Day in the life of a JET with no classes

The mid-term "tsume-komi" (cramming) period still active, I once again am left with no classes to teach. But that doesn't mean there's not fun to be had!

This morning, for example, I got a chest X-ray. Isn't that RAD? As in "iation". They was checking for TB, in this day and age. Then I got my picture taken for the school's records. Not sure if I really needed to since I could be leaving in less than two months, but I decided just to follow the photo man when he came to my desk.

After lunch, I marked an English exchange diary of one of my students. It's a way for students to freely practice their English writing outside of regular teaching. The entries:

May 9, Sun

It was a birthday of a favorite person today.

I made a cake but, there was no strawberry.

Another fruit was reluctantly put.

It failed a little.

I all ate it alone.

May 10, Mon

I made a cake again.

This time, a lot of strawberries were put.

This time, it succeeded.

I all ate it alone again.

In the afternoon, one of the vice-principals came over to ask me for an English translation to the Japanese expression of boredom and frustration, "mendoukusai". After going through a few options including "What a pain in the ass!" he started asking me about the meanings of "bitch" and "fuck". Though Japan does have rude words, I think a lot of "cursing" in Japanese is less about the words themselves than it is about the way you say them. I don't think the idea of words themselves sounding bad regardless of context really translates over here, so the vice principal didn't realise how much I had to suppress my giggles at him asking about these words so earnestly.