Saturday, September 30, 2006 Fair

　I took the 10:43 Shinkansen, arriving at Odawara at 13:08. Bought two box lunches there, I got on a Odakyu train. Took 15 minutes or so to get to my destination. Saw a picture of the deceased, but still could not believe he was no more. Stayed overnight there at my friend's place.

Friday, September 29, 2006 Fair

　Some gatecrashers came at the very last minute to meet the deadline. I kept working for hours. The telephones kept ringing. Students kept coming. I am afraid there is something wrong with this system. I got exhausted. What a day! I have to do something about it.

Thursday, September 28, 2006 Cloudy

　Looks like the more stupid bosses are, the more high-handed they are, which applies to my workplace as well. What such bosses do is threatening. And this is true at my workplace, too. What they are supposed to do is to improve our working environment, but in reality they do something to the contrary. They have no vision. They only seek upward mobility. Hence distrust.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006 Cloudy

　In the morning taught basic Korean as usual. After having lunch at the usual restaurant, until I left for home, I had no time even to have a cup of coffee. Students came one after another. There was one conference, too. Also called some students who handed in their first-term 'reports' today-too late to meet the deadline.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006 Cloudy

　Went to the Museum of Kyoto to see an exhibition of Maria Theresia-related things. Getting married for love, she gave birth to 16 children, most of whom did not seem to live a happy life. Her youngest daughter was Marie Antoinette, who died on the guillotine at the time of the French Revolution. Maria Theresia was a wise ruler and great mother who had Christian faith.

Monday, September 25, 2006 Fair

　In the morning did some weeding and pruning in the backyard and cleaned the balcony a little. Also cleaned the bathroom ( toilet ).Tamba Tetsuro died today at age 84. He was a human being, too, after all. We are all mortal. Today two nursery school kids were killed in a traffic accident caused by a driver who looked aside while driving. Recently tragic traffic accidents occurred one after another.

Sunday, September 24, 2006 Fair

　The deadline for the first term is coming near, and there are quite a few students who rush in at the very last minute. I am being busy now. This is going to be a super-duper busy week. I kept calling such students today. Also I corrected dozens of 'reports', had four classes to teach, and helped some students to take care of.

Saturday, September 23, 2006 Fair

　I saw and heard a Korean traditional song called "pansori" for the first time today. The title of the song was "sugunfa." Later talked with some friends in a nearby coffee shop for some time. This morning drove to Joshin to get back our son's personal computer from the repair shop.

Friday, September 22, 2006 Fair

　It is cool enough and summer seems to be gone. Crickets are chirping. Today when I was about to leave for home, quite a few kids came to see me, so I was at work overtime. I am afraid there will be some students who rush in to meet the deadline at the last minute.

Thursday, September 21, 2006 Fair

　Felt tired all day from lack of sleep.. One conference for Student Council teachers. Now back at home thinking of going to bed after watching a Korean drama for an hour or so. So busy today I missed NHK's radio Korean programs. Too bad.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006 Fair

　Taught basic Korean in the morning. Ate lunch at the usual restaurant. Corrected some 'reports.' Made an English handout, listening to English online. Quite a few phone calls came. One of my homeroom kids came with her 'reports,' so helped her meet her teachers, walking up and down the stairs. Another student in my OC�T class came. Helped him with his 'reports.' Studied Korean in the evening. At home watched the rest of the episodes of "Chincha Chincha Choa He," until the wee hours of morning.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006 Fair

　I have a chronic illness, so I go to see my doctor once a month. Then I have my blood pressure taken, but it is usually higher usual because I have a phobia about those who wear white coats. As a little boy I often caught cold or got ill and went to see the doctor, who often gave me injections. In those days syringe needles were repeated used and injections were so painful. I would often cry before getting a shot while the doctor was cleaning his injector with alcohol.

Monday, September 18, 2006 Cloudy

　Tried to pay the tuition for the Korean language class on the ATM, but could not because the system is now different than before probably to prevent the so-called "furikome" fraud. Tomorrow I will have to pay the money at a bank window. Watched up to the 23rd episode of the Korean drama "I sure really like you." In the morning saw the 4th episode o"Green Rose", another Korean drama. My wife and I ate out at the Chinese restaurant this evening. On the way home did some shopping at Daiei and bought some cakes.

Sunday, September 17, 2006 Cloudy

　Typhoon No. 13 was heading toward the Kinki district, but after all it did not come this way. All day I relaxed at home. I had a call from Mom. Come to think of it, it is Respect-for-the-Aged Day tomorrow. She is complaining of her kneeache now. Watched 12 episodes of a Korean movie until the wee hours of morning.

Saturday, September 16, 2006 Fair

　Went to the English conversation school in the morning. On the way home bought some takoyaki to eat over a can of beer for lunch with my wife. Toward the evening went to Joshin with my wife by train to have the printer repaired again. Got four croquettes near there. Watched a Korean drama at night.

Friday, September 15, 2006 Fair

　A morning Korean language study meeting as usual and then lunch at the usual place. One makeup in Oral Communication �T. Not too many 'reports' to check. In the third period taught OC�T. This class is excellent, so I did a little pair work for the first time. It worked O.K. Maybe that is because they know each other well now. As soon as I got home late tired, I did some household chores, such as taking out the garbage and doing the dishes. I think I can feel for Socrates, whose wife was Xanthippe.

