Sun, rain, sleet, snow, snow, snow, rain, sun...all in 24 hours...

I was getting worried there for a sec. It had been raining pretty much non-stop for the past few days, which led me to believe that Spring was well on the way. Then the snow came. And it didn't stop. As I watched it float down furiously across the mountains and stick to trees, I wondered if I'd ever be able to retire my winter coat for the season. But now it's beautiful again, the heavens the colour of Crayola Sky Blue and the sun casting it's light as far as the eye can see. Thank goodness...

I had a fantastic day at school today, though one of my classes was cancelled. While I was slow and lethargic yesterday (no doubt my anemia is back, cue scary music), today I was bouncy, witty, charming and full of energy. My second grade class went swimmingly having spent 50 minutes laughing and joking with my kids. School ends in a couple of weeks and everyone knows it's coming. We've covered nearly all the material in the book, so I expect there to be fun and games for the next few classes. I've always loved the end of the school year, though here in Japan, it comes about 3 months earlier.

As I just mentioned, I was feeling pretty crap yesterday and cancelled plans for Saturday night. But my mood and body significantly picked up when I spotted the familiar white, blue and red envelope sticking out of my mailbox. Hello, a Canada Post envelope pour moi! Quelle surprise!! It was from Cheryl and though she had told me to keep an eye on my mailbox, it was still a happy surprise. I waited until after I had prepared dinner to rip it open because you can't tell me that anticipation isn't delicious foreplay. Well, Cheryl, who is one of my best friends, sent me season 4 of Law and Order (when Jerry Orbach (RIP - Lenny Briscoe) came on board and Chris Noth (AKA Mike) was still around, some Palmer's Cocoa Butter Lotion, a CD of pics of what she's been up to, a CD of old-school jams (Real Love, One More Chance, Back to Life, whu!!!!!!!!) and a handwritten note. People, I got up and shook my ass. Seriously, booty shaking, hip rocking, hand pumping dancing for 10 minutes. I react in a similar fashion each and every time I get a surprise from home, but damn, my body needed that yesterday. So happy. So satiated. 3 more weeks until I go home and hug my girls...They're going to have to hose me off of them.

Well, the Oscar's are coming up, and I'll be missing them. I think the Oscar's are my favorite awards shows and I feel so far away. But I've only seen a couple of the nominated films, but I'm dying to see Walk the Line and Hustle and Flow. Terrence Howard is so fine and I'm sure he deserves his nomination. Hopefully, I'll be able to catch these flicks when I'm at home.

Let's see...an awful scene unfolded in my ninensei shogakko class(2nd grade ES) yesterday. I was doing a mass review of all the things I had taught them since September and decided to play a game to get maximum participation (the row game). It's really simple; you answer a question and you get to choose which row or column will sit down. When I got to the last student, Taiti, the other kids were picking on him furiously because he was slow to say what kind of fruit was on the picture card (oranges, I think). They were just howling for blood. Then all of a sudden, Taiti screamed "baka!!! (stupid)" and started to cry. Huge, sorrowful, LOUD sobs. And he wouldn't stop. And for the first time since arriving in the classroom to teach, the room fell silent for more than 5 seconds. And he just stood there, making the most awful sound with his wetness dripping down his face onto his desk. And the teacher did nothing. If I had written this post yesterday, I would have commented on my personal opinion of the male Japanese teachers I've encountered. It would have included flashy examples and anecdotes, scathy commentary and a nice bow to wrap it all together. But since I'm in a phenomenal mood, I ain't going there.

Ahhh. 1 more hour until the official start of the weekend. I think it will be a good one.

Tata.