Saturday, February 28, 2009 Fair

　Went to the nearby supermarket this morning because there was a sale on sliced bread. After eating bread for breakast, walked to the public library for two online reserved books. On the way home, bought sushi for lunch. Did a little reading later. Took my mother-in-law to her dentist in the afternoon. Our first-born son was out on a date all day. Our second son seems to be resting at home in Tokyo after a long tiring week.

Friday, February 27, 2009 Rainy, occasionally cloudy.

　One makeup and one retest. Made some calls and got some, too. Rehearsal of the commencement from 6:00 p.m. Helped two Student Council students prepare a banner. On my way to work, left one of my pair of leather gloves on the train. Too bad. Choked on my own saliva, too- a sign of aging, a bad reflex. Had a brief meeting for the English teachers.

Thursday, February 26, 2009 Cloudy

　As soon as I got to my workplace, I found an envelope from a student in my pigeonhole, but a slip stuck onto it said "Short of 40 yen." The student did not write her own address. That is how it happened. Just unthinkable! Took me some time to solve this problem. A staff meeting lasted for over three hours. I was the clerk today. I made a clean copy of my notes on the computer, so I could not help prepare the gym for the commencement

Wednesday, February 25, 2009 Rainy and then cloudy.

　Another homeroom student came for her sign-up counseling, which took a little over half an hour. Then sorted out the sign-up related papers and took the heart disorder survey sheets to the school nurse and the tuition payment sheets to the office. The filling out of the school records is almost done. After eating supper came the curriculum committee meeting.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009 Cloudy

　No sign language club because they were having a cooking class(event) today. Went to the Korean language class. Today I heard that the school is moving out to Nakazaki-cho in October. On the way home had a haircut at the station and ate some buckwheat noodles. Back home tried to contact a homeroom student by email because she wants me to do so.

Monday, February 23, 2009 Cloudy

　A Korean study meeting in the morning. Checked some reports and what is called a graduation judgement conference between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m., followed by a Student Council conference. Took two hours off and came home, thinking that I would eat supper at home, but my wife thought I had already eaten my supper and did not cook anything for me. However, when our son came home, she cooked supper for him. I was speechless. So, I asked, "Where is mine?", which miffed her.

Sunday, February 22, 2009 Cloudy and then rainy.

　On my way to work, came across a used copy of "Sophie's World." Got it for 330 yen. A real buy. Three students came for their sign-up. So, a total of 37 students came. So many! One student came to take his makeup. Another came with his reports and assignment. Filled out half the school rercords, which was so exhausting. Had a call from one of the English part-time teachers. I kept working for seven hours in a row, finding myself dog-tired.

Saturday, February 21, 2009 Coudy

　My wife and our first-born son needed a ride this morning, so I drove them to a certain place. From there drove over to the Engllish conversation school. These days everyone has come to use too much Japanese, though, as I may have mentioned earlier in this online diary. Took too long a nap this aftersoon as if to catch up on my lack of sleep. So did our son.

Friday, February 20, 2009 Cloudy

　I wonder why men often find women nagging. There was a line in a certain song which goes " There is a river between men and women that you cannot cross however hard you may try, row and row, no turning back, row and row..." How true! At work helped nine students with their sign-up procedure from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m. Some reports to check and inputted the latest data. Another full day.

Thursday, February 19, 2009 Cloudy and then rainy.

　This morning went to the post office to pay for the secondhand book I ordered online the other day. To tell the truth, it was not the one I had in mind, but the seller meant no offense. Therefore, I decided to take it. It is worth reading anyway. I got another used book at the bookstore I usually drop in, too. At work worked at my own pace, so I could take it easy today. Prepared for tomorrow's student counseling for their sign-up, cleaned the room, inputted a little, checked the next term's schedule, and made a draft plan about who teaches what.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009 Cloudy

　I left for work a little after 11:00 a.m. and got to the station, finding a crowd in front of the ticket gates. The trains were not running. There was an accident at a different station in which somebody probably committed suicide by jumping in front of a train, and the police were investigating the scene. I was in a hurry because my students would come around 1:00 p.m. I made a phone call to the school and explained the situation. Eventually I arrived at the workplace 30 minutes or so late. I handed one of the bosses a late arrival slip. Today's student counseling went on for five hours straight. Then I ate my box supper, corrected some reports and marked two retests. Another hectic day.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009 Overcast

　Worked on the Super Crossword. Went to the sign language club in the morning. On the way bought some bread at the supermarket. Studied Korean in the afternoon. I feel the need to read extensively in Korean as well. At work prepared for tomorrow's student counseling for their sign-up. Also made some phone calls to a part-time teacher and a student.

Monday, February 16, 2009 Cloudy

　A Korean study meeting in the morning. Had a quick lunch. Student counseling for sign-up for six hours straight. Totally exhausted. No time to go to the restroom. A total of ten students came today. Even while I was helping these students, the phone rang from time to time. Also there were a few reports to check, and did the inputting.

Sunday, February 15, 2009 Cloudy and then fair.

　Spent most of the day sitting before the computer and reading. Must have gained much weight today. Ordered a book on the teaching of English online, too. Has been somewhat depressed since I got the bad news the day before yesterday. Did not feel like doing anything. However, tomorrow is a workday. Necessity is a hard master.

