Suggested changes: {before : after}
On Fri, 6 Dec 2002 14:51:03 EST Starrngr@aol.com wrote:
The first day of the new school year had fallen, appropriately
enough, on the first of April. While the English tradition of
�April-Fools� hadn�t achieved any real penetration into the Japanese
culture, there was one new teacher who was fully aware of the irony
of this fact. And he, at least, was not looking forward to the day
ahead. It could be said, in fact, that he wasn�t really looking
ahead at all; when he met his co-worker out front of their {boarding
home : boardinghouse} for the walk to the train station, his eyes were still half
closed and quite puffy looking.
Once in the teacher�s lounge, Godai wandered over to the window
and shuddered. �Oh, my poor wife. How will you survive {loosing : losing}
another husband so soon?� he moaned to himself.
�Hey, just because I�m {Gajin : gajin} doesn�t mean I�m stupid,� Muck
replied with a smile as he leaned back in his chair and reached
for his coffee. However, before he could, a child�s hand grabbed
it.
At least it didn't spill on him. That may be a first.
Kuno Tatewaki, legend in his own mind, was not a person who
suffered fools gladly. At this moment, he was railing about the
injustice that �The wretched sorcerer Satome� had done to his fine
name; causing him to {loose : lose} the class presidency to Tendo Nabiki.
The thought that said damage was due to his own actions was, of
course, the furthest thing from his mind� And because of this he
missed the entrance of someone who suffered the fool even less�
especially when someone swipes his coffee.
Nabiki slowly chewed her lunch as she also digested the reports
her information network had gathered. Apparently Typhoon Gajin (as
Thunders-sensei had been quietly nicknamed) was due to strike Ranma
and Akane�s classroom after lunch for the subjects of introductory
English, Algebra, and Science. She wondered if Nerima-Ku would be
big enough for the clash of {Egos : egos} that was about to erupt, and if
there was a way she could profit from it�
"Arigato, Konsenastu. But its not neccecary. I can speak
{Nihongo1 : Nihongo : Japanese}", Muck answered as he was lead to his seat.
"Sugar is fine, Ukyou. I'm only Sensei while you're in class,
as far as I'm concerned; and yes, two 'Principal specials' please."
Ukyou's response was simply to smile and turn her concentration
back to the cooking surface. Muck sat back, watching her cook even
as his soda appeared as if by magic. Konatsu was quite good at what
he did, really, Muck mused to himself; yet being the ultimate in
unobtrousive service really wasn't the way to guarentee large tips!
Still, the only time the 'kounichi' allowed himself to be noticed
were those times when he? she? needed to be... such as when {takeing : taking}
someone's order. The rest of the time orders teleported magically
from grill to table while tea and water glasses refilled themselves,
Muck observed as he watched the on-going show that was business
as usual here until his order materialized in front of him.
"Because I do my homework, Ms. Kounji. Just because I'm {Gaijin : gaijin}
doesn't mean I'm clueless. When the district and your principal
are willing to hire me almost off the street, it makes {one : me} wonder.
And the level of incidental destruction that accompanies Ranma {Satome : Saotome}
and his cadre of friends, enemies, and fiancees everywhere they go
pretty much {guarentees : guarantees} coverage of the various incidents in the local
papers. It wasn't to hard to figure out at least some of the
dynamics of your {compaitrots : compatriots} from that."
"Good," Muck confirmed as he stood and laid down enough yen to
cover his bill, then accepted his coat and hat from Konatsu. "I
don't know what to tell you about your friends, and frankly unless
it affects my classes {its : it's} not my place. Please see to it that it
doesn't."
Except that his mission, should he decide to accept (and he doesn't really
have a choice), will require him to get involved. He doesn't want to tell
anyone about that yet though.
"{Untill : Until} tommorow, then."
He's off to a good start. He survived after all.