I Miss You All

Hello My Dear Friends in Kyoto!

I miss you all very much, and I wish I could visit more often.

Lindsay and I are getting married this June in Wisconsin!

Then we will be going to live in Chicago.

Please keep in touch, and I will do my best to visit Japan again soon.

Feel free to visit me too in America!

Your Friend,

Ryan Harkins

1-608-712-7862

ryan.harkins@snc.edu

Day 58: Last Week

My last week started Sunday technically, but today was the first school day of my last week. Ryota was sick this morning, so he didn't go to school with me. He was soaked yesterday in the cold rain, so I am not surprised that he is sick. Before going to school I made a few important calls. One to my friend Josh, who I will be climbing Mt. Fuji with on Friday. The second call was to my brother Justin, who lives in Saitama, Japan. I will be staying with Justin, his wife Asako, and their son Tiger starting this coming Monday.

At Notre Dame, I watched the broadcast of the morning television show. Today's show focused on the Notre Dame students who took part in the Gion festival. They were the "heros" of Gion. It was nice that they showed a video clip of the kids in the parade, since I missed them yesterday. My day at school was not very exciting, because all of the English classes have been cancelled for the week. I spent most of the morning catching up with my work from the Enei Gaashuku trip away from school. A good chunk of the day was also spent making sure that I get my final evaluation completed and a letter of recommendation from Mr. Yukita.

I ate lunch with the students today, and enjoyed every minute. When I finished my meal, I worked my way around Marion Hall, saying hello to all of the students. This week classes at Notre Dame end at noon, so that the home room teachers can have parent-teacher conferences. Reiko picked me up, and we went home. Ryota was still feeling a little sick, but better than the morning. I worked for a while, called my parents to tell them I survived the long-distance swimming camp, and watched Ryota until Reiko came back from a meeting at school. Just after four o'clock we drove to Ryota's karate class. The sensei had me take part in the class as well, suiting me up in a karate kimono and everything. It was fun doing karate again. I really loved the part where we actually got to kick the teacher. Of course he was wearing pads, but it was fun. Some of the kids even practiced full contact fighting., which was a lot of fun to watch. I was shocked to see them using hard, high kicks to the head and everything! After karate, we bought my ticket for the Shinkansen (bullet train), which I will be leaving Kyoto on Thursday evening.

The Kato's made yet another of my favorite dishes tonight: okonomiyaki. I still love okonomiyaki. It was delicious. I enjoyed watching Ryota trying to flip the okonomiyaki. Ryota and I played some more hand baseball after dinner. I really enjoy the game, and even Rex the dog helps me retrieve the ball and get Ryota out. All Rex asks in return is a treat, but sometimes he just runs away with the ball. I shared my photo album with Reiko and Ryota. They shared albums of Ryota when he was younger. He is a cute kid.

Day 57: Gion Matsuri

Breakfast today was great: eggs, toast, ham, and fruit. Ryota and I played some hand baseball after we ate. Hand baseball is popular with the kids here in Japan, but playing in the house might be rare. I have to admit it is fun throwing Ryota out as he runs around the furniture trying to make it home. We played a little yesterday too and I threw the ball with just the right timing as he turned the corner, and he fell to his knees. I felt bad, but it was an accident and even his mother was laughing. I don't think it really hurt him, but he made a good show of it. Nonetheless, it was hilarious.

I put on my new yukata for the first time, and it is actually really comfortable. We delayed leaving the house for a while due to the really heavy rain coming down. Ryota wore a yukata with pictures of beetles all over it. Ryota really likes beetles and dinosaurs. His mother tells me that he wants to be an archaeologist. At the Gion Festival, it was hard to get a good view of the Hoko and Yama (floats) as they moved down the street. Everyone was holding their umbrella up, so only the first couple rows of people could see well. We did get a chance to see some of the Hoko and Yama pass, though. I was happy to finally see the festival in action, but the rain was a definite drawback. It would have been exciting to see my Notre Dame Elementary students in the first float, but we showed up too late. I saw the students later on in the news, though. Children in their position become part of the festival culture and are selected to represent the Shinto deities themselves. I was surprised to see foreigners taking part in the parade. There were several non-Japanese people helping to carry the floats in the parade. Some of the floats are 20 meters to the top! They are also very heavy floats, and the wheels do not turn. Therefore, the workers must lay out strips of bamboo under the front wheels, and then the men holding the ropes turn the carts as needed.

