I’m very slowly getting into the cool biz spirit – yesterday I went to work without a jacket, and today it is without a tie. The weather is cloudy and warm, with plenty of humidity, so the open neck is much appreciated.
I can tell I am used to living in Japan when I felt a little self-conscious yesterday without a jacket. Actually on the way to work I bumped into one of my students who is a salesman, and he was without a jacket and a tie, so I guess it is time for me to loosen up. I hope they recognize me at work…
Last night was low-key as Kuniko was working late helping with one of her students. The student that ran away came back, and she made a visit to the home to check in and see how things are going. Who knows whether the girl will stick around, but I’m hoping she does for Kuniko’s sanity. She was pretty stressed while the girl was missing.
This week is a four day week for me. I took Friday off to run errands, send packages, and have a doctor’s appointment. Should be a busy day on Friday, so I’m using my work days to rest up in anticipation. I’m going to need to schedule creatively to get everything done. One of the things I really don’t like about Japan is that things are not designed for families of two that both have full time jobs. For example, the post office is only open from nine to five, so if I want to mail something internationally, I either have to take a day off (like this week) or bring my packages to work and mail them at lunchtime (which is not cool).
I also need to return my insurance card to the city office, but because they are only open from nine to four, I have to take a day off to do it.
Why doesn’t anyone complain? Because usually only one person per family works full time, and so it is rarely a problem. When both people work, then things get complicated.
