Thursday, September 30, Fair
I had a busy day. For one thing, there was a long staff meeting as usual
plus sending mail to students (All the teachers put printed matter into
envelopes together in the conference room), and another thing is that today
was the deadline for the first term. As a matter of fact, I gave one kid
a restest. On the way home, making a stopover, I bought a concise Japanese-Korean
and Korean Japanese dictionary. I also had a haircut at the QB House( QB
stands for Quick Barber, I hear.)
Wednesday, September 29, Rainy ( Typhoon No.21)
Another typhoon, the eighth one to hit Japan. Unprecedented. Went to
the usual sign language class. The room was air-conditioned and too cold
to be in as was often the case there. Back home watching the Korean drama,
sleepiness came over me, so I went to bed. I had a really long day.
Tuesday, September 28, Cloudy , occasionally rainy.
Just back from Tokyo. Took the 17:03 Nozomi at Tokyo Station after going
to see the doctor. At the clinic, I had my neck CT scanned and X-rayed.
According to the doctor, the part operated on is O.K. I will come see him
again on February 9 next year, when I will receive an MRI examination.
Today and yesterday my friend and I just kept talking the way we did about
30 years ago in America, not in Japanese but in English at that time. We
were roommates.
Monday, September 27, 2004 Overcast
Took a day off today. Going up to Tokyo to have my neck checked at the
spine clinic. I will take the 10:43 a.m. bullet train leaving Osaka for
Tokyo, but I will get off at Odawara Station at 1:08 p.m. I will be staying
with my best friend in Kanagawa Prefecture. Tomorrow I will go to see the
doctor in Tokyo.
Sunday, September 26, 2004 Cloudy and rainy late at night.
So hot and humid today I was oozing with sweat working. Took care of
several retests and one makeup. Running up and down the stairs all the
time. Did a little walking at night after coming home from work for the
first time in many days. I may have an ingrown toenail again soon, though.
Studying Korean is becoming my passion.
Saturday, September 25, 2004 Cloudy
Went to the nearby elementary school on behalf of the sign language circle and they explained their automatic self-locking gate door and how to use the rooms open to the local community from October on. Security is going to be very tight at this school, too, because of Ikeda Elementary School's incident. Air, water and safety are no lounger free in Japan.
Friday, September 24, 2004 Cloudy
Drove to the local police station to renew my driver's license. It cost
me 4.350 yen including photos and took me around one and a half hours.
Some residents upstairs of this condo complex leaves a dog on the balcony
or somewhere. It keeps barking all day. Poor dog and irresponsible owner.
And it is against the regulations here.
Thursday, September 23, 2004 Overcast
The old hairdryer was broken recently, so we bought a new one today.
Also we got a pair of pruning shears. In the afternoon, my wife and I weeded
the backyard and pruned the trees there. I perspired a lot and almost dehydrated.
We finished watching the Korean drama "All About Eve" in the
wee hours of morning.
Wednesday, September 22, 2004 Cloudy
I must take back my words. The Korean drama "All About Eve"
became fun to watch after the 7th episode. Went to Osaka City's sign language
class. Today I was in charge of the warm-up exercises. I made a couple
of boo-boos, doing that. I quit the friendship society ( konshinkai ) today.
I do not usually attend those banquets. I wish I could have fun like I
used to at my former places of work.
Tuesday, September 21, 2004 Cloudy
This Korean drama "All About Eve" is not my kind of story.
Went to the sign language circle in the morning, but could not eat lunch
together. From October on, I will be busy in the afternoon on Tuesdays.
Next Tuesday I will have to go up to Tokyo. Today I transferred the tuition
to the Korean language school's bank account. Also I bought a bullet train
ticket.
Monday, September 20, 2004, Cloudy
Busy all day making English Ⅰ assignments for the third term. Another
hot day. Unable to do the cleaning at all. So tired from the work and the
heat. The humidity gets me, too, and the cold is so persistent, which is
characteristic of a summer cold. This next Korean drama "All About
Eve" is not much so far.
Sunday, September 19, 2004 Cloudy
So very hot and humid. At this time of the year! I felt languid all day.
It was hard to do without air conditioning. Still taking the medicine for
cold. Spent most of the day making the Oral Ⅰ assignments for the third
term. They are almost ready. The living room is a mess, and so is the backyard.
Saturday, September 18, 2004 Fair
Spent two hours or so chatting in English at the usual English conversation school. Took an afternoon nap and slept a lot. Then picked up my wife and did a little shopping on the way home. Our firstborn son is coming home tonight from Kobe. The other son is busy tonight tutoring.
Friday, September 17, 2004 Fair
That fellow teacher was again good enough to lend me some more Korean
drama videos. Ate lunch with an ex-fellow teacher. Today I made a lot of
phone calls to some of my homeroom students. When I got home, I was so
tired that I missed the last part of the TV Korean drama "Nice Guy."
I fell asleep while watching it on TV. Made an appointment to have my ingrown
toenail taken care of.
Thursday, September 16, 2004 Fair
Finished watching another Korean drama, "Piano." It was a pretty
sad story, though. Still coughing although I went to see the doctor in
the morning. The blood pressure was a bit too high. I've got to be careful
about what I eat and I also need to get more exercise. But my ingrown toenail
keeps me from doing that. Too bad.
