Today I was off.

It happens sometimes – you just wake up and nothing flows right.

It wasn’t a bad day by any means though.  I woke up at about 5:50 and was getting ready for my first lesson at 7:30, but just after a rushed shower, I got a call from my student saying she couldn’t make it.  It really was a shame because today was to be our final lesson.  She’s been transferred to the US with her company, so I won’t be teaching her anymore.  Of course, there is a small part of me that is totally cool with getting paid without working, but another part of me just really loves my job and was disappointed to miss a lesson.

Then I went to another lesson – but today our location had changed.  The new location was in my schedule, but not in my head, so while I sat waiting for my student at Starbucks, he was in Denny’s one station over wondering if I was lost.  In the end, we got in touch and just decided to skip our lesson for this week.

Eugh – an off morning.

The rest of the morning and afternoon were spent hanging out with an Aussie friend of a friend who’s traveling through Tokyo now.  He was friendly, but I still felt off…like that feeling of saying something because you think you should, rather than especially thinking it’s an interesting thing to say. That feeling that you should be saying something or listening to the other guy say something at all times, or something’s wrong.

But good times, good ramen, and about 4 hours of walking around, and then I had to head back to my evening work.

I came home, crashed out for about 10 mins, and then got my stuff and headed out.  My first evening lesson was with a student who kinda reminds me of my mom.  Maybe ’cause they’re about the same age…

She’s got a daughter who married an American and lives in Chicago with their 2 year-old son.  So my student decided to learn English so that she can communicate with her son-in-law and grandson.  Cute, right??

Some lessons don’t go so well, but this wasn’t one of them.  I knew exactly what to say to help her communicate.  I clearly explained points where she was having trouble.  There were light-bulb moments.  There was even one point where I explained something seemingly trivial, and she thanked me profusely saying that she had always struggled with that point, but now she understood it completely (something about how you don’t need an article before a gerund in a situation like “Thank you for your helping”…probably couldn’t explain it again, but I was right on at that moment).

After an off day where everything wasn’t clicking, I left that lesson feeling happier than I have in a long time!

I haven’t found much joy that can beat helping people or doing your job well – especially when it’s a job that helps people. 

I guess I’m just wired different in some ways like that.  The typical foreigner out here hates their job and lives for getting drunk and clubbing on the weekend.  I struggle through hip-hop clubs when I’m dragged to them, but I couldn’t be happier than hanging out with my students and watching them learn.

Then, as I rode the train to my next lesson, I was reading through some blogs on my iPhone.  I read a bit of my landlord’s wife’s blog.  If you don’t know, I am on really great terms with my landlord, Kobayashi-san.  In fact, that family is one of the most amazing groups of people I’ve met anywhere in the world!

Sunday I spent about 5 hours hanging out at their place: playing with the kids, talking with the dad, watching soccer videos, etc…

Kobayashi-san is really into DIY stuff, and he was rebuilding an entertainment center around a new huge TV that he bought recently.  He repainted all the wood and rearranged all the shelves.  On Sunday, he was still about halfway through it, and their living room was a little messy because of it.  Though I don’t really know the proper etiquitte for stopping by unannounced in Japan, I knew he was having a tiring weekend, so I bought some Häagen-Dazs on the way home (he loves ice cream).  I thought I’d stop by to try to give him some energy.  My “stop by to give ice cream” turned into the 5 hours of play. 

Anyway, back to his wife’s blog.  She was away that day at a concert, so it was just dad and the 4 kids.  She keeps a great home, and it’s usually spic-and-span with a cup of tea and some kind of Japanese snack waiting for me anytime I come over.  But that day I saw a little bit more of the “real Kobayashi-san” house.  It was nice…felt more relaxed.  I mentioned that to him, and he told his wife, and it all ended up on the blog.

Her words: 「ま、家族同然なので、いいですが」

“Well, he’s family, so it’s no problem~”

What a wonderful thing that I can have a family here in Tokyo too! 

(and the kids in this family are cuter than the ones in my real family anyway.  )

Working hard, doing a good job and helping my students, and developing bonds akin to blood with some of the best people I’ve ever met — I LOVE living in Japan~!!