Friday, September 30, 2005 Fair

　There were some students who came at the last minute, and I had to take care of them one by one. I still have two left who still have to work on their reports. I kept calling one of the two on my cellphone. Today my Korean teacher said that he had decided on the hotel to stay at in Seoul. It is a very reasonable one.

Thursday, September 29, 2005 Fair

　These days I get up a little late for NHK's Korean language program in the morning. At the convenience store drop in at when I drive her work every morning, we picked up the Korean movie DVD I had ordered online. At work there was a long staff meeting as usual, after which we teachers stuffed envelopes with printed matter and mailed them out to students. Then came a teachers' union meeting. There was bad news only, though.

Wednesday, September 28, 2005 Cloudy

　On my way to work, due to a railway accident somewhere else my train got stalled at a station. The conductor said that the train was not likely to move shortly, telling us passengers to use a different route, so we got out of the station and waited for the shuttle bus to go to the nearest train station available. However, the train service got back on track in no time. When we got back, the train was gone. It looked like we had been nicely taken in. As a result, I was over 30 minutes late for the Korean class. I helped two students with their English in the school library.

Tuesday, September 27, 2005 Cloudy and rainy.

　Today was a day off. The sign language circle had a bazaar, but I did not go because I was a bit too tired. As a matter of fact, I slept for a few hours during the day. Today I did not accomplish anything. In the evening I just drove to the hospital to pick up my wife. Tonight I have to study Korean to be ready for tomorrow's class.

Monday, September 26, 2005 Fair

　Today I made more than ten phone calls to students. This week I am busy with those students who are meeting the deadline at the last minute. When I got home I found a little snake near the front door. I wondered if it was a poisonous snake. The shape of the head looked triangular. Was it a mamushi? I do not like reptiles.

Sunday, September 25, 2005 Fair

　Today has been a very hectic day. There were three classes. There were some students who took a makeup or a retest, too. Also I had to check dozens of 'reports.' Quite a few students came to ask me questions. I made some phone calls to students. I worked overtime. I had no time for lunch. Just exhausted!

Saturday, September 24, 2005 Fair

　It has been a lazy day today. I could not bring myself to do any work. I just did some household chores and studied Korean a little. Our older son is coming home tonight. Right night I am watching TV with my wife-"Kindaichi Shonen no Jiken-bo." Tomorrow being a workday, I will have to set the alarm.

Friday, September 23, 2005 Fair

　My wife suggested that I buy a new cellphone, although I did not think I needed a new one. So she, our second son, and I went to the mobile phone shop. I bought one with TV function. It cost me around 10.000 yen. Our son got a new one, too. His was a lot more expensive. The car dealer came at night. He will come again the day after tomorrow.

Thursday, September 22, 2005 Fair

　There was an ABED ( Automated External Defibrillator ) training session at work. We had some paramedics over from the fire station nearby. They taught us how to practice mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and also how to use an AED. I participated and tried it all on a dummy myself.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005 Fair

　It has been a busy day today. In the morning I went to the bank to have some slip reissued. That was a bit of a hassle. Then I hurried to my Korean teacher's class. I had lunch in the Ward Hall restaurant. There were three makeups in all today and an English teachers' meeting. There is something wrong with my car. When I step on the brake pedal, I hear some noise coming from the right side of the car. I will call the car dealer first thing in the morning tomorrow.

Tuesday, September 20, 2005 Fair, occasionally cloudy.

　I did not know the expression "burn a CD." I heard it for the first time today. I attended the sign language circle's weekly meeting in the morning and then the Korean language class in the afternoon. I also paid around30.000 yen to the Korean language school's bank account.

Monday, September 19, 2005 Fair

　My wife said that she would hit the books for her exam next month, so I decided to visit my parents. On the way I bought them presents for Respect for the Aged Day. Also I dropped by the usual cheap filling station- high-octane gas 131 yen per liter on a self-service basis. I ate lunch at my parents' place and talked a lot with Mom and my sister, who is now studying Chinese very hard.

Sunday, September 18, 2005 Fair

　I had to take car of the soccer club. There was an official match. The team lost the game by a score of 2to 4. On the way there several club members and I happened to get together, but none knew the way, so I asked some strangers the way, and then a police officer came by. I was lucky. While watching the game, I had a Korean dictionary in hand, realizing that I needed to study a lot harder.

Saturday, September 17, 2005 Cloudy, occasionally rainy.
　
　The usual English conversation class this morning, and then lunch together with my wife at the usual Chinese restaurant. Watched the 17th episode of the Korean drama " Scent of Summer". Have to prepare for October 7's "Inclusive Learning" class, but tomorrow is a workday.

Friday, September 16, 2005 Cloudy

　I might as well cut down on beer, for my beer belly is beginning to be noticeable. But a glass of beer after a day's work is very tempting. As we age, our metabolism slows down and we consume less energy. That is part of the reason for gaining weight. What should I do? I am still vacillating.

