Saturday March 15, 2:29 p.m.

A beautiful day and the pollen is flying. But I've got the meds in me and the mask on me. Looks like a lot of my compadres are going through the same Hell: Speedy, Tully, The Bostonian and BC.

Tully did show up for today's lesson since he got that report done. He and his classmate, The Coffeemaker, had a pretty good time going through statistics in English...these are pretty committed students. Then I had The Bostonian for her 60; yep, she's a hard worker but still gets a tad skittish on herself. All that furor over who was gonna get that 8:30 Wednesday slot between her and The Diver was all for nought, though. It looks like that for the next month at least, The Bostonian can only come on Saturdays due to the rigours of her job. So, The Diver can now rest easy.

In about 10 minutes, I've got that EIC student for her last lesson before her debut tomorrow at cooking with Mr. Influence. And then to wrap up, it's the Businesswoman.

I found out that butter may actually become an endangered species here in The Land of the Rising Sun. Because of all of the problems with oil and milk supplies, the sticks may no longer be all that available. So, goodbye Western omelettes, hotcakes and steaks (yes, for some bizarre reason, the Japanese love their steaks served with a pat of butter on top). And of course, the lowly toast may also become a thing of the past...the Japanese may find themselves ingesting miso soup, fish and rice again for their breakfasts. However, they may find that artherosclerosis may also be an endangered species.

Friday March 14, 9:17 p.m.

A couple of hours ago during the model lesson, a lightning bolt struck down within a kilometre of us. Man, kinda shook up the neighbourhood...along with a few neighbours. However, it doesn't seem that there was any major fire because of it. Haven't heard any sirens so far.

Speaking of that model lesson, the young girl is pretty good in terms of fluency. She's gonna be doing a homestay in Oz in a few months so I'll probably give her a good does of PASSPORT and some higher grammar for starters. In terms of her makeup and temperament, she reminds me somewhat of a pint-sized version of that tarento Suzanne (who's really full Japanese although she looks like a halfie), so I guess that's what her name will be. Suzanne will be replacing Chip N' Dale from April.
Miss Disney was much more on the genki side tonight, though she got drenched from the downpours hitting Chiba right now. Let's hope that last Friday was merely a sophomore jinx. I'm just waiting for Jolly...hopefully, he does show up. He's had a small habit of doing a no-show without calling us.

Got word from BC that most likely The Manhattanite will not be coming in tomorrow. Will lose out on some income but gain some sanity from the loaded schedule.

Friday March 14, 6:27 p.m.

Yeah, yeah...still blogging. This time, though, I'm at the juku instead of the I-cafe. Had my dinner at Subway's for the second time this week. I do like the place but the other reason is that I was able to fill up my point card to get that medium sandwich and drink for just 200 yen. And I did use that lousy coupon for free cheese...cheese indeed.

The juku boss is downstairs with her good friend from Kyushu. Apparently, her friend is an accomplished pottery expert. We were briefly introduced before I went up to my post here. I've done some prep work for tonight's lessons. That model lesson student for tonight is an old student of the kids' teacher from way back. Could be like Miss Disney.

I hear the rains coming down. Not a good night for White Day enthusiasts. But I'm sure some of those young folks are enjoying themselves at some romantic candlelight dinner in Ginza or Omotesando. The barber this morning was bantering with me as usual, and the topic of March 14 came up. He opined that nowadays, women start kicking up a fuss if they don't get only the finest of chocolates. In other words, if their candies don't come with the Godiva or Maison Du Chocolat stamp, that candlelight will probably blow out quickly and coldly. Well, I hope that really isn't the case...it wouldn't impress me much about women here, and my opinion of the twentysomethings hasn't been too great of late.

Speaking of female twentysomethings, that woman who has now joined the ranks of Gennifer Flowers and Monica Lewinski has been outed. Alexandra Youmans, aka Dupree, is pleading with the world not to think of her as a monster. I don't think that will happen, although I'm kinda surprised that her family isn't kicking much of a fuss over the fact that their daughter is a high-priced call girl. No...I think Eliot Spitzer is the one who should be doing the duck n' cover.

Friday March 14, 4:40 p.m.

