しゅくだい＆ようび（曜日）

I was looking over the lesson 4 written assignment and I found a couple sentences I thought rather odd.  The first one is:

きのうのばん（晩）はちじ（八時）からじゅうじ（十時）までべんきょうしました。

Nothing wrong with the grammar; I just think it’s a bit odd to only have to study two hours a day.  And for them to be so late in the day.  Maybe the student is in high school and has after-school activities (or routinely procrastinates)?  Or maybe it’s a Japanese high schooler and s/he is giving the cram school hours?  Except I didn’t think cram schools ran quite that late.  Certainly in college or grad school, studying doesn’t come in such nice, neat only-two-hour windows.

Actually, this one reminds me of teaching English in China and the lessons discussing American vs Chinese school life (always popular lessons).  The students were green with envy that American high schoolers get done with classes by 3:00 or even earlier, and they were horrified that American high schoolers only get half an hour for lunch and 3-5 minutes between classes.

さくらびょういん（病院）はくじはん（九時半）からはちじはん（八時半）までです。やすみはにちようび（日曜日）です。

This sentence has me worried for Sakura.  I hope this isn’t their only hospital!  What happens when people get sick at night or on a Sunday?

Speaking of days of the week, I am highly amused by the Japanese days of the week: にちようび（日曜日）、げつようび（月曜日）、かようび（火曜日）、すいようび（水曜日）、もくようび（木曜日）、きんようび（金曜日）、どようび（土曜日）。

にほんご（日本語）のようび（曜日）のなまえがすきです。It’s the elements!  Still, I suppose naming them after the planets works too…  And has anyone else noticed just how many languages call Sunday “sun day”?