It's been six months...

I've been living in Japan for the past six months. I'd try to be more creative and reflective, but I've been dealing with a lingering cough/cold for the past few days! (I even drove to the wrong school yesterday. My head has been up in the clouds).

Things sure have changed since I first arrived on that muggy day in July. I remember boarding a bus with my fellow Ottawa and Montreal JETs, as we weaved through traffic to make it from Narita Airport to the Keio Plaza in Tokyo.

L., one of my senpai here in Fuku-ken, was the friendly Tokyo Orientation Assistant who greeted us on the bus; that was pretty coincidental and sweet. That night, I took a quick shower and I think we ate ramen in Shinjuku. (V. and I couldn't read the kanji on the menu, so we circled the middle options and hoped for the best. The soup turned out great!)

Six months later: What's a day in the life of Gemma-sensei?

7 a.m.: Get up for my morning coffee and raisin bread. (That's right! I stopped my terrible habit of getting up terribly late).
7:45 a.m.: Jump into my car, and select a sweet tune to play on my iPod.
7:47 a.m.: Start driving slowly.
7:48 a.m.: Wave to my students as they bike along the narrow road. They are sporting thin tracksuit-like garments as outdoor gear. It's cold!
7:49 a.m.: Skillfully reverse my car into my spot.
8 a.m.: Mutter the ritual "Ohayo gozaimasu."
8:10 a.m: The gym teacher who sits across from me says "Good morning!" I try having a conversation in English with him this morning. I was trying to explain that I didn't see his wife yesterday. She is a teacher at one of my elementary schools. The gym teacher chuckles, and says he has no idea what I'm saying. Apparently, he studied German in university. Not English, he says. Our conversations are always funny like that.
8:30 a.m. to 3:55 p.m.: I go to classes and eat lunch with the kids. For my second-graders, I had to stand in the unheated always once again and listen to them read out loud. I wanted to wear my jacket, but I thought it might look unprofessional. I opted for two sweaters, and almost broke out my mittens. Almost.
4 p.m.: I haven't had the heart to join any school clubs, so I always go home. Good times.
5 p.m.: Genki Sushi in Nihonmatsu City with the regulars. Torikaramaki... yon-mai, onegaishimasu? Hashi?!!!
7 p.m.: I make a stop at my local dollar store and grocery store. I see one of my fifth-graders from Iwane, but she doesn't recognize me.
8 p.m.: I eat melon bread under my kotatsu table. I'm in Japan, no big deal.
9 p.m.: I think of calling home, but I can't find my Magic Jack. Maybe tomorrow?!

Wow, this list is getting mundane. Anyways, that's a typical weekday for me. I usually get up to the fun stuff on weekends. For instance, I just got back from seeing sumo with some of the Fukushima JETs on Saturday. I'll write about that another time.