Hannah Is Back

 She came back yesterday.  I'm so happy she's back and even happier that she had a good experience.

Friday was the last day at the school, so the class had a little goodbye party for her.  She cried saying goodbye, this is the first time she has cried saying goodbye,  she graduated elementary school, junior high school and high school and never shed a tear.  One month with these kids she was crying!!  The homeroom teacher that she worked with cried as well.  They wrote messages for her, one kid suggested that she stay until they graduate, and another said that she liked Hannah's English accent and wants to sound like her.  They all expressed their gratitude for the lessons she gave and for spending time with them.

I'm so proud of her, she worked hard on her lesson plans, was courteous to the staff, spoke with confidence to the kids and this was reflected in the lovely messages she received.

I think she realized that running a home, even for one person takes planning and it's not always easy.  She was lucky in that the area she was staying in had shops nearby so she could just run out in the evening if she had forgotten something.  Towards the end she had figured out when to shop and that menu planning was important.  

Friday evening she and her friend who was at the same school went out to eat and to do karaoke.  She had fun.

All you can eat yaki niku

Hannah

Toast Came Back

 Early Monday morning Toast turned up!!

Saturday and Sunday I walked around the neighborhood, checking under cars, in trees and in people's yards but no sign of him.  Late Sunday evening I put more food out, I stood on the porch shaking the food but no Toast, just the stray cat!  So I decided to try the Japanese urban legend and told the stray cat about Toast, Christopher went out and said the same thing in Japanese.  Five hours later Toast came back!  I'm so happy about that!!

He's back!!

Unfortunately, my neck is bad again.  Another herniated disc.  Started Tuesday morning, I was hoping that it would correct itself and I wouldn't need the doctors.  But last night I couldn't sleep, lying down sent shooting pains down my left arm, so I sat on the sofa from 2 am.  Today went to the doctor, got an x-ray, which showed that there is no space between the vertebrae, and it's pinching on a nerve.  Had treatment with a TENS machine and a heating pad, that felt nice.  Got a month's worth of very strong painkillers. I really hope this rights itself soon as I have a lot to do.

Hannah is in her last week of teacher training.  I think she has learned a lot, not just the teaching part but also about living by herself.  She calls every day, which is nice for me.  This morning she called and said that she thinks she is overtired,  I asked why, if she was okay to go to school.  She said that she had put coffee in her cereal bowl.  

Toast

 No not the bread type but our little black cat!  He has run away.

Yesterday as I was letting in my student,  Alan, our other black cat, was trying to get out, so I got distracted.  Showing my student into the teaching room, putting the student's shoes away and pushing Alan out of the way, all at the same time.  I closed the front door and I thought locked the latch but I think it didn't catch properly.  A few minutes later Christopher said that the cats had gotten out.  He managed to get them back except for Toast.  Toast just took off!!  We put food out, looked around the garden, in the outside storage room and under the car but no cat.  I decided to wait until about 6pm, which is dusk here and a good chance that Toast is getting hungry and would be out looking for food.  Christopher and I walked around the neighborhood for a while but couldn't see him.  Came home and put more food out for Toast.  Problem is we have a stray cat that comes and goes, so he was hanging around and I think eating the food.  Christopher and I went out again at 9pm but still no Toast.  I went out again at 12:30 last night and early morning.  

I'm devastated that we have lost another cat.  I read about a Japanese urban legend that says you should ask stray cats to help find your lost cat.  So this morning I saw the stray cat and talked to him about Toast.  I don't know if that will help but I honestly don't know what else to do.

I had to tell Hannah, I didn't want to but she gets back next week and if Toast is not here she would be very upset and angry.  

Toast

I hope he comes back soon!!!

Feeling Nostalgic

 Maybe it's the time of year, maybe I'm just getting old but recently I've been thinking a lot about my childhood and teen years.

This started with a few Facebook groups I joined, talking about our memories, and things that a generation have in common.  Things like certain pop groups that we thought were the best ( The Osmonds), posters we would collect.  Listening to the Top 40 on a Sunday afternoon, waiting for a favorite song to come on.  Fashion that is cringe-worthy, American Tan tights with white socks over them,  platform shoes, I could never walk properly in them.  It's easy to look back and think how great everything was, how my generation had the best of times!  But did we?  

The news could be terrifying. I remember the kidnapping of Lesly Whittle.  She lived in the same village as my cousin's wife.  I was a bridesmaid at their wedding and remember driving past the Whittles house, the mother was outside sweeping the driveway, a scene I had seen on the news for many weeks!!

I'm on the end

Not a good photo, sorry.

I also remember a sugar shortage.  I couldn't understand why, and I don't think I've ever seen an explanation for that.

Another thing I remember was the IRA bombings.  I watched a documentary about this recently and found out that it was only a year but it felt longer.

One thing that I'm grateful for is the amount of information that is available either through the internet or documentaries that have been made. I can finally understand things that really baffled me as a kid. The news could seem strange,  why would a gate with water flowing over it be a big scandal in America.  I found out later that The Watergate was a hotel and office complex.  

Here's to memories and to making more.

I wonder what our kids will remember?

