it's not life that matters but the journey...

somewhere along the line this journal stopped being a report of what I was doing here in Japan, and my insights into "Japanese life" and instead became more of a "diary" of my complaints, my dissatisfaction, and my decisions regarding my messed up life.  I do need to get back to reporting on the more positive and more interesting aspects of my life - I'm sure that I'm the only one who wants to hear any more about what I am going to do, especially since my mind changes pretty  much every week.

so with that said, here's what's been going on in my life...

on the 12th of January, I started teaching a new kids' class here at home: a 6-year-old boy named Yuto, his 8-year-old sister named Marino, and another 6-year-old Korean girl named Won Jin.  The girls are very smart and fun to teach, but the boy is going to be a challenge.  I was worried when I first met him because he seemed a little mentally slow.  He could recite the alphabet fine, and if I said something in English, he could repeat it.  But he has absolutely no concentration in class; he sits in his chair talking or singing to himself, playing with imaginary airplanes, making lots of noise, and basically is not able to keep up with the girls.  After teaching him twice now,  I've come to the conclusion that he probably has ADHD, or possibly even some learning disability.  It takes him twice as long to do the same tasks as the girl who is the same age, and he is really quite a strange boy.  Masahiko said maybe I should tell his mother (she is an English teacher herself, but I don't think she's fluent), but I think she's kind of scary so I'm not going to say anything.  After the trial lesson, she was suggesting to Masahiko how I should teach the class, and asking about textbooks, etc.  I wonder if she'll be pleased with what I'm teaching them, but I'm really just going to do my own thing, and not worry about whether or not Yuto learns anything.  Besides, they are getting an outrageously good deal in terms of the cost of the class, so anything I teach should be good for them!

Also, this week another student joined the kids' class I've been teaching on Thursdays.  His name is Mirai and he is 10, and he is joining Natsuko, who is also 10.  I've been teaching Natsuko privately since the beginning of November, and yesterday was the first class with another student.  I think she had more fun since we were able to do games and more dialogues, so it was more interesting for her.  That class is a joy since both kids are quiet and smart.

The hardest thing for me if I leave Japan this year will be quitting these classes.  Even though I have only six students, I feel devoted to teaching them, and I will really feel guilty leaving.  Plus I will really miss Noriko and the three boys I've been teaching on Fridays.  Every time I go there, Noriko treats me to lunch, cookies or cake, and lots of great conversation.  And those boys are all so cute, even though they are a little wild! 

This week I met two of my friends, which was lots of fun.  Tuesday evening, I went out to dinner with Rina, who I used to teach with several years ago at Ihara High School.  I last met her around the beginning of July, and I had been wondering why she didn't answer my emails for the last few months.  It turns out that when she was up in Hokkaido in August, she got very sick and had to have surgery.  she spent a week in a hospital up there, and then when she returned she spent another week at the hospital here.  She missed three weeks of work so was very busy the rest of the school year (she's a high school English teacher, of course).  We had a great dinner at a steak/hamburger restaurant called Asakuma (morning bear) - I didn't order the steak because the cheapest steak, at only 100 grams (hardly enough to feed a hungry child) is almost 1,400 yen (about $13.00), and it only comes with about three potato wedges and a few green beans.  To get a set (rice or bread, corn soup, salad and a drink) you have to pay another 900 yen (8.00).  Not a cheap place!  But they do have good hamburgers, which here are prepared without the bun, and are very delicious!

Wednesday afternoon I met Naomi for a movie and dinner.  We went to see Proof with Anthony Hopkins, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jake Gyllenhaal (my current favorite boy).  The movie was set in Chicago and filmed in Chicago and London (though I couldn't figure out which parts were filmed in London - maybe the university sets).  Seeing Chicago on film made me feel so much more nostalgic for the place (even though Chicago was never really my home, I did enjoy some aspects of living there, and it looks so cool in the movies!).  I really enjoyed the movie - the story was very moving ( I cried), the acting wonderful (I think it was the best acting I've seen from Gwyneth Paltrow, and of course Anthony Hopkins and Hope Davis are very good too), and best of all, Jake is so so easy on the eyes.  I LOVE HIM!!

Now if I could just see Brokeback Mountain, I would be a very happy person!  I wonder if it will ever come here, and I might really have to wait until I go back to the states to see it (though if its left the theaters by then I might be out of luck).  Also, I want to see The Constant Gardener (with my other favorite actor Ralph Fiennes), which looks so awesome.  Oh, I really miss being in the states for movies.  they do eventually come here, but it takes so so long!!

Tomorrow I'm off to my second to last day of working in Shizuoka.  Due to a student cancellation, I teach from 1 to 1:40 and then don't teach again until 4 p.m.  I guess I'll be wandering around the city window shopping, drinking expensive Starbuck's coffee and reading my current book, Bee Season, which my mom sent me for X-mas. 

Fun times....