sara-sensei has a sexy voice

I came into work this morning, greeted my co-workers, and Benni-sensei said, "Ooh, Sara-sensei has a sexy voice this morning!" And I said, "Yes, because I'm sick!" And, of course, we all laughed, because I did have a very hoarse, throaty voice this morning, and it's too bad I don't sound like that ALL the time.

Fortunately, it's only a cold. I know this because it started out as a sore throat, and my colds always start as sore throats. Yesterday, I was light-headed and had a bit of congestion. Today, I'm starting to sneeze. Tomorrow will probably involve more sneezing and some coughing. If all goes well, I should be back to normal by Wednesday. It hasn't been too bad at all, especially now that my throat is feeling better. Swallowing without pain is so nice.

But, yeah, I'm sick. Yesterday and today, I had moments of light-headedness, and there were a couple times in the middle of class when I completely lost track of what I was doing and my students were staring at me like I was crazy. I know I'm sick when I can't think straight. But, I also know I'm not too sick, because I slept fine (only woke up a couple times in need of water) and I still have my appetite.

That doesn't mean I'm letting my guard down. Flu season has only just begun, and I know I can't stay 100% healthy forever. I'll just keep doing the best that I can. Which includes drinking lemon tea with awesome levels of Vitamin C. I found one with 3000mg of V-C per serving, which I felt was okay when I was drinking only one cup of it. Because of the cold, I've been keeping myself more hydrated than usual, so I switched over to a 1000mg V-C/serving instead. If I drink it really hot, it also helps clear up the congestion!

The only medicine I agreed to buy was throat lozenges, though Benni-sensei and Hitomi-san both offered to help me find something stronger. As Benni-sensei pointed out, Japanese medicine isn't as strong as American medicine, and even that wouldn't cure me, just mask my symptoms, and they really aren't as bad as that. Benni-sensei's assessment of American medicine was interesting, though. She said that she tried Thera-Flu once and that it knocked her out completely. My reply: "Well, Americans like medicine that's going to make you unconscious so you don't have to deal with being sick." Medicine being one of the things that Benni-sensei misses about living in the States. If I get sick enough, I'll probably end up agreeing with her.

I'm just glad the week is over and I can sleep as much as I want for the next two days. I've allowed myself extra sleeping hours the past two days (nine on Thursday and eight on Friday), and I think that's been a big part in not getting worse. Of all things, I believe that rest is the most important thing when trying to get healthy. And though I can normally survive on about 6 hours of sleep, I know better than to try it when I'm sick.

Anyway, I hope everyone else is feeling okay and staying healthy, regardless of where they are. Take care of yourselves! As Benni-sensei continuously reminds me (after spraining and re-spraining her ankle), "Health is the most important thing!"

Sara-sensei in Japan.

Alright, so I'm already in Japan. But I have two whole weeks to catch up on . . . most of it food-related.

Who am I? I'm Sara-sensei, and I teach English at a GEOS school in Isesaki, Gunma-ken. Which is in Japan. In addition to being an English teacher, I am also a writer, a Sims 2 addict, and a lover of food, especially Japanese food. So, when I say I'm here for the food, it's only partially true. I'm also here for the English.

What can you expect to see in this blog? First, you can expect to see some posts from events of the past two weeks. Second, you can expect to see LOTS of posts about food. Some of it I'll be making myself, and all of it I will be personally eating. Third, you can expect assorted posts about my life here in Isesaki and how much I love it here. Fourth, you can expect pictures. Yes, this is a multi-media event. Don't get carried away now.

Why am I writing this blog? Because I am full of words, and they have to come out somehow. And, for some reason, the computer at work won't load MySpace, and I can't post my blogs there. I'm feeling withdrawal symptoms.

So, sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip, except this one starts with a long flight across a big ocean and a girl who has always wanted to see more of the world.