Was going through YouTube's round of scalp massage videos. Yup, I'll have to admit it...I've developed an addiction to those things...kinda like my addiction to Pringle's. But I'm pretty convinced that watching vids such as "Indian Style" comes a fairly close second to actually experiencing the thing. And for someone who has to commute through Tokyo traffic nearly every day and deals with a variety of students every day, it's no surprise that massage clinics rival McDonalds branches in number.
So, it was with great anticipation that I had my first haircut of the year today at the neighbourhood salon. I didn't bother with the New Year greetings...it would've just looked silly. However, the guys there were their usual fine selves. It isn't so much the haircut that's thrilling, but the extras such as the shampoo with the massage, and then the extra rubdown on the scalp with the menthol tonic along with some stuff done on the shoulders and the back that makes the 5,000 yen worthwhile. Yup...even in my financial dire straits, I would still pay that much for good service and banter...and that's considering there is a discount barber closer to my apartment for 990 yen. I don't go that often to the barber...at this rate, I figure that I'll just be going three more times this year, so I think I can handle that.
However, watching those Indian barber videos, it would seem that India may take the crown in terms of tonsorial services. I don't think I've ever seen barbers anywhere else that intensely occupied to ensure their customers leave smiling. Even my barber looks like he's slumming compared to these folks in Mumbai. Still, I'm happy to be getting the tonsorial that I get here since North Americans would never expect such things back home in their barber shops. And it's a pity, too, since it does make sort of sense....you wanna keep your follicles nice and happy and sprouting hairs?...make sure they get rubbed down once in a while. I've had past barbers tell me that massaging the various nerves leading via the neck into the scalp ensures that your hair stays longer on your head.

Friday March 14, 2:06 p.m.

Well, finally got the last of FY 2006 big bills paid off...my income tax one. Despite the two trains and 15-minute walk to the tax office, the whole thing took just 5 minutes to complete. When the government wants your money, you'd be amazed at how quickly service can be. Feeling considerably lighter in the wallet, but heavier in the soul, I decided to walk down to Colton Plaza, one of the very first megamalls in the Kanto. Maybe its only claim to fame is that back in 1999, during all the hoopla surrounding "The Phantom Menace", the guy who played Darth Maul made an appearance there to sign autographs...of course, he charged folks for the courtesy.
I found a cheap Chinese eatery which serve chuukadon for 750 yen. It's a bunch of veggies, shrimp and pork cooked up in the usual thick cornstarch sauce and thrown on top of a bowl of rice. That stuff could also be easily found in any of the greasy spoons of Chinatown but I'm sure it's still about half the price there that it is here.

I then ended up walking all over the place for an hour...naively thinking that I could actually walk all the way back to my neck of the woods. Forgetting that Ichikawa covers a massive amount of land with 2 rivers and a wide expressway cutting through it, I plodded through a lot of suburban wilderness. I saw a lot of my adopted city that I hadn't seen in my fourteen years here. Not that it was really worth seeing again, mind you. I realize now that Ichikawa is definitely one big plate of corporate subsidiaries, government buildings and auto dealerships with a liberal sprinkling of plops of residential neighbourhoods. I managed to come across a map in front of the Ichikawa Police Department HQ and saw how far I actually was from my neighbourhood, and then decided to make the beeline back to the nearest JR station. Ironic that I made the realization in front of the cops...they do say "Nothing to see here" quite a lot.

Last night, I made it over to Ichigaya Starbucks. Sure enough, I had to line up for a table for about 15 minutes. But the corporation knows how to provide good service; the barristas gave all of us squatters small free cups of black coffee...presumably so that we wouldn't collapse. I was phenomenally lucky, though. The same barrista who gave out the free java also got me a table for two right by the glass corner overlooking the main intersection. It was in the midst of the hustle and bustle inside but also isolated enough.
The Carolinan was grateful as well for not having to endure through the smoke of Tully's. She and her sister got their White Day gifts from me, and I think at this moment, they're probably boarding their plane for Bali where they'll enjoy their few days of sun and massages. Must be nice not being poor. Then, BC showed up and we discussed her resume and covering letter. No particular problems outside the fact that she needs to do a bit of cropping and editing...just a bit too much information.

