ONE OK BUNNY vs the other ALT

I really neglect this blog! Sorry! Not that many people read it XD

I do post a lot on my vlog though lol This I did not feel as comfortable talking about that way and it is just easier to rant typing.

So how it started I guess... I love working with my 1st years! It is so fun... well usually. So a while back when I got sick I guess. The JTE for my 1st year invited the other alt to his house. Then it seems sometime since then the JTE went to the other alts house. Adding to that the ALT asked to see more (teach more) of the 1st years.

Result I am dropped from all 1st year classes.

Now not completely but what classes I had with them the other ALT was there too and it was very clear I was support and the other ALT was lead. The JTE stopped talking to me about changes in class content and whenever I asked do you want me or the other ALT to do something the answer was the other ALT.

Now the 2nd years... well I love the teacher but the second years are really your classic human tape record teaching. I only read words and dialogue and sometimes i don't even do that when the JTE plays a CD instead. >_<

So the shame and confusion in all of this that this other ALT is not being renewed. Sure I have yet to hear but I haven't heard bad news yet either. I am more out going and animated in class though... so I wonder did I do something wrong?

Oh right and the kicker sending me to the edge before today? We have a sub ALT with us for a few weeks to make up English hours at my school. He is to be with me.. in second year classes... so meaning I really have no work! And when asking the second year teacher if she wanted me or the sub alt to do the flash cards.... the JTE told me to tell the sub how to do it *dies*

Today it came to a head... this whole thing just kept making me feel worse and worse.

A recruiter for the UK section of Interac came to watch the other ALT ( the ALT is from the UK) in class. Not even being renewed but being shown off?? what?

Now understandably so the other ALT is not too thrilled with the new work load and focus since there are only 4 weeks left for them anyway. Everyone knows that feeling when the job is coming to an end you don't want to do anything XD

I did a warm up and it went over really well and the kids loved it. Even got great feedback from the JTE and asked about leveling it up. So I did it first period but passed on it second period because the other ALT was asked to do something. There was a reading test of reading aloud from the text to the ALTs and the other ALT was asked to give an example of good and bad reading.

I really wish I did my warm up cause the branch manager came with the UK Rep.... the branch manager even came up after saying she didn't know I would be there or she would have told me she was coming. >_< FORGOTTEN!

So the next class we had I wanted to do my warm up again. Going great as usual but then it came for me to check the answers and do a little repeat after me... the JTE asked the other ALT to check the answers........................

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Yup! straw that broke me!

When the student rep from the 3rd year class I was going to eat lunch with didn't know my name or who she was going to get for lunch I almost started crying right there. Granted I don't teach the 3rd years at all but still just bad.

Lunch did end up cheering me up a bit thankfully. ^^;;

The last class we had today (all classes we had were the three of us JTE, me, other alt) It was going so bad with the other ALT so I kept giving help and kicking myself. Like telling the other alt that they look really sleepy so do the activity with them standing up.

This week is over now and it will be another week before the sub alt comes back for a couple weeks.

ok I think just ranting about it helps lol The other ALT knows how much this is bothering me and when I said I was sorry for complaining cause well here I am still with a job and they were fired you know. They said it was ok cause it sucks for me too.

Oh well it's friday I can relax for the weekend and be fresh on Monday. And if there is another drinking night with the JTE this weekend maybe the other ALT will tell him what's going on XD well at least that they aren't renewed or something saaa

ONE OK BUNNY vs the salon

Hello! Happy New Year!! and all of that ^^

I don't know why but when I get stressed, depressed or something along those lines, something gets done to my hair. Shortly after I got back to Hawaii after the summer of 2009 I chopped my to about a half inch above my shoulders which was a first in a long time besides my hair was almost to my waist at that point.

I walked by a super cuts in Waikiki, walked in and had my hair chopped off no real reason just needed to change something or have control over something. I again a while later started stressing of keeping up with school work, applying for JET, and depression that in the shower one day I just out my hair in a ponytail and cut it ^^;;; Didn't do that bad a job at it.

So I think my decision yesterday while watching the Tale of Genji at the theater steams from recent stress but also it was a mess and needed work XD

Yesterday I walked into a local salon and asked if I could get a cut and color. I have been worried about color reading stories about Japanese color being harsh on western hair esp bleach. As the hairdresser put it 'High Bleach' would be needed for my roots XD

So I make an appointment for today!

