Let the rain fall down!
I'm currently sat in work in the midst of a rain/thunder storm that started on Saturday evening and hasn't stopped. This is what they meant by the rainy season. To be honest I quite like it, the sticky humidity, thunder rolling through the sky and random flashes of lighting. The island feels coated in mist and driving round the windy cliff edge roads in this weather is breath taking. I love it, the island becomes far more mysterious and ghostly, and all the dense inpenatrable forests, shinto shrines and statues to ward off evil spirits seem to add to this atmosphere. This island is a place where you can really let your mind wander.Back in the real world though, I've had a mixed week. I've realised how important job satisfation is to me. As I had mentioned before, I've recently had a new JTE (English teacher) at one of my Junior High Schools(JHS). He's been working with me since April, and he barely lets me go to class. I haven't had an english class at this school for three weeks! I'm still doing P.E. class (now on to volleyball which I'm awful at, I keep catching the ball) but it's not what I'm there for. I'm spending so much time in the staff room that I feel disconnected from the kids, my head's in a different place. I am trying, I still eat lunch with the kids and talk with them in the library at lunch time, but even with P.E. classes I'm still spending most of my time doing, well nothing.
I didn't realise how much this was effecting me until last week. The evenings after Kita-Uonome JHS I've been grumpy, depressed and down about myself. The days after elementary school and Uonome JHS I've felt fine, if not great. This week in particular I had a very dull Thursday (followed by a moany evening) and then a great Friday (with a good evening). I just want to have some work, I want to see the kids. If I don't work I feel guilty, like I'm getting paid for nothing, and I don't want the other staff members to think of me as the lazy ALT who just faffs all day and gets paid a load. I'm going to have to talk to my JTE or my supervisor, I just don't know whats best to do. Should I speak to my JTE first, or go straight to my supervisor. If I speak to my JTE but nothing changes, he'll know if I've reported to my supervisor. However, if I haven't even said anything to him, I feel it's unfair to go to my supervisor and get him in trouble. It's a tough decision. I know I have to do something, my apathy towards this school is growing, I feel so unmotivated it's ridiculous.
Aside from work I made a decision about the summer. I'm not going to Thailand for a few reasons. a)expensive, b)Cristin arrives at the end of July and I would rather spend my nenkyu (paid leave) celebrating her birthday, c)I want to be here to say goodbye to the leavers and hello to the newbies and d) me and Genki are going to Yokohama for a week in August, and then my nenkyu's spent. I could eat into next years but I want to travel then too. I'm planning to visit Korea and Taiwan in the 4 day weekends we get in Autumn and early winter, and then do a volunteer trip to Indonesia over Christmas. I figure I can stay in Japan this summer and relax, and then travel alot next year instead.
On a final note I am officially sporty, I'm playing badminton and I'm starting judo on Tuesday. This on top of the P.E. classes, gym trips and Tai chi means that I don't feel so much of a lazy bones. I've lost 10kgs (thats 22 pounds) and although I still resemble an inflatable whale, I'm working on losing the rest. Me and Melissa are doing evening mountain walks in preperation for her Mt.Fuji climb in the summer and the kids are trying to teach me volleyball during school lunch (I think they're saddened by my lack of volleyball skills, man its a hard game and it hurts!). Me and Lori played badminton with the BB crew on the weekend which was great fun. We're hoping to do it regularly. Lori's named the club "itsumo roku nin club" which means "always 6 people club" a bizarre name but thats Lori for you. It's actually quite nice to be involved in sports, just got to take up swimming and I'm done.
I s'pose it's time to look busy, any projects people want to give me to help entertain me during these slow slow days?
posted by Icciv @ 10:42 am
2 Comments:
Hey stinky,
go to your JTE to sort out this P.E lark, sounds like your having a great experience but you should be able to get back to what you love most. Been ages since I've seen ya babe but I've just been catching up on your journal. That island sounds (and looks) beautiful, like Wales sans the sheep. I'm struggling to conjure a mental image of you teaching volleyball though, maybe you should attempt to replace it with DODGEBALL on the curriculum, much more fun, with the five sacred rules, 'duck, dodge, dive, duck and dodge'. Keep your chin up darlin, stick it to the man (Empire Records) style and I'll see about posting you a jacket potato with beans and the cheese melting on top, mmmmmmm
love paul (currently in a hostel Munich going bezerker at the Fan Fest park, with ein large beer in the one hand, and an oversized, slightly salty, but nonetheless good effort of a pretzel in the other. Come on England!) x
With regards to school, welcome to my world... Internet surfing central.
Good to hear you're doing P.E. classes though, seems you're very busy with exercise in general!
Might be making a final visit to Kamigoto in July, will definately check out the north if I do!
x
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