Today is short update for yesterday and today.  Just some random action has happened.  I didn’t take the camera around so if you’re only looking for photos you might want to skip this post.  We’re still biking around in this record heat.  It honestly doesn’t feel like there’s been any change since last Friday with the historic heat.  I’m going to look up the recent weather…

I’m back and it actually looks like the heat has fallen by about 3 degrees.  Last Friday was 101, last Saturday was 100, and this past week has been between 98 and 97 degrees Fahrenheit.   The humidity still feels like 110 percent so I can’t say I’m noticing any change.  We’re still red faced and soaking wet.

One thing we noticed is that Japanese people completely cover up to protect themselves from the sun. They wear long sleeved shirts, long pants, large hats or gigantic visors with dark shades that hang way over their faces, they wear arm sleeves and today I even saw a woman wearing a scarf to protect her neck!  (Thinking of you, Wendy)  It’s super smart but they make me feel even hotter.  But at some point, somewhere, I read that the ozone layer is thinnest over Australia so if that’s true we’re in the part of the world with the thinnest ozone.  That means we’re going to fry ourselves a lot faster.  I keep telling my kids to wear long sleeved shirts but they aren’t going for it.  And where are our hats?  I know I brought them.

Yesterday, Thursday, August 25, John and I biked to downtown Minoh again to pick up a mail packet from the post office.  John actually deciphered a note from the postman that said we had mail to pick up.  (First we biked to the wrong post office.  But we were quickly directed to the correct one downtown)  It turned out to be our secret security code from the bank that will allow us to move our money from Bank of America in the US to Shinsei Bank here in Japan.  Just in time.  We won’t be able to pay for the kids’ school tuition until we can get the money moved.

Last night Art’s wife called to ask if the boys would like to meet up with her kids after dinner to play Pokemon Go at Q’s Mall.  Well don’t twist their arms!  Of course they would.  What could be better than running around an outdoor mall after dark playing Pokemon Go?  Art’s wife’s name is Mariah and she and her four kids have just returned from two months in the US.  They’ve been living in Japan for nearly 2 years and they go back to the US over summer to visit family and speak English freely.

When the boys returned from being nighttime mall rats Kaiyo reported that it was a lot of fun, that Mariah and Art’s kids are very nice (the two that went out to the mall are 11th and 9th graders), and that they all bought crepes with ice cream.  MORE ICE CREAM?!?!  Honestly, I am trying to put the brakes on the treats but I’m clearly getting nowhere.

Today, Friday, August 26, was new student orientation at Osaka International School (OIS).  We all rode our bikes there are arrived right at 9am.  Avalon’s orientation included parents and went from 9-10:30.  Kaiyo and Halyard’s orientation was not for parents and went from 9-3:30 (15:30).  I think it all went really well.  Avalon’s 4th grade teacher seems very nice.  Mariah said she is an incredible and inspiring teacher.  The teachers seem to be from all over the world and Avalon’s teacher, Mrs. Vimont, is originally from Pittsburgh!  She says she also taught in China and Germany before Japan.  She has been at OIS for 7 years.  The PE teacher is from Australia and she has been here for over 10 years.  The PE activities cycle around through different sports but the first PE segment starting Monday morning is swimming!  The pool is 25 meters with 5 lanes.  I think Avalon is excited about that.  There is one other little girl that is new to 4th grade with Avalon.  Mrs. Vimont led both of them on a tour of the school together.

Avalon’s school orientation impressions:

Hi!  And yes the new girl that also entered the school told the P.E. teacher that she didn’t like P.E. and that she couldn’t swim.  But I’m very very excited about P.E.  At Davis Magnet School it was one of my favorite subjects in school.  The P.E. teacher is really nice.  So is my new homeroom teacher.  During the tour, which I was very happy I got one because I didn’t want to get lost, I saw that the whole school is huge on the inside but on the outside it looks and feels smaller.  I think it is the same size as Davis, or smaller, Davis might be bigger than that school.  Well anyway, sadly I might have to be on the rooftop (I thought it was a floor but my mom told my it was a rooftop) for some recess!  The rooftop is also a tennis court!  On the highest, hottest, rooftop!  (Well I guess, all or most rooftops are like that in Japan in the summer).  That’s rite it’s a rooftop!  It will be soooooooooo hot up there but anyway now I know my way around the school.

Kaiyo’s brief thoughts:

The school was nice, although we spent all day inside. Halyard and I sat through multiple presentations, and then some other students showed us around (individually).  Afterwards, we had a big assembly with all the kids in middle/high school and we were directed to our homerooms. After an icebreaker activity and some free time, we finally came back home. Overall, I think that the place is nice.

Halyard’s equally brief thoughts:

Everyone here is really nice, better than Harbor.  “Class” wasn’t really a thing today, they just showed us around the school and showed us what homeroom was like.  First time I’ve ever had something of the sort, and it seemed like a fun waste of time.  Not really looking forward to it though, considering school is still school, no matter what country it’s in.  However I’m hoping the environment improves the experience.