We got out of the rain for a bit and had lunch in an Italian restaurant on the Kamo River. The food was great, the view was nice, and the company was fun too. We shared our meal with Ryota and Junnpei's English tutor and some other friends. The rain let up a little, but not for long. By the time lunch was finished, the festival was over for the most part. We went shopping for some Gion Matsuri souvenirs at Takashimaya. I also bought some sweets, a Japanese cookbook, and looked at some Japanese pottery. I would love to have a set of Japanese style pottery dishes for eating back home. There are some really neat looking designs here in Japan.

After I bought the cookbook, we drove back home. I tried to take a short nap, but the sound of Ryota bouncing the soccer ball upstairs didn't really make that possible. The Kato's are my last family here in Kyoto, so they want to be sure I do the things I want to do before leaving. They are making my favorite foods at home for us to eat together one last time. Tonight, Reiko made sukiyaki....Ooishi! There was an interesting television show on during dinner, in which famous Japanese comedians did physical challenges. For example, they had a competition for who could swim the furthest under water. Even more intriguing was the sort of tag game they played against a famous marathon runner. It was a funny show to watch.

Day 56: Gion with the Kato's

It was rough getting up this morning, but I wanted to have a good first day with my last homestay family, the Kato's. They picked me up at school at 10:00am, and we went to their house. I was surprised to see that they live right on the Kamo River! Their home is beautiful and the view from their second floor is awesome. They also have a poodle named Rex, but I think he hates me. He is always barking at me and has bit me a few times. Anyway, the Kato's gave me a yukata to wear for the Gion Matsuri! I was planning on borrowing a yukata from Mr. Arai, but now I don't even need to.

Some friends of the family came over and we had a BBQ on their porch. The porch faces the river and you can hear the water flowing below. We ate beef, salad, sausages, chicken, rice balls, American cherries, and watermelon. We tried to share jokes with one another, but the language barrier took the "funny" out of them. We understood each other, but something gets lost in the translation. The Kato's friends have a dog named Teddy just like I do! We played with the dogs a while and then I took a much needed nap.

Tonight was the big night for the Gion Matsuri. We had dinner near the festival at a Chinese restaurant. The food was great, as was the atmosphere. It was a Chinese restaurant, but there was a Japanese garden and jazz music playing. It is an interesting combination of things. The Kato's kept making the waitress try and describe the food in English, which was entertaining. I felt bad for the girl really. After our meal we went out into the crowded streets of the festival. We took a look at the floats, Hoko and Yama, which were on display. The tapestries which will be hung from each float in the parade tomorrow were displayed in store windows, and they are magnificent. They have survived hundreds of years, and even some kimono have been preserved and are used each year for the festival. Ryota, the second grade boy I am staying with, and I played a game at one of the booths in which we had to throw darts at a spinning wheel. I was so bad that they awarded me with some toy eye glasses. We had a good time, and then we went home for the night.

Day 55: What a Day

At breakfast this morning, I actually got to sit with Sister Beatrice. She is a kind, influential, and amazing person, so it is an honor to spend any time with her. She has dedicated her life to two things: God, and Notre Dame Elementary. She knows that I will never forget this swimming camp, nor my experiences in Japan. She has invited me to come back every summer for the swimming camp, which I will certainly do if my schedule allows. I want to have a continuing relationship with Notre Dame Elementary and its teachers.

At the beach, the students gathered again and bowed to the teachers. Then, everyone turned silently towards the sea, and bowed again. We had one short warm up swim, and then the B1 group swam their long-distance. I went with them, and we made it three times around the buoys. I am finding that my left knee no longer likes to swim the breast-stroke; it hurts. It is nice swimming with the students, though. Especially with the constant beating of the large drum and the other kids chanting, "Enya kora!" It is meant to keep the pace, but I think it is just a sound to keep our minds clear and focused on our swimming.

