The first batch of new ALTs have arrived in Iwaki.  Today was the second and final day of group training and I gave my lecture with Manoke this afternoon.  We did a demo lesson for a typical English class. I made sure to show all three kinds of team teaching ( JTE does everything and the ALT is nothing more than a tape recorder,  JTE and ALT teach class together 50/50, and the JTE does nothing while the ALT does everything).  We also included various class activities that can be done with different time limits and a few that can be used anytime.  It went well :)

We helped register the newbies for internet and we were very lucky that the NTT Flets people took all the newbies over to a table and got all of them taken care of at the same time.  When I had mine done they did us all individually and we were there for HOURS!! This time we were done in less than 2 hours! :D  It was so much better!

We've got people from Scottland, Australia, England, and America in this group.  There are 3 more coming next Wednesday but I can't remember where they are coming from.  There are also a few new high shcool ALTs too, but they are separate from us. I know one of them is from Jamaica.  I'm looking forward to the welcome party that will undoubtedly happen in the next few weeks! =D

I've been looking around over at the NerdFitness forums and I've updated my signiture with my stats and the crest for my class guild. I'm a level 1 half-elf adventurer :)  I'm planning to take part in the next challenge which starts August 5th and will end on September 16th.  I've decided on my 4 goals and I'm all set to get started :)

My goals are:

1)  Do the body weight work out 2 to 3 times a week and work up to 3 or 4 times a week by the end of the challenge. (5 points)

2) Tansition into the Primal diet. (3 points)

3) Drink soda pop only once a week. (2 points)

and my life goal is

4) Study 60 hours towards the JLPT level N2. (10 hours a week). (5 points)

I am going to do my best.  I wanted to get back into running now that the rain has stopped and I'm not too sore from fuji and dancing in festivals for hours, but it's so hot and humid that I find it hard to breath. It's been 30C with more than 75% humidity and it's just too much. I'd much rather stay inside with my AC on and do workouts.  Once the weather gets a bit cooler then I will start running. I have a route picked out and everything.  I'll most likely end up walking most of it, but I"m hoping that by next spring I'll be able to run the whole thing.

Tonight I went through my recipes and decided what I want to eat for next week. I've made a grocery list and tomorrow morning I'm going to go shopping :)  I can't wait to try some of these recipes! Especially the Shawarma Salad!

I asked around and apparently I can buy a dumbell set (20kg total) for about 5000 yen ($50) at the sports store at Everia mall in Kashima.  I will need to ask someone for a ride, as it will be pretty hard to take that home on the bus and trains and then the 15 minute walk up and down the mountain road to my apartment lol.  Not something I want to try doing.  I also want to buy a new couch. The one I have I got from my predecessor, who had it for about 3 years before I moved in, so it's about 5 years old now and it's about done in.  It hurts my back to sit on, so I don't really use it.  I'm not sure if I'm going to get a couch, a love seat, an arm chair or a lazy boy, but I want something that I can relax comfortably in, and read a book or take a nap or watch a movie.  I am tired of having to either sit on the floor or on a chair at my kitchen table.

On a different not, Monday through Wednesday next week is the Tanabata Festival in Iwaki. There will be dancing, and music and lots of great food!! I can't wait to get a butter potato. Those things are so good. and there will be all kinds of meats and it's a wonderful atmosphere :)  I finish work around 4 on Monday afternoon and I'll be right by the festival too! So I'm planning to spend the evening enjoying the sights, sounds and tastes of Tanabata <3