F Bills

(I like how I posted about how busy I am and have since been blogging every day). This week has been a frustrating/panic inducing week over here regarding everyday Japan life...ie paying utility bills. I already vented to some of you about my cell phone issue, and don't really feel like explaining the long story, but just know it ended in me being EXTREMELY frustrated and having to run to the bathroom at work to force my tears to go up and back into my eyeballs rather than down my face (doing that is extremely exhausting btw). A big chunk of the frustration came from what we call "foreigner syndrome"--when something here happens/has to be a certain way and we (the foreigners) cannot comprehend why it has to happen/be a certain way with no going around it whatsoever even though it makes absolutely no sense and is completely inconvenient, yet you have to just shut up and swallow it, because that's just how it is. Ok back to my story--the other chunk came from what I will go into in a few.

OK, so after that issue happened, I came home to my apt last night and found a random receipt along with a bill/voucherish thing under my door. Of course it was in kanji, but I did see on the receipt the total was 7500 yen so I wanted to know what I had to pay NOW. So I stayed up super late trying to figure out the translation online and resulted in learning some really random kanji but still had no clue what it was for or what it even was in fact. I brought it to my manager today and she first looked at the receipt and told me it must be for this upcoming month's gas bill. Then looked at the billish voucher thing with hardly anything on it and told me it was the current bill from last month/April for gas. Then she turned to me and said "The first month is usually more expensive." And then pointed to a number on the bill-- 35447. At first I think out of denial my brain somehow changed the imaginary comma that would come after the 35 to a period and decided it was 35.447 and the end would be rounded off. But then I looked again and said (internally since I was at work surrounded by students) "350 DOLLARS FOR *^*&^&^*& GAS?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!!?!?!! WHAT!?!!!!?!???" Then I took a deep breath and asked her if it was normal and she said........not really and that she would call for me. We are super busy on Saturdays so then I had to run off and teach 3 classes. Where I spent all 3 internally panicking about this new bill situation. My coworkers told me it had to be a mistake, but after the cell phone thing I had reason to believe I would actually be expected to pay that much for a month of gas! I was worrying so much about it, I actually turned it into a warm up discussion for my 2nd more advanced class. "Who here has their own apt? Ok, do you pay utility bills? Ok, I got a gas bill for 35,000 yen, is that normal?" Most of the students nodded their heads like "yeah, duh, what do you expect?" --Restart panic mode- "Wait....so....it's normal to pay 35,000 yen a month for GAS?" Looks of doubt/confusion began. Then I decided to be smart and wrote it on the board. Looks of shock and realization then surrounded me (I think they were thinking I said 3,500 yen-reasonable). So they reassured me that was NOT normal. But did that calm down my worrying? Not really? The thoughts of "What if the last tenant never paid their bill and they make me pay it or else I won't have AC this summer??? What if there is a leak and they will make me pay it????" etc. Finally I found my manager and she told me that she made a mistake and the "35,447" was really my account number (HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF), I owe 7,500 for the past two months combined. I can hang with that.

OK, so now why I think these 2 above situations affected me so much--back home I have (as well as all of you I am sure) had frustrating bill issues/confusion. However, back home I could pick up my phone and call someone. Back home I didn't need someone to call for me or come with me to run simple errands like...mail something at the post office/translate anything for me/try to understand me/explain to me since their English isn't perfect. Back home I can stand up for myself and handle my own problems. Here, I am kind of useless/helpless when it comes to everyday situations like this and I am FORCED to rely on others. Not that I don't trust my manager-she is wonderful-but I guess it would be easier to cope with annoying things like this if I could control them a little more. I guess I had a tad of "culture shock" this week finally you could say?

Eh, at least it's the weekend. BTW- I am making "Mexican food" tomorrow for my coworkers and can I just say I have never spent so long in a supermarket hunting down ingredients/compromised ingredients to make....ground beef tacos? I am definitely going to return a creative chef, that is for sure. =)

--Oh and btw-I now have a new pet peeve about groceries here. A lot of things are all in English on the packaging (random mistranslationish quotes/brand name/etc) but what it ACTUALLY IS is ONLY in Japanese! WHY? Is it so hard to just include a bit more English??? My example of the day is seasoning bottles. The seasoning company is in English, their motto is in English, yet I have no idea what the f$%& is inside the bottle besides the obvious obvious herbs/seasonings (like...rosemary...wait that's actually it) because the name of the herb/seasoning/whatever is only in Japanese. Sigh.

Oh, I forgot this tidbit

A few days ago my student told me that my area of residence is "famous" for Yakuza activity and that she worried about me living alone. I think she expected me to be horrified by this news (Yakuza not her worrying) but I was kind of fascinated by it. I love that stuff. Does that make me weird? Anyway, it is sweet of her to worry, but so far the most "disturbing" thing I have witnessed thus far in my neighborhood is a cat fight with strays. People who live in Japan might think it isn't as "safe" as it used to be, but it is still 1000000000000000000000000000000000 times safer than the US I'll tell you...