Got home last night to watch that "Doctor Who" tape that The Entrepreneur had kindly sent me. Mind you, it took several tries and minutes to get the ol' VCR going. It's very much on its last legs. The Entrepreneur sent the last 3 eps of Season 3...the big epic involving The Master. Sir Derek Jacobi had just a few minutes of playing the villain before he regenerated into the next actor, but he sure did make the most of them, chewing up the scenery like he did. It was a good watch although the resolution in the final episode dangerously skirted "Kum-Bah-Yah" territory.

It'll be quite an atypically busy Friday night and Saturday. I've got a model lesson student at the juku to start before Miss Disney shows up. The Ace actually cancelled but his class is just half an hour; and then, Jolly shows up. When he cancelled his class on Tuesday, the boss told me that ol' J had told her that things may be even worse when he had to chew linoleum for a sales screwup a few weeks back....which may mean he might have a whole lot of time on his hands from now on. However, I'm sure he'll let me know. I may have to put on my psychiatrist's hat tonight...something that I do from time to time.
Then, Saturday will be chock-filled with classes. Tully (maybe) & The Coffeemaker, The Bostonian, an EIC student, The Businesswoman and maybe even The Manhattanite to finish things off.

Thursday March 13, 2:41 p.m.

Finished up with The Yogist. She cruised through her test at 92%. Also managed to get her name card from her so that I can give it to Mr. Mild, who has expressed an interest in learning yoga. Looks like that trip to India a couple of weeks left quite an impression on my newest retiree student. Not sure if I'll get a finder's fee if Mr. Mild decides to sign up with her, though.

I'll be taking off in about an hour and a half for Ichigaya to teach The Carolinan and BC. The venue will be shifted from Tully's to Starbucks since The Carolinan had expressed a desire to no longer have her clothes smell like coffee and cigarettes, and since all of Starbucks is non-smoking.... However, it is only half the size of Tully's which will make finding a table that much more difficult. I've got my White Day chocolates for The Sisters of State since they were kind enough to give their old teacher some giri choco last month. I can guarantee that my contribution will be far cheaper than the delicacies they jointly gave me.

I found out from CNN that Dawn Wells who had played the girl-next-door castaway, Mary Ann, from "Gilligan's Island" got busted for marijuana possession. Well, I guess that definitely refutes the theory that age and wisdom go hand in hand. Try to imagine....Mary Ann gets some Mary Jane. Hope that the ghosts of Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus and Natalie Schafer aren't rolling too hard in their graves right now. I saw her mug shot; she certainly had that "Ooops...I kinda goofed" look on her face. Well, at least, she doesn't look as bad as Nick Nolte.

Thursday March 13, 12:05 p.m.

Started the morning watching the continuing fallout from the Eliot Spitzer debacle (that must be some dinner table scene in their household these days) while I was proofreading BC's resume and covering letter.

Of course, I'm now here at Speedy's awaiting The Yogist for her regular lesson. I might ask her about Mr. Mild's earlier interest in yoga. Not sure if she does house calls for lone customers, though. Plus, I'm not sure about how Mrs. Mild may feel about this.

Got a letter and photos from The Cat following my visit to her home last month. And I finally got that "Doctor Who" tape from The Entrepreneur after that first abortive attempt. Strangely enough, my two long-distance friends had met a few times years and years ago; The Entrepreneur's friend was an elementary school teacher in Toronto who was looking for someone to give a presentation on present-day Japan, and The Cat (during her freewheeling days as a working-holiday student) decided to assist me in the event.

I also received a "personal" invitation from former Ontario Premier David Petersen to some sort of light reception at the Canadian Embassy in Akasaka on the 9th. It's apparently involving the U of T Alumni Association. I actually had a second of his time....again, years and years ago...when, for reasons that I forget now, he was traipsing through the Koffler Student Centre in the main campus. I'd heard that he and his father had done dealings with various Japanese companies. There was no security cordon whatsoever around him, so one of my very first students and I just cordially went up to him and greeted him. He gave the usual vacuous smile and acknowledgement that all politicians learn to give the unwashed masses.
Unsurprisingly, I will not be attending the event, since: 1) I'm working, 2) I hate parties, 3) frankly, English teachers don't exactly occupy a high place on the totem pole here, and 4) I had a rather uninspiring time at the last Alumni reunion a decade ago.

Wednesday March 12, 8:18 p.m.

