where I say "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH" as loudly as possible in order to stop me from bashing heads together. When we arrived here, we were told to not be aggressive. I thought this was a stupid thing to say as we're all civilised individuals. I didn't realise that people would attempt to goad us into aggression at regular intervals.
After a hurried, but successful weekend where LeeJay and I catered a party for 15 people with lots of help from AbsLance, RayVon and Saddam (Nao chan's birthday party went down so well that I spent most of sunday in bed hungover) the week had to start on the wrong footing.
It was monday morning and I instantly sensed a bad day coming on. As the photocopier refused to play ball spurting out copies of random shapes and sizes, I thought there might be some issues coming, and after briefly considering making an entry on this log in the morning, I thought, no, there's a whole day to go. And what a day it wasn't. My left elbow has swollen up and I have felt sick all day. The kids weren't at their best either. The school lunch was full of mincemeat so I couldn't eat it. And then it came. The school secretary was about to take me to the hospital for the teachers' annual chest x-ray when he gets a phone call to take me to the Board of Education. And immediately the alarm bells set off. The new BoE has been up and running for over 6 weeks. I leave Katsuyama tomorrow night so as to get to the airport on time om wednesday morning, and thus, have very much to do and very little free time. So it's decided that today is the time to introduce me to everyone at the new BoE. And don't get me wrong, they're all very nice, but surely it could have waited until next wednesday. And after 30 minutes of introductions and not understanding anything, I am asked to sit down. By now it's way past 4pm (when my work day finishes). The school secretary asks me what I'm waiting for as he has to wait for me. "I don't know", I tell him. I actually have no idea. And then I'm asked if I filled in a certain form about my holiday and the person asking knows full well I haven't as he authorised the holiday, and when I asked him 8 or 10 weeks ago, he told me there were no forms to fill in. Cue a further 20 minutes where five people talk in Japanese around me and no-one actually asks me the question they're debating: how much annual leave I have. This continued until 4:40 by which time I was seething and then when I was "asked" (read "you have to do this") to get a form stamped at a school I am not attending until next week I nearly lost the plot, and in my head bullets started firing and sad music played until all was gone. Or something. I fumed and seethed and as soon as I could speak to one of the group I raged. Poor AbsLance got it in the neck.
So I have been to the crap shops, because all the good ones were shut and anything I managed to get was rubbish and I'm not very happy. I am looking forward to leaving Katsuyama tomorrow night, even though I love it. I love my schools, I love the people and I love the kids and the teachers I work with. I could just do without the way certain things work (or don't work as the case may be).
Only one thing can make this week worse: Iceland not winning the Eurovision on saturday.
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3 comments:
If you love Katsuyama and its people so much, why don't you write more about the town and the Japanese people/friends you've been meeting? You've been in Katsuyma for almost a year and you barely mention anything about those topics. It's just been about you, you, you...oh, and the strange Japanese quirks that surround you. You sound like the million of other JETS that feel the need to share the same self-indulgent shite; and who think their experience is 'unique'.. Get out of your shell, mate and look outside of yourself. Truly experience your time in Japan. I bet you haven't even discovered the underground gay scene that exists in Katsuyma.. Yes, Katsuyama...
If I gave you the impression that I think my experience is "unique" then I am sorry. I am in no-way under the impression that anything I am experiencing is unique. I have tried to avoid making fun of Japan by not posting Japlish all the time as that is done by many other people probably better than I'd do it. I meet Japanese people every day at the shops and try and talk to them I have maybe 5 good Japanese friends, one of whom I visit at her work place maybe 2 or three times a week and events with them have been documented. These people would all be clearly identifiable to people from my town (many of whom speak excellent English) so I am careful what I say. Why haven't I made more Japanese friends you ask? I could give you many reasons (which you would probably think are excuses). Your comments are valid, and I do acknowledge them, but I set up this site for my friends so that I could save sending them long emails about what was going on.
And if you know of an underground gay scene in Katsuyama, please email me!
Well said... I apologize for my rude/hasty comments. There's something about blogs that makes one, (at least me), self righteous and mean. Again, please accept my apologies. I have actually enjoyed reading through your posts. It brings back a lot of fond memories.
As for the gay scene in Katsuyama..Well, I have to admit, I was teasing you a bit. The only thing I came across was a sorry/sad yakitorri type-bar while a gay friend of mine was visiting from Osaka. He was determined that there MUST be a gay scene in every town, no matter how small or Japanese...Anyway, the bar is just a typical bar, but it seems the later you stay the more friendly the men become,but don't get your hopes up. Most of them were just old salary-man types and I'm sure their behavior could just be attributed to being drunk. My friend ended up leaving Osaka after 4 years or so out of frustration with Japanese gay men. According to him, they have a lot 'closet' issues. He's off in Thailand now. Last time I spoke with him, he was much happier with the gay scene there.
Again, I enjoyed finding and reading your blog. I hope you have another fun/interesting year in Katsuyama..
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