August 23, 2002
Today was my first day of school. I got to the Junior High at about 8:15, 15minutes prior to the time I was expected to arrive. Its very rude to be late in Japanese business places so I try to be on time eventhough it is not something I'm used to doing when it comes to work. But I had prepared for the first day of school for a long time so I didn't mind being ontime at all. I said my welcome speech that I used at the village office a few weeks ago with the staff and with the students when they got to school.

Before the actual opening ceremony the students arrive in the front hall, change shoes and we teachers stand in the front and greet them as they come in. Its actually very intimate and personal. I like it. So then we have the ceremony and the Principal makes a few speechs and the Vice Principal and a few of the students and myself. After I give my speech one of the students comes up and does a response to my speech. He is so cute and nervous that I tried to calm him down but he just kept taking these huge deep breaths in the microphone and the whole gym was laughing. He did a great job though but he just would not stop heaving!

After the ceremony they have clean-up period for about an hour where the whole school students and staff all pitch in to clean up the school and grounds. Its a great thing, working together and they play this really loud Japan Pop music over the loud speaker while they are cleaning! It was big fun, although they won't let me help them much. Since it was only a opening ceremony day the students left at 12pm and the teachers stayed until about 3:30. I didn't really feel like I was under much pressure because I've done my speech before so that wasn't such a big thing. I am supposed to be teaching classes next week so that is when I think the nervous is going to come in. The staff a Kamiku JH is very nice, but they are quiet to me because I don't speak Japanese just like I'm sure they think I'm quiet too because I don't say much around them. Its only because they can't understand me for the most part anyway.

School is going to be fine. I just need to get the students acustomed to me and how I do things.