Just finished with 001. Her Alaskan adventure was quite successful. She showed me her photos straight from the digital camera. Couldn't quite get the actual aurorae (I think it would challenge even a professional) but could show me a lot of the wilderness there. Got some souvenirs in the form of chocolate and smoked salmon. Gonna have to get some bagels and cream cheese now.

Waiting for The Diver to show up...

Wednesday March 12, 5:44 p.m.

Before coming out all the way here, I stopped off at the local Subway's sandwich shop near my station for a small bite. I did...and got one back in return. It used to be the custom for me to use a lot of the coupons for slightly discounted sandwiches such as tuna or BLT or the club. Well, it looks like those familiar green sheets have now gone the way of the dinosaur. Now, the only coupons they have are those for free slices of cheese or bacon. The former used to be de rigueur for sandwiches. Man, this inflation does stink.

However, just down the hall in the station mall, the newest eatery opened up a couple of days ago. It looks like another one of those all-you-can-eat tonkatsu places. The picture of the pig in a chef's hat and apron gives it all away. It's usually my policy not to visit a restaurant in the first few months of its opening, since the service and the food are gonna go through some growing pains, but after the slight disappointment at Subway, I may be tempted. Certainly, after paying my income tax this Friday, I may be ready for some comfort food.

Looks like this Saturday may be chock-filled with classes. Not only do I have Tully & The Coffeemaker but I've got The Bostonian, an EIC student and The Businesswoman. Heck, I can't even teach The Dentist since the schedule will be so tight. And now, maybe The Manhattanite may be trying to inch herself in as well.

Wednesday March 12, 4:05 p.m.

Hump Day again....although not as big a hump this week. Jolly cancelled his lesson again last night, paired with the fact that The Siberian is away for this month (and maybe forever), meant that I could go home early. And The Nurse wasn't scheduled for her typical 10 a.m. lesson today. I could actually wake up a bit more leisurely without having to drag my sorry butt over to McDonalds for breakfast in the wee hours. And I could actually see a US Primary...mind you, it was far less than a Super Tuesday since it was just the one state of Mississippi up for grabs. Barack Obama got it handily.

This week is White Day Week. I've got my list of ladies who were kind enough to hand me chocolates last month on Valentine's Day, so I'm returning the favour. I already got 002 and Mrs. Mild their boxes, and 001 is on the list tonight. Then, there are the Sisters of State tomorrow night before they take off for Bali on Friday.

Speaking of the Milds, it was just Mr. Mild last night since his wife was stricken with a cold. Looks like he's been enjoying the retiree life quite nicely. He's been thinking of trying a new job to keep himself occupied. Must be nice.

Got word from Mrs. Tulip, ex of The Beehive, who's now living in T.O. Apparently, my parents visited her place to witness her Ohinasama ningyo display. Since the parentals were in the relatively same neighbourhood for their weekly tournament of bowling, they could come by. My brother and his family were also supposed to visit but the snowy weather kept them at bay. Not too sure if my brother would actually appreciate the annual Japanese ritual of displaying a three-tier showpiece of dolls, but my sister-in-law would be a bit more open.

After its explosive debut on Monday, my hay fever has been keeping a low profile since I've been taking the meds and wearing the masks. I've been very grateful.

Speaking of 001, she's back from her Alaskan adventure. Ostensibly, she and her friend were there to witness the Northern Lights...quite the travel magnet for Japanese folks nowadays, despite the sub-frigid temps up there (here in Tokyo, people bundle up like Eskimos at 10 C!). However, I'm sure The First Student found quite a few new ales to try out during her stay in The Klondike.

Got the first two packages of games over to The Anime King yesterday. In our latest correspondence, he let loose a bit of a diatribe on the evils of Facebook. Well, I had only asked him whether he did have an account since I came across his name there. Perhaps, he may be pulling off the same stunt that New York State's biggest loser, (soon-to-be-ex) Governor Eliot Spitzer tried. Man, and here I thought I was having a bad year. His story is reading off like a corporate Jekyll-and-Hyde book. I have come across his name in the past. He had a reputation of a namesake...that of Eliot Ness; and despite his family name of Spitzer, friends and foes alike probably likened him to a Rottweiler during his years as New York Attorney General. Not anymore...he probably has as much cachet now as an emaciated Chihuahua.

