Tuesday, March 31, 2009 Cloudy

　I mistook the date of lunch with Korean class friends for today. Actually, it is on April 14. Why did I make such a silly mistake? Well, this morning I did not go to the sign language club. I took two hours off by mistake. At work I spent most of the time there shooting the breeze. I only shredded all of last school year's attendance slips. While doing that, A staple got stuck in my left forefinger. "Ouch!" I seemed to have a sore throat. Have I caught cold? My wife cooked shin-ramen for supper. I like it very much.

Monday, March 30, 2009 Cloudy

　"Leave everything neat and tidy when you go" is a saying about a person's attitude toward life, but people with this attitude are not necessarily many. Take the present prime minister for example, although he has not decided to go yet. A colleague leaving this workplace was a bit mean, too, today. I know this kind of meanness is in his nature, though. I took a walk to Korea Town today and did a little shopping.

Sunday, March 29, 2009 Cloudy and fair.

　Our son stayed out all night. There was a party in honor of his ex-professor for his retirement. My wife says I always ask back, "Why?", which miffs her. I am not aware of my idiosyncrasy, but I am aware of hers. After all, men and women are different kinds of animals, maybe poles aprart in many ways. Took a morning walk and did some shoppeing. Then emptied the warehouse on the balcony. Watched some episodes of Shin-Byorusungom on DVD.

Saturday, March 28, 2009 Fair

　Did the morning routine-the radio exercises, reading a little Korean online, eating breakfast, taking a brisk walk in the neighborhood, etc. One of the two cats, who has cander and will die soon, is in heat now, meowing all the time and chasing me and the others. Checked the outdoor units of the air conditioners on the balcony. Ate takoyaki for lunch and ate out at a Korean restaurant in the neightborhood with my wife for supper. The taste was OK, but not too good. A bit expensive, too.

Friday, March 27, 2009 Cloudy

　Still in the process of cleaning the workspace at work. Maybe it will be unfinished. Anyway I will try my best. I have no idea what kind of person this next English teacher will be, but I hope he or she will not be an agitator but an honest person. Who knows? The situation could get worse. I think I will give a hand to the new Englsih department rep if he so wishes. As for myself, I will be content to teach English as best I can for another few years before I retire.

Thursday, March 26, 2009 Cloudy

　These days I take some hours off, come home, and eat supper at home, which is good. This correspondence school deprives me of this kind of normal lifesyle, which is not good. At work I did things according to what I call a Mini Plan, which is not bad. On my way home listened to a musical on my iPod. My wife did not feel like cooking this evening, so I dropped by the usual bento shop.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009 Cloudy

　While still in bed, I heard our son coughing in the living room. Later he called his bosses to tell them that he would be absent today. He said he would go see the doctor. He must be stressed out always overworking himself, which may have lowered his resistance to disease, I am afraid. A B schedule "judgement conference" and then an extra teachers' meeting. A colleague came and spent an hour or so shooting the breeze. Picked up the room on the fifth floor a bit.

Tuesday, March 24. 2009 Fair

　Went to the sign language club in the morning. Yesterday was the last day of the vernal equinox week, which is called "higan" in Japanese. This, I understand, is very typical of Japan. At work we English teachers had a meeting and decided who to ask to teach part-time next school year and who teaches what. Sent mail to my homeroom students.

Monday, March 23, 2009 Cloudy

　Day two of the second exam schedule. Interviewed examinees one after another for four hours on end. Tired out. There was a 20-minute break, during which I ate my box supper quickly. Called two homeroom students later to revise their subjects One homeroom students keeps calling me about her subjects for next school year. A meeting at 8:30 p.m. about next school year's part-time teachers' hours.

Sunday, March 22, 2009 Cloudy

　As soon as I get up, one of the two cats, the white one, usually miaows to me, pestering me for something to eat or drink or pressing me to stroke her. She is sometimes so persistent especially when she is in heat. Cats in heat are quite impossible. Did some reading in bed. Watched four episodes of a Korean drama ( "Shin-Pyorusungom)a series of 20 episodes) on DVD. Have seen the first seven epidodes.