It was actually a great experience. I did kind of want something more drastically different cut wise but I like it! ^^ For some reason when I would go get my hair done with something in mind I never got it but ended up loving what I got. So today the only thing I wanted was for my roots to match the rest of my hair and not have it fall out XD

When it comes to the salon I am really submissive, quiet and if I'm in pain I hide it as well as I can. The only thing I think I'm missing is that I want my bangs thicker but it's ok ^^

So he talked to me quite a bit and we talked on a lot of topics. He used to go to the JHS I teach at when he was in Jr High and said one of my students comes to the salon ^^ We talked on music and he loves Aerosmith and Oasis. Told me he was fishing at a beach once and ran into Kimura Takuya from SMAP who was surfing with his wife.

The salon is really close to my apartment which isn't saying much since there are like 5-10 salons or barbers in a 1km radius at least. I hardly see if use when I walk by on my way home and he seems to be the only one working there. He was alone when I went in last night saying that he was too busy to take me and to come back tomorrow and he was alone when I came in.

I don't know his name but I think I will be going there a lot. 7000 yen really isn't a lot for cut and color. Only thing that sucked was the chair he moved me to so I could look at magazines while the bleach sat my leg started falling sleep XD I was so worried when he asked me back to the salon chair that I wouldn't be able to walk lol

Still on winter break until the 10th! but an all day training 9:30-16:15 on Saturday. I get to see people!! No more lonely bunny! at least on that day ^^7

ONE OK BUNNY vs the sickness

So here it is. I will soon be here for 5 months on the 7th and I got sick!

I have felt off a bit like I was getting sick before but increased my Vitamin C and got better.

Now my throat hurts and it's a little painful to talk. This is day 3 and in a couple minutes or so I am calling the number you need to call when you are too sick to go into work.

I should have done this yesterday. After waking up feeling bad I spit a little blood and wasn't worried about it because it really wasn't a lot. Same thing this morning.

ok just called in and I got the day off to rest and yes they wanted me to go to the doctor! ^^;;

In Japan because the health care is so good at the first sign of a cold people will go to the doctor. I am sure that is an over generalization and a stereo type but stereo types are stereo types for a reason.

I haven't had health care for years so I'm used to just bedding down with some interesting feel good movies and riding the illness out. I did buy meds so that calmed the companies nerves.

So this is about being sick in Japan. As I said I am used to riding it out. Get some nyquil take a big dose and sleep. When I worked at Macy's years ago i would start getting sick on my last day off before like 3 or 4 days straight full time. So I took nyquil at night dayquil in the day and do my best to get through it. As far as I know Japan has nothing like that.

The first time I was really sick while I was studying abroad I was watching TV and saw a commercial for meds. It got my attention because it was Yankumi from Gokusen staring in it. Well it was Nakama Yukie ^^ And it was simple Japanese "anata no kaze doko kara desu ka? " (Where is your cold from?) "Hana kara, Nodo kara, Netsu kara?" (From the nose, throat or fever?) Each box has a color Yellow=nose Silver=throat and Blue=fever. My nose was so so stuffed and all that so I got the yellow box and it was amazing ^^ V

So this time around I got the silver box. And as soon as I finish this entry I am going to make some breakfast and take my first dose of the day. I took it when I got home and had dinner last night and I passed out for oh 13 hours. not surprising I was so tired and sleepy at work.

Work was hard. The teacher knew right away I wasn't ok and said "Genki nai!" and asked why. I said I caught a cold and in the second class I said I have a cold and it became a lesson for the students as they looked up words Cold, Sick and Fever in their dictionary. After that since it was hard to talk and do the flash cards and what not my JTE took pity on me and told me for the rest of the day I can sit in the teachers room.

So lunch I am to eat with the students but if I'm sick I am not going to do that. So the other JTE bless her heart went to call the class to come get me and I tried to stop her but just couldn't. I couldn't make words come out fast enough. So my amazing VP at the school asks me if I want to eat in the teachers room. I nodded and just then the students came in to get me. He started off with a "honto sorry!" to them and explained I wasn't feeling good so I was eating there. <3

I am so thankful for that cause I felt so much worse when I got up on my feet to go to the restroom or something so staying seated was very nice ^^

After work I walked to the local Matsumoto Kiyoshi which is 700 meters or so from my apartment and 30minute walk from the school. I wanted to get a pain reliever as well but only had enough cash on me to get the small box of silver meds and a thermometer...which I am not sure if it works lol it keeps showing my temp at 35.9 or 36.6 which is lower then a normal temp should be i think ^^;;; The box of 18 pills was 1180 yen (2 pills, 3 times a day) and the thermometer was 980 yen or something s0 expensive! The was the cheapest one too.

I should probably go to the doctors but i really don't want to spend the money but we'll see how the meds work today and that 13 hours of sleep does me ^^;;