Came across some old TV chestnuts on Super Drama TV over the weekend. Saw the ancient cartoon of "The Jackson 5"...yep, that's right...Michael portrayed a cartoon character years before he actually became one. It was made back in the early, early 70s with all of the horribly clunky animation and groan-worthy one-liners that made up Saturday morning TV. However, it wasn't everyday that a cartoon had Stevie Wonder's "Ma Cherie Amour" as background music.

I also did catch the final episode of "Heroes" from Season 1 on the same satellite channel last night. So far, I've only seen the pilot...parts of it anyways...and then I came in about 20 minutes into this finale where the junior Petrelli did save the cheerleader and therefore the world. I would like to see what had happened in between but the nature of my job rather precludes that possibility and since I'm not into rentals and I'm definitely not gonna be buying the DVD set during my financial precariousness, I guess I'll just have to wait until Super Drama TV comes up with a "Heroes" marathon that I can be present for.
"Heroes" hasn't really caught on like wildfire here in Tokyo...despite the presence of Mr. "Yatta", Masi Oka. It's probably being absorbed by the niche folks...aka otaku. I guess one has to look like one of those Johnny's Entertainment mannikins to get noticed. Plus, Western superheroes don't really seem to be this population's cup of tea...on TV, anyways. "Smallville" never really made it big, and "Doctor Who" is just doing its rounds on NHK-3. But "Heroes" shouldn't feel too bad...no US show has really hit the Japanese zeitgeist since the days of "24" and "Sex And The City". "Lost","The O.C.", and the new "Battlestar Galactica" aren't exactly household words, either.

Monday March 10, 7:39 p.m.

As it turned out, the M+M meeting on Saturday was cancelled at the last minute since the senior M called me up to say that she'd caught one of her occasional migraines. So it was a full day at home. Sunday was just the little trip over to Nihombashi to teach The OL.

Today was the day that I finally got whacked by the scourge known as hay fever. It was a miserable morning to commute since it was cold and rainy, and I had to wear my mask as the nose drippings flowed down my filtrum. The sneezing started soon after. By the time I started with The Class Act, I was a mess. So The Lady was kind enough to give me a box of this medicine which one swabs inside one's nose; supposedly having a 1-cm thick coating of the stuff on the nasal passages should be enough to keep the pollen grains at bay....but only if one doesn't sneeze it out. Unfortunately, that is what happened. So it was time to buy the Benza Block pills which kicked in about a third of the way into SIL's lesson. Part of the talk was on enka, that Japanese version of Country & Western. Apparently, there is now an African-American guy who looks like a miniature of Will Smith (including hip-hop stylings) but croons those Japanese hurtin' songs like a middle-aged Japanese guy in a kimono. Celo is his name. I'll be keeping an eye and ear out for this lad.

I just taught one of Speedy's students while the bossman was absent on some business before meeting up with The Full-Timer. Now, it'll be about a couple of hours before my last student in the form of Medicine Man. Strangely enough, next Monday will be pretty sparse...atypical for the beginning of my week. I've had to cancel a Class Act session so that I can take care of The Nurse, but both SIL and The Full-Timer have asked to have their sessions cancelled as well. If Medicine Man decides to can (doubtful), I may actually be able to hit home very early. Otherwise, I'll probably end up playing I-go on the computer for several hours. I can only hope that Cozy sends me another one of his translation assignments.

Friday March 7, 6:29 p.m.

No mask necessary today, thankfully. Some cold rain and perhaps some ionization from a few bolts of lightning have probably zapped those nasty pollen grains back to earth and down a sewer somewhere.

Just enjoyed a pretty calm day today at home. Did some laundry which I was able to dry for some hours before taking them in as the clouds came overhead. I even did another dry run with my tax return. Looks like the bill is pretty much set at 30,000 yen which I'll be paying Uncle Osamu next week. Glad that I got some decent shuteye.

I also took care of another one of Cozy's rush translations. He didn't even attach anything...just wrote the text straight into my e-mail. It wasn't too difficult. In about 90 minutes, I've got Miss Disney for her second lesson, followed by The Ace. Then, it's back home.