To my surprise, all of the group A1 students chose to take part in the select group swim, which is the finale of the swimming camp. It was exciting to think that we would be swimming straight out from the beach, and out of the marked swimming area. The fact that it was the last swim also made me excited. The drum started beating, and we marched row by row into the sea. We swam out to the breakers and then swam along them to the other side of the bay. The boats were following us and keeping a close eye, and all of the kids seemed honored to be part of the special group and the fun swim. The hardest part of the swim was the turning; I was on the outside of the turns, so I had to swim twice as fast as the people on the inside. We all sped up as we looked at the closing distance to the shoreline. As the students made their way up the beach, I shook hands with the other teachers. We were all happy to be finished, but glad we put forth the effort. What a great feeling. Even better, though, was the free time with the students. All of the kids got in the water and started splashing around. I walked through the crowd and the kids splashed me like crazy. I couldn't help but smile through the whole thing, and ignore the saltwater in my eyes. Everyone was all smiles. It was a perfect close to the trip.

The students bowed to us teachers, and gave us gifts they had made from paper and sea shells. All two-hundred or so of us turned to the sea and bowed one last time. The students all went back to the hotel to get ready to leave, but many teachers and I stayed to take down the tents and pack up the truck. It was so hot outside that it was painful to touch the metal framing of the tents. Before long, we were finished and headed back to the hotel to see the students off. We took some pictures together, my favorite of which is the picture of Hiroshi (Urayama Sensei) and I. He is a great person, and I have so much fun with him.

The remaining teachers and I sat down for a special lunch. It was a time for celebration over beer and curry rice. A van picked us up and brought us to the local fish market, where the teachers bought some fresh seafood. Then we departed from the train station. As we got closer to Kyoto, the stations were busier and busier. This is the big weekend of the Gion Matsuri Festival, and there are many tourists from Japan and elsewhere. The Japanese girls were all wearing their yukatas for the festival, which are beautiful traditional summer-style kimono.

I am staying at Notre Dame for the first time tonight, because the English teachers and I planned to go out together. Most of the teachers cancelled, but Afrela and Yukari (Shimizu Sensei) still wanted to go. I know I wanted to go, because I have never really been out in Japan, and this is my last weekend in Kyoto. I met Afrela at the Karasuma Oike station and then we met up with Yukari and her boyfriend, Rafael. They asked me where I wanted to eat, and I jokingly said, "Mexican food," but we actually found a Mexican restaurant! The place was called Mariachi and, yes, they had a mariachi. He was Japanese, but his Spanish singing was close enough to the real pronunciation. It was great having some Mexican food again!

Just as we were heading to find a fun place, the rain came pouring down. Yukari and Rafael had to leave, but Afrela and I went to a salsa club called Havana Club. Afrela loves salsa dancing, but I had never tried it before, so I was not expecting much success. I just wanted to have some fun. One of the instructors at the club realized that we were not dancing, so she grabbed me and taught me the basics. Then, Afrela and I gave it a try. I felt bad because she is pretty good, but I am not good at all. Still, it was fun.

We walked around and stopped into an Irish pub for a beer. It seems that there are a lot of foreigners around, myself included. It is a big time of year for tourism in Kyoto. Before calling it a night, Afrela and I went to a Philippino restaurant called Chicken Manila in Gion. Afrela is Philippino, and she knows the people at the restaurant. I met the musician there whose name is Steve. Believe it or not, Steve is from Chicago! We tried some Philippino food, sang a few songs karaoke, and then Steve offered to give me a ride home. There I was in Kyoto, Japan in the midst of the Gion Matsuri riding a moped home in the rain with a musician from Illinois. What a small world.

