WOW!! This was an exceptional week. Not much really happened but some truely amazing things are happening. Working in this area of Japan for the past year has been one of the most trying experiences in my life. My one up boss is a bully and and a very unreasonable person. Especially if you don't do exactly as he says or even hint at questioning him on anything. It immediately becomes a case of you undermining his authority. It's so bad that if someone told you about it you wouldn't really believe that the company would keep someone like that around. Because of this person I have had to do things that I hoped I would never have to do. My fight, and several others, to get rid of this guy has finally seen a little success. Word was announced at our staff meeting this week that a new person was going to join the supervisor staff. The understanding is that the old one is on his way out in the near future. Can't be soon enough for most of us teaching in this area. That deserves a smiley face :)
On the teaching front something really weird happened at a classroom I was covering at. I had a class of 3 and 4 year olds. One boy took a look at me and started crying. This isn't all that exceptional though usually I can get them to stop calling for their mothers within 5-10mins. I couldn't with this one. His crying triggered another student to start crying, also not that exceptional. What was exceptional, and even strange, was that while they were crying I was trying to get them to stop by making strange sounds and speaking Japanese to them. Another student came up behind me and started banging on my shoulders with a block. I said "itai" which means ouch in Japanese and both these crying kids started laughing. The weird thing is that they didn't stop crying. They were crying and laughing at the same time. I didn't even know this was possible. I don't mean they were laughing with crying tears in their eyes, they were crying whaaa whaa and laughing ha ha all at the same time. It looked and sounded so strange that I started laughing which made them stop laughing and just cry. So I started saying "itai" and they started laugh/crying again. It was so strange. Anyways, they didn't really stop crying for the whole hour. Makes for a stressful lesson. I think I might get the Japanese teacher to come next month, because i am sure I will be there again.
Rainy season started this week. Somehow the Japanese know exactly which day weather patterns will take effect. Well in advance usually. They can tell you almost a month in advance when the cherry blossom trees will bloom. It's amazing. Not like the weather forecasters at home where they can't even tell you what the weather will be like that day. I love rainy season. Even though rainy season here amounts to maybe a day of rain per week here. Rain is my favorite weather. Totally relaxing for me.
My plans for the weekend are going to watch the new Tom Cruise movie Oblivion. Might not be new to the folks back in Canada but it opens in Japan today. Can't wait. Looks like it could be a good summer of Sci-fi movies. Next month Wil Smith's After Earth opens. Might even have a different name in North America. I think there are a couple more coming out this summer.
Well that's enough for now. Enjoy your weekend.
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