In case you couldn’t figure it out from the title, yesterday was the first day of school. I don’t care how old you get, nothing makes you wrinkle your nose in disgust, stomp your feet like a three-year-old, and vehemently deny the day’s existence quite like the first day back to school. 
Ian and I had a GREAT last day of summer break together. On Sunday we did nothing but lay around and watch TV all day. It was perfect! We did Skype a few people in the morning. I got to talk to my sister, Amanda, which doesn’t happen that often since she is constantly busy. I also talked to Justine, who is now back in the States and beginning a grad school program. It was so weird to talk to her via Skype because I’m just so used to seeing her face-to-face over here. She filled me in on what it was like to move back home, and I gave her all of the Kuma-gun gossip. Later that afternoon I wanted to ride bikes and even asked Ian to come with me, but as soon as I got the notion to do so, the skies opened up. For the rest of the afternoon it rained off and on, and there was even thunder and lightning that night. One clap of thunder was that horrific crackling kind, and I was so startled by it that (like a six-year-old) I jumped. 
Part of me is happy to get back into the routine of things. I’m glad to see some of the students who I haven’t seen in over a month and glad to have some sort of schedule and know how to spend my days now. On the other hand, I’m really not happy to be back at school and feeling like the awkward foreigner again. I didn’t have a schedule for this week until I asked my JTE for one on Monday morning. He hastily jotted down what classes were during which periods this week and asked me to prepare a review game for the one class I did have yesterday.
Shortly after that, I noticed the teachers trickling out of the teacher’s room. It’s never a good thing to be the only one in the teacher’s room. This generally means that I should be somewhere else because something is going on. I assumed that it was time for the opening ceremony and made my way to the gym. Thank goodness I did because I arrived JUST in time for it to begin. Each school trimester begins with a big formal opening ceremony in which the principal and vice principal give speeches telling the students to study hard and work, work, work, awards are given for achievements, more speeches are made, and then everyone stands up to sing the Yunomae JHS song.
After the opening ceremony, we had cleaning time. Usually cleaning time is only fifteen minutes at the end of the day, but since the school hadn’t been deep cleaned in over a month, the cleaning time took up an entire period. I went to the nurse’s room and swept my heart out. I swept in corners that haven’t seen a broom in SEVERAL months. Those dust bunnies were ferocious! 
An announcement was made over the PA system, and all of the students filed out onto the multi-purpose field behind the school building to weed it. I would have gone and didn’t mind doing that work, but I forgot to bring a change of clothes and didn’t want to be the only idiot in nice work clothes on the field. Had I been wearing my more casual work clothes, I would have, but since it was the opening ceremony, I wore my nicest clothes.
After that, I confirmed with my JTE that my review game idea was okay (a board game that we had played in class before). He kind of gave me the impression that it wasn’t okay, and I should make something else. That’s fine. I quickly made a worksheet with random vocab words printed all over it. The students were to get into pairs and use two different colored pens. I would say a vocab word, (ie, purpose) and whoever from the pair circled the word first was the winner. Whoever circles the most words by the end of the game is the winner. My JTE liked this idea, so I made copies of the worksheets. Then fifteen minutes before class started, he asked me if I had any pictures of people doing actions for a review game. Luckily, I had a few old flashcards at my desk. He told me that first in class, we’d play a question game with the pictures, then my circle-the-word game, and then the board game. (WAIT….WHAT?!) That’s right…the board game idea that I thought he shot down was apparently okay. Ugh! Communication here is so frustrating sometimes!!!
Lunch was back to me eating with the students and having awkward forced conversations. It just seems like no matter what I said or did, no one really wanted to talk. 
Ugh! It’s such a struggle sometimes to get these kids to say ANYTHING!
After school, I went for a bike ride. Since I (finally!) got my bike back from the train station in Nishiki, (where we were keeping it so that Ian could ride to work when he didn’t have his license) I had the ability to change gears and bike the mountain! Woo-hoo! Every other time that I’ve gone on the fixed gear bike, it’s literally been an uphill climb. Yesterday I biked the longest I’ve ever done on that road with only minimal dismounts to walk. One con about my bike is that it is tiny. It’s definitely meant for a tiny Asian because after riding my comfortable fixed gear bike for a few weeks, to get back on my mountain bike made me feel like a monkey on a tricycle! I felt ridiculously hunched over, the seat provided zero padding, and every time I stood to pedal, I thought I was going to lose my footing. All-in-all, it was a great ride, though, and I’m so happy to have my bike back!
Once I pedaled back to Yunomae, I ran to the grocery for a few things to make dinner. I think I went at JUST the wrong time though since it was PACKED. There I was all sweaty and nasty, but I saw several students and even my vice principal. She’s a sweet heart and asked me what was for dinner that night. I have no idea why she likes me so much since I’m usually a socially awkward outsider at school, but for whatever reason, she has taken a liking to me! 
Yesterday in the States was Labor Day, a holiday not celebrated in Japan. It’s so weird how I just FORGET about American holidays over here because no one celebrates them! Mommy told me that Daddy was off of work on Monday, and I asked why. DUH! LABOR DAY! Japan has the equivalent to Labor Day, but it’s not until November. This year it falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving (another holiday not celebrated in Japan). I think all of the ALTs in Kuma-gun might take advantage of that day off and have another Thanksgiving potluck again. Last year’s worked out so well, so why not do it again? 
Finally to wrap up this blog……remember all of that weight that I said I gained while back in the States for two weeks? As in…..my “big girl” jeans were being filled out rather well… Well, yesterday I happened to wear a pair of shorts that my gut was lapping over while in the States. They were loose! Here’s the real shocker: I haven’t even been trying to loose weight. I still eat like a pig and drink Coke fairly often. Although I have been biking more often, I don’t know how the weight just fell off…..which makes me believe that American food really IS JUST THAT BAD FOR YOU. Since most of you who read this blog are in the States, mull over that thought for a bit.
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