Today

When I moved to this country, I knew that there would be quite a few surprises coming at me. I do not think I realized that I would spend every moment completely clueless as to what might happen to me in the next moment.

Today...

--one of my 3nensei boys decided it would be funny to pretend to have a crush on me all through lunch and 6th period. (At least I hope to God he was pretending.) For some reason, they haven't covered how to deal with hormonal teenage boys in our training. Why is this?

--another of my 3nensei boys asked if I was on a diet. Apparently my lunches are small. Jury's still out on whether he was asking because he thinks I should be on a diet.

--the same kid informed me that the art teacher and I would make a very nice couple.

--as they completed the sentence "~ makes me happy," I had to ask two of my girls if by "Beckham" they meant the actual soccer player or their homeroom teacher. (They meant the teacher.)

--I learned that, in Japan, Rock-Paper-Scissors is not only the arbiter of any disagreement and an amusing game in and of itself, but also the first step to another game that I had to play at least eight times before I actually understood.

--large numbers of my 2nensei students, in writing about their recent field trip, told me that they "played Zen meditation." The verb "suru" in Japanese can mean "do" or "play"...

--I found a snake coiled inside a drainage pipe on my walk home from school.

--I arrived home at 4.28 to find a contractor, whom I had told (through a translator) that I would be home by 4.30, waiting on my doorstep. He then proceeded to install a heated toilet seat with attached bidet and various other features I don't understand, which my landlord apparently decided I need.

Also, not today but recently...

--one of my 1nensei boys, in perfect seriousness, asked me if I am fluent in English.

--the tea lady offered me some fresh mountain greens, brought back from the 2nensei field trip. While I looked for chopsticks, she took my hand and deposited a mound of slimy, ice-cold greens into my palm. Mmm, oishii!

I had heard through the grapevine that many ex-JETs find post-Japan life to be rather boring. I mean, how could it not be?

[I'm not done with the Philippines; heavens, I still have over a week to talk about. But that's taking longer than expected...]