Something about me has changed

I used to always wonder why it was so hard for people to keep in touch (slow at writing letters, not returning phone calls, really late at uploading pictures, etc etc). I was always the "you send me a msg I get back to you ASAP" kinda person. But now I completely understand the people I questioned above. I don't know if it is Japan or just the fact my brain is on overdrive to the millionth power, but bottom line---I know I know, I suck at keeping in touch with back home! I have been incredibly lazy about uploading pictures, returning emails, talking on skype, and even updating this here blog. This is not a promise to change because, lol, I doubt it will anytime soon, but a humble excuse/apology for becoming someone like above. The reason I don't see myself changing anytime soon is I can't do too many things at once. I decided it has come to the point where I must choose to update this all the time, be prompt in communicating, etc etc OR remain #2 in sales for Kyushu (being #1 is impossible so I am quite thrilled at 2), prepare lessons, teach 30 classes a week, interview new students, attend seminars/more training, random job related activities, go shopping for nylons every other day, have a million self study counsellings, have educational counsellings, do follow up work with the self study til 10 pm or later every night, fill out mindless (and sometimes useless) paperwork, and talk A LOT. I am choosing the job for now (and yes, in case you were wondering, I often do everything/more I listed in 1 day--not 30 classes though haha). Maybe after June when this self study business has died down a tad* I will be a bit better and maybe even have an exciting story for you, but until then, sorry =/...but surprisingly even though the above sounds like a vent, I actually don't really mind any of it. Somehow I manage I guess? It's hard to explain, but I think there is a big difference between taking a vacation to a foreign country and LIVING (cough working full time) in one. After a while, you get into a routine and....it's basically just like a routine you would have back home but instead with a difficult language and often times baffling culture =). I'm hoping after June when I get my first actual full paycheck, I will finally be able to start doing a bit of short weekend trips and such. But until then I am swamped. I am having a pretty good time though so don't worry---I just definitely live for the weekends =) But if you find yourself missing me or wondering why I responded to someone else's wall post but not yours, etc etc I assure you I am not choosing favorites....once again I have just become "one of THOSE people." But--on my weeknights 7amish-9amish your time seems to be my "be as lazy and useless as possible for a few hours on the internet" time so let's talk! (Probably typing talking though as I am also normally catching up on my much missed American TV and obviously can't skype at the same time). Love and miss you all and even though I suck please keep emailing and loving me =)

OOOOH but on another irrelevant note, I finally learned the kanjii for my train station/area of residence-Yoshizuka (romanized). Yoshi means lucky and zuka is actually tsuka (or something like that) changed for whatever reason and that means tomb. So I live in Lucky Tomb. Yay. Haha. I am wayy too lazy (see above reasons) to find the kanjii and post it on here, but in case you don't know, kanjii is one of the 3 alphabets of Japanese and is a symbolic alphabet (the other 2 are phonetic--do you know any other language with 3 writing systems??? All mixed together in one sentence???)-so it is kind of interesting now that I know the meaning, since "zuka" or "tsuka-whatever" kind of looks like a cemetery. Even though I know it can't be meant THAT literally as I see a "cross gravestone" in the picture and I don't think Christianity has much to do with Japanese, but WHATEVER I FINALLY AM ABSORBING SOMETHING!! --clearly the highlight of my week. The end.

*Ha

I am clearly not Asian...

as I just did the CRAPPIEST job painting my toes.

I guess that was kind of a bad stereotype comment though, huh?

I was ranked #2 for the self study sales so far for all of Kyushu foreign teachers (like 30 something). In fact all 3 foreign teachers at my branch are 1-3. This is only so far...so we will see where I will finally end up...as we still have a bit longer than a month to go...but until then... =)

PS- Talk about creating controversy (last post)

Not to be morbid...

But I had to share my newfound awful information I learned last night around...2 am.

I already knew raw horse was a delicacy here. What I did NOT know until 2 am last night was that in some places, they actually cut off some of the horse while it is alive as you order it, and inject it with drugs and keep it alive and keep slicing off more and more. Apparently it is fresh and delicious that way. I think I almost cried. I know I am a total meat eater and cows and chickens, etc etc are slaughtered everyday for my stomach's enjoyment, but to keep an animal alive while doing that is just barbaric...and I just can't do what I consider "pets" (eg horses, dogs, etc) I am boycotting fresh raw horse from now on. (And no...I was not at a raw horse restaurant at 2 am, my coworker was sharing this information over drinks and a conversation regarding a dead octopus in the fish tank-don't ask).

Oh yes, why I have a newfound appreciation for American banks as awful as they are...at least THERE you can withdraw money from the bank! Here, the banks close at 3 pm, are closed on Saturdays, and no you cannot simply withdraw money from a teller. I mean why would you get money from a bank??? You are also charged when you withdraw cash from the atm....even if it is your bank's atm....(cue eyes rolling into the back of my head).

PS-I was just informed those oddly dressed people from my beach trip are actually a famous Japanese band famous for dressing odd? Who knew?

I love....

• Air conditioning
• Indian food
• Being paid in cash for payday
• American banks (new appreciation)
  

Why, you ask? Reasons to come later....

Over already?

Beach party
Sushi
Sleeping in
Beer
Casual clothes
Clean apt
Sopranos
Laze

Why is the weekend so short?