Ichirinsha

That's Japanese for 'unicycle'. I tried my best this evening after school, school three by the way, Arume 有銘, and found that my balance is off. I quit my session early, not because of my discouraging progress, but from the highly encouraged bloodsucking mosquitoes that seem to linger outside waiting to pierce my tasty flesh. Another day, perhaps earlier, before the pests are ready to feast.

In quite a different manner than my very slow progression at learning the unicycle, this past week has simply blown by me, as witnessed by the failure to post any sort of update or story. So let me drag you back a few days and I'll tell you what you, because of me, missed.

The week at Higashi was decent, not excellent; larger classes in all grades made planning activities a little bit easier. I didn't have to worry about everything being done too quickly. In fact, I found myself running out of time. And if that's a recurring problem, I'll be happy to trim material - it's coming up with stuff to do that's the harder of the two issues to resolve. It wasn't a perfect week, though. A certain grade is full of very shy students who are hard to motivate into speaking and one teacher feels the need to translate everything I say - this having led to the instinctive reaction of head-turning toward 先生 when asked simple questions like, "What is your name?" Next visit I'll do my best to get involved in the basketball club or maybe try my hand at a game of after lunch classroom Paper Baseball. I hear ambulance sirens already.

Happily, the week at Higashi was followed by a four day weekend, initially ruined by 台風 (taifuu) 11, which passed right over Okinawa. All accounts stated that it was pretty weak and I'll admit that's true. After a short typhoon party at Cliff's, I drove home later that night, slightly disappointed that my car did not for one moment get lifted up on two wheels by strong winds. The next several days were free, however, so spirits barely dampened, I spent a bunch of time with Elina from Ogimi, which is always a pleasure. Boardgames, movies, food, and beer - no worries there.

"Now, Vaughn," you're probably wondering, "this is pretty interesting stuff you're peddling us. Please tell us about this week; how's it going so far? Any plans for the weekend? Are you homesick yet? Don't delay!"

Well, o.k., just chill for a second.

Day 1, school 3, was great. Only thing I'll work on the next few days is eating with the students. It's just so much fun! Saturday is the Nago City speech contest for the yanbaru region of Okinawa, the north. Junior high school students that do well here will progress to the Okinawa contest, then to Kyushu, on to Japan's, then to fame and fortune, all because of the tireless hours one ALT spent explaining and demonstrating the sounds "th", "aw", "l...", and "r". I must say, Yuki has done a hell of a job memorizing her speech and putting up with my making strange noises in the library after school. At least by not being ashamed myself, I've gotten her to not worry about it either. And it's that ability to try and make it past mistakes and laugh about it that helps us move along, especially when trying to jabber at someone in a foreign language.

Sunday brings Arume School's 運動会 undoukai, or Field Day, which will be my first. I am excited to live vicariously through the physical feats of my students, who haven't yet decided that a well-watched diet of foods and a couple hours with the new Harry Potter might just be a little more rewarding at the moment than sweating my ass off into a sandy Okinawan playing field. But it'll be awesome and it'll be fun to support the kids in their presentation of sports, dance, and other various activities. Until then, I'll continue to fall off my unicycle, get dragged from my apartment to participate in late night tugs-of-war, and occasionally settle for the free coke and chips as a well-balanced dinner. I can't complain, I'm loving it too much. Waisu desu.

PS - Tochimitsu先生 provided me with a kanji version of my name today, bon waisu. All I can currently recall is my first name, 菩武, but it feels good to know it's there.