I was strolling in one of the malls here in Osaka when I noticed a familiar face. I was pretty sure I’ve visited his blog many times and that he’s definitely living outside Japan. I wondered what he’s doing here. But isn’t it cool… finally meeting a fellow blogger in person! I wanted to approach him but I couldn’t recall his name… even his blog’s name! Suddenly, he turned to me, recognition dawned on his face, then asked: “Hi! Aren’t you Shiera of Idle Moments“?

Oh crap… he recognizes me but I still couldn’t remember his name. (I’m really really poor at remembering names.) This is very embarrassing! I managed to give out the sweetest smile while racking through my brain… then I woke up! Haha! Thank God I was just in one of my rare weekend afternoon naps. I guess this is what I get from excessive blogging, eh?

But I don’t care getting more dreams related to blogging… in exchange for more great blogging friends!

By the way, I thank Rolando for giving me this award:

The 9-day summer vacation is finally over and I am back here in the office fighting off the urge to fall asleep. Now, what have I accomplished during the 9-day break? Apparently, none of those career-beneficial things and zero personal growth attempts ^-^. So, I’ll just list the things I should have done but did not do.

• Study Nihongo! (as usual)
• Finish the other blog and a website
• Train station hopping. It’s always freakishly hot and the train station is about 10-15 minutes by bike.
• Work on something a friend asked me to do.
• Clean up my PC’s hard disk
• Bike beyond Yodogawa

Posting these here seems to be pointless but this serves as my sticky note.

I made an embarrassing mistake at the train station today. There were so many things going through my head and I was in a hurry that I didn’t notice using my left hand to insert the ticket at the machine. Of course it’s OK to use the left hand… but, I entered into a different passage and I only realized my mistake when the exit closed! It’s a good thing that the station staff saw me inserting my ticket. ^-^

I’ve been putting off the last few episodes of Naruto and when I finally decided to watch the episodes, I couldn’t stop watching it. So, I ended up sleeping at early dawn. Then at around 11:30am, the alarm went off and I received a few messages from friends that we are meeting at the Shin-Osaka station at noon. After a 10-minute shower, I left the comfort of the air conditioner.

Waaahhh! It’s so hot outside! I had my hat and my arm covers on but it still felt like there’s a bonfire everywhere! So I just pedaled faster and finally reached the station. After a few minutes of standing, I felt like throwing up and my vision’s gone blank! I was so dizzy that I could no longer stand up. So I just leaned on a wall and prayed hard not to faint. Not in this place where I couldn’t completely understand the people around me. Not now that I don’t have extra budget for hospitalization! (Hospitalization here is REALLY expensive compared to the Philippines’)

I wanted to get something refreshing but I was still afraid of collapsing. After a few minutes of calming myself and praying hard for recovery, I got my vision back and I no longer felt like throwing up. But I was still a bit dizzy… and hungry?

Bad things happen to stupid people…

My stupidity had once again cost me half a day. I think I had mentioned before that everyday, I have to travel for about 1.5-2hours (one way) to work, including 2 train transfers and waiting time, and that I have to carry two different train tickets.

I was already on my way to the last train transfer, and I was about to buy a prepaid train ticket… but I couldn’t find my wallet! If only I were in the Philippines and if it’s not that embarrassing to borrow money from that familiar face in the office, I would have approached him already! So, I was left with no other option but to get my wallet back in the apartment. waaaahhhhhh!!!!!

Got to run now and thanks for reading this rant about one of my flaws …

The Boy and the tutor met again …

Tutor: How do you say this equation in English:
((10+6)*8-40)/11= ?

Boy: Ten plus six is sixteen times eight is one hundred and twenty-eight minus forty is eighty-eight divided by eleven is eight.
Tutor:Wow! That was fast!

Boy: It’s very easy because I studied abacus.

Tutor: (Great.. I guess I have to learn abacus, too) Interesting… now, back to the equation. You don’t have to mention the answer for each pair of number. Just read the whole equation then the final answer.

Boy: But that’s TOO easy!

Tutor: (Don’t you dare challenge me, kiddo) Really? Try reading this one: 102,341,238,967,856

After a very long pause…
Boy: I don’t know.

Tutor: (bwahahaha! sweet revenge Smiling sweetly…) Let me teach you…

But the tutor is still happy to have this genius as a student. Who knows, this boy might be the next Einstein? ^-^

P.S. Don’t hate me… the boy already knew how to read up to the hundred millionth. Plus, I’m pretty sure the huge number wasn’t traumatic for him. It in fact, made him more interested in the lesson.

It’s already dark when we left the office so the temperature had dropped below 30C. And the wind was a bit blowing, too! But that cool feeling was replaced by a suffocating, very hot train ride with a JR local train!

I had no idea what was happening but it felt like turning on the heater to its maximum scale and there was no way to open the windows! Thank God the train was not crowded. Instead of getting irritated by this small discomfort, I just maintained calm breathing and it helped! Unlike the other passengers who were obviously fuming with anger and were furiously waving their fans. I was just glad I only had to endure it for about 10 minutes.

Sometimes they deliberately turn off the air-conditioning system. I just hope they’ll keep it turned on especially during the peak of summer.

Another fine Saturday morning, I was in hurry and I mistakenly stapled together some printed materials. Before starting the tutorial, I removed the staple to detach a paper, then got down to business.

A few minutes later, the boy picked up something from the table and showed it to me.
Then he spoke as if admonishing his 3-year old younger sister…

Boy: THIS is very dangerous. Please excuse me…

I was stunned and it took me a while to utter my reply.

Me: Yes, go ahead. Please throw that staple away.

How silly of me… of course, I intended to throw that staple away AFTER the lesson.
But first… could somebody convince me that I’m still the tutor?

Every weekend, I tutor a 10-year old Japanese boy. I wasn’t so sure what to discuss on the trial lesson so I decided to bring some picture cards that could aid me to get to know him and to identify his English level…

He got the picture with a boy watching TV and showed it to me.

Me: Do you love watching TV?

He was obviously taken aback by my question, then glanced at his dad as if trying to ask permission to speak.

Boy: Mmmmm…. I don’t watch TV.
Me: Oh… so how about movies, then?

He glanced again at his dad, this time, appeared to be scared.

Boy: I also don’t watch movies.
Me: Even Disney cartoons?

For the third time, he looked at his father and appeared to be even more frightened.

Boy: No.

I was already a bit embarrassed because I thought I was more childish than the boy! What else should I talk about when even “child-friendly” cartoons are taboos there.

Me: Ok… so what do you usually do for fun?

His eyes now appeared to be sparkling.

Boy: I read the encyclopedia!
Me: Wow that’s good!

At that moment I really didn’t know what else to say…

My childhood was completely different. When I was about 5 years old, our parents already gave us almost complete reign over the TV. Then at 8, I’d watched all the movies of Jacky Chan, Chuck Norris, and Cynthia Luster. I’d only laid my eyes on the encyclopedia when I had to research something.

Now…how else could I catch his attention?