It was Amy's birthday yesterday. She's getting old. And the really funny thing was that yesterday was also a national holiday in Japan. Any guesses as to what it was? "Respect for the Aged Day." Ah HA HA HA! I'm not kidding. Does anyone else find that hilarious or is it just me?
Anyway, we went to a zoo here in Kofu. It's kinda hidden inside a small park, but it's there. Last week when that teacher took me out for sushi we drove past the park and he told me there was a small zoo inside. So I figured I might be able to find it again. And thanks to a map and sense of direction like a radar, I did. We took along another JET named Kayla. She's from Texas. So the three of us went there and walked around a bit. It was only 310 yen to get in (about $2.50) so I really wasn't expecting much. And to be honest it was small. But it was bigger than I thought it would be and they had more animals than I thought they would. But this was a double edged sword. Nice to see lots of animals, but it sucked to see them locked up in some of those cages. In situations like this you're not sure whether you should donate money so that they can improve the facilities or if you should never go back in the hopes that they run out of money and have to give the animals to bigger and better places. But hell, I can't do a damn thing (can't even speak the language) so I just walked around enjoying the fact that you don't see animals like this everyday. Some of the smaller animals had nice sized places to live, I guess, but seeing the chimpanzees was really depressing. One of the older guys just sat there, leaning up against a wall, with his knees up so that his arms could rest on them and one hand up with his chin resting on that. He looked very bummed. It was him and two others who were lying there sleeping. All they had was a concrete floor, a metal structure and the bars to keep them in. It is one thing to see a turtle or a rabbit or a snake in a small enclosure but it is quite another to see a chimp with no trees to climb, no grass to lie in, and no place to go. They are not far behind us humans (if you subscibe to a kind of directional sense in evolution, which I do not, just not sure how else to word that), and we treat them like criminals sometimes. Bummer.
Anyway, to get off that.....we did have a fun day for the most part. Amy brought it to my attention that she'd been to a zoo on her birthday for the last three years. Two years ago, the Albuquerque Zoo (I was not there), one year ago, the San Diego Zoo (I was there), and now this one. Kinda strange, don't ya think?
After the zoo we walked around the park and then headed into downtown Kofu for some food. Had tempura, rice, some pickled something or other, and miso soup. Good stuff. Then we went to the 100 yen store, bought a few things and then headed home.

Schools are still going well. I am making it work somehow. So far it's been mostly games with my classes. Some teachers like me to play games all class long, while others seem to like it but want to also do some bookwork. Since I only visit these classes once a week or once every two it is hard for me to know what their typical day in English class is like. My visits are special days for them so I imagine they do more work than what I see. The games I play with them are at least geared towards English, but I'm not sure how much they actually learn from me. Not much, I guess, but perhaps that will change as time moves on. It has only been two full weeks that I've been going to their classes, so I guess I shouldn't expect them to write me a novel just yet. I guess the good part of all this is that my classes with them are fun for them (for the most part) and they will probably associate me with "good times" (Die-No-Mite!, no no, not the show). Maybe they'll begin to associate English with good times too. If that happens my job here is done and done well.

I was going to tell you about that sixth school, Shizen Gakuen. Takes me about an hour forty-five to get there; bike to Kofu station, catch train west three stops, catch bus up into hills, change from bus to a small bus/large van and ride to the school. It is a high school out in the hills and I mean way out in the hills. Pretty out there though.
The school has a student body of.....get this.....count your fingers....ten students. That's right. Only ten students! How they pay the bills, I have no idea. They have the honorable designation of being the smallest school in all of Japan. Or that's what they told me. And hell, I believe it.
All the students and the principal and his family live there at the school. To me it looks like the school used to be bigger as there are plenty of classrooms and dormotory space but I really don't know. It is a Christian boarding school according to my predecessor but I never asked about the religious aspects. I didn't want to ask any questions that might bring up my beliefs (or lack thereof) on my first day.
I have two classes out there. A first year class consisting of seven students and a second year class consisting of (do the math) three students. So yes, I teach the entire student body at one of my schools. Impressive, aye?
I don't mean to bore you here but again, everyone one on the staff was nice and friendly and the principal was especially nice. He spent a few years in Texas about twenty years ago and his English isn't bad, though it seems like he must have forgotten much of it. He was an electronic engineer and was doing research at some university in Arlington. How he got involved with this school, I have no idea. But he was really great. He took me for a drive after my classes and showed me some place up in the hills where apparently much of the country came at the end of WWII to plant trees. Emperor Hirohito himself was there and I guess the site is famous in Japan. There was a small parking lot, a small building and a monument. Couldn't read a thing but it all felt a little strange after he told me about it. Wasn't that long ago, you know?
After that he drove me all the way back to the train station, allowing me to skip the two busses step, and I was back on a train headed for Kofu before long.
Because of the way the weeks work and because of a well placed holiday, I don't go out there again till October. Don't mind that in regards to the trip, but I think I'm gonna enjoy the small classes. Nice place.

So now I have to get because I am meeting someone at Kofu station to give her some money for Sumo tickets and a hotel room for friday night. Sumo on saturday, I can't wait. I think there are about twenty of us going. Nothing better than a day at a sporting event, with friends, and lots of good food and drink. Should be fun. I'll take my camera so I can make you jealous.