A relaxing day at home

I lied in the title.

Aren't colds wonderful? I missed out on a food party at school...
So, word of advice for anyone, anywhere, if someone warns you about a bug going around, don't be confident that you don't normally get sick, and remember to wash your hands.
Yup.

Anyway, school has been... Still painful...
Karate has been the main thing that I look forward to each day, and I think I'm getting better. Somehow, PE has become my favourite class. Possibly because it doesn't need language much, and it's all physical. And maybe because I'm used to walking about 5km a day, at least to and from school.

I was told that Japanese schools are really strict. You would be surprised how much talking goes on or joking with the teacher just like back home with all my teachers.
Ah... The good old days...

But seriously, students are allowed to bring blankets to class, and the girl who sits in front of me isn't a stranger to sharing chocolate biscuits and chips while the teacher is talking. And she's not even stealthy about it! She just leans over the walkway and offers people some food as though it were lunch break!

The only thing they seem to be strict on is no phones (but ipads are supplied?? What??) and you can't leave school in your sports uniform.
Well, that last one...
I asked Matsu and one of the other guys from karate (I cannot for the life of me remember his name, but his appearance reminds me a lot of Tom from school, if he paled out a lot, grew another few feet and got glasses) about whether I was allowed to leave in my sports uniform, and they stared at me as though that thought had never occurred to either of them. They genuinely had no idea if that was a rule or not, because everyone gets changed back into the formal to leave. It was kind of funny, actually. I don't think Matsu's eyes have ever been that big, as far as I've seen him!😂
Matsu is a bit weird though... Compared to others here, I mean.
Most people say hello when they see me, and I say hello back in English just to humour them. Naturally, it's followed by a whole heap of Japanese compliments about how I'm cute or something. But Matsu doesn't do it.
You may have noticed that I talk quite a bit about Matsu, but it's simply because none of the other boys in the class talk to me or anything, and as all my friends would know, I'm not big on girls, spare a few like Megan, Abbey, and Tsumu. Matsu is really the only guy here that I can bond with, through karate, and unlike the other guy that I feel awful for not remembering the name of, he sits next to me. But he doesn't talk much in class... It's like he's got 2 personalities. The dedicated student, and then when he takes his glasses off he's an energised, but kicking black belt that says I'm stronger than some people he knows that have done karate for years! Now I just need to work on my reflexes...
Plus, I think I'm getting pretty good at kobudo. I might be able to get revenge on Mickey for that bruise on my pinky. And yes, it's still there.
Anyway, Utayo will be home soon with Tsumu. I'll wrap this up here.
Long story short, sport is fun, school isn't very different as a culture, and don't get sick!






I wonder how Alia is doing...


Edit: I asked! His name is Matano!