Falling Down the Rabbit Hole or maybe just some stairs in Japan.

September 5th 2011 When I fell for Japan...lol

Yes, I know it is a very old and over due post. Anyways, I teach at three different Junior High Schools. I have a different rotation compared to most people over here. I go to my biggest school for 4 weeks, then one of my small schools for 2 weeks and then the other small school for 2 weeks. On Monday September 5th I had my first day at one of my smaller schools, Matsusato. I was really nervous because it was my first day and I had just gotten my scooter yesterday. I tried to leave in plenty of time for school because I didn't quite know where I was going. It was good that I left a little early because I did get a little lost, but I found it and I was right on time. I usually get pretty nervous anytime I do anything new. I was particularly nervous being in a foreign country at a new school where I didn't know anyone or how anything really worked. I know I had been at the other school for like a week, but every school is a little different.

I introduce myself to the teachers and meet one of my Japanese Teacher of English (JTE) for the first time, I had been introduced to the other one, when I was shown around to the different schools. We head up to the third floor to teach two ichi nensei (7th grade) classes in a row. On our way up she tells me that she cannot speak English very well and she cannot have English conversations, ok this makes me more nervous, since I do not know Japanese. I am nervous the whole time as I don't really know what to expect and I feel like I am not doing a whole lot in the class. After the second class is over I leave to go down to the staff room to meet my other JTE.

As I start down the stairs (this is where the fun begins) my left ankle gives out on me, I instinctively go to catch myself and my right ankle gives out on me. As I am falling down a flight of stairs toppling over myself I stick my left arm out and am able to grab the railing. I end up yanking my arm, but I do not really feel any pain from that because both of my ankles are in severe pain and I have no idea if I have broken them or sprained them or what. I do remember hearing some popping. There were a few students who were walking down the stairs at the same time as me and their faces were horrified. Anyways, the first thing I think to do is call Rhonda(she is an American woman who lives in Koshu with her Japanese husband, she has lived here for 25 years). I think to call her because I do not know Japanese and I am in severe pain.

As I am trying to call her the JTE I was teaching with comes to try and ask what's wrong I say I fell and I'm in lots of pain. They get the nervous and there is a lot of commotion of teachers and students and I am just thinking Oh, my goodness why why why I cannot believe this has happened. I am embarrassed and trying not to cry from pain. People keep speaking a lot of Japanese to me and I have no idea what they are saying. I get a hold of Rhonda and explain what happened I fell I think I may have broke one or both of my ankles and I am in lots of pain. She asks if the nurse is there and I hand the phone to her. In the process of all of this I am getting a lot of daijobu's (die jo boo) which I have no idea what that means at the time, but I learn very well later that day it basically means ok, are you ok, etc. Rhonda talks to them and says she is on her way.

I sit on the stairs and my other JTE comes up and says they are going to bring a stretcher up to come and get me, in my head I am thinking oh huh uh the last thing I need is them dropping me and me being more embarrassed over this. I grit my teeth and get up and use a lot of arm strength on the railing and slowly get myself down the stairs. They have a chair when I get down to the bottom. All the sudden my supervisor shows up as well as another ALT(assistant language teacher) Brittany. The Japanese go by their last names and it so happens that my supervisor and Rhonda have the same last name which has made things confusing and especially today. Anyways, I could not believe how fast they had showed up and I was super confused. I kept asking is Rhonda coming, or is she meeting us at the hospital?

Brittany told me that Rhonda knew what was going on. I get out to the car to go to the hospital and on the way Rhonda calls my phone but Brittany has it and answers it. Rhonda had went to the school and was asking where we were. Brittany said we were almost to the hospital and that she didn't need to come because "we" could handle it. This was not my thinking and thankfully Rhonda still came to the hospital. Apparently, my supervisor's son, who goes to Matsusato, called and told his mom I fell down the stairs. My supervisor was picking Brittany up to take her to see one of the other ALT's lessons, so it was happen chance they were together and close by. When Rhonda got there and talked with my supervisor, they then took Brittany to the other school to watch the lesson.

I had to wait for a doctor and I was glad Rhonda was there to translate. I got X-Rays and nothing was broken but I couldn't really walk and I had one ankle with a big metal and foam support thing and the other was wrapped good. It was a big mess and he said I couldn't go to school for at least a week. Rhonda was nice and told me to come live with her for awhile because she had TV, Internet, and then she could take care of me, because I wouldn't be able to really make myself anything because I couldn't walk.

There are definitely other minor things to go along with this, but this is the main bulk, feel free to ask questions if you want to know more.