Hisashiburi desu ne!
I have not written on here in absolutely ages - so sorry to anyone who has been checking for new things and not finding anything! Basically I have been really busy, especially with Mum and Dad coming over, and then all the extra shifts I have been working to make up for the time I took off while they were here (not having holiday entitlement yet, we had to do loads of "shift swaps").
What I am going to do is to gradually write up what has happened in the meantime, as there is too much to write about in one entry - we have been travelling all over the place! So expect a few more entries slotted in over the next couple of weeks!
Today was our first day off after working 12 days straight, so we have just relaxed and enjoyed ourselves! James took me birthday shopping today and got me parts 1 and 2 of the Moulin Rouge soundtrack and also a World Cup t-shirt, which features a famous 1794 Ukio-e (Japanese wood block print) by Noh actor Sharaku of Kabuki actor Otani Onji II in the role of the servant Edobe, only in this picture he is holding a football!
We also booked our holiday today - we are going to Thailand from 16th July - 5th August, and meeting up with James' parents there. Can't wait!!!
I went for my first Japanese lesson this morning, and we have decided that I am going to attempt the ni-kyu (level 2, ie 2nd highest, of the Japanese proficieny test) in December (Yes!!!! This is what I'd been hoping, but wasn't sure if I was good enough!) My teacher was really lovely, and we had a really good chat as well as a grammar test!
On Saturday night we are going out to an Italian restaurant and then onto a bar with a load of friends in honour of my birthday (and to rub it in that I am one of the youngest people at Nova!)
Nova aren't really in my good books at the moment, as they are attempting to implement a "cleaning rota" - which means that we who are employed as teachers have to start cleaning windows and hoovering.. I wouldn't mind quite so much if I hadn't worked my hardest cleaning IKEA at unearthly hours and doing 12 hour days before I came out here in order to save up enough moneyto get out to Japan and a better job at the end of it - it just feels a bit like I am having my nose rubbed in it. Apparently in Japanese companies it is traditionally the done thing for the staff (especially women) to clean their own offices, however, it is also customary for these companies to pay out huge annual bonuses - no prizes for guessing whether or not Nova goes in for this aspect of Japanese business culture!
Anyway, enough ranting, I'm actually really enjoying myself at the moment, and also making the effort to get some part-time work - I have applied for one job as an English-speaking narrator!
The sun is shining and I'm happy!
Bye for now, Nic.