time-goes-by-so...quickly

Today, was a day like every other. In an effort to leave Japan with no regrets, and to keep my students and friends happy(ier) about my departure just 2 months away...I have gone from busy to insanely busy. Things like sleeping, eating and studying Japanese are on the back burner, being with the community is now front and center. I didn't realize the immediate reprecussions of this schedule change until last nite, when I was trying to get comfortable in my 3-inch-cushion-bed and pondering the day's events. "Where did the day go!?" I asked myself. Well,...

After semi-wasting my 'working hours' at Shu-chu (all students/teachers were doing a complete run through of Saturday's sports festival) and having no classes, I left 'work' feeling extra underutilized. This of course could be dealt with in several ways: 1. go home, catch up on emails with those that do appreciate my efforts while emptying several Asahi's. 2. throw in the towel, admit defeat and give up on the Japanese educational system altogether (a nice defense mechanism in having to deal with the shock of leaving Japan too). OR 3. fight back.

Fighter that I am, it is days like today where I seek out other ways to get involved and make a difference in this anti-english community. And here is what I came up with, yesterday...

4:15 - work finishes and there is no time to twiddle thumbs...

4:30 - bike up to the Taneichi-chu's sports facility w/ weapons in hand (glove and raquet)

4:45 - do a short warmup w/ the track team

5:00 - play catch w/ the baseball team, taking some flies and grounders

6:00 - off to tennis practice (gee, im really glad these kids have 3 hours practices following thier already crazy long 9 hour school days, so i can accomplish all of this in one nite)

6:30 - bike to the grocery store, grab ingredients for...

7:00 - dinner w/ Yusho. Yusho (above) came over to dl some tunes, snap some pics and for some writing tips on love letters (in English) to his girlfriend (whatever it takes to peak their interest)

10:15 - Yusho is out, 8 new emails are in (3 from Japanese friends, 2 from back home, 3 from students) 5/8 are written entirely in Japanese, and after 15 hours of translations, I'm a bit spent.

BUT, がんばります、I reply to each email, I plan for tomorrow's classes。 (thankful their IS something needed to be planned for)。 and then i hit the hay/er rice bag "bed"...playing back the day's events. "Where did the day go?!!"

Well, the real work started @ 4:30, and with my newly learned patience, I am able to accept the fact that internationalization and education, in my village,

is probably best realized outside the classroom.

'Time Goes By So Slowly...' uhm, guess Madonna never lived in Japan.