Before we start... it has come to my attention that my blog looks quite differently depending on what type of Internet browser you are using. I create mine on Mozilla Firefox - and when I'm done, it looks perfect to me. When viewed on say Safari or Explorer - aahh, no so perfect. Spacing between paragraphs disappears. Photos are larger or smaller - pushing words into a two-character space... I just wanted to apologize. Sometimes, the different browsers make my blog looks like crap. But it's not my fault. It's yours for using a browser different from mine. Just kidding. I just didn't want you to think I'm a complete incompetent. I'm certainly not a complete one. On with the story:
It's Tuesday, June 4, 1991 and apparently my girlfriend Ashley broke up with me yesterday - which is strange because I swear I broke up with her on March 31.
Apparently guys, it's never over until the woman says it's over.
I haven't slept since Saturday night - I'm sure I have, really, but an hour here or there, tops?
I'm at Kaneda Minami Chu Gakko (Kaneda South Junior High School) in Ohtawara-shi (city of Ohtawara), Tochigi-ken (Tochigi Prefecture) in Japan - about 9 and a half months into my stay. I could have had a kid by now.
School is a complete drag - probably because I let it be so.
All of the kids have questions for me. Here's the type of questions I got today:
"How many girlfriends do I have now?"
None.
"When was you first love?"
August 1 to June 3, Rest in peace.
"Is Ashley-sensei (Ashley teacher) your girlfriend?"
See the answers to the previous two questions.
And it went on and on and on. Every question was a personal question about my love life rather than something about .. oh, I don't know... Canada?!
For the third class of the day, I had to teach it alone. Now despite this school being so wonderful and nice, this particular class was akin to the Hitler Youth. Despite having another teacher there to control the students, she was useless. Students would point to that teachers chest and say "small'. Boys would point to their crotch and say 'big'. There was too much confusion going on and, as you may have gathered from the opening three sentences of this blog, I was in a bad mood.
Later when I had a chance, I told the English teacher, Mrs. Yamamoto, about my current troubles and was very sympathetic - and reciprocated about some of her problems - which I'm not going to repeat here - except that Japanese men can be pigs sometimes.
I get driven home at 4PM and head out to get my hair cut. I have dinner with my friend Matthew at Mosburger - a fast food restaurant chain that has to tasted to believe how good it is! Really. Go to Japan. Go right now and have a Mosburger. I'll wait until you get back.
Back? Good. I think. The rest of the evening is kind of boring.
I go home and do laundry, iron, phone Kristine and tell her almost everything. Truthfully, I didn't tell her why I was looking for her back on my last day in Kobe - and even a few days later, it wouldn't have mattered. Being separated by 500 kilometres is not the way to have a relationship - even a physical one, as I know I'm going to quickly want more than I'm getting. Still... in hindsight, I should have tried harder - or tried. Whatever. No use crying over spilled o-cha (green tea).
Kristine gives me a telephone number for a friend of her's named Rory. I could be wrong (20 years later), but they are either JUST friends, or were once boyfriend/girlfriend... proving that men and women can be friends after breaking up. Personally, I think it's all a trick.
She suggests that perhaps Rory and I should hang out in Tokyo together for a boy's weekend. Okay... what the heck.
I call up my friend Tim (another AET) who's in Kuroiso about 15 kilomotres north of my town and tell him about Ashley breaking up with me.
He's also confused as he thought I had broken up with her days ago. Still, he, being a good friend, does nothing to bad mouth anybody and instead just opines that 'it's probably for the best.'
Tim tells me that he and Mona and some of her friends are going to Tokyo on the weekend, and we agree to meet.
I watch Knight Rider (a television show about a talking car!!?? - you can view scenes from the 1982 show by clicking on the show's title) until midnight on my bilingual television (it picks up audio signals the station provides in English, or Japanese or both at the same time, depending on what I want).
I read a book until 12:30AM and then lie in my bed until 7AM. No sleep though.
Somewhere having a waking dream of a Mosburger,
Andrew Joseph
Today's blog title is by Fleetwood Mac: STEVIENICKS
PS: I was asked if Ashley reads this blog. To the best of my knowledge - no. Which isn't surprising because my wife doesn't read this blog. Not only does she fear I am stuck in the 1990s (1991, actually), but she seems to think she and Ashley look quite similar. My 40-something wife looks like 22 year-old Ashley? Yes - there is some resemblance,I suppose, but I only noticed that when she pointed it out. Same coloured hair, I think. Both Sagitarius'. Same complexion, two legs, two arms, a head, same bo--... y'know... I'm going to quit while I'm ahead and still have a head. But, to allay her fears I had to find a more recent photo of Ashley on the web. My wife is satisfied that they don't look alike or similar even. My wife still doesn't read my blog.
PPS: It's why I feel confident in writing that last paragraph. Hee-hee.
