Oh my...

So today was hilarious and long and tiring and so many other things....We went to bed before 9 last night...love jet lag. This also meant we woke up around 5:45am...oops! Anyway, Adrienne and I both began looking through curriculum and doing some planning and making lists of questions to ask...we had lots of course...flash back to coming to SGCS, going into Edith and Lindy's room daily (hourly really) and saying I have a question - I think everyone must have heard that one a million times that year ha ha! Anyway, then we got ready to go to school for some computer time before lunch (they wanted to go to Shakeys, yes we are living in Japan, yes we have eaten Japanese food!) Anyway, the whole group - Mr. Elofson, Chikako (his wife), 4 other teachers, and our secretary all got in a van with us and we all trooped over to lunch. I'm amused that we can fit that many people in one Japanese vehicle...anyway, lunch included spaghetti with edamame in it, or seaweed pasta...pizza with squid and wasabi, pineapple and chocolate...curry...and some things I actually recognized to eat! The group was very good natured about the teasing being thrown back and forth - the guys seemed to be having an eating competition :) After lunch we went back to school where they left Adrienne and I to go look at an apartment for Rachael (incoming 1st grade teacher, she arrives next week) She and I puttered about school, talking on Skype and emailing until we were told to go check out the storage closet if we wanted anything. TREASURES!!!!!!! Oh my, we were a little worried what we would do without our beloved manipulatives and we discovered all these things the other teachers don't know what to do with. We happily scavenged a box each of stuff - I think I found the basics for anything I might want. Half way through our scavenger hunt we were called upstairs for a meeting...apparently we were all needed to decide on the apartment - we've joined the democracy :) Later on it was time for more questions, supply lists, more questions, I think we've overwhelmed Mr Elofson with our enthusiasm and ideas, he may want to send us back to the states before to long! Then we went grocery shopping again. Chikako was going to help us with rice (did anyone else know that it comes either washed or unwashed???) and some of the labels...I'm impressed with the selection - dairy products are EXTREMELY expensive - a block of cheese was about $17...so lots of my recipes are going to be modified or unused for the year (special treats maybe...) Anyway, we survived, got everything on the list (Adrienne is going to attempt eating shrimp for dinner tomorrow - so proud...putting my new sous chef to work too!), we also got our rewards card and then it was off for a LATE dinner. We had tacorice (think tostadas with rice instead of tortilla) it was pretty good - the rice had a bit of a fishy
flavor, but once you mixed in the salsa it was fine - I wanted to share, but Adrienne refused to share with me - so we both had left overs...I'm always right :) After dinner we had dessert??? It was called zenzai, which is sweet beans (like baked beans) underneath shaved ice...we liked the sauce with the ice, but the beans were a little to much for both of us, although it wasn't as bad as the mochi (unsure of spelling) which is pounded cooked rice so it forms this gummy ball - NOT a fan! The texture put me over the top, things should not be that sticky in your mouth! After dinner we came back home to look over some more curriculum and now typing up my funny day :) Love you all!


This picture is NOT a reflection of my driving, Adrienne is trying to demonstrate how close we sit by taking a picture from the dashboard, while I turn....
Lunch at Shakey's. That's Eunice (2-3 year old teacher/music) and her husband Edgar who also works at the school
The whole bunch - Junko the secretary is sitting next Adrienne, Steve one of the high school teachers across the table, our principal not facing the camera, and his wife Chikako (our shopping buddy!
Us eating our zenzai - not bad...
Our mochi - not as tasty...