So I finally started teaching.  I did three days of training, but have taught a total of about 7 classes.  Tommorow I will start teaching 8 a day, except on Wednesdays I`ll only teach five.  Teaching is pretty fun.  I get a million questions, but the most common are where are you from?  Why did you come to Japan?  Why did you come to Japan? and Do you like Japanese food?  When I tell people I`m from Seattle they all say aahhhhhhhhhh, Mariners.  Ichiro.  And instantly I`m a celebrity, because Ichiro is from Kobe, he`s like the hometown hero.  A lot of the people here who have traveled have been to Safeco just to watch Ichiro.  So if any of you in Seattle see a Japanese person at Safeco and they`re from Kobe, say aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh Ichiro.  Other than that teaching is a crack up.  Everyone is a little nervous, so it`s very easy to turn on the giggles and make everyone start laughing.  Especially the girls.  I`ve already gotten a few compliments on how handsome I am.  Also, students don`t want to dissapoint there teacher ever.  It is there duty to impress the teacher and do a good job.  So students will be very shaky about giving a real opinion and feel bad if they`re not doing good.  It is very strange.  Some won`t want to talk about themselves at all, so you have to say imagine.  Then they talk about themselves, but it`s like they`re making things up.  It`s very weird.  Maybe telling you all about opening my bank account will help explain it.  When I went in, they new exactly who I was and what I was doing by the form I brought.  Ahhhhhh, NOVA teacher desu.  Hai.  Then they pushed the button and gave me a number and told me to wait.  They gave me the clerk who new English the best, although she was pretty shaky. ?@A lot of Japanese people are shaky about speaking English, because they don`t think they`re speaking English, because they don`t think they`re any good at it. So she kept apoligizing any time I didn:t So she kept apoligizing any time I didn`t immediately understand what she was saying. I kept saying your English is better than my Japanese, but that just embarassed her. So I took in my money order to start my bank account and she apologized a whole lot about that, because she was unable to process money orders and she had to get another clerk to come over. This was where I was most confused because she pulled out an electronic dictionary for this and tried to read the sentence it came up with. So I thought she wanted me to go to another bank, but eventually when I figured it out she another bank, but eventually when I figured it out she again apologized profusely for confusing me. Then (and ???????? in mind Japan is very beauracratic) I signed the form for how much yen I would have and put it on my form for starting a new account. And they gave me copies of everything then looked had a powwow and told me to wait for my name.  Even a receipt for the 555 yen it cost to do the currency conversion. While I was waiting apparently they were figuring out that they did the currency conversion wrong.  Then I had to fill out a whole new form for my bank account, the currency conversion, processing the traveler`s checks. Then it currency conversion, processing the traveler`s checks. Then it was wrong again. Each of these stages had huge apologies. So finally everything was right and they tore up all the wrong papers in front of me, gave me my money back, and put together a quick bag of gifts, which included a mouse pad, tissues (Japanese people are bag of gifts, which included a mouse pad, tissues (Japanese people are very big on tissues mayber because they`re semigermiphobes) and a notepad. And once again apologized and bowed very low when I left. This is the lowest bow I`ve gotten since I`ve been to Japan. So it was pretty impressive. By the way, someone is smoking in the internet cafe right now. It`s not like an internet cafe in the states it`s computers and movies, expecially manga and other anime (including Japanese porn). But you can smoke everywhere here. other anime (including Japanese porn). But you can smoke everywhere here. Another side note before I go is that people will rarely sit next to me on the train. This is very strange, but also really nice, because even if I sit next to ?o?????????? a lot of times they`ll get up and I have a seat to myself. Although I normally stand, so I don`t piss anyone off. Well that`s about all I have for now Well that`s about all I have for now.  that`s about all I have for now. I added some people that I thought I had on here I added some people that I thought I had on here from before. Oh and a lot of you asked me about my apartment. Lets see its about 4 rooms that are about 8 feet by 8 feet and a tiny bathroom. The walls are thin and you have to be quiet. It sucks, but I`m getting used to it. Mike will you check with Phil and see if he gets this, I did his address off the top of my head.  Allright my time is up and I`m going to try to get a cell phone today. Hopefully this goes a little better.