September 8, 2005
Hello pen pal. Today I was feeling a little better. The stress is still here, but was much less. First, I went to a small internet shop. It is a little bit expense, but it is okay. I can visit the internet shop Monday thru Saturday (closed on Sundays and Holidays). Today I checked my e-mail. Then, I search information on the New York City Dept. of Education. Now that I have returned to New York, I plan to return to teaching in New York Public elementary schools. Today I went to the NYC Education department to find out what I would need to do to start working/teaching in New York again.

Unfortunately for me, the teaching licensing system has been changed. Basically, I have to reapply from the beginning (application, fees, references, TB test, fingerprinting etc….). The application processing fee is $50. The fingerprinting processing fee is $85 (but luckily, I did not have to pay the fee [my prints are already in the system]). I am not sure how much the TB test will cost, but I know it won’t be free.

After going to the board of education, I went to a book store in Midtown Manhattan. I wanted to buy another book, since I finished reading “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”. I enjoyed the Potter book very much.

At the bookstore, being there just reminded me how much I missed Japan. People can be so rude. On the train ride downtown, so guy purposely sat in between two seats so that no one would be able to sit next to him. Even when a man looked at the guy (and motioned to one of the seats) the “seat-hog” guy just stared at the man with a “Make me move” expression on his face. In the bookstore, people were sitting on the floor leaning on the bookcases as if it were their personal bedroom. Seeing me standing over them, looking at the books over, next to and besides them, did not give them the slightest inclination to move. While I’m on the subject, I am getting sick of going to the local supermarket where the cashiers often serve-up a side order of attitude with their service.

Sorry, I got side track….

At the bookstore (Barnes & Nobles) I bought:
Dr. Slump #3 (English Manga)
Sidney Sheldon’s “The Doomsday Conspiracy”
I was planning to buy Dan Brown’s Deception Point, but the store did not have it. I bought a Sidney Sheldon book, because one of my pen pals said that Sidney Sheldon was a good writer. I was a little annoyed at his (Sidney Sheldon’s ) book covers. On all (but 3) of his book covers, there is a woman being used like a prop.

After the bookstore, I went to Burger King. I hadn’t been to Burger King in many years. In Japan, there is no Burger King (that I know of). And at Burger King, yes, the cashier also served up a side order of attitude.

From the bookstore, I remember that I wanted to go to Citibank HQ to see if I could change my Japanese Citibank account into an American one. At the Citibank in my neighborhood, the bank representative -- another one with attitude [while I am waiting at her cubical for her to say something, she gestures to the chair and says, “sit”.] She had told me that I could go to Citibank HQ and apply for an international account. However, I was told today, that international accounts are only for non-American residents. I walked from 86th street and Madison Avenue to about 57th street and Park Avenue. I walked about 30 city blocks. On my way back home, I found another book store, and I was able to buy Dan Brown’s “Deception Point”. Dan Brown is the author who wrote “the Da Vinci Code”. I want to read another book written by Dan Brown to see if his other books are as interesting as “the Da Vinci Code”.

You are probably saying, “ wow, this is a long blog”. Well, 1. I am now typing this on my PC at home. Tomorrow, I will cut and paste it onto my blog site when I go to the internet shop. 2. I am writing this blog at the kitchen table because (earlier) my father informed me that he was letting my other sister’s son -- not the sister with the house. He is letting my nephew stay with us. What a surprise! He told me as my nephew was dragging his bag of clothes into the backroom. Luckily, after I threatened to leave if the backroom was not cleaned, my father has been cleaning out that backroom. As my nephew was unpacking his bag of clothes, my father came into the living room where I was watching TV (the only other TV in the apartment) and said; “you can stay here, until I clean up that backroom. Then, you can have the backroom and “ ” (nephew) can sleep in the living room until I can clean up the second room. At first I was a little annoyed that I was not told (until after the fact), a little annoyed that my nephew was encouraged to eat the food that I’d brought.

So why am I at the kitchen table and not watching TV – other than the fact (my opinion) that TV is earning the slang name “idiot box”. It amazes me (a little) what junk is on the TV airwaves now. Sorry, I am getting sidetracked again….

I felt bad for my nephew (being in that backroom with nothing to do). So, I told him he could come in and watch the TV if he wanted to. Since I am almost a 40 year old man, and my nephew is about 18, I was sure that we probably would not want to watch the same thing on TV. So, I am here typing. Besides, I am a bit of a nerd. I wouldn’t know cool, if I open a refrigerator.

Am I still…..annoyed. No. I am almost 40 years old (in about 3 years), so now it is time for me to act like it. Besides, I am sick of the cigarette smoke (among other things). Although, I don’t have much money (see the previous hospital bill), tomorrow, I am going to look for a cheap weekly room to stay in until I make enough money to get a better apartment. Well, I think that is about it. Until next time…..