(01/06/05 - 30/06/05)

 

See June's photos

 

 

02/06/05

 
The weather has gone hot and muggy.  We're heading towards the rainy season - hot (humid), sunny days interspersed by heavy rains (and more humidity). The cicadas are starting to sing.  
 

05/06/05

 
Tea Ceremony with one of Tom's Students
Despite Tom's continued illness (sinus infection), we went out to the Yokokan garden to meet up with one of his students, and do tea ceremony.  The weather was beautiful - a cool breeze blowing in through the sliding screens.  It was very relaxing, and very enjoyable.  Tea ceremony is something I will really miss when I leave Japan.
  
See the photos
  

06/06/05

 
Tom's Second Trip to the Doctor's
Well, we thought he was getting better, and now he's ill again.  Same thing.  More antibiotics.  
 

07/06/05

 
The NHK Man
Today was my first encounter with the infamous NHK man.  (Tom dealt with him last year.) 
From what I understand, it isn't actually law to have a TV licence, but NHK (Japan's sorry excuse for an equivalent to the BBC) would like people to believe that it is.  Instead of sending out bills for people to pay, they send men to ring people's doorbell's and witter away at them until they pay up.  And if you refuse to pay?  They come back again...and again...and again.  Usually being gaijin works in our favour - naturally, none of us understand a single word the NHK man is saying to us (no matter how good our level of Japanese may be...!).

Anyway, I've now gone into hiding from The NHK Man.
   

08/06/05

 
The NHK Man...again
He came twice today....
   

10/06/05

 
The NHK Man...again
...and again today...
 
Enkai for Female Teachers
What an exciting rip-roaring knees up this was.  A-hem.  Yeeeees.  Well.  
At the mixed enkais, the men like to chill out, get drunk, have light conversation and generally enjoy themselves (same as back home, I guess).  It's my male colleagues who are the most sociable, and the ones I end up talking to for most of the evening.  The female-teacher enkais are...well...not quite so much fun.  The women want to gossip all evening, and are all quite serious.  My Japanese isn't good enough to understand most of what they are saying...so it's not such a great experience for me.  That, and the fact only three of us were drinking.  Bloody miserable. 

Actually, the food (it was at a very posh sushi place) was wonderful, and I got to try a few things I hadn't come across before.  I also got filled in on a few bits of gossip...veeeery interesting gossip!  

So, yes, I did have a good time - and I am very glad I went.  I just have more fun at the mixed enkais...!
    

12/06/05

  
The Bastard NHK Man...AGAIN!
Damn, he's persistant!  Tom dealt with him today...I wonder if it will make a difference...?
  

13/06/05

  
Adele's visit to the Doctor
...yup...time to get immunised.  Although I had an appointment I was still kept waiting in the (very, very hot, very, very stuffy) waiting room.  Then I was given a thermometer to take my temperature.

***Warning***
When given a thermometer to take your temp in Japan: Don't put it in your mouth (Tom and I both found this out the hard way...the nurses freak!).  It's to go in your armpit (so at least you're assured of a really accurate(!) reading then...).

Thermometer beeped...37.1oC.  I gave it to the nurse, and was kept waiting another 20 minutes.  She then came back to inform me that I have a fever.  I thought she was joking.  Nope.  I have to do it again.  37.1.

Finally I'm shown in to see the doctor, who also tells me I have a fever.  Ummmm....  But 31oC is correct body temperature, isn't it?  And arm-pit temperature is renowned for being inaccurate, and the most susceptible to environmental temperature.  It's approaching 30oC outside.  The waiting room has no through-draft and one wall is completely glass.  What does she expect?  

She assures me that I do indeed have a fever of.... 0.1oC.  I had to really work hard to persuade her that I'm not ill, and she can give me my jab.

These gaijin physiologies,  you know...!
  

17/06/05


Tom's third visit to the doctor
Just when we thought he was better...he comes down with a flu-like virus...a very high temperature and the shivers.  Back to the doctor's.  At least he gets time of work now...

Drinks for Mary's Birthday
Leaving Tom behind, I trundled down to Bears to wish Mary a happy birthday, and to join the crowd for a drink...
 
See the photos
 

18/06/05

 
So, what have we been doing this month...? 
In case you hadn't noticed, there aren't many photos up for June.  Well...apart from Tom being rather under-the-weather, most of our free time has been taken up with planning and sorting:  rushing around trying to get everything ready for The Long Route Home and our imminent departure from Fukui.  We're getting there, but there's still an awful lot to do...  
 
Anyway, it's all quite interesting and exciting for us, but very, very boring for you guys...
  

20/06/05 ~

 
International Exploration: The Poster Presentations by my 3rd grade
This term we set all the kids off on projects.  1st grade were making commercials, 2nd grade news & weather broadcasts, and the 3rd grade poster presentations.  All of the kids did really well, and I was especially pleased with the 3rd grade kids!  They did a really fantastic job!

see the photos
  

22/06/05

 
Farewell China Table 
I took the afternoon off work, and Tom and I went for our last China Table nosh-up.  We're not really making a point to "go and say goodbye" to many places. Personally I feel that if you go to a place specifically to say goodbye, you only end up dwelling and not enjoying yourself.  Perhaps better to remember the places as you last visited them (when you didn't know it was the last time).  So, basically, we just fancied Chinese...that, and...well...a month today...!
   

23/06/05

 
Enkai for Male Teachers 
Actually, it was to celebrate (commiserate) a recent athletics event involving Haruko kids...but no other female teachers went.  Not that I minded, however (especially not since the female teachers' enkai earlier in the month).  The atmosphere was so much more relaxed, and I was better able to chat to my colleagues.  Ended up having a really good time, and I was (as always) made to feel very welcome!
  

26/06/05

 
Daianzenji 
There was a festival going on...so we went.  Not incredibly exciting, but the irises were nice!  Temperature just too hot and humid, though.

See the photos

Matt T's final sugar party
Sugar a-go-go.  A huge thank you to Matt and his baking equipment!
  

28/06/05

 
My Successor
I now, finally, have the name of my successor!  

But no contact details....
  

29/06/05

 
COCKROACH ALERT! COCKROACH ALERT! COCKROACH ALERT!
We have a cockroach infestation at work.  And where was the first one found?  In my desk drawer.  Bloody hell.  It's too much to cope with first thing in the morning. 

I'd just got to work, and I opened my top drawer to find two menacing eyes watching me.  I did not scream.  (A very loud "WO!" does not constitute a scream.)  The teacher who sits next to me was kind enough to get the vacuum cleaner and suck it up.  And so the morning passed with me sitting there wondering a) how the damn thing got into my desk in the first place, and b) that it was still alive in the vacuum cleaner, and just biding it's time until tonight, when it would head back for a party in my desk.  The worst part of it was the bite marks in my tangerine.

But worse was to come.

When two of the teachers went to make their lunch, they found an infestation.  Some more biggies, and a whole hoard of baby cockroaches by the sink.  I am one unhappy ALT at the moment.  Cockroach combat is not part of my job description.  Ah well, maybe they're happier in the vacuum cleaner.
  
  
More successor info
Just when I was thinking it was time to leave the country, we finally received the information about my successor (cue: my supervisor running across the office brandishing all the forms, exclaiming excitedly "Adele, Adele, we've finally got it!".  Not that we've been impatiently waiting for this information for over a month.  And not that Keisuke is looking forward to replacing me...)
  

30/06/05  
First Contact
Contact has at last been made between myself and my successor...
 

 

 

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