Saturday, March 21, 2009 Fair

　This morning took a brisk walk for the first time in many days. This time alone because, if I wait for my wife to do it together, I have no idea when we can resume it. She is so temperamental. Went to the English conversation session. Then went out again to buy some takoyaki. In the evening drove my son to Joshin because he wanted to buy a mobile computer. On the way back, we ate udon for supper.

Friday, March 20, 2009 Rainy and then cloudy.

　Rested well today, but while taking a nap, a homeroom student called me on a holiday, of all days. She did not care at all, though. Watched the musical "Rent" on DVD. Saw a Korean period drama on DVD, too. A friend loaned these DVDs to me. Yesterday searched the meaning of the word "corpus" on the Internet. It is somewhat vague, but it seems important what corpus you should choose in learning a foreign language.

Thursday, March 19, 2009 Fair and rainy at night.

　Day one of the latter exam period. Interviewed quite a few applicants for four hours with only a 20-minute break in the middle, during which I had a quick supper. So tired I did not feel like doing anything on the way home on the trains. Just watched TV on my cellular phone. I have three consecutive holidays over the weekend. Need to move the outdoor units of the air conditioners a bit away from the wall because repair work will soon be done on our condo complex.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009 Fair

　Went to bed rather early last night. So did my wife, who is tired from lack of sleep since she gets up so early to make a box lunch for her son. There was a meeting for deciding wheter to pass or fail examinees fresh out of junior high. The latter part of the entrance exam (the so-called B schedule) begins tomorrow. Checked the subjects which my homeroom students are taking next school year, and made a phone call to a student and got one from another.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009 Fair

　Bunred the midnight oil working on the Super Crossword. This time it was so hard, but anyway I sent my anwers to the author. Hope they are correct. Paid the Korean class tuition into their bank account this morning (29.400 yen +a fee of 150 yen) after shopping at the usual supermarket.( Kleenex, bread, raw yakisoba-noodles, and some liquor. Went to the Korean class in the afternoon. Then drove my mother-in-law to the dentist. Ate udon for supper at the usual udon shop.

Monday, March 16, 2009 Fair

　Yesterday was day three of the interview exam. I was an examiner for nighttime applicants. It was something of a relief anyway. Another fellow teacher and I interviewed a total of 14 examinees. There is usually a 45-minute break between 4:00 and 4:45 p.m., but our break began at 4:15 p.m. because we had to interview one extra candidate. So, I had a very quick supper. Finished filling in the school records after getting the final results of my homeroom sutdents for this past school year. Today interviewed 10 for the daytime section. Two homeroom students came to see me with the necessary papers for the text-for-free procedure.

Sunday, March 15, 2009 Fair

　Took out the recyclable stuff first thing in the morning. Cleaned the floor and the living room. The new air cleaner seems to be working all right. It is quiet. Our son is out for a date with his latest girl friend. There is a condo meeting starting at 10:00 a.m. Today being a workday, day two of the interview exam, for me, my wife will attend it. I will be leaving for work soon.

Saturday, March 14, 2009 Rainy, cloudy and then fair.

　Walked to the city library to return a book an check out one. Did a little shopping on the way back. In the afternoon drove over to Joshin to buy another air cleaner-this time for the living room. Bought takoyaki on the way home. My wife, who is a fan of Korean dramas, knows a lot of Korean drama actors and actresses. She says a well-known supporting actor died recently. She described him to me, but it did not ring a bell.

Friday, March 13, 2009 Cloudy

　My wife got up early and prepared a box lunch for our son, who leaves home a little past six. His company does not observe the Labor Standard Law. He is always overworlking. My wife watches some KBS Korean dramas after preparing breakfast for me. I was off at work, but had a lot to do. There were calls from three students. Today was the deadline for inputting final grades.

