Frost-Brewed Winter
It feels like only recently that I was picking up ice-cold Pocari Sweats on my way to school in the morning. Now, instead of something to cool me off when I reach school, I’m picking up the hot teas and coffees. There’s about one week of autumn where every thing is nice, no rain, partly cloudy, dew sparkles on the rice fields, and a fresh smell in the air. Next thing you know, your hands are freezing, and icicles start forming on your eyebrows. Then all the flashbacks of the horrible winter the year before strike you like a lighting bolt of sleet. Soon, I’ll be wearing ear muffs, two coats, scarves and gloves. The weather is so extreme here that you forget about anything else. When it was steaming hot, I couldn’t imagine how on earth this place could ever cool down. Now that I’ve frozen three toes off, I wonder how this place ever gets warm.
This isn’t friendly weather. One year ago today, a fourteen year old student of mine committed suicide in some woods nearby. And just before that a student committed suicide at Theresa’s school as well. Of course I’m not saying the weather had anything to do with it but, it just shows how fast things change here.
Yesterday, the last class of the day was so bad that the homeroom teacher I work with started crying. She’s the best teacher I’ve worked with so far, and it’s a shame the kids don’t recognize it. They’re disrespectful, annoying, and outright assholes. There isn’t really much the teacher can do about it. There really aren’t many consequences a teacher can offer. Grades are irrelevant. They can’t be expelled. They can’t be held back. A nice, normal teacher is helpless.
Some good news though; The new second year English teacher has decided to mimic good old Eguchi sensei. So, I’m back on track with only having to teach two grades at the junior high, giving me 2 days of playing on the computer. Score.