PPPS: My brother or father don't read my blog. Who the heck is? How did we get over 3000 visits last month? I know... because it's fun AND factual! Thanks to all the readers! Now... if only someone could tell me how I can make money doing this!
PPPPS: Another blog appearing in eight (8) hours - about the nuclear reactor workers.
It's Tuesday, June 4, 1991 and apparently my girlfriend Ashley broke up with me yesterday - which is strange because I swear I broke up with her on March 31.
Apparently guys, it's never over until the woman says it's over.
I haven't slept since Saturday night - I'm sure I have, really, but an hour here or there, tops?
I'm at Kaneda Minami Chu Gakko (Kaneda South Junior High School) in Ohtawara-shi (city of Ohtawara), Tochigi-ken (Tochigi Prefecture) in Japan - about 9 and a half months into my stay. I could have had a kid by now.
School is a complete drag - probably because I let it be so.
All of the kids have questions for me. Here's the type of questions I got today:
"How many girlfriends do I have now?"
None.
"When was you first love?"
August 1 to June 3, Rest in peace.
"Is Ashley-sensei (Ashley teacher) your girlfriend?"
See the answers to the previous two questions.
And it went on and on and on. Every question was a personal question about my love life rather than something about .. oh, I don't know... Canada?!
For the third class of the day, I had to teach it alone. Now despite this school being so wonderful and nice, this particular class was akin to the Hitler Youth. Despite having another teacher there to control the students, she was useless. Students would point to that teachers chest and say "small'. Boys would point to their crotch and say 'big'. There was too much confusion going on and, as you may have gathered from the opening three sentences of this blog, I was in a bad mood.
Later when I had a chance, I told the English teacher, Mrs. Yamamoto, about my current troubles and was very sympathetic - and reciprocated about some of her problems - which I'm not going to repeat here - except that Japanese men can be pigs sometimes.
I get driven home at 4PM and head out to get my hair cut. I have dinner with my friend Matthew at Mosburger - a fast food restaurant chain that has to tasted to believe how good it is! Really. Go to Japan. Go right now and have a Mosburger. I'll wait until you get back.
Back? Good. I think. The rest of the evening is kind of boring.
I go home and do laundry, iron, phone Kristine and tell her almost everything. Truthfully, I didn't tell her why I was looking for her back on my last day in Kobe - and even a few days later, it wouldn't have mattered. Being separated by 500 kilometres is not the way to have a relationship - even a physical one, as I know I'm going to quickly want more than I'm getting. Still... in hindsight, I should have tried harder - or tried. Whatever. No use crying over spilled o-cha (green tea).
Kristine gives me a telephone number for a friend of her's named Rory. I could be wrong (20 years later), but they are either JUST friends, or were once boyfriend/girlfriend... proving that men and women can be friends after breaking up. Personally, I think it's all a trick.
She suggests that perhaps Rory and I should hang out in Tokyo together for a boy's weekend. Okay... what the heck.
I call up my friend Tim (another AET) who's in Kuroiso about 15 kilomotres north of my town and tell him about Ashley breaking up with me.
He's also confused as he thought I had broken up with her days ago. Still, he, being a good friend, does nothing to bad mouth anybody and instead just opines that 'it's probably for the best.'
Tim tells me that he and Mona and some of her friends are going to Tokyo on the weekend, and we agree to meet.
I watch Knight Rider (a television show about a talking car!!?? - you can view scenes from the 1982 show by clicking on the show's title) until midnight on my bilingual television (it picks up audio signals the station provides in English, or Japanese or both at the same time, depending on what I want).
I read a book until 12:30AM and then lie in my bed until 7AM. No sleep though.
Somewhere having a waking dream of a Mosburger,
Andrew Joseph
Today's blog title is by Fleetwood Mac: STEVIENICKS
PS: I was asked if Ashley reads this blog. To the best of my knowledge - no. Which isn't surprising because my wife doesn't read this blog. Not only does she fear I am stuck in the 1990s (1991, actually), but she seems to think she and Ashley look quite similar. My 40-something wife looks like 22 year-old Ashley? Yes - there is some resemblance,I suppose, but I only noticed that when she pointed it out. Same coloured hair, I think. Both Sagitarius'. Same complexion, two legs, two arms, a head, same bo--... y'know... I'm going to quit while I'm ahead and still have a head. But, to allay her fears I had to find a more recent photo of Ashley on the web. My wife is satisfied that they don't look alike or similar even. My wife still doesn't read my blog.
PPS: It's why I feel confident in writing that last paragraph. Hee-hee.
PPPS: My brother or father don't read my blog. Who the heck is? How did we get over 3000 visits last month? I know... because it's fun AND factual! Thanks to all the readers! Now... if only someone could tell me how I can make money doing this!
PPPPS: Another blog appearing in eight (8) hours - about the nuclear reactor workers.
