It is Monday, but I am losing track of the date. I am watching the rain which has not stopped since last week, maybe since Wednesday.
Thursday I left my apartment to join the fifth grade classes on their camping trip. I had not been camping in about 32 years so I did this with a lot of trepidation. Because of the rain, out outdoor activities were curtailed. We did a lot of walking and climbing stairs. I watched the pottery class and joined in at the Planetarium. It was great because it enabled me to talk freely with the children. I met a girl who had grown up in the US but moved to Japan with her parents two years ago. It was interesting to find out about how she compared the education from one place to another. She said she was a little behind in her studies but of course the English class is very easy. She still has some difficulty with the Japanese. Her parents speak in both English and Japanese at home. She misses having her mother pick her up from school, now she has to walk. We watched Harry Potter in Japanese and she said she wished it was in English.
The evening at the campsite was not what I had expected. I bought marshmallows to show the children how to toast them. We couldn't do that because of the rain so we just ate them instead. The children danced to "Mayim" which I remember as a Hebrew folk dance. I felt so wonderful having some of my own culture here in Japan. That night I was reading in my room while the teachers were having a meeting. The children were supposed to be in bed sleeping but I heard noises. I figured they were just fooling around. It turned out that there was a sick little boy throwing up in the bathroom. The children took me by the hand and I went to the bathroom with them. I took him upstairs to the lobby and rubbed his back. He ended up falling asleep in my lap. Here I was alone with 6 children who did not speak English and I didn't speak enough Japanese. I still was able to take care of them and communicate my feeling until their teachers found me. The teachers were grateful for my help. As for me, I just did what anyone would do in a similar situation. My mothering instincts took over.
We had a party to celebrate the end of camping where we all laughed and ate cake. It made me feel like I belonged.
My weekend was wonderful. I attended an aromatherapy class with my partner and volunteered to be the "model". The students practiced their massage and facial techniques on me. It was so relaxing.
Sunday I went to a village in the countryside with the PTA chairman and his charming family. We saw where the samurai lived and went to several museums. They took me to a hotspring which was a delight.
Today it is still raining. The Board of Education is visiting so everyone is nervous. I wonder if they will speak to me.
My pictures will be included in a separate attachment.

you must be Gail. Ichecked my cheat-sheet and figured Dowell ES is you. Sounds like a nice adventure. I got out to the coast yesterday by train and enjoyed the vistas. Jim McElroy