Thursday, September 14, 2006 Cloudy, occasionally fair.
r
　Today's conferences were rather short, which is good. I decided to take it easy today, so I took several hours off At Korea Town bought some cucumber kimchi, which my wife loves. At home watched a Korean movie for nearly two hours. Typhoon No. 13 is coming up north toward Japan. I may be visiting my friend in Kanagawa this weekend. Hope I can make it.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006 Cloudy, occasionally rainy.

　Taught basic Korean in the morning on a volunteer basis. Ate lunch at the usual place, and then prepared some worksheets to use in class. There was one makeup to take care of. Another Korean study meeting later. Back home there was a faxed message from the Korean language school about the next term starting in mid-October. Saw a serial Korean drama for an hour or so.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006 Cloudy

　The sign language circle's weekly meeting in the morning and the Korean language school class in the afternoon. Today's Korean class was the last one for this term. It has been almost two years since I began to learn Korean. The weather has finally become autumnlike. Tonight saw the first two episodes of "Green Rose," another Korean drama. In this world are two kinds of people-those who do not mind telling lies and those who do mind telling lies.

Monday, September 11, 2006 Cloudy

　It has been just five years since the 9.11 terrorist attacks happened, and it is said that terrorists will use nuclear weapons next time in the near future. I wonder where this deep-rooted hatred comes from. Narrow-mindedness? Distrust? Fear? Who profits from this endless cycle of hatred? We now live in a 'sick' world.

Sunday, September 10, 2006 Cloudy, occasionally rainy.

　A workday. Four classes to take care of and club duty. Today's fire drill was cancelled due to the bad weather. Back home saw a Korean movie entitled "Last Present" starring Lee Young Yea. A sad story. What touched me was the way they accept death. If you die for someone else, you become so strong you are not afraid of dying. Paradoxically enough, if you live to make yourself happy, you will become unhappy. Love knows no fear. That is the message I got from this Korean movie.

Saturday, September 9, 2006 Cloudy and muggy.

　Looks like summer is back again. Saw a short Korean drama this morning. Impressed. Had a quarrel with my wife over the way I wake up our son. Why so nagging about such a trifling thing? Took recyclable plastic bottles and cans to the nearby supermarket. Got two okomomi to go there for lunch. Edited the sign language circle's newspaper. There were some 911-related TV programs-rescue workers then suffering from respiratory diseases and not being rescued now by the Government. They breathed in asbestos particles in the air then while working. Filled in the next year's transfer form.

Friday, September 8, 2006 Cloudy and muggy.

　So hot and humid today. There were two students who promised to meet me, but they never showed up. One of them called. There was just one class to teach, but somehow I felt really exhausted after checking the floors on duty at the end of the day. I find less satisfaction in doing my routine work these days.

Thursday, September 7, 2006 Cloudy

　Taught basic Korean to a couple of fellow workers for an hour or so. It was a hassle just to unlock the room on the fifth floor, going all the way down to the office on the first floor to get the key and return it. Then had a quick lunch, a sandwich and a salad I got on the way to work. At one o'clock a Student Council teachers' meeting. Then came a regular teachers' meeting. And lastly a Human Rights Committee teachers' meeting. I had been on the go for more than six hours. Just crazy!

Wednesday, September 6, 2006 Cloudy and then rainy and thundering.

　Two Korean study meetings-one in the morning and the other in the evening. I made a few silly mistakes. Shame on me! Two students came to take their retest or reretest at different times. One came on short notice. One my way home, lightning was flashing, and I was scared. Saw a Korean drama for an hour at night.

Tuesday, September 5, 2006 Cloudy

　Attended the sign language circle's weekly meeting for the first time in many days. It did not meet during the summer vacation. Then went to my Korean language school. Looks like we will be having a different instructor next term. Arranged to meet my wife in the building where the Korean language school is and we ate out together. Then went to a movie called "Guemul (a monster)."

Monday, September 4, 2006 Fair

　We are trying to live by finding a niche for ourselves. Nowadays, however, nowhere on the earth is a place where we can settle down in the true sense of the word. This age in which we live is suffering from a serious illness called "uneasiness."Due to high technology, things are being made visible. Visibility is so high there is no hiding place unless one dies. That is how life is on this planet. "Just give me a break. I want to take it easy, you know," must be a cry from everybody's heart.

Sunday, September 3, 2006 Fair

　I intended to take an hour off this morning, today being a workday, but I was asked to take somebody else's place and teach in the first period. So I did. Not teaching English is boring. I kind of enjoy teaching English, but in today's Reading class, I used less English than usual. No good. Teaching, however, should be interactive, but it tends to be one-way traffic―like top-down management in today's teachers' world.

Saturday, September 2, 2006 Fair

　This next prime minister to be is thinking of revising the Constitution and the Fundamental Law of Education. Where is this country going, I wonder? My only hope is "No more war, please!" I hope there will be no witch-hunt. Now teachers are being strictly controlled.-under so much stress. They have less freedom at work. Being a teacher myself, I am familiar with what is going on in the world of teachers. Went to the English conversation school and spent two hours or so speaking English.

Friday, September 1, 2006 Fair

　School has started for me. One English �T class to teach. The air in the neighborhood smells of gas these days maybe due to gas emissions from the newly constructed road near by. Too bad. Perhaps carbon dioxicides must be increasing around here, too. Speaking of cars, gas prices are incredibly high now, so we need to buy a high mileage car, but for the time being we must be content with the present one.