The gig at the Mermaid is a typical bar scene. Even the friends who come to hear me tend to get involved in loud conversations. I have to remember that nobody outside the small circle of folkies understands that folk music has to be listened to. It isn't just background noise like rock & roll is. So several times I ended up singing to myself, basically. But the owners are happy with the sound and even paid me $50 over and above the beer, iced tea, and meals, Wakana and I consumed. I guess my actual take was close to $80 for two hours of singing.

I went to the Japanese School on Thursday to sit in on the classes I will take for the next two weeks. The regular teacher forgot that the Japanese school runs on a different schedule and planned her vacation to time with her children's vacation. They need me to cover her last two weeks of English classes.

At the Japanese school classes are taught in Japanese and English is taught to the kids as a second language. Of course, most of these kids have been raised in Guam and have picked up English anyway but we need to teach them proper English. In August I take over my own class and get to mold a whole new generation of Japanese kids. Muwahahaha!

The kids in these classes are in the first through eighth grade. They are in two classes, first through fourth and then fifth through eighth. That seems to be quite a range of ages but it seems to work for them. I got a kick out of watching the class and helping out when I could. On Tuesday I get to take over and I have no lifline. The regular teacher has already left for her vacation! Gulp!