good weekend

I’m hanging on to the vibes as long as pos – let’s see if they see me through the week!

Friday was relaxing. Left work at lunchtime and went to chiropractor to ease all the tension out of my shoulders and neck. It’s not a chiropractor as I imagine one to be (there is no bone manipulation), but a very funky arrangement nonetheless. Todd told me about these places a couple of weeks ago – called sekkotsuin. They are small clinics dotted all over the place where you can go for massage and electro-therapy (if that’s what you call it) and apparently translates as chiropractor.
I found one near home a couple of weeks ago and I think I may be addicted. Generally I get taken through four beds – one where suction pads are put on my very lower back and electricity is run though (very tingly and at some points feels like someone is tickiling me); one where I sit up and suction cups are put on my shoulders and back; again for more tingly goodness; one where I lie on a waterbed and rollers(?) run up and down my back in patterns while my calves are treated to what feels like jets of water; and one for massage.
The massuese is reeeeally good. It is so painful while he’s working on me, but he knows exactly where the ouch points are and I always leave feeling much looser and more relaxed than when I go in. Best of all, with my health insurance, it comes to a grand total of 360yen per visit. A wonderful, wonderful way to relax and do soemthng good for my body.
After that I went home and mooched…think I read for a while then talked to tentatores in the evening, as well as to one of the two cats he’s been catsitting. I was supposed to have an eikaiwa student, but she canceled.
Saturday morning was just pottering, did some tidying then gave in to desire to keep reading. Just reread all the Harry Potter series, and was on book five. Headed to tea ceremony in the afternoon and chatted with my teacher. Also learnt a couple of Japanese nursery songs as her granddaughter wanted to sing songs. We tried teaching her “head, shoulders” but it was a no go.
It is amazing watching her grow. When I arrived she was about eight months and barely walking. Now she runs around and is talking in full sentences. It is so so so cute and amazing hearing phrasings drop out of her mouth which I have only learnt in the last two years, and just hearing her talk like adults do. I’m really enjoying being around for her development. I’m glad I’ll be here for another year. Though it will be so hard and sad to leave at the end. I’ve been close to a few young children and have always loved being around for their development, but I’ve never been around anyone long enough to see more than a year or two. Seeing them once a year, if that, just isn’t the same.
After tea ceremony I headed down to Tanabe for the typhoon gathering Todd had organised. There was supposed to be a typhoon coming, so we were all going to hang out together watching dvds and playing games and laughing at the howling winds and lashing rains. Hiro’s mum very generously let us take over her living room, kitchen and guest room so we had plenty of room. However the typhoon decided to skip Japan and unleash it’s fury on the ocean instead. Apparently I missed some awesome waves Saturday afternoon 🙁
Gathered together were Ches, Stu, Jeff and Brad (all wacho guys), Bill (ex-wacho guy, was WOOFing here for a monthish) Hiro and Todd(obviously!), and I. Yuji (a friend of Todd and Hiro’s) also came over for a bit.
DVDs were going, conversation happening and Settlers of Catan being played. Todd taught me the rules, I watched parts of one game to get the gist and then played two games, getting much help from Todd and the rest of the table! For how complicated it seemed, I was very pleasently surprised at how easy it was to pick up. Now I see why peeps back home like it and now I too can join in the enthusiasm for arranging Settlers games!
Ches and I were the last to bed, having played settlers with Yuji til 3:30, yet still woke up with movement of others after too little sleep. Eventually we made our way to the beach (of sand imported from W.A.) for sun, surf (teensy bit) and frisbee. It was a weekend of learning for me – frisbee being yet another of those things I’ve never really done before. Ches and Jeff taught me how to throw a frisbee and gradually I got the hang of it. I even managed to catch it a couple of times – coordination is not my strongest point!
Then it was lunch – very yummy and filling okonomiyaki, then time for Stu, Ches, Brad and I to head home. None of us wanted to get home too late and they all had an extra hour of traveling to do (so many times, for so many reasons I’m grateful I live actually in Wakayama City)
Upon getting home I took a blissfully long shower (there is no such thing as too much water in one day!) then talked to tentatores, punk_rock_nerd and Ches (cos it had been soooooooooo long since last we talked!) Yay for Yahoo Messenger!

Today I approached my JTE for class 2-3 and asked if the two bullies could be removed from the class when I teach on Friday. I told her I can’t teach with them in the class and I don’t want to go in a classroom with them. She said she’ll see what she can do and will talk to some other teachers. She told me that the principal had come and sat in on today’s class. In some ways I think I could have been nicer, more gentler (read more Japanese) in my asking but in other ways I could have been firmer. We’ll see what happens. I have a small knot of anxiety in my stomach and believe it will be here for the duration of this week *sigh* I wish I was better at this sort of thing, but I am trying.
However talking to everyone over the weekend has given me some strategy ideas. I’ve decided that if the two boys are in the class on Friday, and the principal is not, then I’ll leave class. *looks to the skies* Please give me the strength to actually do what I plan to*

In the meantime all my classes tomorrow are with Tomo so it will be a stress-free day. Yay.

EDIT: random pics of the weekend can be found here: http://www.livejournal.com/users/leafsfan_28/21709.html?style=mine#cutid1
Cheers Stu!