Saturday, February 14, 2009 Cloudy

　Rested almost all day today. I must have been quite tired. My PC began to be a bit noisy today. It has been one and a half years since I got it. I wonder if the noise will be gone in time. Just wait and see. Machines will break down eventually. So will humans. Transience of life. I was in no mood to do anything today. No exercise. Just studied a liitle Korean and did a little shopping.

Friday, February 13, 2009 Cloudy and windy, occaionally sprinkling.

　Today was the deadline for graduating students' grades. I checked dozens of reports after invilgilating today's OC�Tretest. The phone kept ringing, too. One Basic English retest to take care of, too. Another OC�Tretest at a different time as well. All this went on for three hours straight. Then inputted today's results. Then came still another student with her reports. Helped her for an hour or so. Some bad news came from home while working busily at work-a wet blanket-, but I had to go on with my work under much stress. What a day!

Thursday, February 12, 2009 Fair

　Took a morning brisk walk for an hour or so with my wife. She was in her new shoes but still has to break them in. At work gave makeups to four students and helped one with his reports. There arose a problem when I was about to leave. I had a phne call to make. The problem was solved anyway. Did a little shopping on the way home from work.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009 Cloudy

　A national holiday called National Foundation Day. I did not see a single national flag in town. My wife needed a new pair of walking shoes. She and I drove around looking for good ones this afternoon. She located an OK pair of walkers at the second shoe shop. They fitted her feet. We ate out this evening in a Japanese restaurant in the neighborhood. She is allergic to pollen, so she got some disposable masks, too.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009 Cloudy

　In the morning went to the signl language club. While there, tried to move my hands as much as possible because my sign language is rather rusty these days. Studied Korean in the classroom. On the way home from work, came across an interesting secondhand book on classroom English published in South Korea. Bought it for 180 yen. I think this book is better than the expensive book I had bought a couple of years ago.

Monday, February 9, 2009 Cloudy and rainy.

　A Korean language study meeting in the morning. Printed around 40 copies of the final schedule for the sign-up assistance period and sent them to my homeroom students. Took care of the makeup in OC�T. Waited but only two came. They will take their makeup later on. Corrected some reports. Also marked the Reading exam and today's makeup.

Sunday, February 8, 2009 Overcast

　Accessed Yahoo Korea and read a news story about the recent serial killer. Drove to the usual pet food shop and bought some cat food and toilet sand. Coming back home, went shopping with my first-born son at the neighborhood supermarket. He wants to learn to speak English. I looked for a good textbook online and ordered it. It will cost around 3.000 yen.

Saturday, February 7, 2009 Fair

　This morning drove my mother-in-law to the clinic as usual. Then went to the English club and spent a couple of hours there talking about this and that in English. Listened to Noam Chomsky on You Tube. Thought America is a really weird country-a monster, an example of social Darwinsm, the survial of the fittest. The wealth of the nation resides with a handful of people and the government is for them, not for the public.

Friday, February 6, 2009 Fair

　Today was a very hectic day. Two exams to invigilate, dozens of reports to check, dozens of exam papers to put into envelopes and send, some kids to help with their reports, on duy at the school gate, a status slip to print, etc. No time to mark Reading exam papers. Will do it next Monday. Went shopping at the usual supermarket as usual. Tried to read in English and Korean although I was super busy.

Thursday, February 5, 2009 Cloudy

　Finished grading all the English �Tand OC�T exam papers. There was a staff meeting in the AV room. Printed and stapled around 50 copies of one of the extra assignments for those who fall short of the minumum attendance requirement and/or the passing grade. Took some time off and relaxed this evening to get rit of my stress.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009 Fair, occaionally cloudy.

　Busy checking reports, grading exam papers, invigilating exams, and helping students. Worn out at the end of the day. No time to listen to English or Korean, or read in English or Korean. Ate supper while helping a couple of students with their reports. On duty in the teachers' room, too. I had phlegm caught in my throat. Yesterday I had diarrhea. Do I have a cold or something?

Tuesday, February 3, 2009 Cloudy

　Just two things to do today-going to the sign language circle and attending my Korean class. Come to think of it, I had to do some homework, too. My son told me about circular motion. I am not well informed on physics, but it reminded me of Nietzsche, who said, "The eternal hourglass of existence is turned upside down again and again, and you with it, speck of dust!"-the doctorine of eternal recurrence.

Monday, February 2, 2009 Fair and then cloudy.

　Had a Korean study meeting. There were only three of us, including myself. Decided to take it easy today. The English �Texam to invigilate. Checked over 20 reports. Was on duty in the teachers' room. Began grading exam papers but not done yet. Helped with the listening comprehesion part of the OC�Texam of the nightime section. Bakc home worked on the Super Crossword far into the night. Tired out.

Sunday, February 1, 2009 Cloudy, occasionally fine.

　Out of the eight students only three came. Two called me, asking for different days. Did not hear from three. Each takes twenty to thirty minutes. On the way home from work wore a mask. Resumed reading in English and Korean. Have to do some homework, which is not evaluated by bosses. They just see the tip of the iceberg.