Crazy Nina At It Again

Thursday, September 7, 2006

I shouldn’t have waited so many days before writing another post. Some crazy stuff happened.

First, (well last really) this morning I thought I was running late because I wanted to make it to the convenience store (since the super market doesn’t open until 10) to get my lunch. So I was in a hurry. Well, there are these metal grates along every road that collect water and everyone has told me to be careful of them because you can slip and fall really easily specifically when they are wet. Well, so far I’ve been really careful because it’s really not becoming for a gaijin to fall. Everyone’s watching me anyway, why give them something to gawk at!

Well this morning, I wasn’t careful. And this morning, I totally slipped and fell off my bike. It wasn’t so bad but I got a nice cut on my hand and elbow. I have a nice white bandage over both of the cuts so in class today I’m sure everyone was really trying to figure out what happened but no one asked. Not until after school when I talked to some students who I’ve already made friends with.

So yeah, that was today.

Well, a couple of days ago…Tuesday…I went out with Monique again. I went into the city to have dinner with the other Monique (from LA) and ended up having a second dinner with Jamaican Monique. She was having dinner at a very nice restaurant with her good friend. I don’t remember his name (or anyone elses for that matter) but he’s the owner of the DoCoMo franchise in Kochi. DoCoMo is one of the three cell phone companies in Japan. DoCoMo is one of the two biggest and he is the franchise owner of the ones in Kochi. That’s really big! And the guy was dropping money like it was water! He paid for Moniques, mine, and his other friends dinner at this very nice restaurant. He then took us to a bar around 9ish because we were waiting for a host bar to open at 10.

Let’s back up a little. So we have this really expensive dinner and then he pays for two cabs to take 4 people to a bar that is just down the street. He then buys us all and the bartender drinks, and then takes us all out to a host club. A host club is where the men entertain the customers by making conversation and drinking with them etc etc. The guys weren’t anything special but I can only imagine how much it must have cost! Clubs like that can’t be cheap!!!! It wasn’t sexy or anything btw. It was just extra ordinary friendliness on the hosts parts.

So then, I tell the guy that my last train leaves at 10:30 but I’m so intrigued by the idea of a host bar that I just don’t want to refuse him. So he pays for my cab back to Tosayamada. About $50. WOW! He paid with a $100 and I still have the change. I’m totally going to find a time to return it to him. He loves company and he loves Monique. He paid for absolutely everything. My jaw was on the floor the whole night!

The next day I had to go into Tosayamada and begin my first lessons. However, plans changed unexpectedly when it began pouring down rain.

See, Odochi is not an academic school. That mean’s they don’t really care about much of anything…or at least that’s the way it seems. So Wednesday was supposed to be a day when all the students were going to go farther up the mountain and tend to their tea plants. They were going to weed and do general maintenance. So I wasn’t going to go to school that day but the rain changed my plans. I ended up getting there late and making up a lesson on the fly. It was actually way better than the first day! The students did a little better and I’m learning how to create lessons that fit them. I hope I can keep it up!

I then had my first lessons today at Tosayamada. I was kinda expecting the same thing as Odochi. I thought I could use the same lessons. But I’m really learning that every class is almost completely different in style and English ability and every lesson needs to be different. This is going to make my life difficult. Once I get in the swing of things, I’m sure it’ll be fine but for right now I need to really learn how to make my lessons and find my groove with the students.

For now, I’m off to eat Yakiniku with Tsubasa and teach him some American Slang. Last week it was LOL and WTF. (He caught me chatting with some friends on his computer and he wanted to know what they were saying)