Library Books

Today there was an open class (math in English!) at my son’s school, followed by PTA committee meetings. I signed up for the library committee, although I had no idea what it might entail, simply because I love books and love to be around them. I must say, however, that I am appalled by the state of the books I’ve seen in Japanese school libraries, both public and this private one. None of the books are bound in that plastic library binding. At my daughter’s school, some older books are mended with duct tape. At both schools, the books are in pretty bad shape. The climate doesn’t help, of course. There is no climate control in the libraries here so the books are at the mercy of the humidity. I suppose, as a committee member, I could suggest book-binding as a project, and maybe I will, although it would be A LOT of work and all the other mothers will hate me. I’m surprised, however, that in a country as literate as this one, libraries don’t take better care of their books.

Second Semester

This afternoon I started my second semester as a part-time university instructor. I have a brand new batch of fresh-faced, affable students from all over Japan. One came from Okinawa! One boy graduated from the high school where my husband teaches and had him as P.E. teacher. Small world, eh? This boy aspires to be a kindergarten teacher, which is cool. It must take a certain amount of individuality for a guy to pursue a career as a kindergarten teacher in this country. As elsewhere, it’s stereotypically a woman’s job, and I suspect that some parents in my home country would be uncomfortable having grown men around their small children. There was actually a male kindergarten teacher at my son’s preschool. He was very popular with the kids and with certain parents who figured a man could control their wild children better than a woman. In my class, I also have some male students majoring in home economics. I bet they’ll make good husbands.