Despite the euphoria of having just slept with a gorgeous 21-year-oldJapanese university student, I'm cranky today - Tuesday, June 18, 1991.
It might be a lack of sleep - a thought that makes me smile because of why I had no sleep.
This morning, Junko sees me and coyly smiles at me in the teacher'soffice of Ohtawara Chu Gakko (Ohtawara Junior High School - also knownas Dai Chu) here in Ohtawara-shi (Ohtawara City), Tochigi-ken (TochigiPreferecture/State/Province) in Japan.
She repeatedly gives me the eye,and once licked her lips at me. Holy smokes! This woman is a tiger! Shedoesn't say too much to me today - a fact that makes a couple of theteachers pay even closer attention to me.
They know something happened between us last night.
They also know it was nothing bad, as she keeps looking at me (andobviously I'm looking at her to have noticed her looking at me).
The teachers - first all of the women - look at Junko, then stare atme. They then go into a huddle and seem to have confirmed that yes, Idid sleep with the university student. They seem concerned that perhapsI will attack the other two female university students doing an internshiphere at this school.
I might. But, it's not often I make the first move... I'm only aggressive after I'm sure I'm not going to be rebuffed.
The men... they just kind of figured out that I probably already sleptwith Junko, and while glad for me, probably hated my guts.
Now... here's an embarrassing thing that I'm truly not very proud off.
I know.. you've read a lot of things in these blogs that I should beashamed of, but this one is up there. Yes, it's worse than trying todeflower the university student. I tried. But someone beat me to it.
Anyhow... the students are all asses today. It's like they too hate me for sleeping with the sexy Junko.
In order to silence one of the 2nd-year students (grade 9's/14-year-olds)--a fatand obnoxious brat--I actually put him in a headlock and squeezed himuntil he changed color.
I'm going to guess this was a bad thing. And probably not something Ishould be admitting (though I did tell a few of my fellow gaijin(foreigners) about it later).
I did it after I repeatedly warned him that flipping the middle finger at an American of Canadian could get him into a fight.
Anyhow... I don't know how long I held him in that headlock... itseemed like a while. It wasn't really a choke hold, as I did squeezehim around the forehead.
What am I doing? I'm a lover, not a fighter! Just ask Junko!
Later on, I offered to shake the kid's hand in apology... but he saidhe wanted to fight some more. This he said in English! I could havecried in happiness!
But, after repeatedly sticking my hand out, he relented and went to grab it... in a judo throw.
Bugger! He didn't toss me, however, as I do know judo. He should haveknown that too, if he had remembered my self-introduction a few monthsback. Instead, I just held and squeezed his hand until he went down onhis knees.
He won't do that again (and truthfully - he didn't. He and I, while never best of friends, were friends after that!).
Obviously, I'm hyper now. So I go out to the front of the school andstare at the pond that is home to countless frogs. Despite beingcountless, I attempt to count them anyway. I get up to 47 beforebecoming bored, and instead wonder why the pond water is rust-coloured.
At lunch, my boss from the OBOE (Ohtawara Board of Education), Mr.Hanazaki, says he is coming over. I panic for 10 minutes until hearrives - fearing that it just might be wrong to fight a student!Instead, he has me sign my contract for next year, and tells me Ishould take it with me when I go down to the (work) Visa office inTokyo to essentially be allowed to stay in Japan another year.
He walks me around the school pointing out that his father was theprincipal at Dai Chu 15 years ago. He shows me his dad's photo. Youwon't believe this, but the man was smiling in the picture! The exactsame smile my boss has on his face every time I see him! Awesome!
Hanazaki-san (Mister Hanazaki... san also means Miss or Ms.) asks me if I had a nice time with Junko last night. How the hell did he know that?
I smile a crooked smile, raise my right eyebrow and say: "Hai!" (Yes!)He slaps me on the back and asks me about Ashley-sensei (Ashley teacher- my ex). I tell him we broke up. He says "Okay, secret," bows andwalks off.
How can he know I've slept with some woman whose last name I don't knowthat I met yesterday - but not know Ashley and I broke up?! I mean,weren't we yelling at each other loudly enough?
Regardless, after school I arrive back at my apartment to see Ashleysitting on the front steps of the building. She looks pretty good,despite having put on a few pounds these past couple of weeks. She comes in, we chat, watch anepisode of Designing Women on a video tape I have and then walk over to a Chinese restaurantnear the Ashikaga Bank about four minutes away from my place. There'san enkai (a party) for something or another. Whatever. I was invited,and in turn asked Ashley to join me.
Despite being a non-couple, it's still my goal to get her good anddrunk and then... well, do whatever it is you do when you're drunk. Pee, Isuppose.
Matthew is there, and so is French-Canadian Martin and the American Kevin(the last two work for American corporations here in Ohtawara). Takakois there (Matthew's girlfriend), as well as Sugawara-san, and a couple of ladies Irecognize but don't know by name.