Hannah

 She is now halfway through her teacher training.  From what she has been telling me her lessons have been alright.  She got a bit frustrated with the kids the other day, she did the presentation and gave instructions on what the class had to do but the kids weren't listening, they asked the same question 3 or 4 times!!  She was patient with them and explained again.  The homeroom teacher said that it was normal for the kids to do that.  Other than that her lessons are alright.  She spends hours preparing and worrying about them but I guess that is normal when you start out!

I think living by herself has been an eye-opener for her.  Just going to university she comes back to meals prepared, laundry done and things in the house done (most of the time).  Now she has to shop for herself, plan meals ahead, remember what she needs and cook.  The other day she called because she had cut her thumb open while chopping onions!!  There wasn't a lot I could do to help, just told her to wash it and wrap it  until she could get a plaster.  I then had to show her how to chop onions using the camera on the phone,  I think when she gets back she will be having a few cooking lessons!!  The next morning she managed to overload the breaker by having the electric heater, kettle and microwave on at the same time. She knew that she had to put the breaker back on by flipping a switch but it's very high on the wall and she had a hard time reaching it.  Took a few efforts of jumping but she managed to get it back on.  

And of course, she has made friends with the neighborhood cats!!  She was preparing her lesson plans on Saturday but took a break to go to the shop. On the way back she met two cats, and spent almost an hour playing with them.  She's a cat magnet!

one of Hannahs's friends

the other cat

She said that the ginger cat was the most friendly!

Bit Of Good News, Lots Of Bad

 The good news is that Alfie didn't need to stay in the vets, he came home the same day.  Also the vet didn't charge as much as he usually does.  Alfie got the full works while he was there, nails clipped and flea treatment but there no charge for that.  He has medicine for the next week but he is already a lot better.  He was purring a lot yesterday and then racing around with the other cats.

Happier Alfie

Where to start with the bad news?

First of all it has suddenly gone very cold.  I like the cold weather, it's a lot easier to deal with than the hot weather.  The problem is in the sudden change, last week it was up to 22C during the day, lows of about 12C at night.  This morning it was just 4C, and now it's only 11C and probably won't get any higher!!!  I really don't want to put the gas heaters on as it's very expensive.  Which leads to the next bad news, still no new students, my income only just covers the bills and rent. David is buying food and cat food, which is good but he needs to save for his own car.  Also I'm wondering what will happen the end of this year and next spring.  Because of the school year starting in April in Japan, junior high school and high school kids start the preperation for entrance exams.  For public junior high there isn't a test but for the private schools there are and for all high schools there are tests, so lot of kids start quitting to focus on that.  Then in spring we lose a few more because of new schedules.  The best would be to start getting new students now to off set the ones that will quit.

The last bit of bad news is that I'm not loosing weight.  I'm bouncing up and down the same one kilo.  I'm not stress eating but also not eating very healthy. I do need to exercise, the most exercise I've had recently was shopping with Hannah and pulling weeds from the garden.  Better than nothing but I need to do something everyday!!

Hannah is doing very well.  She did a math lesson last week, one of the teachers said that the lesson didn't look like she was a beginner.  This week she has to do English and history.  She said yesterday that the kids kept asking the same question about what they had to do.  I told her that the secomd time she explains she should tell the kids that this is the last time she is going to explain the instructions.  These kids will be in junior high school next year and the teachers don't explain things over and over again. 

She is also enjoying her life at the apartment.  She calls to chat every evening and asks about cooking, so I think once she has recovered a few cooking lessons are needed!!!

Sick Cats, I'm Stressed

 The other day we had to take Steve to the vet.  He wasn't peeing and the bit that came out was blood. Looks like inflammation, again. He got a shot and some medicine.  He is a bit better but the vet said that he was stressed because of the other cats.  He is still peeing a bit of blood but he is a lot better.  I'm trying to keep him calm and away from the cats that he fights with.

Today was Alfie's turn.   Not peeing and throwing up.  Christopher took him to the vet but Alfie has to stay in for a few days.  His bladder is full and the vet isn't sure if the vomiting is from poison from the pee or straining to pee.  I know that he is in the right place and they will take good care of him but the cost is worrying me!

Also with all these things happening I really don't know how I will cope living at the other house.  Here everything is within walking distance.  Supermarket, drug store, doctors, dentist and even the city hall are within 5 minutes walk.  The vet is opposite the dentist.  The other house has nothing nearby, to live there you need a car!!  Very inconvenient.  When we lived there before I walked to the supermarket, took 2 hours altogether!!  I can't drive and I have desire to learn (and no money).  Mikey and David can drive but we only have one car and again no money for a second one!! Christopher needs to get his license but again no money, most of his wage goes to paying for his scholarship and phone.  This is the problem for a lot of young people in Japan, wages are very low but the prices are very high.  The minimum wage is about 1000 yen an hour, about 5 pounds.  There is no overtime pay, some places may pay a little but a lot of places expect you to work overtime for nothing.   

So as always, I'm trying to find a way to make more money.  The only way I know is to teach but we are not getting any new students.  I have to find a way to do that!!

Steve

Alfie