Joy and fullfillment B.C. and A.C.

​B.C. and A.C. is getting a new meaning~obviously.

Though we don't know wether we have reached the A.C. era already, what are the changes so far?

Total change of live style

Unrelated to COVID19, my sons moved out beginning of April, and as my Japanese husband is living in Germany right now, I am alone with my daughter.  Washing, cleaning and cooking for 2 instead of 4 or 5 adults is a tremendous change.

​

　My school transferred to remote classes, and I have been talking about the ups and downs of this in other threads.

Requests from teachers for ideas and inspiration, in the beginning of the transition came in bulks, but then almost disappeared ...My guess is, that
everyone has been really so busy with this new way of teaching, while at the same time, I have just been so busy that my posts became irregular as well.  And there have been lots of teachers around the globe who have started to share, while I was silent.

---

New and a bit crazy

​This week school started, and I chose a very new and little crazy live style:


First, I canceled my daughter's school bus.  I would have had to pay 1800 Dollar for the year, no matter how often school will have to close down.
On top of that it is pretty impossible to seat students apart enough, or to make sure the air circulates.


So, instead I decided to drive her to school, and pick her up.
One way is 25 km, so every day I am driving 100 km now.  As I had only one occasion where I commuted to work by car (2 km), this is really rare and special for me.  And, yes, a bit crazy.


BTW, 25 km in Japan means 35-40 minutes drive, because we are only allowed to drive 50km/h, and the roads are quite narrow.  In Germany it would be 15, 20 minutes...


Now, probably many of you know, if I decide to do something, I will do all I can to enjoy what I am doing.  If I feel bad about the things I am doing or have to complain about them, I quit doing them.  Period!  No matter wether it is leisure or work.

Make it joyful

​​So, what is my JOY of driving 100 km per day?


Close to my daughter's school is a beautiful mountain with an amazing beauty of a temple on top.
I went up the 808 stairs twice last month, and figured how relaxing and healing it is.  

No people, lots of green and the only sound are birds tweeting. 
 It gave me such a muscle pain that I hardly was able to walk my own stairs at home, but it felt good.

So, I have decided to take the climb every day (except for days with rain, as that would be a bit dangerous).


I am not doing this to get enlightened (I believe it takes more than walking to a temple once a day)
not for diet (I think I don't need to lose any weight)
not for health (I don't like 'healthy live movements")

My live recipe

 Do it for joy.  Because it is fun.  And you know what:

​I think this is my life recipe.


Does this mean, that I am leading an egoistic selfish life? 
 It is up to you to judge but I do not think so:


I am not ignoring society and its needs.  

For example I was one of the first to close down my school end of February and move on line.  I was also very serious about wearing my mask, disinfecting my hands, keeping away from people, including friends and at times even family and just staying at home.

2 teachings that have shaped me:
​

From 5th -10th grade I had a homeroom teacher who told us every single day
'The own freedom ends where it interferes with someone else's freedom'
(I think this is Confucian). It is the most important wisdom I got from my  teacher.


And what I learned from my next teacher who influenced who I am today:
You have the freedom to 'love what you do, where you do it, how you do it and who you do it with.'

​Sorry for side tracking, back  to A.C changes:


Involuntarily I HAVE to get a better work schedule.  I used to sit down in front of my computer at 7 (B.C.) and work and work and work, plan lessons, advise teachers, coach parents, create seminars., admin work, accountings...in between quickly get some lunch or do housework in bits, here and there.  
Then teach get finally ready for class from 3 and teach till night, after class again sit down in front of my computer to write class reports.


NOW:  I have only 4 hours for housework AND desk work.  

So, I need a plan.
​
One thing I am thinking right now is, that on Fridays I am going to take the time to write blogs, do FB or IG lives OUTSIDE my home.  (today I did both;  IG in Japanese, and FB in English)
As you can see, there are some beautiful places around my girl's school, and one day a week, just staying here, enjoying work in a beautiful scenery, and maybe even having the time to read a book on the beach.  YEAH!  Sounds like a deal.

If you have teaching questions or 'learning language questions', I'd be very happy to hear about them so I have some more topics for my FB lives. 　
Looking forward hearing from you.  

Till then, stay healthy.  Love and Peace!