Day 54: The Real Deal

After a long sleep, it was easy for me to wake at five this morning. I went to the bath downstairs and got ready for what would surely be an enjoyable, but long day. We all ate breakfast, put our swimsuits on, and walked to the beach. The sun was already burning hot this morning, but at least the water is cool and refreshing. In the morning there was a still mist floating all along the shoreline from the waves crashing on the breakers. Today we practiced more for the final swimming events. I have been put in charge of warming up the group A1, section 3 students. I swam with all of the groups again, but took it easy since I will be swimming a lot more.

Everyone went back to the hotel for a rest and lunch. I took a shower, just to feel clean for a short while. For lunch we had eggs, and chicken over rice. The Japanese name translate to something like, "parent and child" over rice, which makes sense but it is a bit strange for the name of a food. We only had some time to rest before putting our swimsuits back on, reapplying the sunblock, and taking the walk back to the seaside for another swim. Urayama Sensei was sure to tell me, "this is the main event." First, group A1 swam for one hour and made four laps around the buoys. I am not sure the distance yet, but I will check with Urayama Sensei. Unlike the other teachers, I swam without fins or a kickboard. I wanted to swim just like the students. It was a workout, but a great accomplishment for us all too. As if that swim was not enough, group B2 started their long-distance about five minutes after the first group finished; I was back in the water swimming again. Group B2 swam for forty minutes, and a little over three laps around the bay. With that group I took a kickboard with me, but realized it is difficult to keep pace with it.

The swimming was completed for today, so we went back to the hotel for a shower and dinner. In the hotel lobby, some of the other teachers, volunteers, and I had some coffee. Negasi and his friend were impressed with the reports that I was typing for this blog. I shared a bunch of pictures with them too, which was fun. They don't speak any English, but we still have fun together. Sister Beatrice personally asked me to join the teachers tonight for the nighttime meeting. Urayama Sensei updated everyone on the procedures for tomorrow's swim events, and then Sister Beatrice asked me to come to the front of the room. Sister Beatrice explained her belief that I have been so much more than a student-teacher to the Notre Dame community. Otoh Sensei, the vice principal, shook my hand and told me that I am the best assistant to Notre Dame. It was a special moment for me, seeing the genuine appreciation in the eyes of the principal and vice principal. I hope they could see the appreciation in my eyes. They gave me a card, thanking me for being their "powerful partner" this summer. The teachers gave me two gifts: a clear pencil holder with fish floating inside, and a Japanese-style lantern with the name of this town on it. I was holding back the tears. In all honesty, I think I didn't expect this moment because I didn't want it to come. I don't want the goodbyes to start.

We shared some sushi, sweets, and tea before calling it a night. This camp is almost over already! Time goes so quickly. This week has flown by...this month...this summer! I suppose the obvious conclusion is that, contrary to most people's outlook on life, we do not have time to waste or time to wait. Do what you want to do...do it now.

Day 53: They are Here

This morning I woke before some of the other teachers, so I would have time for a bath before breakfast. Most Japanese people only shower or take a bath at night, but I still like my morning showers. The view of the mountains along the shore is breathtaking in the morning here. I walked outside for a few pictures. I also took some time to take advantage of the free internet in the hotel lobby. I could smell the fish and other traditional Japanese foods being prepared for breakfast. The teachers and I had sashimi, rice, Japanese pickles and miso soup with lobster. The food here is good, and hopefully will supply me the energy I will need to swim long-distances.

We walked the path along the water to the beach to prepare a few more things before the students and other teachers arrive. We laid tarps out under each tent so the students would not have to sit in the sand everyday. Then, we moved the buoys out deeper into the water; The tides keep moving in and out, forcing us to move the buoys again and again. We even cleaned the seaweed from the beach and bagged it up. I found a perfect sand dollar today sitting right on top of the sand. I also found one yesterday. Hopefully the sand dollars will serve as good luck charms here at the sea.

Back at the hotel we took showers and cleaned up a bit. We each had to move to a new room as well, seeing as the kids will be filling the rooms and other teachers will be joining us. The students arrived around noon. About 160 students came in five buses and gathered in front of the hotel for pictures and the opening ceremony. Today was really hot, but we had some swimming today anyway. First, we all headed inside for a lunch of rice and noodles.

