Oh the laughs

The teachers here at the junior high have a good working relationship. They are always laughing and amusing themselves about what the students do. It is a pretty warm atmoshpere. Too bad I can understand much of anything, except a few words. Someday I will, someday.
Today it is rainy and cold. Seems like Chicago, except when you look out the window and see the mist rising off the near-by mountains surrounding me. I keep forgetting that I am in a far-away land, on a huge island in the Pacific. The Pacific. So far from Chicago. I spent a good hour last night looking through old school, sailing, and party photos on my computer. Photos of good times long ago. I am glad that I am taking a lot of pictures everything while I am here. Everyday here is like the language lab I had to go to once a week back in College when I was taking Level 1 Japanese. Except for being for only 45 minutes it has turned into 24x7, everyone, everything, everyplace. Except when I dream, everything is still in English. Except for one dream where I said something in Japanese at one point. And now when I think to my self sometimes I will think I a few japanese words. For example, 'someday' had now become 'tabun,' and 'alright' has become 'daijoubu.' And today I tried reading some French words; I took French for almost 4 years in high school. I read nearly every word with a Japanese accent.
Tuesday, I was a routine day. I did my two classes at the junior high and hung out there until about 3:00 when I headed to the BOE. There I hung until about 5:00 or so and then went home and made some spagetti, because I didn't want the rest of the sauce to go bad. After dinner I made a card/picture on my computer of the faces and names of my 1st graders from the elementry school that is next door to me. A teacher did this for me at the another elementry school for all the grades there. I now almost have every students first name now, well at least the cool kids.
Wesnesday was spent at Kawaharago Shou. My neck was killing me. I had slept in the wrong position or something and so I was cranky, but by lunch I was making the kids laugh with my half-asses Japanese and having a good time. Before going back to the BOE I went to the Junior High where it happened to be picture day and so I was included in the teacher's picture. Cool. I wonder if this school has a yearbook or anything like that. Then I went back to the BOE where I bought a plane ticket home. Afterwards I went home and made some udon and watched 'The Birdcage.' Ok.
Yes I will be back in Chicago for New Years. So if anyone that is reading this wants to hang out when I get back, please e-mail me or give me a call.