Some things are universal

Ah, today is blessedly cool compared to the last couple of days. Japan can be quite enjoyable, when you`re not sweating your ass off.

It`s really quite funny. Here in Japan, the emphasis on the workplace is how busy you LOOK, not how busy you ARE. It`s a nation full of paper-shufflers and desk-rearrangers. As I said previously, this place may have birthed Bureaucracy. Apparently, the private sector is very efficient and the public sector (like, oh...public school) is very inefficient.
So, because we have to look busy, it`s required that the teachers come into the office even when school is not in session, such as is the case now). Only...where are all the other teachers? Apparently, the other ALT and myself are required to come in (even though we have literally nothing to do), and the other teachers can take off and do whatever they want. Which...is fine with me. Internet is nice! Also...what else have I got to do? It`s just unfortunate that, as one of the two white guys in the city, I am pretty high profile. Anyway...I don`t really mind at all. But the other ALT does. Alot!

On a really funny note...

The other day, I was being transported to get my keitai (cellphone) by a nice japanese guy who works for the school department. Only...he doesn`t speak hardly any English at all. So...I knew the word for music and listen, so I asked what kind of music he listens to. And, all the sudden, the floodgates of communication open. It was hilarious! He was like `American Hip-Hop!` And we had a whole conversation by just naming bands and indicating whether they were good or bad. It was like `Eru Eru Kooru Jei (L L Cool J.) *laughing*` `Shai Pu Resu Hiru (Cypress Hill) *more laughing*` `Ennu Dabyu E (N.W.A)` etc. Then I was recommending bands like `Beastie Boys? ...Bi su ti bo i su?` `hai! Kakkoi (cool!)`, and then, the best, I was like `Wu Tang? Wu Tan gu?` and this guy, out of nowhere was shouting in bad English that he probably didn`t understand `Wu Tang Clan ain`t nothing to fuck with, Wu Tang Clan ain`t nothing to fuck with!...Dorra dorra biru yaru! (dollar, dollar bill y`all). ...Priceless.