Busy Thursday

iPod morning commute music: Bruce Springsteen, The Essential Bruce Springsteen, disc 1 (2003)

OK, what I really wanted to listen to is the reissued Born to Run, which I tried to buy at Tower yesterday but which isn't out in Japan yet. I have to wait till the 22nd. More on that box set (including 2 DVDs, one of which is a complete concert from 1995, the year I first saw Springsteen at the Paramount Theater in Seattle). Anyway, The Essential Bruce Springsteen is a pretty comprehensive 2-CD greatest hits, with a 3rd CD of rarities. Of course, great stuff.

Today is really busy. I have to help escort the ninth grade students to Peace Osaka, a museum concerning the firebombing of Osaka in WWII. I've been there once before with students, years ago, but my memory is that they have a pretty balanced presentation, meaning they do explain WHY the US bombed the city. The field trip is all afternoon, followed by the rehersal for our school's sponsered junior high school girls' English Recitation contest. We have participants from throughout Osaka Prefecture. This year it's my turn to be one of the judges, a dreaded job as most of the recitations are pretty boring, and there are 50 of them. The rehersal runs from 4:30-6:30, and being a judge means I have nothing to do during the rehersal other than stand around and watch other people reherse. I'll be the only judge present, as the other 4 are from outside our school. The contest is this Saturday, an all day affair, a busy end to a busy week.