Wednesday, September 15, 2004 Fair
Coughing a lot, I got worn out. My body was feeling so weak and it looked
as if it was somebody else's. But I did what I was supposed to do today.
The cold is really getting me, so I have decided to take a day off tomorrow
and go see the doctor. I have so much work to do, but I do not feel up
to it now.
Tuesday, September 14, 2004 Fair
Down with a cold. In bed all day, coughing and perspiring. Didn't do
anything. Just driving my wife to work, hanging out the washing to dry,
etc. Didn't go to the sign language circle, either. Didn't take a shower,
so my body felt very sticky. Uncomfortable. Still coughing up phlegm, too.
Monday, September 13, 2004 Fair
My throat is still sore and phlegm comes out. I perspired a lot. Still
so hot and humid. Listened to English on my way to and back from work.
I am losing the will to work. Morale is low at work. Little laughter from
our heart. Rigid human relations. Maybe this is general in today's Japan.
What is wrong?
Sunday, September 12, 2004 Fair, rainy, and the cloudy.
In no mood for work, but got to go. Life is relentless in a way. Whether
you like it or not, sometimes you've got to do it. There was a fire drill
at school I had a chance to try using a fire extinguisher. My fingers ache
a bit, especially finger joints. I may have gout. My blood urine acid level
may be high. Eating out too much is definitely no good!
Saturday, September 11, 2004 Cloudy
Watched another Korean drama on video all day with my wife. Its title
was "All In." I did nothing else. I have a sore throat now. I
may have caught cold. Tomorrow is a workday. While watching the video,
I forgot about everything else. Korean dramas are the best for that. Ordered
delivery meals for supper. I am going to be early tomorrow morning.
Friday, September 10. 2004 Cloudy
My second son and my wife went to see a cardiologist. Besides his heart,
he has too much fat and sugar in his blood. All this has been caused by
his lifestyle. One of the English teachers pointed out that my Oral Ⅰassignments
for the second term are too difficult and not much fun. Very true. I quite
agree. Thanks to her candid opinion, I can make my third-term assignments
the way I want to. I made those on the basis of the past assignments.
Thursday, September 9, 2004 Fair
There was a teachers' meeting, and it lasted for two and a half hours.
Long as usual. I hate long conferences. To begin with, I hate teachers'
meetings. Made two teaching plans at work. On the way back, made a stopover,
ate ramen, and bought a Korean-Japanese dictionary. I study Korean all
right, but I tend to forget about English. Today I had a shock when I misspelled
a simple word. Too bad. My condition was no good.
Wednesday, September 8, 2004 Fair
Another aftershock but I did not feel it. I was sleeping. I did a little
shopping but I really had to hurry because the lady at the checkout counter
was still a novice and it took longer than I had expected. I ran and ran
to the station. My heart beat so fast and I was so much out of breath I
thought I would die. Attended Osaka City's sign language class. Signed
up for a six-month Korean language introductory course at a certain language
school.
Tuesday, September 7, 2004 Fair, cloudy , and then Typhoon No18.
Another typhoon hit Japan. This was the seventh one this year so far－unprecedented.
While the Kinki area was in the storm zone, our two sons were out somewhere
doing their part-time jobs. We were so anxious about their safety. Went
to the sign language circle for the first time after the summer vacation.
There was an afterschock of the earthquake this morning.
Monday, September 6, 2004 Fair
In the morning I saw the videos I borrowed from the colleague who is good at Korean. I enjoyed myself. This colleague taught me Korean for a while today. Wow, the sounds are so hard to produce. And it will take me long to memorize enough words to communicate. Today was quite hot and humid. Another typhoon is coming up.
Sunday, September 5, 2004 Cloudy and rainy later on. ( a sever earthquake
at night)
Began watching another Korean drama, "Tsukinowaguma no koi,"
on video. The colleague whose is good at Korean was good enough to lend
me the videos. Taught three classes in a row in the morning. The classrooms
were air-conditioned, but moving around, I perspired a lot. On the way
home, I saw lightning flashing and heard thunder rumbling. There was a
strong earthquake in the Kinki area.
Saturday, September 4, 2004 Cloudy
Got up a little too late this morning and missed doing my morning routine-the
radio exercises and the radio Korean program. Again had a bid of a squabble
with my wife and went to bed in a huff last night. I heard insects chirping
in the grass-maybe autumn insects. Autumn is here. Went to the usual English
conversation class in the morning.
Friday, September 3, 2004 Fair
Yesterday I resumed the radio exercises in the morning. Also I started
listening to NHK's radio Korean program. Heard from my American friend
via email for the first time in many days last night. Every Friday night
I watch "Nice Guy", a Korean drama, on Kyoto TV. Korean dramas
give energy to me.
Thursday, September 2, 2004 Rainy and then cloudy later on.
All my family got up early and took out the old cupboard and the two
broken collapsible beds. Today was bulky trash pickup day. These three
pieces cost us 2.400 yen-800yen apiece. I found the backyard rank with
weeds-a jungle. It must be weeded as soon as possible. Although I try to
memorize Korean, I soon forget it. But I will never give up. I want to
enjoy learning it and using it.
Wednesday, September 1, 2004 Cloudy
Went to Osaka City's sign language class. Only eight more sessions left.
On the way back from there to school, it looked like rain, but anyway the
weather held. I want to study the Korean language, but I have little time
for that. The fellow teacher who is good at Korean, was kind enough to
lend me some Korean drama videos.