Misinterpretations.

I went to see the school nurse today about 2:15 because I wanted to ask her a question, but first I had to look a word in my super dictionary: 双極性うつ病　soukyokuseiutsubyou. It means bipolar disorder. About lunch time, I was sat sitting and realized that I hadnt been in my usual depressed mood during PE (pingpong) but had been in almost hysterics. I have picked up a little from Foreign Studies, and if you think you are sick, fear the worst and see a doctor as soon as possible (more on the book later)! I probably misinterpreteted it as bipolar, when it is probably just that my usual depressed self is always alone, and when I finally get some exercise with other people, it makes me happy.
I walked into the nurse's office (the characters 保健室 hokensitsu mean preserve, health, and room) and we started chatting. Pretty much the next thing I realized, is that we were walking to the station and the clock in the front of the school read 5:30! I was really really glad that I had a nice talk like that, and she said she was too, because I was the first male student (exchange student or not!) where she had had a long discussion like that! We really talked all over the map (China, England, bipolar disorder, anorexia, my hobbies, her family, just to name a few!)
One thing that has been mentioned several times in conversations with several people is how very traditionally Japanese I am. When I say 'tradionally' we dont mean like Shugunate era, but several generations ago. The nurse said that they way I think is very similar to the way she thinks, and people in her generation think. I am secretly a 57 year old Japanese woman? I kinda hope not.
Misinterpreting Foreign Studies: I am wondering if I see so much of myself in the book, or if reading the book has caused me to reflect on my own life, and compare it to the book, and probably make several jumps to create connections to the characters. I wonder what my life would have been like if I had never found the book on the shelf at a dingy bookstore which an English teacher told me about.

I dont think I have bipolar anymore, just standard depression.

Peter.

ps. I was gonna (as a joke, because a couple of my closer friends said it would be hilarious) ask the nurse if she wanted to go to an Izakaya with my after school (translate the menu my way: raw beer and fried bird!) but I figured that I shouldn't drink when I think I have a cold. Or maybe its tuberculosis!