*yawn*

J134 Monday September 3rd

I was up early, as I had much to do and little time to do it. Today was to be the first meeting of my D&D group, and I had to prepare. First, I cleaned just about all of my apartment. There was the chance that one of the players would need crash space, and I had offered my couch. I wanted to be sure he wouldn't be horrified of the...state of things.

I am not a filthy person, but being a single male does make me adopt a...shall we say lackadaisical attitude when it comes to housekeeping. I scrapped off the big chunks, though, and made my abode presentable.

I grabbed a quick shower and headed off to the station, there to meet up with everyone. I met K and Masaki, the D&D enthusiast I'd met nearly two months prior in front of Sakura City. After a little while, the third member of the group, Nick, arrived. He lives in Tokyo, so his commute is a bit of a killer. K was very kind and offered us his class room at his work place to game at. There were no regular classes that day, and the space would be perfect for our needs. The group trekked to Ito Yokado and procured lunch, myself getting a okonomiyaki (think a pizza...made from an omelette).

The session of the day was to be character creation. For those of you who have never played a tabletop role-playing game, there's one thing you have to have, and that is a character. It's usually beneficial to group harmony if everyone makes their characters at the same time, so as to have a good spread of powers and abilities, and so that two characters don't step on anyone's toes. This session was just that, brainstorming and helping one another with crafting complimentary, well-rounded characters.

I'd brought my laptop, equipped as it was with numerous gaming resources, which greatly helped the creation process for the gathered players. We planned and schemed for a few hours, myself giving a short lecture on the world. The big white board in the room proved to be the perfect gaming accessory, and was quickly filled with a rough map of the game world.

Toward the end of the meeting, Masaki received word that his father had taken ill and was going to the hospital. Apparently he had been under the effects of some malady for some time, but Masaki wanted to be with him when he got to the hospital, so he had to bid the group farewell for the day. As a parting gift, he left us with his hand-bound copies of the D&D Player's Handbook. A most generous loan.

The time was nearing for the weekly Japanese lesson, so the group took a hiatus. Josh was planning on meeting us after the lesson concluded, for another round of creation and brainstorming. Nick was content to wander town for a while, shopping at Yokado whilst K and I taught the lesson. The new teachers, Jo Ann and Candice, joined us, and I was put in charge of helping them with the basics. I surprise myself with how much Japanese I remember. I know I would be much better at the language if I practiced more. K is a study-holic, and it shows. Me, not so much.

We worked on the basics for a few hours, and before we knew it the lesson was over. K and I met up with Nick, and we lead the whole group around Ito Yokado. Up and down the escalators we traipsed, browsing (mostly) everything the department store had to offer. When we tired of window shopping we headed over to Sakura City. It was around this time that I received a message from Josh; he had had a difficult and exhausting day at work, and needed to sleep. I replied with sympathy and told him we'd do a creation session at a later date.

The group walked to Sakura City through the quickly fading sunlight. The sun had set while we were in Yokado, and the last rays of sunshine were painting the clouds a dramatic hemorrhage of purples and reds. We paced and window shopped all throughout Sakura City, marveling at the myriad of styles and accessories to choose from. Japanese fashion can be very dramatic and cosmopolitan, even as far out in the sticks as Hitachi is. Emphasis is placed on abstract or stylistic clothing, rather than functional stuff. As a stickler for utility, I don't look very stylish, though the same could have been said when I lived in the States.

The evening was drawing to a close, and Nick was nearing the deadline for his last train home. We bid him farewell as he headed down the escalators and out the building. The rest of us stayed in S.C. a while longer, but left once we realized the place was closing.

K and I took the girls to G-Bros. Some of the gang were there when we got there, and we had a jolly time. I treated the new teachers to Apple Pie Gyoza, a delicious desert that is a testament to Hiro's (bartender and head chef of G-Bros.) ingenuity and culinary genius. The girls were skeptical at first, but their fears were allayed thanks to the fried goodness that is Hiro's Apple Pie, Japan-style. Just like Mom used to make...in an alternate dimension.

Those of the gang present got it in them to go bowling. I myself was quite tired after the events of the day, and called it a night. Home was a quick bike-ride away, and soon I was closing the evening with my customary internet time.

J135 Tuesday September 4th

Only two classes today! I occupied my time by assembling materials for our weekly news discussion class and folding a tremendous volume of fliers. Today was my deadline for deciding about my contract. I settled on a 3-month extension, ending in the first week of June. At the last minute, before I could go home, I had to write a short essay on why I had decided to renew for only 3 months, rather than a year.

J136 Wednesday September 5th

Only 3 classes today. Folded even more stuff today. My manager informed me that the date I had selected was incompatible with my company's hiring schedule. I had to select a date that was either earlier or later. I was given the choice of June 16th or May 28th. I have until Friday the 7th to decide.

J137 Thursday September 6th

Another 3-class day. I feel rather bad, having gotten only interrupted sleep the night before. Special classes are in two weeks, and I must needs prepare for them. My schedule has no fewer than 6 classes for tomorrow, the 7th. Karma for the light beginning of my week.

The latest typhoon blew in today, late in the evening. I managed to sleep through most of it, but I was woken up several times through the night due to sudden gusts of wind. These gales (and I do not use the term lightly) were strong enough to set my entire apartment building rocking back and forth. Not enough to endanger its occupants, you must understand, but enough so as to register on one's unconscious threat-detector.

J138 Friday September 7th

A near-Saturday day of class density, with a whopping 6 classes scheduled for today. I worked through them all, though I was saved by a total student cancellation in the evening, giving me an hour's rest before the final push. I felt bad all day due to the oft-interrupted sleep I had gotten the night before.

One of my students offered to take me to a town a few hours away. She said the town is known for its pottery. She wants to take me and another student next-next Monday, the 17th.

Another of my students, a new girl who started today, is very much an anime/manga fan. Not every student I have is a fan of comic culture, but enough of them are to make life interesting. My student and I compared our favorite moments in several of our favorite series. We both were big Naruto fans, which is always a hoot to discover.

The week was almost over. The next day, Saturday, would be...draining...but that's a story for another night. I'm a little spent from the day's activities, but I'll endeavor to complete this week's entries tomrorow.