My week so far has been very positive and rewarding. Our new work team is cohesing very successfully. Though I am still leading more activities than Erik (and loosing my voice as a result), he has been very willing to try picking up new stuff (and has been very good at it). Not only is it taking the pressure off me as the "experienced one" but has also popped the month-old balloon of anxiety that the three of us were bouncing around in anticipation of the transition. Like I said, the team is coming together and I think the next few months should be really fun (and a ton easier on everyone) as a result. To celebrate, we're all going out for drinks tomorrow night after work. TGIF!!

Today was a whopper. We took the preschool kids to the park for the first time since May due to the heat and rain of the summer. As Murphy's Law would have it, today was over 30 degrees Celsius and pretty muggy. Not as bad as it has been, but still really sticky for running around chasing a ball in the sun with 13 toddlers! The air conditioner felt awesome when we got back at lunchtime.

As part of our afternoon session with the kindergarteners (and 1st/2nd graders), we split up into 4 groups- each led by one of us teachers. Its one of the hardest parts of the day because we are each accountable to hold the attention of up to 4 kids (4 to 8 year olds) for 30 minutes. Then the kids rotate to a new group and we do it over with different students (so I teach the same session two times in an hour to two different groups of kids). Anyhow... its always really tough because not only do you have to lead the activity while also running discipline & run-a-way interception but also be ready with a back up plan to respond to age issues (the game is too tough/easy) or skill issues (one kid knows the alphabet the other doesn't/two can use scissors one can't, etc...). We switch activities every 2 weeks (each student does 2 activities so in 2 weeks they should hit all 4) and the students get a stamp on their passport when they finish the session (so 2 stamps in one afternoon.

The success of the hour can range from being a blast to being a complete disaster and is often fairly unpredictable (though with some kids on the schedule you just KNOW....). I'm enjoying my session this week- the topic is feelings and I'm doing part 1 in a 2 part project to help each student make their own "My Feelings Book". This week and next, we start out reviewing 6 feelings (happy, sad, angry, surprised, sick, and sleepy) by looking at a picture of either Tomoko or myself making the appropriate facial expresion. Then we play a game with a spinner (imagine the cardboard spinner used to play the game Twister)- the kids run to the "happy" photo when the spinner lands on "happy", etc. After that, the kids each get a mirror and we practice making the "faces". Then I take pictures of them making all 6 "faces" which I will use next session (Part 2) to make the book. After we finish the pictures, we play a card game (depending on time remaining and age/skill/attention span of the kids) of karuta (I say "happy", kids have to grab the "happy" face card) or memory/concentration (we take turns turning over a blue card and an orange card trying to make a set of "happy" cards). And then its time to switch groups!

It's been both a challenge and a real laugh to get the kids to make their "faces"-- I always laugh at their "Surprised" faces. Imagine a Japanese Macaulay Culkin in "Home Alone" and you've got the idea. Hopefully, they've gotten the general theme and vocabulary by the end of the time.

Update: Training goals are on track- Tom and I did 2 full circles around the Imperial Palace last night which is at least 10k/6 miles- my longest non stop run in a year (hashes are that long but we get lots of breaks). I also did yoga/pilates for the first time in a while tonight. I'm a bit tired and stiff but feeling pretty good. I also just finished my second to last Econ chapter (at Starbucks before yoga!), which leaves me with one chapter, a paper, and my final in order to complete the course. Very overdue, but I'm back to making steady progress.

Tom's heading to Manila for work this weekend through early next week. Hopefully I can make more Econ progress but also rest up from a very busy couple of weeks!