I'm tired

And pretty much all the time, too. Today I have the day off, though, to compensate for having to come to school on Saturday for Rindosai (School Festival). Yamazaki's Rindosai, from what I understand, was not as exciting as those of some of the larger junior high schools in Moka, but it was still much better than an actual day of work. I even got to participate in some of the activities with the kids and it was one of the first days that I actually was able to walk around and just chat with some of my students.

Tomorrow is the long-awaited speech contest (at last!). Two of my students are actually quite good and that sort of worries me. You see, the first and second place winners both get to go on to the state-wide competitions, which would mean more preparation and more time after school listening to the same words and the same awkward intonations repeated over and over again. Ms. Shimowada and I keep joking with each other that we hope our students will all get the third prize. We want their hard work to pay off, but we're done.

In further news, I got a sewing machine! It's been great fun so far making little things to decorate the house. Pictures of my handiwork to come later.

For now, please enjoy this video clip of a "traditional Northern dance" that several of my students performed last Saturday. They did it twice, and the second time I was coaxed into joining them. My thighs burned for two whole days afterward.


"fo-ku dansu" at Rindosai from Meghan Janssen on Vimeo.