~ This weekend was Chuusoutai, or the regional competitions for middle school sports. My students were scattered from Ichinoseki to Minami-sanriku for tournaments starting at around 8:30. So this marks yet another weekend where I haven’t gotten a chance to sleep in...
+ I got a chance to see girls’ basketball play at the local gym and cheered alongside parents including hiking club members and the local grocery store guy who says hello. Some of my elementary school students were there too, although super confused by my presence.
+ “Which team are you rooting for, red or white?” “Um... Karakuwa, of course. (You know I teach at your sister’s school too right?)”
+ “Becky-sensei, why did you come here today?” (asked one girl at the very end. She looked super bouncy and chipper today, which was nice because the last time I saw her she was crying while her teacher scolded her for not being able to ask to borrow some chopsticks.)
- My poor basketball girls team lost pretty badly. Several of the parents complained about how all the big schools were matched up against the small schools. Afterwards while my girls kept score for another game, I watched the island school get pummeled even worse by a larger school.
~ After basketball I drove over to Iwate to see baseball... but apparently the boys’ team is so good they won too fast and were done playing when I showed up. But I got to say hi to the team before I left and catch them after a doulbe-win high.
- On Sunday, I tried to see my girls’ badminton team but I didn’t understand the parking lot at the middle school. Fail.
-- Also had a super awkward conversation at our work part on Sunday when I asked the support teacher which games she went to see and realized too late that she had not only gone to see the basketball game too, but we also met in the parking lot and walked into the building and hunted down the right court together.
-- Maybe I’ve just finally met too many people for my brain to handle? Maybe it’s all the hats they’re wearing sometimes but not other times? Doesn’t help when A’s like, “Oh, how do you know this person?”
+ Thought I would get stuck overtime after school because only the 6th grade teacher remembered to plan with me before I saw all the teachers pack up and change rooms for a meeting. But I had hardly stood up to check the board for an end time before they’d all come rushing back for super hasty planning sessions... The 6th grade teacher may be one of my best Eigo Tantou yet. (And if you’re teaching Elementary school and can’t get any of the teachers to plan with you... Find out who’s in charge of English! They should be helping you out!)
+ Went to get my oil changed today and ended up chatting the ear off of my friend there about cats because she mentioned having tons of cat scratches on her arms from a new kitten. Did I ever mention getting my oil changed is like my new favorite thing ever?
+ Got back home and ran into one of my teacher bffs/new downstairs neighbor outside. She asked where the trash shed was, and I was able to show her. Honestly one of the best feelings is actually being able to help out and teach other people things for once.
+ Also went grocery shopping, thinking I would just pick up a few ingredients for a lazy pasta dinner. Ended up being taught how to make okonomiyaki (fishy-cabbage pancakes? with bacon?) by the supermarket dad of one of the basketball girls instead. Now I have another dish I can cook into oblivion day after day.
- Ugh but that was definitely a two-person serving that I tried to eat...
