making a big list of graduating homeroom students with their credits written on it.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012 Cloudy

　The paperback I am reading now is becoming more and more of a page-turner. Quite busy at work today. Just one homeroom class, but there were 31 of them present. Passed out quite a few sheets and gave them each their ID card and so on. There were two meetings-one at 5:30 pm. and the other at 7:30 p.m. Made a couple of Reading handouts. Did a lot of printing- for tomorrow's staff meeting as well. These days it is said that Japanese society, especially the government, is not functioning properly. According to the late Kawai Hayao-sensei, ours is a society with an empty centered structure. If the center is full of energy, it is OK. Otherwise Japanese society is at risk. That must be what is happening in our country.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012 Cloudy

　Just went to the Korean language school. The level of some of the students seems quite high. They sound like native speakers. Checked out a couple of books at the library. Went to bed rather early, tired.

Monday, April 23, 2012 Fair

　Day one of the first term. Had two classes to teach. So many students in the classroom it was noisy and stuffy. I took it easy while in class, but later on a homeroom kid was looking for me for long, apparently getting mad at me because I had been missing. Naturally, apologized, but the apology may have been ignored.

Sunday, April 22, 2012 Rainy

　Prepared for tomorrow's two classes. Did some printing. Had an English study session with my Korean friend. Had an English teachers' meeting and the workload for each of us had been decided. Mine was 15.2. Two of us had 14.6. The other 14.1. Not equal, but I don't care.

Saturday, April 21, 2012 Cloudy

　Did my daily constitutional and went to today's condo complex board meeting, which lasted for nearly two hours. Then ate udon for lunch and took an afternoon nap. Ate okonomi for supper and investigated about Taichi on the Internet.

Friday, April 20, 2012 Rainy

　Experienced Taichi for the first time in my life. I think I like it-its slow and quiet movements. Had an English teachers' meeting anyway. Prepared for the first class of English �Tanyway. Don't try to teach well, but try to listen to your students. Don't speak out loud, but speak quietly so that your students can feel at ease. That is the first requisite.

Thursday, April 19, 2012 Cloudy

　Chaired today's staff meeting. It was my turn and for the last time at work. What a relief! Another meeting later-a curriculum-related one, but this time somewhat of a different nature because there was no extra assistance for the teachers teaching their subjects. It was for those who are in a managerial position. Things have changed, and for the worse. The studetns are forgotten. The teachers are ignored.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 Fair

　Resumed "super slow jogging" this morning. Did it at school as well. So did it for a total of 60 minutes. Prepared a handout for the coming "Inclusive Hour" and also a resume for tomorrow's staff meeting. Tonight drank beer eating "kensaki-ika." I was a bit thirsty.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012 Fair

　Went to the Korean language school for the first time in a month or so. There were some new comers. They speak good Korean. This coming Friday they are having a Tai Chi class. I wonder if I will join them. Well, Tai Chi is good for helping imrpvoe your balance.

Monday, April 16, 2012 Cloudy

　Today was quite a busy day. While checking the subjects the students of my new homeroom class are taking this new school year, I discovered some mistakes and also was called to take care of a student who had taken ill on the way home. An ambulance was there when I arrived. Eventually there was no need to go to the hospital with the student. Yesterday I was in the gym sports teachers' room on duty for the entrance ceremony. Then again on duty on the 3rd floor corridor. It was all over around 3:00 p.m. The day before yesterday I cleaned the living room. I need to dispose of many of my books but it has got to wait.

Friday, April 13, 2012 Cloudy, occasionally sprinkiing.

　Yesterday the entrance ceremony for the daytime section of our school was held. At the same time, the sign-up procedured and the medical checkup were done. I stood by in the sports teachers' room in case any emergency came up. Also acted as an assistant for one of the three dentists. The day before yesterday there was a bit of an accident where I went in the morning. Fortunately it did not got too serious, I believe.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012 Rainy

　All the staff got together in the conference room and had a shipping bee( sending printed matter to students). Then I racked my brains to set this school year's targets for the English department. Also got the worlload spreadsheet ready. Began to listen to NHK's foreign language programs on my smartphone.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012 Cloudy

　A substitute holiday. Nothing much to do. Just watchd something on YouTube. These days I feel I am doing the same things over and over again at work. Is it ennui? Well, we all toil and moil day in and day out. And that's important maybe. That is to say, business as usual.

Monday, April 9, 2012 Cloudy

　Evasive answers and cozy realationships prevail. That may be in our nature. A staff meeting and an explanastion meeting about the entrance and sign-up procedure for the new students were held. Went through some old documents.

Sunday, April 8, 2012 Cloudy

　Went to work a bit late, taking an hour off. Called the last student who was yet to sign up. Eventually he did come. A health department meeting in the afternoon. Yesterday at home moved around the furniture in the living room. Planning to dispose of the books and other stuff now that our sons are independent.

Friday, April 6, 2012 Cloudy

　Yesterday it thundered and was so very windy. The trains were either at a standstill or delayed. My homewardbound train was jampacked. What a day! Today i came to know something extraordinary. Fact is stranger than fiction. How true!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012 Fair

　A felllow female teacher gave me some kimich at work, which turned out to be very good. A Human Rights Committee meeting was held. I am going to be in charge of the third term's event. Explained to the next Student Council treasurer about what to do. We chairpersons got together and did some preparing for tomorrow's staff meeting. There was a Health Department meeting as well.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012 Rain and typhoon-like weather and cold.

　On my way home the Loop Line was at a standstill for a while due to the strong wind. The trains werejampacked. I tiptoed. I made a diagnostic test of basic ability in English. The boss orders us to find out about our students' ability in English. We must follow the order. Otherwise we will be punished. It is the current trend in the world of teachers in this prefecture. I wonder what will become of this country.

Monday, April 2 2012 Fair

　At work chaired the first staff meeting of the new school year-a brief one- after a joint staff meeting. Then came the English teachers' meeting. I am the rep this time. After that attended the health department meeting. Decided which duties to be in charge of. Then ate supper and was on report room duty. We chairpersons met and talked for a while.

Sunday, April 1, 2012 Fair

　Took a morning walk, went to the library, and bought something for lunch on the way home. After lunch worked on the Super Crossword. Took more time than I had expected. Then took a nap. Actually fell asleep while reading.