End of the first week

So after my first week of work I think this job will challenge and bore me at times. All but four of the students are out climbing Mt.Fuji right now. They seem like a good group of kids and if all the paper work comes in it looks like all but maybe 3 will be getting a JASSO scholarship, which is $800 relocation money, plus $800 a month, I was surprised that they go paid all 800 for the month of Aug. On my side of life, my CoE came in this week and I will have to go to the visa office and pay for a change of status, which should be re-reimbursed. With the charge for the change of status I will bee needing to work some magic to survive till pay day, Sep.25...

I am meeting for lunch tomorrow with one of my friends and her mother. They are both interested in buying a necklace, and her mother insists on paying for lunch as I helped Atsuko around in America, but I feel awkward having they pay for lunch as well as buy jewelry from me.

Both me and my co-worker were going to ask for an advance on our pay check, but his dad (who works a lot in asian countries, currently in Hong Kong) advised against it as it would be seen as very rude and insulting.

I am still getting a gauge on the leaders and those in the office. I also and learning about why the Japanese work so many hours. I think it is because of all the formalities. When I recommend something it takes about 10 min for them to say no. Because they are very polite and talk for a while about entertaining the idea, but then end with, maybe we wont do it that way. It would be much more efficient if they just said no and moved on.

I am working on trying to get my webpage up, hopefully before October, as I am hoping to take place in a huge art show here in tokyo, that is if there are spots still open after sep.25th

Well i am hungery, so time for some tofu and rice.