October 24th, 2001. Brian goes to work.

Welcome to Gakugei-Daigaku. It took me a while to get that name down. I have no clue what it means, but I wish it were shorter. Gakugei-Daigaku is on the Tokyu Toyoko Line. You would think that Nova would put me close to my school, right? That would only make sense. Well, as it turns out, I have to make a 45 minute journey, spanning three subway lines and 30 some-odd stops. Well, I can't really complain, I love the school I am at and the people I work with are just fanatastic. I also lucked out with my flatmates, they're a couple of great guys.

The job itself isn't really what I want to do for the rest of my life, but it isn't too bad. Like I said, I like my co-workers and the job is easy. Time goes by pretty quickly while I am there, which is important for someone who hates to work, like me. Many of my students are incredible people. Engineers, people with 3 doctorates, car designers, you name it. Thing is, they can't speak a lick of English. In what other circumstance would someone like me have something to offer someone like them? The entire situation is hilarious when you think about it. By day, they are out solving the world's problems and making life easier for the general population. But by night, they are playing Scrabble and hangman with me. Remarkable.

Azamino to Futako-tamagawa. Switch onto the Oimachi line and head toward Jiyugaoka. Exit train and get onto the Toyoko line and wait until you get to Gakugei-Daigaku. Step out of the train station and this is what you will see.

If you look in the middle of the photo, you will see a blue Nova sign. That's where I work.

This is the front of my school. You actually have to walk into the dark entranceway and go up the stairs to the main reception area. The classrooms are on the third floor.

You see those little sqaures above the Nova sign? Well, in any other country, there would glass or something there to keep the weather out. But not here. It is just a grid here. And what's funny is that we get wet when it rains and cold when it snows. Today, I accidentally dropped my pen on the way down the stairs and it flew out one of the squares and hit some guy's backpack. He was totally bewildered as to how a pen came flying out of the sky and pegged him, then he began to look about to see where it came from. I took this as my cue to run to the teacher's room.

This is me with my flatmates. There's Jason on the left, in the white. He's from Philly and has been here for about three months. Ian is on the right, a hardcore soccer fan from Leeds, England.

The guys thought that the last picture looked a little too poised and unnatural. They insisted on taking another picture. Here it is.