Today is the last class for our new employees. The last two days we’ve been working on various basic English tasks – using the telephone, making appointments, describing products. Our plan today is to move to making a basic English presentation. It is a variation of another activity I usually do with small groups later in the year.
Since I’ve been spending so much time focusing on these intensive lessons, I’ve had less time to do other stuff. Once I wrap up today’s lesson, I’ll be able to get to other items on my todo list.
Last night Kuniko had a baking lesson after work, and she brought home some delicious “red wine” bread, that was stuffed with dried cranberries and cream cheese. Wow – it was really good. We’ll be able to enjoy it for the next few breakfasts. Usually Kuniko doesn’t have time to bake at home, and next month will be especially busy for her. The nice thing about the lessons is that the baking time is a reserved appointment, and she can’t easily put it off until later.
In Japan they are proposing a new holiday, called Mountain Day that would happen in August. On the surface, it seems like Japan already has plenty of holidays. According to the news Japan has the largest number of public holidays of any of the industrialized nations, and so you’d think that everyone is just relaxing and enjoying them.
In fact, the pressure on workers (from their coworkers, bosses, neighbors, and family) to NOT take a paid day off is very intense. If someone takes a day off for themselves during the middle of the week, they will be worried about the troubles they have caused all their coworkers and customers, and nobody is having a good time. The solution is to make a national holiday that everyone is taking off – that way it is “fair” and everyone can get some rest.
Lots of cultural mysteries here for someone like me. Luckily my holidays (at least so far) have little effect on my coworkers and I can usually take them as I see fit. We’ll see if I still have a job next year, though…
