A Second Demo Lesson

Last night, I had a request from the Instructor Support Centre, asking if I'd be available to conduct a 30-minute demo lesson for another student today. Of course I said yes, despite the short notice.

So off I traipsed to Shinagawa, near Tokyo Bay, for a lesson in Starbucks at 13.15. I left with plenty of time, and so arrived half an hour early, found us a nice table and settled down to wait. At 13.15, I rang the student to ask where she was and she said she was at the counter and could see me. Good good.

Then she rings back and asks me where I am. I stand up and describe where I am, and she said she couldn't see me at all.

Turns out I was in the wrong Starbucks across the road. Damn their omnipresence!

So I ran across to the other Starbucks, and spotted a woman in a white coat (she said that's what she was wearing) and asked if she was the student, she nodded. I apologised for being late. I sat down next to her. She was giving me a very odd look, is that what Japanese people look like when they're angry?

I asked if we should get on with the lesson straight away and she looked at me blankly. She wasn't my student!!

Oh, the embarrassment. I finally found the right person and the lesson went fine, despite my unprofessionalism. I now have three lessons a week with her on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 1pm.

It wasn't until I left that I realised how embarrassing it must have been for the random person I accosted with my notebook and multi-coloured pen, having a strange gaijin sit opposite them and ask them questions in English. I'll try to wipe that from my memory!