A day in the life

Long time no blog! I've been having computer troubles since I've been back. My laptop decided to crap out in the airport when I was on my way back to Japan. I've decided to make it up to you guys by writing an in depth, time stamped account of an average day in my life in Japan.

7:30AM - Woke up freezing cold, as usual. Quickly turned on the heater and rushed to the shower.

7:45AM - Got out of the shower and rushed over as quickly as possible to the room that had been heating up. Got ready for work and surfed the Internet.

8:20AM - Arrived at work. Handed back the train pass I used to go to elementary school to the maintenance guy. Sat down at my desk, turned on my computer, drank my morning cup of green tea and decided to write this blog.

8:30AM - Had the morning meeting. Stood up, bowed and said "good morning" in unison with all the fellow teachers. Didn't understand what they were saying during the meeting (didn't really pay attention either though). Meeting concludes with the vice-principal thanking us for our hard work shoveling the snow yesterday.

8:35AM - Began surfing Internet

8:41AM - Responded to an email from my grandma about a distant relative I have living in Tokyo. I'm supposed to get in contact with him tonight but I have no idea what to say.

8:43AM - Got an edible souvenir from the PE teacher. I actually hadn't noticed he had been gone. I was wondering why it was so quiet this past week...

8:51AM - Finish my green tea and swap it out for some heavily sugared Earl Gray. Eat the edible souvenir which is called "premium excellent chocolate". Tastes like normal chocolate. Resume surfing Internet.

9:00AM - All the teachers return from their morning homeroom/announcements class. I decided to look busy by cleaning my desk. Shred more papers than Watergate.

9:05AM - Teachers all head off to class again. Resume surfing internet. Say good morning to the school librarian when she walks in.

9:07AM - The girl with red glasses comes in and starts crying. She sits in the teachers' room for about 2-3 hours everyday crying/whining/complaining to the head teacher for 3rd year students. She really gets on my nerves (especially because she seems to be paranoid of foreigners and gasps and/or stares at me whenever I walk by her). I'm not sure how she gets away with missing so much class time just to complain.

9:22AM - Get up briefly to stand by the heater. The girl with red glasses is still going at it.

9:50AM - Girl with red glasses bursts into tears.

9:54AM - I become the staff room hero when I show the music teacher how to turn on the laminater.

9:58AM - Get my stuff together for class (1st year students with the younger English teacher)

10:05AM - Go to glass. I repeat a few words and phrases from the text book and then just stand in the back of the glass while the teacher explains the grammar.

10:55AM - Get back from class. Stare at Mt. Fuji for 10 minutes while waiting to teach the second year students (with the older, incompetant English teacher)

11:05AM - go to glass. The teacher gives them worksheets so I just wander around the class and goof off with the students

12:00PM - get back from class. I have no more classes today so I have about 4 hours to do nothing. Back to the Internet.

12:20PM - get up to check the lunch menu for today. Actually looks edible from what I can read of it.

12:34PM - get tea

12:55PM - lunch time! I go and help the teacher in charge of the lunch distribution keep the kids in line

1:05PM - I sit down for lunch and eat quietly as the other teacher chat away in some moon language. Lunch was cream filled bread, chicken, boiled cabage mixed with sausage and thick buckwheat noodles. A mercifully edible school lunch.

1:30PM - Finish lunch. Realize how boring my day is thanks to blog, ask for afternoon off to go home and sleep.