I should definitely be featured on VH1's eponomously named show because I have most definitely had the best week ever. Here's the rundown:
Monday-No classes. Worked on getting surveys together for teachers. Monday night dinner at Nambu-senseis. I got to meet his super cute daughter, who kept crawling into my lap. His wife, who is also an English teacher, made a really yummy curry with home-grown veggies.
Tuesday-Started giving last lessons at Koga 3st, which is itself a good thing. This is the school I teach by myself at, and well, I'm kind of over the whole "teaching by myself" thing, especially since recently the kids have been really rowdy. Tuesday night I had dinner at the Ishikis. Mr. Ishiki is a history teacher at Sanwa and his wife is an English teacher at Sakai. They have a really cute 6-year-old daughter, and they live with Ms. Ishiki's parents, who are really cool (her dad is a very refined and cultivated gentleman who speaks fluent English and her mom is a superb cook and Ikebana teacher). During the dinner, which was delicious and super healthy as always, we played English
karurta at Myu-chan's suggestion. I was so surprised that not only did this little 6-year-old girl think to try an English version of the Japanese game, but that she could play
karuta better than some of my high schoolers! Also, the Ishikis unexpectedly gave me a really nice gift--a
samue, which is what monks where. It's beautiful.
Wednesday-Again no classes. Continued to de-bug the surveys. Wednesday night I had dinner with Katsuko, a member of Pera Pera English Club, and her daughter, who studied in Alabama, and her daughter's 7-month-old baby Boy, Ryuto. The conversation at dinner was really nice. And on top of her marvelous gift of hundreds of beautiful Japanese stamps, Katsuko gave me some lovely pictures of cherry blossoms.
Thursday-Good classes at Koga 1st, my favorite school. Then Thursday night I had the best karate class ever. Uchida-sensei video taped me doing all the kata I know by myself, which was totally nerve wracking, but will be a nice memory. She also video taped me doing punches and kicks, and
Tenshou with Hiro. Then I took a picture with all the members of the dojo, and then with Oomori-sensei and Uchida sensei. Then Oomori-sensei told me he was going to frame the picture of me with matting that all the black belts had written a good-bye message to me on. And then, Uchida-sensei gave me all these beautiful handmade things: bags, a money holder and a frog. Such unexpected kindess I almost started to cry.
Tonight-Tanabata party in Koga! Eating with Hiro, Matt, Wen, Matt C., Aurelien, Ai-chan, Adriane at Dalwhinnie and then we're going to go bowling and sing karaoke at the ghetto-fab place by my house.
Saturday-my last day and night in Tokyo. Going dancing with Sarah, Sabah, Adriane. Ghostface Killah is at Ageha, so I'm pulling for that, but I'm sure we'll have a blast no matter what we do.
Sunday-My first farewell party, Soba lunch with Pera Pera.
And the next 3 weeks look to be roughly the same!
