22 - Overdue

Right, okay, here we go. Lots of time to cover here. Forgive me for writing up a list of things to talk about.

End of term and graduation

Spring break

New term: New teachers and students

Golden week

Plans for the rest of term

Stuff like books, films, TV and games

It’s certainly been a while. I could list all the little excuses that have kept me from a word processor these past months, but that wouldn’t interest you. And ultimately they would be nothing but excuses. Needless to say, it’s been a tough enough time finding the energy to do anything in my free time, and recounting the highlights of my weeks has been low on the old priority list. But that changes today. Today you get it all.

The term ended towards the end of March, to much fanfare and revelry. Lamentably I was unable to attend this year’s graduation, being held up with work at elementary school. Being one of the biggest events of the year, and the last time to see the old third years before they leave, it was truly unfortunate to have to miss it. I even got a few startled looks from the other teachers in the staff room at elementary after they saw that my junior high’s graduation was on that day. “Peter,” one teacher said, “you didn’t go to graduation?!” “Sensei,” I replied, “I was teaching your class while it was happening.” I didn’t intend to guilt trip, but there was an undeniable satisfaction at his grimace. But no matter. I got chances to say goodbye over the next few weeks, and still see a few of them around. A few even tried to add me on Facebook, which was touching if a little, how should I put it, professionally dangerous.

After that came Spring Break. Japan has ruined me for Spring holidays. I remember our Spring Break in Doshisha all those years ago: a whole month plus change to tour the country and blow off steam. I was lucky to get those three days of leave that I scrimped together. Could have taken more, but I do need to save up. Lots of overseas trips planned for the coming year. And that means lots of paid leave time. Leave time I can’t just take any time I like.

So Spring Break was spent relaxing wherever I could, and attending professional development seminars to avoid having to go to work. Not that I didn’t enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of a school without students; I got some killer reading done in the staff room over the holiday. Roaring through Wheel of Time 7, which I am told is where it starts going downhill. Enjoying it so far, but we’ll see. But time with friends trumps time at school, even if it’s in a professional setting. It was certainly enjoyable, however. Presented a lesson that I thought was especially good one afternoon, and spent another filing away conversation activities for later use. A whole day was spent in front of a computer creating something beautiful, an ESL resource that will likely never see the light of day. It’s funny what we as humans decide is important. Steph and I have to fly to the UK over the Summer, which requires careful planning and consideration. But I haven’t spent even a fraction of the energy I used up writing We’re Talking of the Dead on flights and Foreign Office appointments, which are decidedly more important. I swear, I cut out a chunk of my soul and crammed it into the computer that day, or so it felt when I finally left for an enkai in town, staggering about with wearied limbs and a splitting headache. Why was I built like that, to take such pleasure in pushing my limits for something inane while avoiding real responsibilities? Another question for the big man when I reach heaven, I suppose. I have quite a list already.

Next comes the start of the new term. It’s always fascinating to see the kids take off their old roles and struggle into new ones. The new second years were all puffy chested with pride at being the seniors at last, which made them much more agreeable and excitable where English was concerned. The usually chaotic second years calmed down within days of making the progression to their final year, and some even went so far as to become shy. I wouldn’t have believed it unless I’d seen it myself. But then there’s the new lot, the first years, and they are just excellent. Having taught them for two years already, they were already very familiar with me and my lessons, but I had no idea they’d be so eager to see someone they knew. These first weeks of lesson have been an absolute breeze. They catch on quickly to what I’m trying to explain, nodding their heads and shouting ‘okay!’ even when told not to, and bless their hearts they are actually trying to do what I tell them to. Give it time, and they’ll realise that cheating the system is more fun. But for now it seems the possibility of not asking the required questions in English and just using muttered Japanese does not occur to them, something I’m very glad of. I also know far more of their names, though a mistaken name does still warrant outright mockery. That’s the one drawback with being known as an elementary guest teacher: they do not take me seriously. ‘Oh, it’s only Peter. He doesn’t get angry.’ Well, let them think that. Maybe I’ll show them.

A new year means more than just new students. There are five new teachers at the school this year, including one who’s an English teacher. Mr. Koyama and I are getting along famously so far, though his style of class is very textbook, not the sort I’m so familiar with. But he’s flexible with his plans, and has made it clear that I’m welcome to suggest whatever I think is best for the class. His English is also far better than that of his predecessor, wherever she is now. A bigger surprise came from the assignment of the new principal of the school. You ever see that movie Kindergarden Cop? You imagine what it must have been like for those kiddy actors to have the Terminator walk into their classroom and announce in his rock-cut no-nonsense tones that he was to be their new homeroom teacher? Well, that’s a little like how it felt having the head of the Guidance Division of the Board of Education arrive at school one day, and tell me in clear and nigh-perfect English that she would be staying.

