Today is the first day of the school year but no students can come. This is the day that all the new teachers are introduced. You wouldn’t believe the incredible secrecy that surrounds this process. We all have to show up extra early so that no one sees the new people as they are arriving. We also have to pull the curtains so we don’t see them walking up to the school. Also, it ensures that no students who might be milling about the place can manage to sneak a peak at the new people. There is a big unveiling assembly tomorrow where the new people will be marched in from the back of the gym for everyone to gawk at for a while, much like the surprise leavers assembly. I don’t really understand why it has to be such a big deal other than the fact that this is Japan and if we can’t do something with a huge ceremony and 300 bows than we might as well not bother. At any rate I am waiting in eager anticipation. I have to do a brief self introduction in Japanese, which I am perfectly capable of doing but will likely screw up out of nervousness. After this, we have a whole day of teachers meetings which I have to sit through for some reason, despite the fact that I don’t understand 90% of what is being said. In this meeting we will decide such riveting things as the new parking lot designations and proper library procedure. I am a little glad I won’t understand because that way I can just zone out for a few hours. I may also sneak off to the library to read a book when no one is looking. Everywhere around me, new office supplies have been carefully dispensed in little plastic bags. I received two new pencils which were labeled “for general writing purposes”. Good thing they let me know, I was planning on picking my nose with them. I also got a new container of white out and a red and black pen. Everyone else around me got a lot of new stuff because they are all new people. I won’t pretend I’m not jealous. I am thinking of snatching that crisp new notebook from the desk beside me before anyone notices and then scribbling meaningless notes in it all day while the poor new guy looks in vain for a scrap of paper to write on. Well, maybe that would be a bit unkind.
Ok, the new people are in! They are not a bad looking crowd. There are nine of them in total. No one is wildly attractive but I guess that isn’t required. It was interesting to see how everyone was ordered. They were brought into the room based on years of experience, from oldest to newest. The bows everyone gave them corresponded to their seniority as a teacher. The new people had the same corresponding levels of formalities. The newer the teacher, the deeper the bow. I was watching them go down the line and I started to get the impression the first year teachers might hit their heads on the desks in front of them. As hilarious as this might have been, everyone managed to avoid it. Then all the new people were dispensed to their pod of tables. Our new lady doesn’t seem to be talking. She is making me nervous. I am going to guess she doesn’t speak any English either. Well, that is just more encouragement for me to study Japanese I guess.
Karen got back to the airport without a hitch. She was loaded down with every Hello Kitty item on the market as well as a few other sundries. I have started to think that I should have something Hello Kitty as well after seeing her collection. It must be some kind of national requirement anyway. I will miss Karen’s constant complaining about the cold, her bizarre foot injury and her occasional night terror screams that she would crack out when it got too quiet. I have almost eaten all the candy she brought me with a few exceptions that I am reserving for a raining day. I especially enjoyed the Bulk barn fare, all great selections. After I dropped her off at Shinjuku station, I headed out to Chiba by train to attend a Pet and Car Show. It was delightful! There is a lot to say on this subject so I will reserve it for tomorrow. In other work related news, one of my JTE’s (Japanese teachers of English) has just moved in with me on what is supposed to be an occasional basis. Her name is Emi Otagiri. She is very nice and I think we will have a good time together. She will only be staying a few days a week. I got home from Tokyo late Saturday night so that I could clean up the house before she arrived. I did all those home cleaning tasks that I have really let go. I even gave the ferrets nails a trim. They didn’t like that! Emi lives up in Nagano City so she will stay at my place when she needs to stay later at work or come in earlier the next day. She is going to give me Japanese lessons in exchange for staying with me. This is a great deal. Tonight we have another work Enkai to welcome the new people. There is nothing like getting drunk on a Monday night is there? The pictures for today are all evidence of Spring. We had a big lightening storm yesterday and we woke up to warm strong winds this morning rattling all the windows. These pictures are all of Nagoya which is a little further south and of a lower elevation that Nagano. I thought some of these flowers were fake when I first saw then until we saw someone watering them.
Well, I will do a Pet Show update tomorrow. Please email me with any wonderful April Fools Day pranks that you successfully pulled. I tried one but Tom wouldn’t get out of bed to answer his phone. What a spoil sport!