Thursday, March 12, 2009 Fair

　Today was a substitute holiday. I visited my parents' place with my wife. My 86-year-old father was out for his day care. My mother seemed to be uncomfortable with her teeth. My wife, an ex-nurse, gave her advice about this and that. I took my wife's mother, too, in my car. She paid a visit to her mother's grave. Because the number of applicants has exceeded the quota(350), our school does not have to accept applicants again later this month. It is a relief. Tomorrow is day one of the interview entrance exam.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009 Cloudy

　Applicants to the daytime section of our school have already exceeded the full quota as of today while applicants to the nighttime section still fall short of the number to be amitted. For the daytime section only less than 70 percent of the applicants will be accedpted as of now.-quite a high competitive rate. I was on telephone duty again at work today. I have a sore throat now. It has gotten cold suddenly today.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

　You do not have to look happy to everyone all the time. On the contray, there are some people you had better stay away from or with whom you have terrible chemistry. Better to associate with people with whom your chemistry is right. To the sign language club in the morning and to the Korean classroom in the afternoon. I was off duty at work today.

Monday, March 9, 2009 Cloudy and rainy.

　Long time ago I thought to myself that what I call "interal conversation" would be a good way to improve my English, but actually I did not do that internal conversation in English. When I was in college, I studied in the States for a while. Then I avoided using Japanese. In a year I came to forget some Japanese, though. It is always this or that. You cannot eat the cake and have it. Day two of the application period. I was a checker for transfer students for the nighttime section. Not too busy.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

　Greetings are important, but why and how you do it is much more important. So are kindnesses. Even gangsters are sweet. But they are nice to you because they want to control you. Greetings are for communication. It is always motivation that matters. People usually react to the subconsciousness of others.Superficiality is actually ignored. Our son is having a hard time with his pollen allergy. Day one of the application period. Probably there were over 20 phone calls and visitors to the office while a colleague and I were on telephone duty.

Saturday, March 7, 2009 Fair

　Drove my mother-in-law to her clinic. Then walked to my English conversation class. Ate takoyaki for lunch. Our son went to buy it. My wife has decided to get another air cleaner. Took an afternoon nap. Drove to the noodle restaurant for supper with my son while my wife stayed at home because she did not feel well. Tomorrow is a workday. The entarance exam application period begins.

Friday, March 6, 2009 Rainy

　I have hospital phobia, so when I see a doctor's white gown, my sympathetic nervous system is turned on. Hence palpitation and high blood pressure. This is because, when I was a little boy, I had a frail constitution and would often see a doctor who usually gave me painful shots. It is a kind of conditioned reflex now. Three students came for their English �T or OC�T. One of them had no manners. The others were OK. The inputting of the results is almost over. Began straightening up the mess of this school year. The bosses' evaluation of my work for this year was given to me. I will work for as much as I deserve.

Thursday, March 5, 2009 Cloudy

　There was an entrance exam information meeting followed by another about the text-free system. Then I prepared a document to send with the other papers, did the printing and folding, After eating supper, put the papers into the envelopes and sent them to my homeroom students. This took me some time. Bought some taiyaki on the way home.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009 Cloudy

　While taking a shower, a certain tune came to me. Later I checked the lyrics on the Internet. Translated the Korean version later. Quite interesting. One retest at work. Called some homeroom students about their subjects. Walked to and back from Korea Town. Bought masks for my son. Did a little reading on the way home on the trains. Sometimes I wonder why I am doing what I am doing. From force of habit?

Tuesday, March 3, 2009 Cloudy and then rainy.

　At this morning sign language club I was in charge of "Three Words." I chose "hay fever", eco-", and "stock price." They said, "Too hard to use." Returned one of the twolibrary books on the way back and went shopping at the usual supermarket. Went to the Korean language class in this cold rain. Bought some masks for my son, who has hay fever-allergic to pollen. Heard from a Korean pen pal. Wrote back right away.

Monday, March 2, 2009 Cloudy

　A morning Korean study meeting and then after eating lunch, on telephone duty again for three hours in the afternoon. Finished reading one of the two library books. Back home watched the recordings of two Korean dramas. My neck discomfort still continues. I must just wait and see anyway. Soon the entrace exam season is starting-between March 8 and 23.

Sunday, March 1, 2009 Fair

　A commencement was held today at our school. I was on duty at the entrance to the gym. Then helped prepare a send-off party in the cafeteria. Then joined in the gym cleanup. However, when I carried one of the big vinyl sheets with a fellow teacher, he let go of the other end first and my timing was off, so a shock ran into my neck, which was really uncomfortable. Not my day. Then I was on telephone duty in the office.