I'm meeting M+M for the first time in several months tomorrow...certainly, it'll be the first time this year for one of our kaffeeklatschs. I'm gonna see if the three of us can have it in that traditional coffeehouse near Shinjuku Station...the one which The Madame and I had used to go to before we went our separate ways. It's a Saturday, so I'm a little unsure whether we'll be able to make it in with the usual crowds there.

Anyways, it's time to go over Miss Disney's lesson plan.

Thursday March 6, 3:56 p.m.

Well, digesting that massive McDonalds indoor picnic that Speedy had instigated. It was the bossman, me, BC and Pooh taking care of a lot of french fries, burgers and Mcnuggets. It would've made for a new scene in "Supersize Me". So, I think dinner will not be really be an option for me...unless it consists of salad.

The Admin has quietly left the coop so that she can focus more time on helping out her husband's work. So, it's basically BC and Pooh putting in some extra time. The Nurse yesterday expressed some regret about The Admin's departure since she was a very calming influence on the office. I would have to agree.

Today's lesson I learned from Wikipedia: old 80's band Level 42 (actually, I shouldn't say "old" since they have regrouped recently) used to be part of M, that one-hit wonder behind "Pop Muzik" back in 1979. Always loved that first big international hit of theirs, "Something About You".

Thursday March 6, 11:47 a.m.

So far, so good on the start of hay fever season. The masks are out there but I haven't become a fluid-spouting mess quite yet although the season unofficially started last weekend. I haven't even had to run out to get the medicine although I'm sure that'll change over the coming weeks. One factor is that the weather has gotten cold again, so those pollen grains have been staying in their buds for the most part.

Just have The Yogist for one today after three straight days of nearly wall-to-wall classes. I've had to catch up on my sleep on the subways. Rather relaxing, though. Speedy's decided to go for the Golden Arches' blitz after my lesson; good thing, too, since not only will be hungrier but the lunch chaos should be gone by then.

I got word from The Entrepreneur that his "Doctor Who" tape for me got caught in the postal red tape and has been returned to him. I was wondering what had happened to it, but the same thing happened to me some months ago when I sent my niece a doll for her birthday. Should be OK now.

Wednesday March 5, 10:19 p.m.

Got the last two lessons out of the way. The Diver was a bit more unsure of herself this time around but was still much better than her very first Nervous Nellie class. And then The Bostonian had a good inaugural class. However, but we now have two ladies vying for the same time slot on the same night since 001 will be coming back next week to claim her slot in the early evening. The bossman and I were commiserating about that one for a few minutes. I'm hoping that The Bostonian is truly the kind-hearted young lady that she's coming across as, and will not mind the next Saturday afternoon slot.

Feeling somewhat tired and hungry now but not exactly filled with options at the moment. And besides, I do have to head back here for The Yogist's lesson at 1 tomorrow. But since those McD's coupons will be expiring on the 6th, the bossman has resolved to use them up in one big gulp. So, no lunch will be needed.

Speaking of 001, I wonder how she's handling the subarctic climate of Alaska right now. She'll probably have quite the stories to tell next week.

Wednesday March 5, 5:17 p.m.

Looks like pantsuits are still in. Apparently, Hillary has won both Texas and Ohio in what's turning out to be the most epic battle in US Primary history. Not sure if it was the SNL appearance that put her ahead this time around. Meanwhile, John McCain can finally relax a bit and see his enemies duke it out from the comfort of his own den for the next few months.

Just came back from teaching The New Yorker. It'll be the last one before she takes off with her sister next week to Bali. So I'll have to get those White Day chocolates over to the Sisters of State by next Thursday when I teach The Carolinan.

Speaking of chocolates, we here at Speedy's have got quite the mission trying to devour all of the chocolates that the older students keep plying us with. There's a tradition of paying tribute to teachers amongst the senior generation. I would have ended the last sentence with "...that's sadly lacking with the young'uns..." but the tradition is working just a bit too well, if you know what I mean. We even got chocolate marshmallow pies from Korea for some reason. Yup, that's right...when I think Korea, I think chocolate marshmallow pies.

Well, it's just The Diver and then The Bostonian. Maybe I will get some sleep tonight.

Wednesday March 5, 12:36 p.m.

