Goodness gracious, have I been busy!

I've been absolutely swamped that I'm really looking forward to March, when I'll have more vacations off from school than I will school, due to wonderful school tests. In April, I'll be put in class with everyone else. About time.

Tomorrow in the morning, I hit Tokyo with my big sis. We'll spend the day looking at cross-dressers, national important buildings, tall towers, and whatever else my sister deems important before crashing at our ("Official Disney Land no") Hotel. In the morning, we hit the park. And the next day, and then we'll take the Shinkansen (also known as the "Bullet Train") home. Sunday (the following day) I'll go to kendo practice. Monday is maybe a national holiday (or something), so no school. I'll spend it going out with my friends. And Tues.-Fri. is school again. The following week I try my hand at skiing in Hokkaido, then return for the remainder of the week (maybe two or three days), frantically pack my stuff, and head to Host Family Number Three. I spend the following weekend testing for my shodan in kendo (or maybe that's the same weekend), and then I'll start my Big Break in March. At least I hope. They tell me my shodan test will be three to four hours long. Geez Louise. Three to four hours! I can do that!

Today Sakai Sensei showed me the written test. He explained every kanji in the questions and answers and told me I'll have to know them all. I really like him. He's got a really strict, kinda traditional appearance. He yells at me sometimes when I don't sit in seiza (on my knees) when I'm taking my kendo gear off. He makes me write in the kendo diary and then circles all the slang and misspellings and other inappropriate words I use. He's the only teacher who tells me to straighten my tie or fix my collar, and when I entered the teacher's room and asked for a teacher, all the other teachers beamed at me after I struggled through the introduction and asking, but he scowled and told me how to say it using Japanese: Version 2 (i.e. tediously polite and self-belittling). It seems that every time I talk to him, he tells me something I'm doing wrong or Japanese I shouldn't use to him.

But it's not frustrating and it doesn't bother me. It's what all the teachers expect of the other students, but what they're too "Japanese" and "modest" (and probably appreciative of the effort I'm making - like telling a three year old who just dressed himself that his clothes are on backwards) to tell me I'm wrong. In any case, I appreciate his help. Looking back at some of the mistakes I made in the beginning, adressing anyone as anything and blundering around with whatever Japanese I could (not that there is anything wrong with that), I'm grateful that Sakai Sensei took it upon himself to help me learn Japanese. And I have a confession. I'm not afraid of him. I've been there, done that. I've been taking martial arts lessons from a man maybe three times my size for six years now. I remember when I was in the kids' class and he hollered at us to stand still and be quiet. Man was I scared of him! Now he's a friend and mentor and I silently chuckle when the kids trade terrified looks when Sensei paces the room. "Aww," I want to tell them, "he likes you guys. He thinks you're just the cutest thing." But actually, it makes them be quiet, so I don't say anything. So yeah, at least now I can just pretend I don't understand if things get too rough. I love being a foreigner.