In many ways, Shiba-sensei’s presence is a great opportunity for the school, and for me as an ALT. She is intimately familiar with how ALTs operate in Kobe City, and already knows what makes for a good team teaching lesson of English. She is unbelievably encouraging and supportive, and being able to talk to the principal in unrestrained English is excellent for knowing where to be and what to be doing at any given time. Plus, I won’t have to bow and scrape so much to get that aforementioned time off when Steph and I eventually get married. I guarantee that she will bend over backwards to get me on a plane home. It’s also excellent leverage for the other teachers in the school, knowing the ex-Guidance Division principal as well as I do. They’re less likely to look down on me, not that they really did anyway, knowing that I’m well-connected. But, see, this is where the problems start. When I was told who was going to be my new principal by the new head of the Guidance Division, he clapped a hand on my shoulder with a sympathetic smile and said, “Sorry.” My teachers are scared of her because they know how exceptionally driven she is to get things done, and my OTEs in particular are despairing that this year is gonna be a tough one. A few days ago, Shiba-sensei (or am I supposed to call her by her title now?) sat me down in her office and went over her plan for the year. Our school was going to host the observation lesson for our block of four schools this year, I already knew that. It was also going to host a KICP, a sort of mega-lesson involving other ALTs from across Kobe, send kids to Summer School during the holiday and prepare a speech for November’s English Festival. And that’s just the stuff we know about already. There’s gonna be a ton of extra little English events occurring over the year, and we will have a hand in every last one, if Principal Shiba gets her way. Professional development, pushing your boundaries, looks good on a CV, blah blah blah. I’m gonna be exhausted come Christmas! And my OTEs are already planning to kill the woman, I think. And me, for being her faithful servant. I will try to do my best this year, but it’s not making me very popular so far.

Right. So, that’s the half way mark. Feel free to go get a drink of coffee, check that Facebook newsfeed, take a walk around the room to get circulation back into your legs. I’ll be here when you get back.

Golden Week’s a funny thing. For one, it’s not even a proper week. Still had school between Tuesday and Thursday, though I shouldn’t complain. After all, Golden Week was the last mid-week holiday we’ll be getting for a long, long time. We had big plans, Steph and I. Well, a big plan. We were going to make one of our occasional Costco trips, though we were often reminded how foolish heading to that cattle farm on a holiday sounded. We didn’t, in the end, but that was for the four-day weekend. On the Sunday before we had a great evening out with a couple of friends in Osaka, after a walk around ourselves visiting the usual places. There’s a bar there run by a bunch of foreigners with a video game feel to it. There’s old consoles dotted around which you can play when you feel like it, and we happened to be there for a trivia night on top of that. Tricky stuff, and Steph and I left early to be sure we got the last train home, but certainly a lot of fun. Our teammates won, in the end, though they later told us it was a mad dash to the train to make it home. We sure are proud of them, and secretly not sure we would have been any help anyway.

I’m sick at the moment. Not real sick, not anymore, but suffering the last gasps of one nasty cold. It was a cold that began Thursday night of Golden Week, keeping me from drinking with my teachers like I’d planned to, but it quickly escalated. I think my body was aware of the holiday, and the chance to let out what it’d been keeping in. It was so rubbish. I felt awful. So, no Costco. Instead, Steph and I played Minecraft together for what must have been three days straight. An entertaining way to spend Golden Week, I suppose, and certainly relaxing, though I did have to blink away phantom boxy edges of the world that sometimes materialised on the edges of my vision. We have a four-storey tower, which Steph built up as I dug down. Also an expansive farm with wheat, potatoes, carrots, cocoa beans and pumpkin, and an automated defence system for the corners of the house. Steph’s been exploring further and further out, and making enough maps to threaten the world’s sources of paper, while I’ve been strip-mining hell to make a sweet tower out of Nether Brick. It was a busy four days. I did okay this last week, didn’t suffer too much, but I’m still full of sniffles and my stomach feels like it’s been punched a few times too many. Give it a few more days, maybe this weekend, and it oughta clear itself up.

