The Desk

My little space a Hiro Koko. My predecessors left me various novels to read in case I get bored. Remains of the Day and a book on a famous Buddhist spiritual leader are waiting to be read. I am quite busy though, and any spare moment I have is used for studying Japanese instead. Several of the teachers have roughly this amount of desk space, and so many more classes! Just beyond my desk is a nice comfy couch from the 60s or 70s. It is used for meetings with students, and sometimes even as a place to close your eyes for 10 minutes. (Many of the teachers are expected to stay late with club activities or work... a whole other story). The teacher that sits right across from me during our English Department meetings always passes me notes in English to keep me informed. These small acts of kindness help make me feel more part of the team.