Today’s class wasn’t so much about teaching English as it was about the Japanese school system and preparing us to teach L’s university class on Wednesday. We will be doing a version of the Basic Model with occupations and modes of travel. Flashcards and everything. I’m pretty nervous about it.
I don’t have the best track record for presentations. Somehow I made it through undergrad without getting any better at them (even though I was taking nearly all economics classes my last year and a half, which make you do presentations all over the place). But, it’s not like I’m genetically predisposed to fail at presentations. It’s just a skills and practice thing. I’ll keep forcing myself to do them, and I’ll get better eventually, leaving a trail of frustrated students behind me).
I finally got to go to the Russian bakery around the block. Boy is it good. Little Brother, Mr. Young and I went there for lunch. I found some kind of egg, bacon and ketchup pie; it tasted like a good egg sandwich, so I’m not complaining. Eggs improve almost any food.
After class, I went to the 100 yen shop to find a 3-ring binder, snacks, milk (because I don’t like my coffee black and we’re out of creamer), a coin purse (Japan has 500 yen coins and paper money begins at 1000 yen, so you end up with A LOT of coins), and a mask (one of those surgical masks).
Yes, I bought a mask. They keep your face warm, and they hide a little bit of your gaijin-ness so you don’t stick out quite so much (gaijin=foreigner). Plus, I just think they look cool. Now, if I could just get up the guts to wear it. I feel so silly, but I love the idea of being a little warmer.
It was a beautiful afternoon, with lots of sun and a clear sky, so I went on a walk to see if I could find the train station. Even though R has explained it to me a number of times, I still haven’t been able to find the train station. I know it’s simple, and just one turn, but I never remember which street to turn down.
I didn’t find the station, but I found a lot of cute little kids coming home from school. I also found a tasty little hot coffee drink from a vending machine. I kept it in my pocket to warm my hands as I walked. Apparently, buying a hot drink to use as a heat source is a common thing to do in Japan.
I got back home at 5:10, a little too early for dinner. I went to my room to practice my presentation. I’ll get dinner in an hour or so. I’m kind of waiting for S and R to get home, in case they want to get okonomiyaki (a vegetable and meat pancake I’ve always wanted to try, but it’s very much a social kind of restaurant).
A/N: Maybe someday I will find the train station, but today is not that day.
Protagonized. 
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