Hurray for the Weekend!

Hurray for the weekend! I am so tired. I feel like I have run a marathon or something. The last time I wrote was on Wednesday and that seems like ages ago. Since then so much has happened. Thursdays and Fridays are my longest days. I have to ride the train to Fukuyama for an hour both directions plus teach a whole day (from 10:30 until 6:30). By the time I get home it’s about 8:30. I literally come in and fall into bed.

Thursday was very confusing. I had everything that I needed, I got to the station to be picked up and I waited…and waited…and waited… After about 20 minutes I was wondering if I was just really early or if they had forgotten me. I got a phone call and it went something like this: “Amanda! Are you okay?” “Yes, are you okay?” “Where are you?” “The train station…waiting on you.” “You are supposed to be at Midori today (my Friday school).” “No, it’s Thursday. I go to Hikari.” “No, your schedule is switched this week.” “What?? No one told me!!” “I’m coming to get you.”

Needless to say, I was upset. It turns out that they had not given me the schedule that had the switch on it, nor had anyone told me. I was fine, it didn’t bother me (other than to irritate me a little because I didn’t have my materials for that school with me so I had to improvise) but they all FREAKED out when I didn’t show up at the station. It started a Japanese phone tree like you wouldn’t believe. I also got a visit that night from two of the Japanese teachers bringing me presents and new copies of ALL of the schedules. It was a good day though, all in all.

On Friday I went to my Thursday school (Hikari). They are preparing to have a Summer Festival on Saturday evening so they let me go home early. I was so thankful. I was so tired during my teacher lessons that I thought I was going to nod off. One of the teachers brought me fish as a gift! Now I have some tiny little pets for my apartment. I am going to take really good care of them. Although I said that in college and after my roommate and I went through 3 or 4 of them, her mom finally sent us glass fish so that we wouldn’t kill anymore. I am more optimistic this time.

Clo called me when I was on the train. She asked if I wanted to get dinner. I was excited to go out with a friend. While we were talking the train man came up to me and started talking Japanese. I think he was telling me that you can’t talk on your cell phone while you are on the train. I asked Clo later and she said yes, that’s probably what he was saying.

It was pouring down rain when I got to the station so someone came and drove me home. That was good because I had those fish and my bags…a disaster waiting to happen on a bike. I quickly threw my stuff down and ran off to dinner. I was SOAKED when I got to the restaurant. I had to walk because my bike was at the station, even if I had ridden the bike I would have been soaked. The people here are very good at riding the bike with one hand and holding an umbrella with the other. I just don’t have the balance and coordination yet.

Clo and I were at dinner for over 2 hours. We went to Sunday’s Sun. It was fun. We talked and listened to the music while we ate. They were playing all kinds of English songs that were from the 90s. Things like Backstreet Boys, Madonna, and the Macarena. It was hilarious. We made plans for Sunday and then headed home. Today looks cloudy and I am waiting for the rain. More later!