Urgh, everything feels so busy right now. It’s only Thursday, but it feels like it should be Friday. I don’t want to have to go back to school tomorrow, even though the lessons should be straightforward. I guess that’s what comes from having only a single lesson today; the whole thing feels stretched out like an eternity. Bring on the weekend, and the Star Wars marathon!

So, what’s left for the rest of term? The third years are off to Okinawa tomorrow, along with a third of the staff, and they’ll be back on Wednesday ready for tests. There’s plans in the air for next weekend’s sports day at my elementary schools, which I should probably attend. Year before last I got Monday off for going to the music festival at elementary, but this year’s vice-principal is not so generous. I’ll just have to go out of the goodness of my heart. Been teaching a little to the new first years at elementary recently. Cute, cute kids. It feels like a lot of them know me already somehow, though I’m sure not all of them can have older siblings in the school already. I got a few shouting my name before I introduced myself, and they all recovered from their fearful uncertainty of the pale-skinned giant very quickly. Already have a few golden questions from the little guys. “Peter-sensei, where are you from?” “I’m from England.” “Oh. Did you come here on the Hankyu train line?” “No, by plane.” “Wow!” I can’t imagine myself being so young once, but I guess I must have been. They also seemed to think it was hilarious that I didn’t know the school song that I’d never even heard before, as though being to be a teacher required me to sing it off by heart in an interview. And the ever-popular disbelief that I can store two complete languages in my head at the same time.

Life continues as normal for the next month or so, then. No big plans or anything particularly noteworthy. Summer officially starts with the scavenger hunt in June. The team is almost assembled (ahead of time, in an attempt to avoid last year’s debacle) and the theme chosen. It’s a surprise. You’ll see. And probably disapprove. No big film trips planned; the last one was the excellent Iron Man 3 and there’s nothing we’re really gonna trip over ourselves to go see. Saw the trailer for World’s End, which is looks exceptional, though I wish I hadn’t now. It did ruin the surprise, and though I’m sure it’ll still live up to its legacy I’d’ve liked to have been surprised. Game of Thrones continues very well, though right now it seems to be easing itself into the pre-climax lull that ate up over half of the latest series of Walking Dead. Now that was a disappointing conclusion. It’s starting to feel like the show’s lost its way, and it’s gotten too careful with things like character life and mental state. I mean, you remember the last series finale? It was brutal, to say the least, and totally made up for the sluggish pace of the rest of it. This time around was comparatively tame, and that was not what I’d come to expect about the show. Having said that, I’ll still keep watching. I just think it’s ironic that I had been looking forward to Walking Dead more, where I have no idea what’s gonna happen next, but am in fact enjoying Game of Thrones more, where I’ve already been told by the original author that he means to kill off everyone I ever show the slightest attachment to. The show is good enough that, although I know it’s just gonna break my heart, I can’t stop caring. Good stuff.

I guess if I’m talking about TV, I can also talk about Alan Wake. I mean, it’s a game, but it’s totally also a TV show. Finished the first two “episodes” so far, and am loving it. More than I loved The Ball, which was not at all. I mean, it’s well-written for one thing, or “well-written” like a proper less-than-believable supernatural drama on TV. So it’s cheesy in places, but in the right places. And it plays well, too. Also finished LA Noire recently, which I also enjoyed despite it making me want to rip my hair out in places. I mean, I know that the guy’s lying to me, and I can prove it to the suspect no problem, but it’s proving it to the game that really got to me. When I give the right answer only to have it throw it back in my face! I was right, Phelps! I was! That Routine ranking was all your fault, not mine! Hear me?!

Ah, now, here’s a bit of game news that should interest most of you. Over Golden Week I picked up a copy of the new Tomodachi Collection game for 3DS, and it is excellent. The game has you make your friends in little Mii form and put them to work on an island where they work, play, fight and fall in love. And you lot have made some proper weird choices, I tell you. I mean, putting the Slenderman in was probably my own fault, but it can’t excuse everything. Like a certain Australian acquaintance of mine who tried to seduce my mother. Needed some heavy-handed action to quash that little problem. Some of you have shut yourselves in your rooms and refused to come out. Some of you have had some pretty brutal arguments. But I won’t let you get married until Mii-Pete and Mii-Steph do! And that’s taking its sweet time, I tell you. Dangerously close to friendzoning on more than one occasion.

And on that note, time for me to go. Might be able to get through episode 3 of Wake before I need to sleep. That’d be nice.

Thanks for reading.