had fun today. I went and played with the kindergartners early this morning. It was a little sad because they had posters in the middle and high schools inviting the students to come and play with them today, and only me and a elementary schooler came. other than that it was very nice. I showed them how i would fold a paper airplane and they seemed to have fun with that. There was a little snow this morning, but i still haven't turned on the heat for the past three or four days. I think i will tonight because my nose still gets a little cold at like 4 in the morning and wakes me up. more and more of the snow keeps on melting, and i can't wait for the spring to come. I hope the company tells me of my schedule for the next year soon so i can see when my holidays are, because i would like to go down to Yokohama or Tokyo sometime in the spring or fall. Next weekend is a Sapporo trip and a three day weekend for me so that should be fun.

boring test day. I had one elective class with the third years and that went okay. I did another jeopardy review day. I worked in some clips this time on my computer and had them look at them. I finally worked a glee clip into one of my lessons and i also used a good example of different dialects of English. I have a three day weekend next week and i am happy for that. Then i have two half days on Wednesday and Thursday because of the town's entrance exam. I went shopping today after school, and the drive was free of ice and snow. It is starting to melt down here, and i can't wait for the flowers to finally bloom.

Well apparently the story on the window is that the kids were playing around and then the one lost his balance and hit the window and it broke. Oh well, today i had only two classes, I was kind of bored. Tomorrow i have only one. I just hope that next week i have a couple of days off. Because there are the 3rd years taking tests and such and the schedule looks like i might not work on Wednesday to Friday, or that there is no English classes that day. I would like a long weekend. we'll have to wait and see. The weather is getting warmer, and i think that the snow melt has begun. Now i don't have to fill up my tank every week and walk on top of five feet of snow to get to it. Yeah! Can't wait for the weekend.

Today has been a weird day so far. I observed the special ed class and i got to learn more about the three of the second year students that were in that class. They are all very nice and sweet. I got to see how they learned and how they do in class, since they are in regular and special ed classes throughout the day. One poor little kid has spasms and i just feel so bad for the kid. To not have control over your own body would be a nightmare. Then during fifth period, one of the third years out in the hall when i was in class with the second years, punched out a window and we all heard the glass shatter. Man, talk about some anger management issues. I don't know the exacts yet, but the gossip is likely to spread eventually. i have a month old banana that has finally turned black enough for me to make some banana steamed bread. I just need to get some nuts and eggs at the store today when i fill up my kerosene tank today. I made some pretty good chicken salad and put it with pasta last night for dinner. then i used the leftovers for open sandwiches this morning. At least i am using the 2 kilos of prunes that i bought like two months ago. i do need to do a Costco trip soon, i ran out of cereal and peanut butter, and i could go for an actual pizza this time. I will probably just go the first week of March.

It was just another slow, nice weekend for me. I took the car in to the place to get the 6-month check-up and then i ended up driving all the way to the Hilton in order to have lunch. Don't know why i did, but i just started driving and ended up there. Then on Sunday, the weather was very nice. It was sunny all day and the snow on the roads was melting. I hope that this is the beginning of the snow melt here. I went to the onsen and then i had lunch there as well in the restaurant there. I then drove to the sea and got a glimpse of it. I didn't take any pics because the snow was still blocking the places to get a good view of it. This week is pay day and will be less because i didn't have to pay for the car stuff last month. Boo, but oh well, i am still making plenty of money to save. I am gonna try and use some videos in my jeopardy game for the third years, and hopefully that won't be too big of a problem.

Just another day of regular classes. Nothing much else to that. I have to take the car in for it's check up tomorrow, but not much else is on my agenda for the weekend. I am trying to save money, and waiting on my parking membership card so i can save money when i go places and park there. 1300 yen instead of 1800 yen cap on weekdays. so much better in the long run.

Today was a pretty nice day. I reviewed progressives with the third years and then i did Jeopardy using them as questions. The kids did well, and they seemed very interested in it. Then i had no classes for the rest of the day. I did stay after for the clubs and hung out with the kids, because i think today is the only day this week that they will have clubs. Not much else going on. I am kind of just trying to wait the snow out. It is still snowing here like and inch or so a day. I just want spring to come so i can enjoy the beauty of the frontier of Japan.

Today was the day that all the girls gave each other mostly, not much to the boys, their valentines gifts. They are usually cookies or chocolates here and they are all hand made. I got two of them, but i will return my gifts on march 14th for white day. The traditional day for men to return them. I am thinking steamed cheesecake with melted chocolate on top. I tried to make some before, and it turned out better once it had been in the fridge for a couple of days. The kids seemed a little more rambunctious today. I got like three our four butt gropings today. It was weird. normally they just poke me. Boys, what are you gonna do. Though i did see like a strong 10 second groping of one boy on the other's crotch, and i was like what the heck are you doing. Stop. The kids here seem to be a little more gropy when it comes to playing. I know in America a kid would definitely be sent to the principal for that thing. Sorry for a little vulgarity, but hey they do this kind of thing a lot. At least the girls are a little more passive aggressive.

Now it's time for the weekend. It sort of felt weird today having one day off then one day of school and then the weekend. At least since the 1b class was at ski practice for the first four hours of class, i only had 2 classes for the day with the third years because the English teacher is the home room teacher for 1b so he went with them. The third years are getting better i think, and they are a little more willing to use more English in class. I got off of work at 2:35 today since there was the teachers meeting and everyone went home early. And since i am not really too involved with the day-to-day things of the school i am not needed- or wanted- there. I went to the grocery store in town after wards to get some garbage bags for plastics. This is the first time i have had to buy them in 7 months. I also got some cream cheese and chocolate and honey for some other things. I decided to use the cream cheese to make steamed mini cheesecakes, and since i was worried about steaming making it stiff enough i had like half a block of cheese and two eggs in the mix, so it turned out to be more of a lemon cream cheese omelette. I put some melted chocolate on top so i that helped a little. Steaming works in place of baking for me since i can make smaller things in cupcake liners on the stove top.

Today i had two elective classes that i was in charge of with the second years. The second years are kind of my least favorite year, because one class is usually dead silent when i teach so they don't answer at all, and the other one is filled with students who are very disruptive. But oh well, what can you do. Tonight there is a party for the principal since it is his 60th birthday. The Japanese seem to hold the 60th birthday in high esteem and call this celebration kanreki. Should be fun for 100 bucks to go to the high end restaurant in Niseko. I just hope the restaurant has chairs and not floor seating. I just do not like sitting on the floor for two+ hours. My legs and back start to hurt about an hour into it. It should be fun otherwise. Tomorrow i have the day off since it is a national holiday for the celebrating of the founding of the country and drawing up of the constitution. I will sleep in.

Snow Festival

 

Great view of Mt. Youtei

 

Jozankei Hot Springs

 

  

Smoking ice

 

Oyaki