Graduation is tomorrow

Last night I went out to dinner with a few teachers from the school.  The teachers are divided into different sections, teachers who teach first year students, second year students, third year students, and then the “office staff.”  Office staff members including myself are considered fourth year teachers.  There is no fourth year grade, but because we all do various jobs we are clumped into the final group.  The fourth year ladies organized the dinner and invited me along.  I went with the two secretaries, the two nurses, and the woman in charge of the school lunches.  The librarian was also invited but was unable to go.  We went to a bridal company that offers buffet style dinners once a month.  It was quite delicious and I ate far too much food so that I could get my money’s worth.  I was going to walk to school today to burn off some of the calories but I forgot.

At first the ladies made sure to include me in the conversations and speak slowly enough for me to follow along.  After everyone had eaten and was stuffed, the conversations broke off a bit and I had a difficult time following.  That, and I was tired and full and partly just zoned out.
I was thinking that I shouldn’t go because of the expenses I’ll have regarding my spring break trip and because I had to buy a re-entry permit for my future Hawaii trip, but I’m glad that I went.  I don’t generally get to talk with the fourth year women.  Also, at the very beginning of the year one of the secretaries and I didn’t get off to a very good start.  Recently I’ve been feeling much friendlier vibes from her, and getting to talk with her and get a feel for our “outside of school personalities,” I think that things have been going much better.  I had a very different impression of her before because she is not outwardly friendly, but it does not mean that she is unfriendly.  I think whatever misunderstandings we had before have been dissolved and I’m very happy about it.  At the dinner we got to talk about a number of different topics.  One of them involved losing weight, and the nurses secrets are as follows.  1) Don’t eat anything two hours before you go to sleep.  2) Don’t snack in between meals 3) The stomach only needs to be 60% full.  It used to be 80%, but now that people don’t move around much they have changed the numbers. 4) Move, walk, and exercise.  The nurse herself is quite thin, and I know for a fact that she eats well, a lot even.

I also found out that the ALT before the ALT before me didn’t have her own desk at the school.  She had a spot at the table with the other fourth year teachers.  That would have been rather annoying.  She wouldn’t have had her own computer or area to put all her books and worksheets.  I wonder what she and the ALTs before her did.

The school graduation is tomorrow.  Some students who never come to school came to the rehearsal which was today.  They don’t have the proper school uniform, and they have dyed their hair which isn’t allowed.  Because they have done this, the teachers spray-painted the student’s hair black and then dyed it back black in the nurses room after school.  Not dying your hair is part of the school uniform/dress code.

Everyone is ran around school like chickens with their heads cut off today.  I’m wasn't expected to do anything… but everyone being so uneasy and jittery about tomorrow made me feel jittery too.  I even went around asking people if I could do anything to help and I was sent from one group to another.

At the end of the semester several of the teachers will be moved to different schools.  I have heard tell that both of the vice-principals might be switching schools, which is possibly bad news for me.  The vice principal that I have to report anything to is vary lenient about letting me run small errands during the days if I don’t have classes.  I hope the next person I end up reporting to is similar in that sense.


And to finish today's entry:

This photo was in a shop window.

That's right, "MY BUTTOCKS iS DEaD Good."

-Lana