3 Weeks Later

Hi...


I'm alive and well, but my thermometer says 8C.

Also, I'm not one of the 6 (possibly soon-to-be-deported) Nova teachers arrested for drugs in Saitama (which is far away, north-west of Tokyo and is actually where George, one of my 2005 TAFE class mates, lives while working with JET). It has, however, become quite a piece of controversial gossip. I discussed a fair bit about drugs, pharmacies and chemists in Voice tonight after having been thrown this topic and trying to make something constructive of it.
There's actually also a notice that's been placed in the teacher's room guarding it, encouraging everyone to double their efforts to display ourselves in a (clean and) professional way. They're worried about the financial impact it will have of losing either current students or current/potential applicants.
Drugs are taken very seriously over here.


Kazu gave me a pair of chopsticks last week after having travelled far north of Kobe to a place called Wajimanuri. It's supposed to be Japan-wide (possibly worldwide?) famous for it's laquerwork.
In addition to this, he gave me a tube of Vegemite he got as a gift from someone. He, however, hates it (as most Japanese do).

Lessons are going great and feel as though I'm slowly building some momentum.



Work.
Have had Rebecca (a fellow Melbournian who has returned home for good) and Mark's farewells . Mark was transferred to a different branch but has been at my school forever and was actually a trainer for all the local schools, as well as a teacher like us all.

As I posted previously too, Mike left 3 weeks ago.



Was talking to Ralf, one of the German teachers, and he was saying there's a VISA that's something like "VISA for Cultural Studies" meaning that you can live here for a certain period of time under the premise of studying and immersing yourself in the culture and language. So am eagerly searching around for some info on that. Just hoping it's real and appliable. Either way, to live here indefinitely I've still only two avenues; get a degree or get married. One being easier than the other (I think).

I'll leave this post here. Will think of what I've missed and post again over the next few days.