Today went well and I am very pleased to be writing that. The lessons all went smoothly. We played an amazing game called Ostrich where you have a picture of a sport and you attach it to the back of the T-shirt of one boy and one girl and they have to guess what the sport on the other person`s back is. I taught them the difference between soccer and football – ie. Soccer is wrong and football is correct or else. I wore socks with individual toe room and forgot that you take your shoes off in Japanese schools to much amusement from the children. I drank lots of oolon tea. If you clasp your hand together and stick the index fingers up and together this is some sort of sign in Japan for a suppository and the kids try and stick their fingers up your arse. I was prewarned of this and managed to avoid their attacks.

After the lessons they all came up and asked me to sign their cards so I did. When the door was open, they would shout out hello and run off or say how are you or just stare at me. As Japan teaches in repetition – ie. I say something and they repeat it, if I said, “How are you?” they would say, “How are you?” back. I wanted them to say Fine or something like that. Too advanced? We played a game at the start where they have to shout a random word out at me. Some of the offerings were rhinocerous, silver, Sunday which seems very advanced to me for eleven year olds.

The only problem was getting there. I was supposed to meet the coordinator on the last carriage of the train which arrives at a station called Nakamozu at 8:29. You mught as well added walk three dead men`s lengths to the gnarled tree and dig where the end of the moonlight`s shadow falls at midnight. There shall ye find the treasure. Arrrrrrr.

Of course I didn`t meet her there. After several frantic phone calls and the deployment of my fragmented Japanese of “Excuse me where is here?” to random and bemused Japanese people, I met up with her and we went to the school. I started at 9:40 finished at 12:30 and got nicely paid for the work. And it wan`t so bad.