Thursday, September 15, 2005 Overcast

　There were two conferences today. One is a teachers' meeting and the other is one for the human rights committee. Today's makeup was cancelled. Today I sensed the coming of autumn in the cool air. Received an email on the cellphone from my friend in Kanagawa last night.

Wednesday, September 14, 2005 Cloudy

　Went to eat Korean dishes for dinner. There were 15 of us altogether. I took three hours off. We really had a good time. Time passed so quickly. It was past nine o'clock before I knew it. The price was reasonable. We ate to our heart's content, chatting merrily. However, I had to hurry home because my bike was parked where the entrances were to be closed by 10:30 p.m.

Tuesday, September 13, 2005 Fair

　This morning went to the sign language circle's weekly meeting, and then to the Korean language school. It is almost a year since I began learning Korean there. Now I can speak it a little. And I am thinking of taking a Korean language teacher's license.

Monday, September 12, 2005 Fair

　Today was so muggy I felt almost dizzy while working. Today I gave myself a dictation in Korean. This is a good way to study Korean. You have to tape CD's to do this. Now at school we teachers are supposed to give a lecture for Inclusive Learning Hour (Sogoteki Gakushu-no Jikan). We can talk about whatever we like to. Some teachers are popular, and others are so-so. Me? Who knows? This should not be reduced to nothing but a popularity vote, though.

Sunday, September 11, 2005 Cloudy and sprinkling, a thunder warning.

　Went to the polls early in the morning. The place was very crowded. Went there alone because I had to go to work. There was a fire drill at school. The sky was threatening, and not many students participated. I had my English class visited by a student teacher this morning.

Saturday, September 10, 2005 Cloudy

　Did the usual household chores in the morning, driving my wife to work, cleaning, and hanging out the washing to dry. Around noon went to pick up my wife. On the way home, drove to Konan, the gas station, the pet food shop, and the takoyaki shop. I will have to go to the polls early tomorrow morning before going to work. Are postal services going to be privatized?

Friday, September 9, 2005 Fair and then a thundershower.
　
　With my second son I went to apply for a passport. It will be issued in a week. The place was full, and my son's face was too big in his photo, so he had to have his picture taken again, which cost him as much as 1.900 yenーjust exorbitant. To my surprise, my favorite ramen shop at Tennoji closed down . Today I suggested that my son go there, but he went there in vain.

Thursday, September 8, 2005 Fair

　I talked about what to do for the school festival with my colleague. We have decided to give an exhibition of atomic bomb-related stuff. It has been 60 years since atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, resulting in over 200, 0000 deaths. Maybe at that time, to white supremacists, Japanese were no human beings. We have to do a lot of preparing.

Wednesday, September 7, 2005 Cloudy and then the sky cleared up.

　This evening I went to see a video of Korean comfort women at a nearby museum with my Korean teacher. It was a small room but there I felt part of the history of Korea and Japan during the war. There was an avalanche in our kitchen. The rack from which all kinds of kitchen utensils were dangling collapsed all of a sudden with a bang. Our two cats were startled, too.

Tuesday, September 6, 2005 Rainy, occasionally cloudy.

　The typhoon is heading for the Sea of Japan. Went to the sign language circle this morning, for I was in charge. I was also asked to do some extra work. Today my Korean was in bad condition at the Korean language school. I watched a Korean drama for five hours.

Monday, September 5, 2005 Rainy, occasionally cloudy.

　It is quite windy due to the approaching typhoon. This morning there was a Korean class I was supposed to attend, and then I ate lunch in the restaurant on the six floor of the ward hall. There was another makeup between classes. My wife was out on business, coming back late, so on my way back from work I met her at the nearest station from home and went back home together.

Sunday, September 4, 2005 Cloudy, occasionally rainy and thundering.

　Typhoon No. 14 is likely to hit our area on Tuesday. I hope its strength will decline by that time. What shall I do with my Tuesday Korean class? Today has been a moderately busy workday. As it rained, my soccer duty was almost called off. A couple of members came anyway, doing something on their own. My older son is now into "Darren Shan." Suddenly why?

Saturday, September 3, 2005 Fair　and hot and humid.

　There were as many as six women in today's English conversation class. I was the only man except the instructor. Today's topics centered around such things as food and traveling probably because the "professor" was absent. One of the women, the Korean lady, gave me a Korean newspaper. My wife took our second son to our family doctor for a medical checkup, the result of which is sent to the company he may be working for in the near future.
　

Friday, September 2, 2005 Overcast and rather hot and humid.

　Now America is going all out to cope with the Katrina crisis. The situation in and around New Orleans remains to be saved, and the people there are desperate. These days on my way to and from work I listen to Korean on my CD player. I have decided to put off applying for a passport until next Friday because it can wait. It is extremely expensive to travel to Korea this month.

Thursday, September 1, 2005 Fair but rather hot and humid.

　Hurricane Katrina has done more damage to New Orleans than I thought. It is so chaotic and it will take months or years to restore the city. On my way back home, I almost fainted on the train. Was it due to low blood sugar level or temporary cerebral anemia?