Knockin' on summer's door

Fun in the sun? Not in a suit... I'm seriously considering moving to Hokkaido for the summer. Tokyo is like a giant convection oven in the summer season, a humid hell. For now the weather is pleasant, but my instincts are telling me to plan ahead for the heat. Air conditioning in Tokyo works wonders to cool indoor spaces, but its exhaust only adds to the misery outdoors.

Working in the junior high schools has been interesting, but not as entertaining as working in the elementary schools. The students are warming up to me now and I am also feeling more comfortable with my position in the schools. It is a strange feeling wearing the shoes of a public school teacher, especially when I think about what I was up to at their ages.

I'm shooting for a mid July trip home and I'm really looking forward to seeing my family and friends again.

Golden Week

This is one week late, I'm catching my breath. Golden Week is one of the biggest holidays in Japan. I was able to meet members of my family that I had no memory of. Kindness and deep reflections saturated the atmosphere as we flipped through books of memories. I'm left thankful and with a hint of understanding about our family's history.



I was able to sit in the same garden that my mother grew up with. I sat and said a short prayer, to let her know that I had finally arrived.

Sunny Days

The past few days have been some of the best since I've been in Japan. I went for a wonderful birthday dinner to a local neighborhood restaurant. The entire place was handbuilt, by the same people who work in it each day. I had a fantastic meal, but what made the night was the company. The owner, a kind, gleaming fellow, kept me entertained and feeling welcomed. Although verbal communication between us was lacking in effect, we managed to relate and share many ideas. They kept me there the whole evening and I ate again with them, when they finished work. We played guitars and sang, talked about dreams and life.

I met my 20yr old cousin the next day, she was kind, polite, sweet and very intelligent. It felt like a great leap of progress in my goals, just to sit and have lunch with her. Most of my aunts and uncles here are of an older generation, so it's neither convenient or easy to schedule times to meet with them. But I'm hoping that through their children, and their childrens children, I can begin to relate and understand.

Today I met the second of two Jr. High schools that I will be working in for the next year. I will teach from 2-4 classes a day and be able to go home before lunch, leaving me free to work another job or pursue other interests. In the Elementary schools that I was working in, I had 5-6 classes a day and would leave around 3-4 in the afternoon. The students are friendly and well behaved, at least for now. I loved working with the Elementary kids, but I'm looking forward to a little more advanced learning/teaching methods.

The weather is warm and sunny today, spring is looking really good so far...