I'm really super sleepy right now but I am staying up to watch some stuff I downloaded... so I thought I'd post a little update.
I had wanted to update a lot earlier, but I didn't get a chance to get online all day! we left the house at 10:30 this morning to go to the library and do a little shopping, and I expected to return by lunchtime. But while we were at the library, Masahiko got a call from his friend, and he decided that we'd go out there for a little visit. We ended up staying there for two hours and hearing about all of the troubles that one of their friends is having with her family. It seems that this woman's daughter (who's a junior in high school) is fighting with her father (who is an alcoholic and very stressed due to his job), and now she's left home and is not going to school anymore. She is currently staying with this friend of Masahiko who we visited today (he's a monk, and a very interesting person). And I guess that the father is blackmailing the daughter saying that she must return home and apologize to him, or he will divorce her mother! What an asshole! There is apparently a lot of troubled families in Japan because these husbands and fathers work too much and turn to alcohol to reduce their stress - and in this case, he is asserting his power and being very difficult with his poor daughter! So, Masahiko was very worried, as this is a good friend of his (this girl's mother). I wish I knew how to help her...
in other news, I think that the rain might have actually stopped - and its supposed to be sunny tomorrow (be still my heart)! I do hope so for two reasons: so that I can wash clothes, including my electric blanket, and hang them out to dry (this household doesn't like firing up their gas-charged clothes dryers very much); and so that I might be able to get out for a walk. and because the sun is such a nice thing (these endless cloudy days bring me down).
for some reason, yesterday afternoon I started to get an excrutiating pain in my lower back. I had been fine all day, but while I was teaching the kids around 4 in the afternoon, I all of a sudden started to have this terrible pain, and it lasted all night long. I tried putting that "salon pas" (which is those muscle pain reducers you stick onto your skin), and I tried sleeping with the heating pad, but I still felt pain all night. I don't know what could have caused it, because I didn't do any real heavy lifting or exercise, and I didn't fall. but it could have been a combination of the damp weather (I am one of those people whose joints are affected by changes in the weather), or the fact that I'm too sedentary these days. I do my yoga and pilates, but maybe I need more walks! luckily its feeling a bit better today, but I still think my muscles are too weak. (I feel like such an old lady!!) *grabs my cane and my false teeth*
anyway, I managed to get through yesterday despite having a lot of stress. I had a new student in the morning and had to tell her that we are leaving ,possibly as early as April (if I can find a damn apartment, but that's another story). She was disappointed, but said she would take classes until I leave. So, starting next week I'll have three classes on Tuesdays! I also told the kids' mothers in the afternoon about our plans. that is, I told one of the mothers, who speaks a little English, and I think she understood me ( I hope so). Of course they will be disappointed, but I'm sure they will be fine.
I'm thinking I might wait to tell the other students about my plans... especially since I don't even have an apartment yet, and its already March. It may be the end of April before we can actually get out of here at this rate.
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laurainlimbo at 10:28pm on 01/03/2006
surprised
amused
sleepy