Here is the common room. Most nights, I just hang out here because:
a) I don't have many friends. The few that I do have, have schedules that are totally opposite from mine.
b) I have no money yet because Japan is the land of start-up costs.
c) I wouldn't know where to go even if I did have the money and friends to go with.
On the right and you will see the smoking balcony and the computer.
I don't use the balcony, but I am on the computer a lot. At last, free internet access, just like home.
The computer, however is like a PII 233, with 32 MB ram. I'm not complaining though, it saves me a shitload of money. I was dropping a lot in those internet cafes. I am in the process of getting internet access in my room, sharing a connection with two other people. It will be worth it. Cable access, unlimited for something in the realm of $15 per month.
The rule is that you can use it as long as you want, provided no one else is waiting to use it. If there is a line forming, you only get 20 minutes. To better ensure that people are sticking to this rule, one of the gaijin house patrons decided to install a timer that he ripped off of a busted toaster.
It gets boring here some nights.
Across from the computer and smoking balcony is the communal kitchen area.
This is where I embarass myself nightly by asking things like, "How do I use this rice cooker?" and "Can you unscrew this for me?" and so on. As I write this, somewhere in China, thousands of my ancestors are turning in their graves simutaneously.
We have satellite TV here, but mostly people are watching useless things like soccer, rubgy and CNN. They are letting the Cartoon Network go to waste. I mean, why order the lobster if all you're gonna eat is the garnish?
Switch of scenery. This is the teacher's room at my school. There are no real assigned seats, so I just float. Sometimes I sit at the seat in front of the garbage cans, other days I sit where I am sitting today.
Here are the student files. When I hold these in my hands, I feel like a real teacher. Who'da thunk it? Me, a teacher.
I was something of a nightmare when I was a child, so my parents tell me. You ever see that episode of Growing Pains when Mike decides to become a teacher and the entire world is shocked? I feel you, brother.
This is my schedule for the day. Any place you see a blank is a free lesson for me. Voice is a conversation class, where I just chat with the students.
As you can see, my days aren't all that hard. Just the way I like them.
What do you do with all your free time, Brian?
I sip cold coffee, read and take pics of myself with my digicam. Yes, I know how fortunate I am.
Red: Why Grandma, what an organized closet you have!
Wolf: All the better to tie you up and throw you in, my sweet.
The secret to my neatness? Boxes. Boxes from the 100 yen store. One piece of advice for all you perspecitve neat freaks. DO NOT buy large boxes and attempt to take them home on the train on a Thursday night from Shibuya. You think feeling sushi rolls on your thigh is bad, try enduring a 30-min train ride with the corner of one of these babies lodged into your solar plexus.