Yoroshiku onegaishimasu

We have a new timetable, which started last week. I have a few different classes at different times, but also a different mix of students. It's been pretty busy. It's also been a bit chaotic around here, with construction work, masses of new kids' materials floating around, and staff members coming and going. I think things are finally starting to calm down a little, although one of our full-time teachers is at training all week, so we do have a few extra classes to teach this week.

One thing I have noticed is that names have become much easier to learn. I've taught perhaps 40 new faces in the last week, but I remember almost all their names already. There are a couple of new classes that are going to be 'grit your teeth and bear it' classes, but other new ones which should be quite great.

The other thing is that sometimes with a new class, or new mix of students, the first class or two can be a bit tedious or stilted and you think 'oh, I won't like teaching this class that much', but as a few weeks go by and students get more used to each other and the class, it relaxes into something more fun.

A few posts ago I mentioned a student "probably in his early or mid twenties, and you can tell he just likes people. He's got this super positive, energetic vibe about him." I'm happy to say he switched classes so he could be my regular student. I should think of a nickname for him on this blog, let's call him Mr Sociable (incidentally, every time I talk to him he's like 'oh, this weekend I'm going to Niigata with my friends; this weekend I'm going to Fukuoka to see my friends, this weekend I'm going to Hiroshima to see...' I swear, in the last three months he's visited half of Japan').

Well, for a few weeks Mr Sociable was the only student in his timeslot, so we'd spend more than the usual % of class time just chatting. With the new timetable, he was going to have a regular classmate. I was a bit worried, since I didn't recognise the name of his classmate - what if the new student was one of those uber-quiet types with no desire to talk; then he might feel a bit stifled in the class.

I didn't have to worry. His classmate is also lovely, and friendly, and communicative. She's a few years older than us. What was nice was that before class, she and he were sitting at a table together yakking away (in English :)), having only met the week before. Now this doesn't sound remarkable but with a few exceptions, students rarely chat to their classmates outside of class (unless they've been attending the same class for, like, a year). After class, too, they both lingered to chat a bit more. It made me feel good to see students making friends. Our classes are going to be fun. :)

We've had two assistant managers in the last two months. Our new assistant manager started today. She's young and pretty and shy, and seems pleasant. Actually, she's only a year younger than me, but she's fresh out of university (which is traditionally a bit of a carefree time of life for Japanese people), so it must be a bit of a dramatic change to step into such a busy, full-time new job.

Anyway, I had a good first impression of her. It's kind of funny meeting a new Japanese member of staff, I kind of go to shake hands and end up half-bowing and saying 'yoroshiku onegaishimasu' after they do that to me (our manager always laughs at me when I do that... this time I had a Starbucks cappuccino in one hand as I was just walking in the door, so it probably wasn't a very traditional Japanese greeting).

Today was 12 degrees, windy and raining. A charming day. I really thought it would be getting warmer by now. We are a full five weeks into spring...

I mentioned there was a funny smell in my apartment. I never did find the source of it - for about three days, every time I came in from outside, the smell was a little stronger. But it's gone now...

My sister is coming this weekend, and I am Very Much Looking Forward To It. :)