I also don't have much to talk about, I'm just posting because I imagine legions of people visiting every day and frowning that I haven't updated the page. So, for all my loyal fans: an exclusive portrait of me, done on commission by one of my students.
We've finally finished the last of the welcome parties and today marks the 1 month anniversary of us getting here. In some ways it feels absurd that it's only been a month - so much has happened that it feels like it shouldn't fit in that short a time. In others it feels like time is flying - we're basically a tenth of the way through the exchange now and it's like we've only just arrived. I've gotten myself into a strange frame of mind now where not having plans for the weekend seems like a waste of time - I don't need to be in Japan to sit around and eat chips. That's stupid, of course - if I try to keep up this breakneck pace for the whole year I'll be coming home in jerky packets. There's nothing wrong with downtime when nothing's happening - as long as I keep my eye on the calendar and make sure I don't miss any opportunities I missed the first time, it'll all be fine. Unfortunately that doesn't make for very interesting reading!
I tried to organise an hour or two of time off today to go and pick up my alien registration card and immediately got a very nervous call from my boss, suggesting that it might be better to do it Friday. After some toing and froing, I found out that pretty much everyone is going to be out of the office that day and they seem petrified of leaving me to my own devices. If I were still on JET, I would probably quite happily rock the boat and refuse to take leave but I'm supposed to be playing nice so I agreed to take a day. I'm working Saturday as well so I'm quite happy to have a break before then.
Taking the Saturday means I get a long weekend in a couple of weeks, so I can feel a cunning plan hatching in my head. The notion of travelling for 2 hours and actually being in a different place is a bit foreign to Western Australians I think, but I'm definitely getting used to it - we might have to head up to Kinosaki the hot spring town or over to Nara to see the deer or something. Failing that, up to Tokyo for Disneysea - Duff Gardens, hoorah!
Lisa is now officially employed at an English school near our place and is going in to talk to them about hours on Friday. She seems very relieved - I think it solves a lot of problems all at once. She's also heading into Osaka tomorrow to spend an hour testing shoes. I think we're all hugely interested in what that means and how it'll go. She's booked herself into a Japanese cooking class as well and all her Japanese study books have arrived which means that she'll have plenty to keep her busy. I've ordered a bullwhip just in case she stops.
Apart from that, we're starting to make some friends, the weather is getting very pleasant and the teacher next to me just poured me a cup of tea. Things are looking up. Maybe it's the tea talking, but I'm really enjoying myself here (and feeling rather civilised). I do hope you'll join me at some point.
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