All of the students went to the beach and prepared for their first encounter with the cool, unpredictable waters of the sea. I think they were all a bit nervous standing beside the seemingly infinite body of water. I was comfortable here already thanks to a practice swim yesterday, but the kids were somewhat anxious to get started. The students bowed to the teachers, as they always do, " Yoroshiku one ga ishimasu," which loosely means they wish us to treat them kindly. Then, they all did something that at once surprised me, and made perfect sense: they turned to the sea, bowed, and spoke the same words. It was a special moment for me to witness, and it speaks to the Japanese respect for one another as well as things less temporal than mankind.

Today I swam with the A1 and B1 groups two times each. The water was cooler than yesterday, but hopefully will not stay that way. Each of the groups swam around the buoys for about thirty minutes today. It was only a short practice for the students, but an important chance for the students to get acquainted with the water. The swims were easy for me, and swimming with the kids was fun. Within a few minutes, the students relaxed a bit as their anxiety was laid to rest...for now at least. The students walked back to the hotel, while a few teachers, volunteers, and I moved the buoys back into shallow water.

Our bathroom doesn't seem to get hot water, but I took a shower anyway. The front desk told us to wait a few minutes, but the water temperature didn't change. I brought my computer along on this trip, not for fun, but to try and keep up with my work. I had a half hour or so to type before our dinner. Following dinner, a businessman from the town came to speak to the students. I have heard that the man is such a great speaker, that he makes all of the students want to live near the sea. Mr. Yukita and Shimizu Sensei translated the man's stories, but Mr. Yukita and I left before he was finished. It was not mandatory for the teachers to be present during the speaker. I wanted to listen to him, but even Mr. Yukita could see the weariness in my face. I did not sleep much last night for some reason. I went to bed really early tonight lying with the balcony door open so I could hear the waves breaking on the shore.

Day 52: Enei Gaashuku

This morning I threw what was left to pack up into my suitcase before breakfast. This morning I left the Arai’s, moving my stuff to school, and I also left Kyoto for Mie prefecture. After breakfast, though, I left some gifts for the Arai family. I hope the t-shirts I left fit the kids. For the last time, I took a taxi to school, waving goodbye to Yoko. We shared some good times, and I really enjoyed her personality. She is also a smart woman and speaks English well, so we had some good conversations. I will miss Yoko and her family (and the dogs of course).

At school, I carried my suitcase to my room and grabbed a few things to bring with me. Urayama Sensei actually paged me to the office, which was funny. I had never been paged before. He didn’t want to be late for the subway, so we ran to Matsugasaki station and took the subway to Kyoto station. We met some of the other teachers at Kyoto station, as well as parents and volunteers who have come along to help with Enei Gaashuku (long-distance swim camp). We all boarded the limited express to Mie. I slept most of the two and a half hour ride there, as did the others. When I did open my eyes for brief moments I saw the beautiful countryside of Japan. There are mountains everywhere, rivers rolling between the slopes, and small rice fields growing wherever the landscape allows. Japan is quite beautiful.

When the train arrived at its final stop, we got off and took a van to the hotel where we are all staying for the next few days. I was surprised to see that the hotel is right on the seaside and the view of the surrounding area is spectacular! I could smell the salty water in the air and the Japanese food cooking inside. The hotel is called Horaiso and is located in the Ise-shima National Park. From the outside, the hotel looks modern, but everything else about it is traditional Japanese-style. There doesn’t seem to be much in the city except for people and fish. It is simply a small fishing town, where even the women harvest seafood for a living.

We all unloaded the truck of supplies into the hotel, and then sat down for lunch. The kids won’t come here until tomorrow, but today we will work hard preparing for the event. Lunch was delicious and it came with a nice view of the ocean! We had sashimi, shellfish soup, rice, tempura, and lobster, which this area is apparently famous for. I am sure that all of the sea food is famous here, for obvious reasons.