One of those long patches of nothing to do between lessons. I've got The New Yorker at 3...maybe...probably....I've got her down at 3, and I usually put down her time right at the end of the lesson since she pulls out her schedule immediately after she's paid me. Being a bit paranoid, I tried sending word to her cellphone but for some reason, I can't get through. I've now sent word to her sister, The Carolinan, to find out if The New Yorker has changed it.

The Nurse was her usual self...although at one point, she started sniffling. Not sure if it was hay fever...or something else. I don't believe I've offended her. I've had to bump The Class Act off the 17th for her since her schedule has been royally tight. So, that'll be a big drop in income for that day, but The Nurse has been a very loyal student for the past year.

John McCain can now drop that "presumptive" label from his title of Republican Presidential Candidate. He's just reached the magic number and Mike Huckabee has dropped out. Now, he can rub his hands in glee as the Democratic rivals still continue to slug it out. The folks at CNN must be either skipping in ecstacy over that race....or reaching for their TUMS.

Wednesday March 5, 9:45 a.m.

After a warm spell, it's back to (relative) cold again. Another Hump Day...although it won't be the top-heavy schedule of Monday and Tuesday. Had a lot of commuters sniffling away on the subway coming to work this morning. A lot of corresponding masks as well, including on my fat mug.

The Milds regaled me with their "interesting" adventure through India. They said they went through a bit of culture shock traveling last week in terms of a number of things such as clean towels and washrooms. I don't mean to offend anyone living in the country, but my two retired students said that they were quite happy to be back home here, although it was truly an eye-opening experience for them. Got the tons of photos and a souvenir of a package of darjeeling tea.

Both Mild Jr and Jolly were undergoing some rather lousy bouts of hay fever themselves during the lesson. However, Jolly did enjoy his trip to Hokkaido last weekend after his Client From Hell had raked him over the coals.

I see that the Canadians have gotten their little taste of the nastiness of US Presidential Politics after that leaked memo concerning one of Obama's assistants supposedly reassuring the Canadian Consul-General in Chicago that his anti-NAFTA brimstone was really just smoke and mirrors. Hmmm....hasn't seemed to hurt Obama any...he just won Vermont. Still, I'm sure the Canadian government will be announcing "Act Nonchalantly" Day shortly.

The Nurse should be coming in any moment...

Tuesday March 4, 6:33 p.m.

Ah, such an O. Henryesque ending. I finally had the one big hit class with Chip N' Dale...and then the boss tells me that they'll finishing up later this month. But I kinda figured that they wouldn't be staying too much longer. However, the boss told me that she'll try and fill up the 6-7 time slot.

The Carolinan sent me word to get that new venue opened up at the Ichigaya Starbucks for her next lesson. BC's good to go with it as well. And we'll see about finally getting that reservation done for the Greek restaurant in Roppongi at the end of the month. Spyro's, I believe it's called.

It'll be another early start for tomorrow. I've got The Nurse for the first time in about 2 weeks. And then it'll be The New Yorker in Ichigaya (I'll still keep her at Tully's since there's almost no way that I can get a table during the day at the Starbucks...plus, she is a smoker) before The Diver and perhaps The Bostonian.

Hay fever has started in earnest. All that pollen from all those cedar trees has started clogging up my nasal passages. However, it hasn't been too bad so far...my nose has been running a bit but no major sneezing fits. But I've got the mask on now....as have so many other commuters.

Tuesday March 4, 4:52 p.m.

It's been a conventional start to the week. The usual busy Monday with The Class Act, SIL, The Full-Timer and then Medicine Man. However, I did have a model lesson student in between the last two folks. Pretty fluent young lady but can still use our help. Keeping our fingers crossed on that one.

Also tried to do some more tweaking with Cozy's translations. Luckily, I haven't heard anything from him in the last 24 hours so maybe that's a good sign.

Tuesday has also been rather usual as well. Despite the somewhat awkward situation last week with The Beehive over my financial situation, the ladies were in back into their old mode. They were happily discussing about their upcoming trip to Croatia in May. They also seemed to like that one page from my new Business Vocab book that I've been using with students like The Coffeemaker, Jolly and The Carolinan. 002 was her usual happy self. And I've got the juku crowd in about an hour. The Milds should be back from their India trip today; it ought to be interesting how they fared. Hopefully, neither of them ended up with Delhi Belly.