Oops...

Today some people form the Board of Education came to school to observe the classes. At the end of the day, there was a big meeting with all the teachers and the people from the BOE. The English teacher told me I didn't have to go, but I wanted to. I am always left out of these sort of meetings, I think mostly because I won't understand what's said anyway, but also because it doesn't really matter if I'm there, because I'm a secondary member of the staff. Well, this has kind of been bothering me, because I want to be seen as a team player, and an integral part of the faculty (to whatever extent I can). So I said I'd like to go to the meeting. I only had to fend off a few Oh, but you don't have to's, and so I went to the meeting. As I walked in before the meeting started, the Vice-Principal told the English teachers I should go back to the office. He said I didn't have to be at the meeting. I feel like they're still treating me as a guest, and they don't want to trouble me by making me take on any responsibility. It was a bit tricky, but I managed to insist that I wanted to be there. 

The meeting was an hour long, and about five minutes in, I had that Oh, no, feeling. I couldn't keep my eyes open. I was on an uncomfortable backless stool, and it was a bit warm in the room, and I was bored because I didn't understand what was going on, and my eyes wouldn't stay open. I actually did that thing where you start to doze off, and you feel your body sway, and that you kind of startle yourself awake. It was bad. But I thought, at least I'm in the back, maybe no one will notice. Then, in the middle of one of those slipping away moments, while the man form the BOE at the front of the room was droning on about I have absolutely no idea what, I heard "ALT," and jerked awake to find him staring right at me! He said something something ALT, something something Miriam, isn't it? (in Japanese). I kind of replied on auto-pilot, Yes, Miriam, that's right. I think he asked me if classes were fun, and I had to pretend I hadn't been sleeping though his speech when I replied that they were. Luckily he returned to his speech quickly. I breathed a sigh of relief, and prayed none of the other teachers had noticed. Then in the staff room after the meeting, the English teacher said to me "Oh, you must be tired, you were sleeping when he called on you," or something to that effect. I really can't do anything but laugh. It was such an ironic situation. I basically forced my way into the meeting, and then slept through it. My life has become very bizarre.