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I am so happy! I’m finally becoming a real Japanese teacher, a teacher with responsibilities that will make me stay at school until 6 p.m. everyday, stress so much I can only relax at drinking parties once a month and finally, I never have to look busy again because I really will be!! Okay, that’s a huge exaggeration, but I’m really excited about my newest job.

I’m in charge of paying Nice Day for their daily bento delivery!! I know it doesn’t seem like much, but it’s a very important job. (By the way, Nice Day is our grocery store and they make daily bentos for $5 and deliver to the teachers and staff.) I have to make the spreadsheets for the daily delivery, total up everyone’s bento costs at the end of each month, print up receipts for everyone who owes, collect their money, record when they paid, and finally give the money to Nice Day at the end of the month. It usually adds up to several hundred dollars and there is so much paperwork to file (Welcome to Japan). Everything is in Japanese, of course, so it really is more difficult than it sounds. Actually, it’s more time-consuming than it is difficult, but I’m sure I’ll get the hang of it soon. I’m just so happy to have something worthwhile and productive to do in my spare time. I’m taking a little, tiny, responsibility from some other teacher who has a million more important things to do and a family to get home to at the end of the day. I feel like part of the team.

I don’t actually have to start until mid-March because we just finished this month’s payment. Masami taught me how to use all the spreadsheets, worksheets, and databases on the computer and I took copious notes on the procedure. It’s sort of complicated anyway, but especially because I have to use Microsoft Excel and Access IN JAPANESE. I’m so excited to pass out the receipts and collection envelopes next month and see what everyone says when it says “Please give your money to Sierra by Friday.” instead of “Sierra’s a loser who can’t even answer the phones, much less do anything valuable for the school.” Not that it says that now, but sometimes I feel that way when I come to school and do nothing but write emails, read and study because I don’t teach ONE freaking class all day and still get paid the same as everyone else. I’ve been waiting for this opportunity and one day, when my Japanese is good enough I WILL be able to answer the phones too!!

Unfortunately, I inherited the job because my very wonderful friend and mentor, Masami Yamanaka is leaving us. Her last day of work is next Monday and then it’s no more coffee breaks by her kerosene heater, no more naps on her couch behind the bookshelf, no more 2-hour Japanese study sessions/English chats in her office. She’s the career center coordinator and because the seniors graduate on March 1st, she doesn’t have a job anymore. She can apply for it again next May if she wishes, but she wants to have a baby instead… Geez. Some people have their priorities all mixed up… Entertain Sierra at school all day or have a baby? I can’t believe she has to think twice about it. Kocho-sensei and I have a great idea though. We’re going to write the job description to include amazing computer skills and OCD-organization (which Masami definitely possesses) and a mastery of English. There’s no one else on this island who can really do that, so she’ll be forced to come back!! It’s a great plan, ne?

Tomorrow I’m going to try going to karate and if all goes well, Saturday I’ll get back into training for the triathlon. I say that with a bit of a sigh because I feel like I’m starting back at square one, having not done anything for the past week except sit around (albeit sitting around getting healthier). It’s not like I’ve lost four weeks of training in one week, but I don’t like to deviate from the rigid schedule!! Anyway, I’ll be more careful about drinking water and include an occasional sports drink for electrolytes. I hate the way they taste, though. Water’s always delicious.

Okay, no book tonight!
Love, Sierra

Some more pictures Peter just emailed me from my weekend on Takashima. Me bundled up on the ferry back to the mainland.

Peter standing at the station, waiting for a train. There may be one similar to this on the “Visiting Peter on Takashima” post, but I like this one even better. I love that coat, man.

And me again waiting for the train at the station. I told Peter, I like these pictures because they are just us, waiting in life. Nothing exciting happening, no posing, just us.

And then Peter went back and took pictures from the short walk we went on (included the graveyard visit) and it’s so beautiful! There is nothing quite like this on my island.

Finally, there’s this guy, Sageraj, whom I’ve been chatting online with recently. He just randomly IMed me one day and I had been receiving many IMs from strangers recently so I asked him why he was IMing me and essentially he helped me turn off something in my preferences so people who don’t know me can’t IM me. I thought it was pretty nice, so we kept chatting and are still sort of chatting, not on any regular sort of basis, but he sent me a picture so I thought I would post it. Yeah… Here’s Sageraj from India.