Wednesday, March 19, 2008

My Vacation

How in the world does this daytime cold medicine get away with being labeled "non-drowsy"? I took it a little after 7. I slept (passed out?) from 8:30 to a little after 10. Now I'm on the couch, still in my pajamas, watching I Am Sam and still noticeably buzzed on cold medicine. It seems to have stopped the sneezing and the runny nose, but it's not doing so much about the chills.
Yeah, I really know how to spend my spring break.

ps: It's snowing/raining, too.

Friday, March 14, 2008

Wow!!

I just had a surprise visit from a student I taught five years ago. He was in the first group of kids I ever taught here and transferred out to the University of Hawaii to major in Japanese the following year. Now he has graduated and is back in New England and pretty damn fluent in Japanese! I was only one of many teachers he had along the way, but I am so incredibly happy and psyched to see how far he has come. We just chatted for about 30 minutes non-stop in Japanese. And what's even better, he did his study abroad in Kobe and speaks Kansai-ben!
Yeah, I really do like this job. The results can be so rewarding.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

What Matters Matters And The Rest Does Not

I had another birthday. It was pretty good. I got to celebrate a few days early with my little tribe. It was my turn to be banished to the basement while the rest of the tribe baked me a yummy cake. (chocolate cake!!!) I got cool and useful presents: a ball winder for yarn, a new bag for my gym sneakers and a new shirt to work out in. We went out to dinner on The Official Day, as well.
The biggest surprise was hearing from half a dozen (!) former students who sent me birthday greetings through Facebook and other SNS sites and my intermediate class who wrote birthday greetings to me on the classroom white board in Japanese when I was out of the room between classes. The new number that attaches to me for the next 364 days is surprisingly not really on my mind much, but knowing that I have a great guy, a wonderful daughter, and current and former students who have taken a moment or two out of their day to touch base and wish me well really makes me happier than you'd think it might.

Saturday, March 01, 2008

Yeah, Crocuses

If only this were true...