Feeling contemplative for a Wednesday

Today was good, quiet, mildly productive... another day in the office, trying to find things to look busy with, for reasons beyond my own puny comprehension. I actually don't mind the office days, mainly because as long as I sit at my desk and don't run rampage around the yakuba with my pants on my head (though the temptation is admittedly there) or take coffee breaks that last longer than two hours a piece, I can basically do what I like, i.e. study, mail and write random stuff. And cut & stick things for school out of pretty coloured paper. Spent a lot of time today mulling over eating habits - which is just about the one remaining area where my life is still going haywire. Had some very profound thoughts which are still settling in my mind so will blog them when I am feeling more succinct and less tired.

Had a great time doing speech contest practice for two hours at Daichu - it really amazes me how hard the kids are trying and the amount of progress they can make in such a short time. I know there's limited practical value in learning to recite the same passage over and over in perfect English, but seeing my kids gain confidence in great leaps like today is really rewarding. Am worried about the state of my own English because it seems I must have forgotton so much; for every new word I learn in Japanese I lose five items of vocabulary in English or something like that. Though I don't think my style has really changed, those nice complicated words are popping up less and less. Must try to use longer words. And work on spelling - had a big spelling collision with "diarrhea" last night, but then it's not a word I was ever particularly good at spelling anyway.
FPOTD - speech contest student? She really gambatte-d today. Or maybe my supervisor for coming out with some really nice comments just before lunchtime - "アンならなんでもできる", so he says... if only he knew... but it was really encouraging. いいなぁ... and Tammy xxx