Chapter 26: CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

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CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Fumie leaned back in her in chair, indicating she was once again the President and I was back to being only a new incoming faculty member. "I understand now how you can teach this direct method one on one. But I don't see how you can teach it to a class of forty students. Yet, you say you can."

"I said I was trying to adapt it to a class of forty students when it really was meant to be taught to only one student at a time."

"Well, how are you coming with your adapting then?"

"I try to pretend the entire class is one student."

"That sounds impossible."

I nodded. "That's what I thought too, when I was taking the attendance for my first class here. But then I would ask the whole class a question as if they were all one person and call on one of the students who put her hand up. But that didn't work out so well."

"Oh? Why not?"

"Because the students who put their hands up were always the same five girl students. And I wanted all the students to participate."

"So what did you do?"

"After I asked a question to all the class, I started to call on a particular student listed in your attendance book and put a dot next to her or his name, then not call on that student again until there was a dot next to all the other students' names. Thank God your attendance book has a box for each day I teach that class so I can keep track of what students I've called on for that class."

Fumie nodded. "I think I'm beginning to understand how that might work. Well David, please keep me informed on your progress in adapting the direct method to our school's situation. I'm getting quite interested."

That Wednesday John didn't need me to teach so I could at least take that triangle trip just north of Kyoto city proper. And that Saturday he didn't need me, either. So it was back on my cub for a trip to that ryori-ryokan with minshuku prices.

The road to Sanzenin Temple was even more crowded with tour buses than usual. And the noise at the temple itself with tour guides blasting away on their bullhorns and the loudspeakers booming that song 'Kyoto Ohara Sanzenin' was absolutely deafening.

After we were at last past it, "Why do people join those expensive tours just to get their ears drums shattered, little buddy? And it's still too early for the fall colors."

Beeep!

We drove up into the blessed quiet of the mountains and stopped at our usual place overlooking the town of Shuzan, where the two river valleys converge way down below us, to give my cub's engine and my ass a rest.

"Beautiful as always. And up here we can begin to see the fall colors, too, right little buddy?"

Be-Beep!

"But it's a lot colder now, too, even though I'm wearing my heaviest jacket."

Beeep!

"My God, it's only late October! What's it going to be like in December when I get my winter vacation from the college?"

"John, do you know of a trip I can take at the end of December where I won't freeze my ass off? I've got a two week vacation coming up then. Do you think the southern coast of Shikoku will still be warm enough to putt around?"

We were drinking at our usual watering hole, of course.

John shook his head. "The southern coast might be. But don't forget the drive down from Tokushima will still be pretty cold. And on the drive back up to Matsushima you might even hit some snow patches. Believe me, you don't want to try to drive on snow with any kind of bike."

"Well, isn't there any place I can go to without freezing to death?"

"Okinawa, I suppose. I haven't been there myself. But checking the maps and all, it would take too much time on the car ferry just to get there and back. About four nights altogether, I calculated. And when you do finally get there, there isn't much in the way of country roads to drive on even in the northern part that's countryside. What exactly are the dates of your vacation?"

"December 26th to January 8th."

"Then believe me, you don't want to go anywhere at that time of year, no matter what the weather is like."

"Why not?"

"Because you'll be slamming right into the Japanese Oshogatsu New Year's rush. All the trains, car ferries, planes, you name it, will be jampacked. Even the Shinkansen bullet trains will be running at a hundred and fifty percent capacity or more."

"My God! Why?"

"Because New Year's is to the Japanese what Christmas is to us. And all the people living in the cities want to spend it with their grandparents or maybe other relatives living in the countryside. That's why you have to teach on Christmas Day."

"Yeah, I found that kind of strange. But what you're basically saying is, I've got to stay home, right?

"Afraid so."

"Hmm. Well I've got a six week vacation starting around the middle of March. How will the weather be then?"

"About as cold as it is now in the beginning. But as the days go by, it'll get warmer and warmer. Really great for biking!"

Submitted: August 17, 2023

Romance romance japan gaijin travel-in-japan japan-1970s

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B Douglas Slack

Planning vacations around available dates is always a pain. I most always took mine in the winter and hit a few of the ski areas near Aomori or even up on Hokkaido. Winters up north can be pretty hectic if there is a lot of snow. I had a car, though, which made it easier than a bike, motor or otherwise. My '68 Cedric could get me through anything if I put chains on it.

I had a feeling there was more to this chapter but it got cut off somehow, Ken. The dialogue just ends.

Bill

Thu, September 21st, 2023 3:58pm

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You're right about it being short. But trying to add parts of the next chapter to it doesn't work in my opinion. It'll be posted in a week or so. See what you think. My wife and I have been to Hokkaido and Aomori a good four times using the car ferry from Maizuru or Tsuruga to Otaru and zipping around Hokkaido on our small bikes and loved it! But that was in the summer. And ONLY in the summer.
Thank for the tip about "back to being". It's better, but I've left in the "only" since Dave still feels he's not really a faculty member yet.

Ken

Thu, September 21st, 2023 2:48pm