We all headed to the beach and put up the Notre Dame Elementary tents. Today was hot, just as every other day here, so it was not fun putting the tents up. I am not complaining, though, we had our fun. Urayama Sensei, Negasi, and I took our first swim in the sea together. We placed the buoys out in the water equidistant from the shore by carrying the cinderblocks into the deep water. It was a fun job to do, and it felt good to swim in the sea.

Tarashita Sensei and I went to the bath in the hotel to clean up and relax. The hotel has its own mineral water onsen (hot spring). The outdoor bath it practically hanging over the ocean, making it a perfect place to relax and soak in the scenery. Tarashita Sensei, I am quickly learning, is a really funny guy. Before this trip I had not spoken with him much, but today we started to get to know each other. We met the other teachers for dinner in a large tatami room. The food was already on the table, and it was a feast. We ate sashimi, yakiniku, vegetables, Japanese pickles, and awabi (abalone). We started to eat our meal and then I noticed that the awabi was moving…it was still alive!! Each of us had one large awabi in front of us on a grill. The waitress came around and lit the fires beneath the small grills. The awabi was dancing around in the heat. I could not believe my eyes, but this area, I am told, is known for “cruel barbeques.” It doesn’t take much thought to figure out the meaning of the name. It might be a cruel barbeque, but the seafood is as fresh as can be.

On a side note, I learned that Tarashita's father was working in a factory in Nagasaki when the atomic bomb exploded. Most of the workers died in the blast, and his father died later on due to the effects. The cruelty of men during wars is sad, and the results even more so. Tarashita Sensei told me that he has never hated America, but I think he wishes he had more time with his father. Many of his stories are about the times fishing with his father when he was young.

I think this trip will be one of the best experiences here in Japan. The teachers and I are really having fun together and I feel like I am really part of the family that is Notre Dame. Leaving next week will be extremely difficult for me, but I am going to be sure to enjoy this long-distance swim camp with the teachers and our wonderful students. Living by the sea is always a good way to make memories, enjoy ourselves, and appreciate life. After all, everything is better with an ocean view.

Day 51: Many Levels

This morning we had some tasty French toast for breakfast! It is nice to start the day with a good meal before taking the taxi to Notre Dame. When I arrived at school this morning, I used my preparation time during the first period for working on my blog and emails. It is challenging finding the time to work when there is so much to experience here in Kyoto and so many great opportunities for me within Notre Dame Elementary, but I do my best.

Afrela and Miko Sensei had English lessons with the first grade classes today, so I joined them. We had the students practice the family terms which we have been teaching them, and then they drew their family. I drew my family on the chalkboard for the kids to use as an example. My drawings were not very good, but some of the students’ were. They had to draw their family in their workbooks and then play a game with their partner in which one person points and asks, “Who’s this?” The other student answers accordingly, “This is my brother.” I really like using music to teach English, and so do Miko and Afrela. We sang the body song and then the family song. Each song has its own gestures which the students enjoy doing very much. Mr. Yukita videotaped the opening activities of our lesson today: the students making a line, standing straight, praying, and our greeting. Hopefully, I can get copies of such videos and pictures that other teachers have taken.

My room in the convent is quite a mess, so I spent so time after lunch organizing. It won’t be long before I have to pack all of the gifts, souvenirs, clothes, and teaching materials back into my suitcases for my departure. It will be interesting to see if I can fit everything. I got a last minute email from Chuck Sensei, and he needed my help for his sixth and seventh period classes. I helped Chuck during those lessons with the fourth graders. We focused on the phrase, “Where do you want to go?” We also practiced the names of fruits, vegetables, and parts of a person’s face. Following each review we played a game simply called Guess what’s Missing. The students enjoyed the games. I think the face one was the most entertaining because the person on the PowerPoint would be missing parts of his face. The face game also gave the students practice with plural nouns, something the Japanese have difficulties with. For example, “He is missing eyebrows.”