The food is not that filling, but the beer and whiskey is. I drink morethan my fair share, as I correctly assume that gaijin drink free. Ashley helps herself to my whiskey.
She and I are pretty chummy - I even let her get in a few good rips atme for old times sake. I dominate the entire conversation because I'm aloudmouth schnook - but no one seems to mind. I make jokes and mimiceverybody there. I make a total ass of myself - but since we're allhaving a good time and not acting false, no one cares!
At 9PM, the party is over. I know. 9 P.M.! That's when the sidewalks are rolled up in Ohtawara-shi.
Still, the group of us go to a local coffee shop near the Ohtawara BoysHigh School where Ashley teaches. Narita, Brian, Naoko and thebeautiful girl from my evening conversation class--Shoko--are there.Ashley sits beside me. I'm sure Shoko is giving Ashley the evil eye.
We have something called Royal Tea and cheese cake - and I swear, if Ididn't have so much muscle there, it would have gone straight to mythighs. I don't know about anyone else, though.
At 10:30, we leave the shop. Martin drops Ashley and myself off at my apartment and then drives Matthew home.
Ash and I go up to my place take that wonderful pee we've been holdingin for hours and then sit and relax in my place while I make a phonecall to Susan St. Cyr to confirm that Ashley and I do want to go toDisneyland (probably... just not as a couple).
When I talk with Susan, she invites me to stay at her place this Friday night - and when Imention Ashley is coming, she hems for a second before saying Ashleycan stay too.
Cripes. Does everybody love Andrew? Or maybe she just didn't like Ashley.
Even though Ashley didn't ask me to, I rode my bicycle to accompany herback to her place 30 minutes away in Nishinasuno-machi (NishinasunoTown). The ride was nice and relaxed - probably because we were bothhammered.
And, even though we were both drunk - sleeping with her tonight is not part of my plan. Tonight builds trust.
I go into her place for a Coke. I notice my photo is gone and wonder ifshe burned it to exorcise the demons - much like she did the first timewe broke up back in November? Regardless, when I leave at 11:30PM, I geta really long (non-sexy), big hug.
I ride home getting there at about 11:50PM and see Junko leaving my front door.
What the hell. I call to her quietly. She turns, smiles and waits for me to unlock the door.
I still don't have a pair of indoor slippers for her - not that she needs to have anything on.
Somewhere the kami (gods) are smiling this week on,
Andrew Joseph
Today's blog title is by Emerson, Lake and Palmer: ELP
PS: There's another blog eight (8) hours from the time this one is published - about something evil in Japan!
It might be a lack of sleep - a thought that makes me smile because of why I had no sleep.
This morning, Junko sees me and coyly smiles at me in the teacher'soffice of Ohtawara Chu Gakko (Ohtawara Junior High School - also knownas Dai Chu) here in Ohtawara-shi (Ohtawara City), Tochigi-ken (TochigiPreferecture/State/Province) in Japan.
She repeatedly gives me the eye,and once licked her lips at me. Holy smokes! This woman is a tiger! Shedoesn't say too much to me today - a fact that makes a couple of theteachers pay even closer attention to me.
They know something happened between us last night.
They also know it was nothing bad, as she keeps looking at me (andobviously I'm looking at her to have noticed her looking at me).
The teachers - first all of the women - look at Junko, then stare atme. They then go into a huddle and seem to have confirmed that yes, Idid sleep with the university student. They seem concerned that perhapsI will attack the other two female university students doing an internshiphere at this school.
I might. But, it's not often I make the first move... I'm only aggressive after I'm sure I'm not going to be rebuffed.
The men... they just kind of figured out that I probably already sleptwith Junko, and while glad for me, probably hated my guts.
Now... here's an embarrassing thing that I'm truly not very proud off.
I know.. you've read a lot of things in these blogs that I should beashamed of, but this one is up there. Yes, it's worse than trying todeflower the university student. I tried. But someone beat me to it.
Anyhow... the students are all asses today. It's like they too hate me for sleeping with the sexy Junko.
In order to silence one of the 2nd-year students (grade 9's/14-year-olds)--a fatand obnoxious brat--I actually put him in a headlock and squeezed himuntil he changed color.
I'm going to guess this was a bad thing. And probably not something Ishould be admitting (though I did tell a few of my fellow gaijin(foreigners) about it later).
I did it after I repeatedly warned him that flipping the middle finger at an American of Canadian could get him into a fight.
Anyhow... I don't know how long I held him in that headlock... itseemed like a while. It wasn't really a choke hold, as I did squeezehim around the forehead.
What am I doing? I'm a lover, not a fighter! Just ask Junko!
Later on, I offered to shake the kid's hand in apology... but he saidhe wanted to fight some more. This he said in English! I could havecried in happiness!
But, after repeatedly sticking my hand out, he relented and went to grab it... in a judo throw.
