Since I took the train to Hitoyoshi last Friday afternoon and didn’t have time to pick it up, my bike was left at the train station all weekend. Yes, it was left, and when I returned to it, it was exactly where I left it exactly the same. I didn’t lock it nor did I expect it to be stolen. This is Japan. People just don’t steal things here. When I told my mother that, she was absolutely amazed. If you leave an unattended bike anywhere in the States unlocked, chances are that it’s not going to be there when you get back….or the chain, gears, light, bell, seat, etc will be missing. Security in Japan is absolutely fabulous, and that’s definitely one thing that I’ll miss when I go back to the States!
Not a lot happened the previous Monday, but Tuesday was fun. I ate lunch with my second graders at the JHS, and the kids at my table were pretty chatty, which was nice. Usually we just sit and stare at each other. The day before was my nephew, Jack’s, birthday, so I told them that and then showed them a picture of him on my phone. They were confused at first and thought that it was my child. I told them no, no, NO! 
Then they asked me about Ian and how long we’d been married. I told them for almost two years. (I can’t believe that! Time flies!) I showed them a few wedding pictures on my phone, and all the girls replied with “CUTE! CUTE!” It took them a while to formulate the questions, but they asked me about babies. Did I have any? Do I want any? When will I have them? I think they were hoping that I’d pop out a kid or two while I’m in Japan so that the foreigner population in Yunomae would go up to three. Either that or they want something else to say is “KAWAII! KAWAII!” They were sorely disappointed when I had a look of terror on my face and shook my head at the word “baby.” One girl asked me if I would wait until I got back to America to have babies. I said yes, and although it was unspoken, I’m pretty sure I broke a few hearts by saying that.
Something that I find funny is that my JHS principal is ALWAYS cleaning. I come in some mornings, and he’s gliding a dry mop over the floors, vacuuming his office, pulling weeds out of the school’s flower beds, trimming hedges, sweeping the hallway, etc. It really made me giggle the other day when he started cleaning in the middle of a staff meeting. He was sitting down at his desk, but he had what looked like a giant lint roller and was rolling it back and forth on the floor under the desk. hahahaha!
Since it’s Lent, I might as well share what I’m giving up. I usually give up sweets during Lent. This is a really, really difficult thing for me to do since I probably have the biggest sweet tooth of anyone you'll ever meet. I made the same Lenten promise this year, but it's a lot harder. There are always new and different foods that I want to try. In addition, teachers at the school sometimes offer me little sweet snacks, and if I don't take them, it's seen as culturally rude. My Lenten promise was broken within a week, so I narrowed it down to just giving up chocolate and sugary drinks. This is easier, but I still find myself slipping at times… although I haven’t had a Coke since Mardi Gras.
Last Wednesday was my ES day….my favorite day of the week! 
The elementary kids don’t have to wear uniforms, so I every week I have a silent competition to see who has the best ENGRISH shirt….as in a shirt with English words but in an order that makes no sense or is highly inappropriate. The winner last week goes to one of my fifth grade boys. His sweatshirt with “BLOW ONE’S BRAINS OUT” in thick bold letters definitely takes the cake. Oh, Japan! 
There’s usually not too many cry babies at school, but for some reason, it seemed like they were coming out of the wood work last week! I had two kids cry in third grade. One girl cried because a boy accidently smacked her finger during a game, and another boy cried because his turned got skipped. In the hallway, I saw a teacher yelling at a kid, and she was crying. Finally, during recess we were playing tag. It had been raining the past couple of days, so the ground was basically one big mud pit. Several kids were slipping and sliding. One girl slipped on the concrete and skinned her legs. I felt really bad for her because I could tell she was trying to be tough and not cry even though she was dying on the inside. 
She went to the nurse’s room, got bandaged up, and was back outside ready to play before recess was even over. I find it interesting what happens when kids cry hear. In general, the teachers don’t coddle them at all. If a kid cries for a good reason, ie injury, usually a couple of other kids will approach him/her and take care of him/her. Got to love Japan’s group mentality! If a kid cries for a bad reason, ie he/she’s in trouble for whatever reason, they get no comfort from ANYONE. It’s like the tears fuel the teacher’s rant. The kid usually tucks his/her face into the crook of his/her arm to avoid showing that he/she is crying. We all know what’s going on, but it’s to save face.
I taught the song “You Are My Sunshine” in fourth grade. It took a while to pronounce the refrain so that the kids could write it in katakana and sing along with me. After that, though, the real fun began. I was singing and dancing in the aisles, and the kids LOVED it. I’m pretty sure some of the boys swooned as I sang to them. Everyone thought the crazy foreigner was so funny, and the teacher was even taking pictures of me! Ah, the foreigner in Japan=the hero and the clown!
That’s all for now. I’ll keep them coming!
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