By the end of the school day I had taught first grade and fourth grade, but my work after school had me teaching other age groups as well. Afrela Sensei asked me to help her prepare some materials for the Discovery: Australia students. I helped her create sample thank you notes for the students to practice writing so they will be able to thank their host families and new friends in Australia. We all met in the science room and I started by explaining the opening of the letter. We gave the students templates and had them trace the content of the letter. When they finished tracing, then they practiced writing their own. For the most part, their letters will be the same, but I created a space for them to add personal comments about their favorite part of their stay. I think the students will make good use of the thank you letter handouts and lesson. With the few minutes that remained, I practiced conversational English with the students and made sure they understood the uses of the phrases included in their study packet. I wish I had more time to work with this group of students, but my schedule won’t allow me to meet with them again.

Yoko and the kids picked me up from school and we went shopping for a new swimsuit. I have a suit with me, but I wanted one more suitable for long-distance swimming. At first I thought of buying a wetsuit, but they are too hot and my size would have to be special ordered here in Japan. We went to a sporting goods store and I found some sandals, a swimsuit, and a shirt for swimming. Seeing as I will be swimming in the sea a lot, the shirt will protect me from the sunlight. I think I am ready to go to enei gaashuku now.

At home, Yoko made some Japanese curry rice. Curry rice is very good, so I was excited to hear that it was our dinner. After dinner we had some fun talking, playing with the dogs, and enjoying each other’s company. Tonight was my last night here at the Arai’s house. Tomorrow I will be on a train to the Mie prefecture, where I will stay until Saturday. The Arai’s are fun people and each of them has their own unique, interesting, and enjoyable personality. I will miss them dearly and I am very grateful for their kindness; I feel like part of the family.

Day 50: Wingardium Leviosa

The girls beat me outside to the taxi this morning, and to my surprise, the taxi pulled away just as I came out of the gate! The taxi rounded the corner and I thought for sure it was gone, but it stopped around the corner and came back for me. It was a little scare to start off the day. At school I sent the postcards that I had written and got to work on my blog and emails. I also met with Uriyama Sensei to discuss the details for our departure to Mie prefecture for the long-distance swim camp.

Miko, Afrela, and I taught the second grade classes today, practicing adjectives. Similar to the lesson with the first graders, we performed a skit in which I was a wizard while Miko and Afrela were witches. I think that I have perfected the art of deceiving the children when I “change” one object into another. The best was the small eraser, which I turned into a penguin eraser. I made sure to have the penguin eraser in my hand, asked some of the kids to blow on my hand to help perform the trick, and then I opened my hand to show the kids the magic I’d just worked. Only a few kids throughout the classes caught me switching the objects. For the most part, the students were captivated and engaged in the lesson. Afrela kept trying to use the phrase from Harry Potter, “Wingardium Leviosa,” but always seemed to say it differently. It was fun to listen to every time, and the students know all about Harry Potter.

After my classes today I met with Mr. Yukita to help with the editing of the Discovery: America DVD. He has edited most of the material, but wants my help in creating the final frames of the movie. Many people in the United States, including Notre Dame Sisters and host families, made the trip a success. Naturally, Mr. Yukita wants to put in a thank you to all of those people, and that is what I will write for tomorrow.

Yoko Arai picked me up after school, and we headed to her jewelry store, Joy. The kids were already waiting there. They study at the store and Miyuki is getting extra geometry lessons from one of the employees in preparation for her exams.

From the jewelry store we headed to a French restaurant called Le Bouchon, where we had dinner reservations. We had dinner with two friends of the family: Mr. Kamai and his son, Tomohito. The Kamai’s actually live in Utah and are visiting Japan. It was a fun a delicious meal. The kids took pictures of their funny faces again and some of mine as well. It is always great to share meals with new people and get to know them a little.

Back at home I said hello to the dogs and went to my room. Before bed I prepared my bag for our upcoming trip to the Mie prefecture for the Enei Gaashuku (long-distance swim camp). Some of the other teachers and I are sending our larger bags on the supply truck tomorrow instead of carrying them with us when we ride the train on Wednesday.