• 6:30AM My alarm goes off. I hit the snooze every five minutes for a half hour.

• 7:00AM I finally decide to pull myself off of my futon and get ready for school. I eat breakfast (usually toast with something sweet and unhealthy on top and a cup of instant cafe au lait), make lunch (usually a sandwich, a mikan [mandarin orange], and some Pocky [cracker sticks dipped in chocolate]), get dressed, and take out the trash (Tuesday is a red bag day-- that's burnables).

• 7:35AM I start walking to the bus station, about a five-minute walk from my apartment building.

• 7:50AM The bus arrives, five minutes off-schedule, usually.

• 8:05AM The bus takes me to 丸山町(Maruyama-cho), and I walk to the school from there-- about three minutes. I change into my "inside shoes" at the shoe locker, then go to my coat locker in the building to drop off my coat, hat, scarf, and sometimes umbrella, then to the teacher's office.

• 8:20AM Teacher devotions. One of the higher-ups reads a section of one of the Gospels (right now we're reading Luke), then prays. Then any announcements teachers have are made.

• 8:35AM Nick, Rachel, and I go to chapel. We sing the Baiko chapel chant, then bow. Then we sing a hymn, read a section of Scripture, listen to the message, pray, recite the memory verse, bow again, and leave.

• 9:00AM First period begins. On Tuesdays I have 1E Writing class. 1E basically means "first year high-schooler English concentration." Right now they are writing a scary story. Its a really fun, but challening, project for them.

• 9:50AM Writing class ends and I go downstairs to the English Lounge, where I will check my email, plan classes, eat chocolate, take a nap, read a book, or study Japanese until lunch time.

• 12:50PM Lunch hour begins.

• 1:30PM Lunch hour ends. Cleaning time begins. The students and teachers clean the school and take out garbage. Although, my American colleagues and I are doubtful that any serious cleaning gets done.

• 2:50PM sixth period-- Basic English Conversation class with 1A students. 1A basically means "normal first year high-schooler." This also means that they don't care if they learn English. This is the class in which I have the most discipline problems.

• 3:40PM sixth period ends, hopefully without me having to confiscate any personal effects from the students (I have had to take away post-its and scissors before).

• 3:50PM Seventh period-- 2E Writing class begins. I think this is my favorite class to teach. The 2E students are motivated, kind, and they love English. And they're quite fond of me, if I do say so myself. ;) Right now they are writing an argument paper-- they respond to a topic I assigned them by giving their opinion and giving arguments for and against that opinion. Its pretty challenging for them, but they are doing well.

• 4:40PM 2E Writing class ends. I go back to the English Lounge to wait until 5:00 rolls around.

• 5:00PM FREEDOM! Nick, Rachel and I walk home. Sometimes I stop at the grocery store on the way.

• 5:40PM I make it home, put my groceries away, turn on my computer, and decompress for awhile by reading, listening to music, or watching junk on YouTube. The rest of the night is spent making supper, showering, writing emails or letters or postcards, tinkering around on the internet, generally being lazy. Sometimes I watch a movie with friends.

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