Blogs from Aichi, Japan, Asia - page 14

It's vacation, and I am not going anywhere!! Well, that's a lie. I'll spend o-bon with my host family. I really need this vacation, too. Yay!! Yesterday was payday, but I didn't get paid until 9:00 at night because my boss LOST my salary. This is a bit of a problem, yes? I called him twice before he even did anything about. Lazy bastard. I'm going to have so much fun when I leave. I hope it really inconviences him. He charged me full rent for living in someone else's living room, too. We will have a fun chat about that after vacation. I'm clairvoyant, I can see how it will go. He'll give me some bullshit reason as to why he did it, then say he's busy and hang up. :) And then I will ... read more

06/08/06 Oh, golly, Tanabata and Fireworks. I woke up this morning in Anjo (I live in Okazaki) feeling a sensation very oddly like what I imagine the morning after a one night stand would feel like. Maybe that was from the mix of copious (and I do mean copious) amounts of grease and chocolate, stupidity, and lack of sleep the night before. I haven’t hung out with drunk people in a while. I think that there really is a “drunk by osmosis” or “second-hand drunk” phenomenon. But more of that later. First and foremost, I had a great time at the festival!! Tanabata is actually based on something Chinese, I think. In July each year two stars cross paths, and there are supposed to be a prince and a princess. Anyway, on that day, children write ... read more

2006/7/31 Well, I’ve thought long and hard, and I’m stopping now, because I have a killer headache. I’m sick of this company and I may briefly return home. I live frugally (despite my traveling), so I can afford it. I can’t stay though—walking a million miles a day and working so many hours and worrying about visa nonsense is just getting to me. Today marks the several-ith time that I’ve almost passed out in class. My students are starting to notice. I told Adachi and said that I had to leave, and he’s going to cancel my visa unless I work until he finds a replacement—which could well be months. So, unless he finds someone in a week, screw him. He can cancel it. Tim told me I should probably get myself on a flight back ... read more

Alright! So I'm now here - still pretty tired and yet excitedly wide-eyed. As the adventure has now begun, I will begin the account of my Japanese expedition thus far... My travels began in Calgary from where I flew to Minneapolis to catch my flight to Narita-Tokyo. Aboard the huge-ass plane in Minneapolis, I ended up sitting next to a young gentleman, Andrew, from of all places, Estevan, SK. It was nice to share a long flight with a hometown guy. We visited and shared some wine over an in-flight Disney movie. The trip actually passed quite quickly. It would be important here to include that this flight was delayed by about a half hour. As it was, my connecting flight to Nagoya was leaving only an hour after my arrival, so I was one of ... read more

06/7/22 This is going to be the most random post ever, because it was written when I just couldn’t sleep for whatever reason. You know, for all that the Japanese education system is supposed to be top-notch (until university) there is little or no emphasis placed on higher education here, especially for women. As a woman and a college graduate, this bothers me. Yes, I learned academically at college, but more importantly I grew as a person through the whole college thing. I think it’s an experience everyone should have. Maybe that’s my American bias, and I know the opportunity is there for the Japanese, but they have to work so ridiculously hard to get it. Shiyou ga nai, ne. I want to do some art and stuff. I need a paycheck, eh. No I don’t, ... read more