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Life has now returned to some semblance of normality. I use normality rather liberally as there is very little “normal” to me about being a married man living with his wife, yet we have both adapted to the massive change very well indeed (easy to say with no yardstick for comparison). I have more or less done away with the idea of catching up with the missing 2-3 weeks in my blog that spanned the events of my wedding and other such nonsense, frankly it’s too much and its been all I have had to discuss with co-workers, friends and relatives recently making the subject rather monotonous. So we end it here.
Imagine this, I go to primary school on Wednesday fearing the worst. I ALWAYS fear the worst, it is part of what makes me such a great primary school teacher. (and yes, I am going to blow on my own trumpet and say that’s exactly what I am, a great primary school teacher who completely circumvents singing about itsy bitsy spiders as a language teaching method). Fearing the worst means that you’re prepared for it and are able to counter “the worst” or simply not care about it if it happens (which it almost never does). And fearing this “worst” I went into the teachers room, wondering how the English lessons will work this year as crazy Mrs. S has left the school leaving me sans liason, which could either be awesome (less crazy) or terrible (less passing the buck on discipline). The moment I enter the teachers room, the new vice principal comes rushing up to me to say,
VP: Gareth! I’m afraid I have some bad news.
Gareth: (awesome…that took all of 3 seconds) what’s that?
VP: This year there has been a change of the schedules. We don’t have a 5th period anymore so you can only work until lunch time.
Gareth: (Yesmotherfuckeryes!): Aw well, can’t be helped
So there you have it “bad news” constitutes half day wednesdays! Man I can’t wait for some really good news! OF course I charitably volunteered to stay for lunch before leaving for the day, that’s just the kind of guy I am.
Also with the new year come new first graders, I met them all and have already begun to single out the troublemakers, I have a couple made so far I think and there may have to be some beatings liberally handed out to various punks to keep them in line. I like being the funny white guy, but I do need to instill some discipline in the ranks – one kid in particular I can see being an assclown. The really good thing about getting new first graders however lies in the new Engrish backpacks!
ELECTRIC EAGLES! That’s just how they roll round here.
I understand that some people are unnerved by the foreign fellow, it’s inevitable really. When people are in awkward social situations they often say ludicrous things, we’ve all been there. However, todays little escapade with the Science teacher (I like him, but he has never been too comfortable around me) was one of those moments in which you knew he went round the corner and slapped his head seconds after it happened.
Scene: Going to the bathroom, I walk through the gym and pass the Science teacher (Mr. T) who is coming out, being the gym we see each other approaching from a long way away meaning eye contact was made too early to just walk by the opponent, I usually just smile in these circumstances. However, Mr. T did what any real Japanese science teacher would do … and panicked.
Mr T (hah!): Ah!..Gareth. Going to the toilet?
Gareth: Yes.
Mr T: haha..just like a Japanese person.
Gareth: ….I guess..
Mr T: hahahahaha
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I have been literally terrified of writing this blog post. You may (or may not) have noticed it has been 3 weeks since my last post, and with very good reason. Friends, family and wedding preperations have been hilarious, exasperating and refreshing in more or less equal amounts but do tend to play merry hell with ones weblog writing.
What I shall do is write up things in bits as I can face the prospect of writing everything in one go about as much as you can to the prospect of reading it. So yes, I shall deal with things in sequential order for the sake of keeping things in an orderly manner.
Friends
A thankyou one and all to the 5 penniless travellers (well 4 and Marco with his WOP oil money). It was frankly amazing to see everyone, at more than one point during our time together I forgot that it was a holiday and that I was getting married. It was just like being back at University all over again, save the food was better and we were surrounded by a different brand of Asian. Owen now has short hair, which actually suits him incredibly well, takes years off the man. Johnson has increasingly lengthy hair making everything seem like I’m living in Bizarro world to some small extent. Dillon and Marco appear unchanged in the hair situation and Simon is much the same save that if he tried to grow long hair now I think he may well end up with a bald spot.
Predicatably there was many a drunken adventure. Johnson once again amazingly did not die despite numerous occaisions on which he should have. Marco and Dillon managed to break a wall – an entire wall – whilst drunk in the hotel. Simon fell in a number of bushes and trash (all of which were amusing), Owen remained mostly safe as is rather typical of the man. The Japanese mostly took us with a smile on their faces, I think they were quite pleased with the short term amusement provided by the hapless white giants. Save possibly certain hotel staff.
So this post is to you my friends, thos in attendance and those not, it was wonderful to see you all and may we meet again sometime soon. It is always nice to be reminded what and where one came from.
