Breaker switch

For the last few weeks, the souji (cleaning time) music at Yokota JHS has been a CD of string quartet arrangements of Beatles songs. I got really tired of this music really fast. I mean, the Beatles are fine, and string quartets are fine, but this combination is like the worst of both worlds. I can't rock to it, and I can't relax to it either cos the lyrics keep playing in my head (and, when I don't know the lyrics, I find it distracting to know that there should be lyrics and to wonder what they are). It's too "pop-y" and in general doesn't feel right.

So after souji a couple of days ago, I said to Toothpaste Maniac, "If I make a CD of English music, do you think they'll play it during souji in—" Here I cut myself off from saying "instead of that terrible music they're playing now." I knew she liked the Beatles and that she'd find this bastardization as distasteful as I, but the breaker threw in my tongue, and I stopped short of making any comment about the current souji music.
TM said the music was chosen in advance and played for several weeks at a time. "There is music for souji, music for going home, music for the beginning of homeroom," she said referring to the various songs they play throughout the day. (Beginning of homeroom is Elton John's "Your Song;" don't ask me why.) "But they will change it again in April."
I repressed another urge to comment on the muzak, and instead asked, "Who chose this music?"
"I did!" she sang.
"Oh!" I said, trying hard to make my look of surprise melt into a look of mild pleasure.

I'm glad to know I haven't lost all sense of propriety.


I have a couple of old posts-in-process that I haven't gotten around to putting up. I'll get those out of the way, and then I have something to get off my chest.