Bugger! He didn't toss me, however, as I do know judo. He should haveknown that too, if he had remembered my self-introduction a few monthsback. Instead, I just held and squeezed his hand until he went down onhis knees.
He won't do that again (and truthfully - he didn't. He and I, while never best of friends, were friends after that!).
Obviously, I'm hyper now. So I go out to the front of the school andstare at the pond that is home to countless frogs. Despite beingcountless, I attempt to count them anyway. I get up to 47 beforebecoming bored, and instead wonder why the pond water is rust-coloured.
At lunch, my boss from the OBOE (Ohtawara Board of Education), Mr.Hanazaki, says he is coming over. I panic for 10 minutes until hearrives - fearing that it just might be wrong to fight a student!Instead, he has me sign my contract for next year, and tells me Ishould take it with me when I go down to the (work) Visa office inTokyo to essentially be allowed to stay in Japan another year.
He walks me around the school pointing out that his father was theprincipal at Dai Chu 15 years ago. He shows me his dad's photo. Youwon't believe this, but the man was smiling in the picture! The exactsame smile my boss has on his face every time I see him! Awesome!
Hanazaki-san (Mister Hanazaki... san also means Miss or Ms.) asks me if I had a nice time with Junko last night. How the hell did he know that?
I smile a crooked smile, raise my right eyebrow and say: "Hai!" (Yes!)He slaps me on the back and asks me about Ashley-sensei (Ashley teacher- my ex). I tell him we broke up. He says "Okay, secret," bows andwalks off.
How can he know I've slept with some woman whose last name I don't knowthat I met yesterday - but not know Ashley and I broke up?! I mean,weren't we yelling at each other loudly enough?
Regardless, after school I arrive back at my apartment to see Ashleysitting on the front steps of the building. She looks pretty good,despite having put on a few pounds these past couple of weeks. She comes in, we chat, watch anepisode of Designing Women on a video tape I have and then walk over to a Chinese restaurantnear the Ashikaga Bank about four minutes away from my place. There'san enkai (a party) for something or another. Whatever. I was invited,and in turn asked Ashley to join me.
Despite being a non-couple, it's still my goal to get her good anddrunk and then... well, do whatever it is you do when you're drunk. Pee, Isuppose.
Matthew is there, and so is French-Canadian Martin and the American Kevin(the last two work for American corporations here in Ohtawara). Takakois there (Matthew's girlfriend), as well as Sugawara-san, and a couple of ladies Irecognize but don't know by name.
The food is not that filling, but the beer and whiskey is. I drink morethan my fair share, as I correctly assume that gaijin drink free. Ashley helps herself to my whiskey.
She and I are pretty chummy - I even let her get in a few good rips atme for old times sake. I dominate the entire conversation because I'm aloudmouth schnook - but no one seems to mind. I make jokes and mimiceverybody there. I make a total ass of myself - but since we're allhaving a good time and not acting false, no one cares!
At 9PM, the party is over. I know. 9 P.M.! That's when the sidewalks are rolled up in Ohtawara-shi.
Still, the group of us go to a local coffee shop near the Ohtawara BoysHigh School where Ashley teaches. Narita, Brian, Naoko and thebeautiful girl from my evening conversation class--Shoko--are there.Ashley sits beside me. I'm sure Shoko is giving Ashley the evil eye.
We have something called Royal Tea and cheese cake - and I swear, if Ididn't have so much muscle there, it would have gone straight to mythighs. I don't know about anyone else, though.
At 10:30, we leave the shop. Martin drops Ashley and myself off at my apartment and then drives Matthew home.
Ash and I go up to my place take that wonderful pee we've been holdingin for hours and then sit and relax in my place while I make a phonecall to Susan St. Cyr to confirm that Ashley and I do want to go toDisneyland (probably... just not as a couple).
When I talk with Susan, she invites me to stay at her place this Friday night - and when Imention Ashley is coming, she hems for a second before saying Ashleycan stay too.
Cripes. Does everybody love Andrew? Or maybe she just didn't like Ashley.
Even though Ashley didn't ask me to, I rode my bicycle to accompany herback to her place 30 minutes away in Nishinasuno-machi (NishinasunoTown). The ride was nice and relaxed - probably because we were bothhammered.
And, even though we were both drunk - sleeping with her tonight is not part of my plan. Tonight builds trust.
I go into her place for a Coke. I notice my photo is gone and wonder ifshe burned it to exorcise the demons - much like she did the first timewe broke up back in November? Regardless, when I leave at 11:30PM, I geta really long (non-sexy), big hug.
I ride home getting there at about 11:50PM and see Junko leaving my front door.
What the hell. I call to her quietly. She turns, smiles and waits for me to unlock the door.
I still don't have a pair of indoor slippers for her - not that she needs to have anything on.
Somewhere the kami (gods) are smiling this week on,
Andrew Joseph
Today's blog title is by Emerson, Lake and Palmer: ELP
PS: There's another blog eight (8) hours from the time this one is published - about something evil in Japan!
