Kanji and Politics

Today saw yet another couple of tests: vocabulary and kanji. 右 (right), 左 (left), 東 (east), 西 (west), 北 (north), 南 (south), 外 (out, outer, other, foreign), 内 (inner, within, inside), 部 (department, part, section, club), 駅 (station), 社 (shrine, company, assembling), 院 (hall, house, institute). Kanji count: 205.

In the International Office things are getting strange with the revelation that Ikema has commandeered the teachers' lounge so that he can turn it into a alternative room that we can use whilst waiting for our lessons. Kanashima-san sees it as an attempt to distance us from her since her contract runs out in March and has not been renewed. We will all be sad to see her go, since she has helped us so much and is a friend to us all. To this end we presented her with a basket of gifts we had all gathered from our Christmas travels. She now has a nice new tea-pot, mug, tea towel, and a bottle of some alcohol, not to mention the Kendal mint cake.