There must be something wrong with me

In the middle of the night last night, I woke up wondering why it was so freaking hot, since I'd turned on the A/C. I looked at the remote and saw that I'd mistakenly turned on the heat instead! (In my defense, everything is written in Japanese, so I looked for the mode with two Chinese characters that meant cold air, or something.) I'd even turned the temp up from 25 to 30 degrees Celsius! How does stuff like this keep happening to me?!

Late Again :(

I'm going to be late for work--again. I've already been late 8 times since I started this job at the end of April. I'm really bad about punctuality, and it doesn't help that I have to take 2-3 trains to get to the schools. So if I miss one train, it throws me off and creates a domino effect.

For every three infractions incurred (including lateness and not calling when you're going to be late), you have to sign a written warning. After two written warnings, you lose your bonus (about $200 at the end of the year). Starting with the third written warning, the school starts deducting a day's pay. I've already signed my third written warning and with today's lateness, I am just one more away from my fourth warning. Sigh. And I was just talking to Myungeun yesterday about this and how I've been trying to be on time more.

She said doing gongyo and chanting even 10 minutes in the morning really helps. I haven't chanted much in the past two months. I think I did gongyo like once. I did it the other day; it seemed that thugs went a little more smoothly, like not having to wait for the elevator, no crowd on the train, etc. I should start doing it again, more consistently. I keep missing the train, taking the wrong one, or taking the right one and getting off at the wrong stop.

The trains usually announce the upcoming stop right after leaving the current one and make another announcement when that stop has arrived. A few weeks ago, I was listening to my music and thought the announcement for "This is Azabu Juban" had been been a while back, so I got off at the next stop, thinking it was my stop.

I thought the escalator layout was a little different and walked all the way up, past everyone else who was in the "standing lane" before I realized that it was the wrong station. So I had to take the escalator back down (and see some of the people I had pushed past) to wait for the next train.

On Friday night, I'd set my alarm clock for 10 (changing it from one that had been set for 6:15 pm), and forgot to change the pm to am. So I didn't wake up until 12 noon, when Koko woke me up and asked when I had to be at work. I had to be on the train already. x_X I was about 50 minutes late, and was almost late for my first class. If you miss your first class, they deduct half a day's pay. :T

Tanabata - Star Festival

This was what one of my students, Tomoki, wished for, for Tanabata. Before he got one of the Japanese teachers to translate what he wanted to say, he had drawn a similar picture on the board, but with a mole on the character's face, a fat body, and sticks for arms and legs.

Tomoki had also tried to get Kanta, a male classmate, to act out what he wanted to say. No wonder Kanta kept saying no and trying to run away. With Tomoki pulling his arm and Kanta trying to get away, I thought his arm was going to break off.

Tanabata, I'm told, is the holiday that celebrates the one day a year that Orihime (Weaving Princess, a heavenly being) and Hikoboshi (Cow Herder Star, a name which my pre-schoolers yesterday found hilarious), a mortal, could meet after having been forcibly separated by her father.

To celebrate, people write wishes on colorful pieces of paper and tie them to a bamboo tree or, in urban areas, some other tree (or "tree") of what looks like dried tree branches with long, feathery leaves. The trees are set up at public places like train stations, department stores, and English conversation schools like the one where I teach.

This holiday actually comes from Chinese culture, where it's called QiXi Jie (or Qing Ren Jie or, Lovers' Day) and celebrated according to the lunar calendar. Somehow, I remember food, like bah-tsang (or jungzi) being involved. But that have been another holiday.

In any case, Tanabata is celebrates on the seventh day of the seventh month, and since the Japanese use the Gregorian calendar for many holidays, it was on July 7th. Chinese and other people who use the lunar calendar for holidays will celebrate it this year on August 6th.

Stupid Jumpers

This is one of two nights a week I have diner with Koko (and it's only 3 nights this week because I'm subbing for a teacher who works from 10-7 rather than the usual 1-9 or 2-10). And I get off the wrong stop (again!! this keeps happening more and more often). I thought he announcement said Ikebukuro but it was Ukifumado.

The next train came not 15 mins later like it was supposed to, but nearly 30. Then we stop two stations later while the conductor makes an extremely long announcement. Then the final destination changes to from Shinjuku to Akabane. At this rate, I'll get home close to my usual time, without dinner! :( I hate the Saikyo line! Stupid jumpers! Why can't you do it in a way that won't affect anyone else?!