Back to school

Tuesday was my first day back to work after 18 days off. I was desperate to go back. Boredom came around Day 13 and set up camp. To perk myself up, I wore some red tights to work (am I becoming one of those god-awful `wacky` teachers?!) and set the kids tongues wagging. Miku could not believe that such things existed and nudged Tatsuya, who frowned an eight-year-old frown. The Shin-Shiraoka pupils are more conservative than most, so I am weighing up whether to accommodate or counter this. I wonder how they will take the pink and red leg-warmers...

After a highly successful Japanese class (I tried to learn chapters 4 and 5, as we were doing 3), I experimented in the lift with a high school student. I asked him which floor, hit the 5 button and saw him jab at 4 as I left the lift on the third floor... Ah well... I am also attending a new class that one of my old ladies put me onto. Her husband is involved (he`s a very dashing and educated man - you can tell, as they sport a Val Doonican wardrobe) and the teacher is clearly very well trained. She`s proper TEFL rules! We covered everything I have tried to learn so far in one lesson, but it was not bewildering or confusing (which you would expect, as I have been learning it for weeks now), there was no superfluous language and everything was modelled and drilled as I ought to do with my students. I expect to learn more than Japanese from her. Ah, Yasuda-san, you are my hero!

There`s a Canadian called Julian, two Philipino women and a Peruvian boy in the class too. The Peruvian speaks no English at all, so his friendly offer to accompany me to the train station after class was uncomfortable and awkward and not really appreciated! Once our Japanese improves, things will get better. He seems very sweet, but is living in the middle of nowhere, taking classes and claiming to be a tourist. On the way to class, I got a little bit lost and had to ask an old man if I was pointing in the right direction (do not start me on Japanese maps). As I clearly could not even understand right or left (though I find pointing helps), he started to explain, then said `follow me` and trotted off at quite a pace. We managed to exchange some pleasantries about the newly warm weather, but spent most of the journey in uncomfortable silence. It is yet another incentive to learn!

Yesterday, my first afternoon class (including Haishi-san, the wife of the dashing educationalist) decided to throw me a New Year`s party, so we ate cakes and sweets and drank tea, whilst looking through my photos of Kyoto. How they love a photo album. The usual receptionist was off ill, so Tomomi, Riaz`s glamorous girlfriend stood in for her. Tomomi is notoriously quiet and on any outing will sit silently and gaze at Riaz (who is fairly handsome, admittedly), while everyone else shouts and bores their way through the evening. On her own, she is quite different: within sixty seconds of me asking if she enjoyed her break, she had used the word diarrhea four times. The Thai water did not agree with her, it seemed.

Last night, Karen and I went to Pamela`s to drink and console her over her rubbish ex shacking up with a copper. We all drank a fair bit, I talked too much and too loudly and Karen stoically sat back and listened. She`s like a wise, and mute, owl, which is unnerving in a 24-year-old. She should just skip a few years and join the WI.

This morning, I woke up feeling utterly miserable. I think it was too much wine and not enough sleep as much, although a resurgence of homesickness threatens. I miss my friends more and more. Consequently, today has been a mud chute of emotions. To console myself, I took lunch near Omiya`s `Oriental Passage` and had an enormous feast (the waitress could not quite believe I was ordering so much and, one bucket of ramen, a salad bowl of rice and six gyoza later, I realised why) for ￥810. I also treated myself to that fancy bag from Loft and some work trousers from the Gap sale, although having to ask for `massive` took the edge off the pleasure. That said, being massive counts. As with British sales, the only sizes left were unfathomably small and enormous (my size), so I got some handsome slacks for 9 quid.

My sister has updated me on the celebrity housemates. I am gutted that I am missing it. I take it the producers are shamelessly angling for a breakdown and a shag. They should just scatter cider, better still - rohypnol, around the rooms and get some 18-30 reps in as consultants. I wish I could see it - I imagine this series is more painful than any other. If anyone would like to experiment with posting videos, please email my yahoo account for my address!

And, I have heard, my friend Stuart is reaching the heady heights of comedy fame. This week he got recognised in the street by a dustman.