Oh my gosh

IT’S COLD! Agghh. Apparently the body heat of 40 students does do something to heat a classroom, cos, damn, when there’s just three students in a normal classroom, it’s like being locked in a freezer. In every class there are students with chilblains. In my special class, one girl’s fingers are ALL purply red, flaking and covered in sores from chilblains. I want to wrap each student up in my coat and gloves (which no, I do not wear in class, but am very tempted). I return to the staffroom, which is cosy with two kerosene heaters going – until afternoon anyway. Teachers can all warm up (thank heaven for small mercies) and in said warmth, can tell students off for having pants showing below skirt hem, or for having too bulky clothing on under their uniforms. I’m all for teachers being allowed more privileges, such as wearing jewellry, plain clothes, etc, but being warm is not a privilege I feel should be limited to teachers. There’s time enough to wear jewellry, dye hair, choose own clothes etc when these students grow up…can you say the same thing about being warm? “Don’t worry, son. You’ll have plenty of time to be warm when you’re an adult.” On the upside, it does mean that Japan is unlikely to ever need insulation or decent heating as everyone is accustomed from childhood to the cold. And all the Japanese ladies can continue wearing their micro minis and sheer stockings all through winter – they’re used to permanently numb legs from December til March.
One more period, then home and immediate immersion in scalding hot water. I need to defrost in a major way.