Challenge June!

So we are at the end of another month. How was May for you? It passed mighty quickly for Michiko and I here.

I guess I am still getting into the swing of my new job, but I must say, going to a different school each day sure makes the week fly past! I love it! Especially happy as my favourite schools are those that I go to on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (favourite bar the crappy school lunches).

So June is on the doorstep, and after some thinking I’ve decided that over the next 6-7 weeks before my summer vacation begins I am going to assign myself some new challenges. These challenges should benefit me physically and mentally. All round self-improvement is never such a bad thing.

So what are these challenges?

Firstly, it is time to lose the ever-growing tummy! Sure, I’m not drastically overweight, but a little reduction in the love handles won’t hurt. I’m aiming to drop around 3kg over the 6-7 week period. This weight loss will be coupled with a strict muscle-building program too. I’m going for the 100 pushup and 200 sit-up challenge that came recommended to me, as well as a power walk with Michiko, or a short jog, a couple of times a week.

http://www.twohundredsitups.com/index.html

http://hundredpushups.com/index.html

It is going to be pretty tough, but there have been so many times recently when I wished that I were a little healthier, and a little stronger, and the stomach was a little more "defined". So, until the schools break for summer, I will be working out more, eating healthier and less. I’m going to miss the mid-week beers!

Secondly, I need to speak some more Japanese. I think that a couple of days a week I’ll speak only Japanese at home. At work I have to use English in class and where possible with the kids, but at home I need to use more. Hope Michiko doesn’t mind too much J for the Japanese only days, perhaps she’d be keen for English only days too?

Thirdly, I am going to push a little harder to finding some new private students. It takes time and patience to build up a private student base / extra teaching income, but a bit of extra cash would be welcomed! This will be the easiest challenge for June, because aside from getting my name out there, little else is left to do.

So those are the challenges I aim to achieve over the next few weeks. I have the motivation to give them a crack now, well see how things are going in a few weeks time!

F-I-G-H-T-O!

Fancy eating food you don’t particularly enjoy every day?

 If so, let me know and you can join me for school lunch in my elementary schools.

Yep, without trying to sound too much like the kids I teach...by and large, I don’t like school lunches.

A good friend of mine, who I used to work with in Kita Hiroshima has requested that I take pictures of my school lunch for a week. Here are the results, with a little low-down of the food served.

Monday. Cold udon with mushrooms and carrot, seaweed rice, sour cabbage with tiny fish (yuck!), and a stuffed tofu of sorts...and milk.

 Tuesday. Cold miso soup with tofu, burdock salad (delicious), fish, white rice...and milk.

 Wednesday. Cold miso soup with mushrooms, bean and hijiki (not sure of the English) salad, white rice...and milk.

 Thursday. Mushroom and vegetable soup, potato and mince salad with something green in for luck, seaweed, yogurt...and milk. A delicious day.

 

 The smart ones out there will notice this is the same as Monday's photo. That's because it was exactly the same darn menu. Gutted.

A “mew” I now have with school lunches here is that there are 5 lunches prepared a week, each day the lunches rotate between schools. So, if I am really unlucky, I get the same lunch 2 or 3 times a week. Just so happens I get the less desirable days menu served up time and time again.

I know some of you will be thinking, and rightly so, that this is a lot better than the crap served to kids back home, but damn I’d like a burger or slice of pizza for lunch every blue moon!

A large complaint I have is the white rice; it is just there to fill the kids up. No nutrients, no vitamins, just bland rice. 50% (and sometimes more) of the lunch portion is rice, that can’t be good.

What do you think?

If there were days with less rice, or mushrooms and seaweed stuffed in at every possible place, I might not complain so much.

BUT....and this is a big but(t) (lol at my immaturity), when the school lunches are good, they really are great!!! And you’d be surprised how much of a boost it gives me in my day when I’m served lunch and it’s delicious! Perhaps that’s all part of it, I need the crappy lunches to bring out the best in the better days!

I’m fortunate enough to have food served to me every day, lucky to be blessed with a job that provides lunch. So ignore this rant.

I’m hungry.

The lack of silence can mean only one thing...

 ...I’m back at work.

So it is official, Golden Week is now over and the summer term at school has begun. For the next 10 weeks, the temperatures in Hyogo are set to sore and I’m sure things are going to be busy around school. Bring it on! The silver lining to all the hard work that lies ahead is the summer holidays here. I’m set for a 7-week break once this term draws to a close. Anyway, I’m not going to allow myself to start dreaming of that until 2 weeks before term ends. Now, it’s head down and apply myself to my work.

Golden Week was glorious! Our first real chance to relax and take it easy since moving to Hyogo.

Michiko and I rented a car on the 28^th, and set out on the roads to Kochi (Michiko’s home prefecture). It wasn’t such a bad drive, just not the most exciting. The public highways here in Japan are wonderful and convenient, and shave hours of any long journey. The only problem is that they are often simply just straight roads from start to finish, yawn.

It took us about 4 hours to make the drive from door to door, and we decided to drive at night to avoid the holiday traffic (which paid off perfectly).

What a wonderful time we had in Kochi. It was a trip of many firsts for me. First time to Kochi, first time to see Michiko’s home city, first time to meet her friends from there, and the big one...first time to meet my mother-in-law and my brother-in-law.

How kind everyone was to me! I wasn’t so nervous as I had Michiko by my side through it all.

On the 29^th we had lunch with Noriko, one of Michiko’s high school friends, and her adorable son, Kotetsu. I must admit, I thought Kotetsu was a girl until we’d finished lunch and Michiko put me straight. Sorry Kotetsu! 

In the evening, we met up with more of Michiko’s high school friends. Again, all lovely welcoming people! I felt very relaxed around them, and with friends like those, I can see why Michiko is such a lovely person.

The next day was D-day, time for me to wear a shirt, have a shave, and turn on the charm, as it was time to meet the mother-in-law. All went perfectly, I said my Ps and Qs, and won the in-laws over.

After we returned home from Kochi I had a ball busting one-day of work before the second part of Golden week began. Oh how difficult I have it!

We had a very relaxing second half to the week, spending time in the apartment and local area. We did treat ourselves to a nice day out in Nara. I haven’t ever explored outside the major tourist side of Nara, a fail on my part, as the place we visited was fantastic. No real crowds, peace and quiet, very relaxing day for both Michiko and I.

I’m looking forward to the next few weeks. I know it will be tough on the energy levels, but I’m going to give it my best.

Keep in touch all!