Winds Over Neo-Tokyo

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Sorry, no pictures this time, but I thought it may be good to post something, if only to establish some vital signs. Last weekend there was a festival going on, where hordes of children would carry large drums and mini-shrines through the streets, all over Tokyo. I should have taken some pictures of that, but I didn't.

A week or two ago, I came to realize that it was far too hot and humid to be doing manual labour on a farm, so I decided to stay in Tokyo and try to find some work. I quickly learned that it's difficult to find a decent job without a University Degree, so I ended up applying at a Kindergarten just one train stop away from my Guesthouse. They informed me that the last person that worked there, someone from France, stayed for two days and then disappeared without an explanation. They were somewhat desperate to hire someone, so I got the job, with a 1-week trial period to see if I can handle it. The kindergarten is right beside a shrine, and is occupied by about 250 kids between the ages of 3 and 5(6?). Today (Tuesday) was my first full day.

I don't teach anything, they just want me to spend time in different classrooms, and outside in the playground, playing with the kids and speaking to them in English. They don't usually understand what I'm saying, so I don't say a whole lot to them in English. Instead, they speak to me in rapid-fire Japanese, while I stand there and look confused. It's interesting. They call me Masshew-Sensei. But the kids are really nice, and the school feeds me lunch, so I may continue to work there for awhile, if they don't fire me first for incompetence. On Saturday, they held a father/kid day, where the dads all came to take part in games and songs with their kids. One game was a wheelbarrow race, and all the dads wanted to win, so they turned the corners really fast and their kids all fell out of the barrows and onto their heads. Most people laughed.

I think I will write some random things here.
- Japan is not nearly as expensive as most people make it out to be. Fruit is (a watermelon is $20USD), but almost everything else is priced comparably to Vancouver, in some cases less. The baked goods are outstanding, and plentiful.
- Apples and Pineapples taste different, they are not tart.
- There is a great Indian Buffet nearby, with a $9 all-you-can-eat lunch special. I went two days in a row.

I think that's it. Next time I will try and have some pictures of the kindergarten, if I'm still there.

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