Life in Japan 3
So it’s now February here in Japan and its cold. I am now no longer in Nishio city either. Right now I am in my new school an hour from Tokyo waiting for 4:30pm to come around and get on the train to well Tokyo. However before I go with the details of my new life and job, I will explain why I left the old job.
So in my last email I think I wrote about how my old job was well; overall not a good place to be. From it being cold all the time in my room regardless of the air conditioner being on the hot setting; and using the kerosene heater. Things just were not working out. In the end I also am now again, fighting off another sinus infection. So I started to look for a better job with a company that would give me an apartment that is my own, not living with other people and having to wait for the restroom, shower, and even not being able to use the bathroom after a certain time in the morning. (Yes things were this bad.) So after trying to reason with my employer’s many times, I decided to well quit. After deciding this I got a message from a friend of mine and one of her friends was looking for a replacement for his position in the next city over. I thought okay let me go check this out and see what it is about before I decided. So I went; met the guy and his employer’s who were the leaders of the cities school relations department. They liked me and hired me and after learning that I would be working for the city and in public schools I wanted the job. Wanted being the key word here; since after I told my current employer’s that I was leaving them decided that they had to go and well make my life miserable. They went to my new job that found me an apartment and had already introduced me to one of the elementary schools, and well complained and showed them my contract saying that I can’t just leave. Even though in the contract it said my date of leaving was negotiable and it also said noting about quitting and that I had to stay for the whole year. During this time I was being harassed on a daily basis by both of my employer’s, (they were a married couple and the school was in their home) and of course they also were telling me everything they were doing to try and make it so that I couldn’t leave them. They even said that “You can stay here and work for free, you just have to apologize to us and we can figure out how you can pay rent and meals since we would not be paying you for your services.” So in the end they won, they lost me my new job, my apartment, and well my dream. However this was only for a few days. I was still going to move no matter what. Sunday came and I moved into s friend’s place, however on Friday I got a call from a company that works with the public schools and the board of education in those cities. They wanted me to come for an interview in Saitama for a position. So I left Monday morning at 5:45am, got on a train to Nagoya, then the Shinkansen to Tokyo and after a total of 5hours, arrived in Saitama. I went to the office and after filling out paperwork and talking to both the owner and my future boss; they told me that they would give me a contract. However I had to pass the interview with the BOE before they could do that. So I went with my coordinator to Saitama city hall and met the BOE. They liked me and offered me a job here in Saitama city. I would be working in two elementary schools and jr. high school. Being that I needed a job and this was exactly like the one that I had already gotten I accepted. I started the next day. So I found a place to stay and am waiting. My company wants to put me in a more permanent place since I am helping them finish an original contract that a woman who had to leave because of cancer couldn’t finish. So for now I am here for the next few months and well I will then be moving to Fujioka, Gunma to my new apartment that is a two bedroom and teaching in their public schools for the next few years. So far things here are great. The kids are a lot of fun and the staff is very friendly and energetic. Right now it is snowing outside and the hallways are cold, however the office is nice and warm and everyone is just waiting to go home. I do have to practice my Japanese more and work on not being so scared to use what I know. Its weird being in a new place, however it is also very comfortable here. Right now I am hoping that things go well. The place I am t is a guest house for foreigners who rents to us daily to monthly. The woman there, Tin tin, is great. She has helped me a lot and I have made many new friends. A lot of them are teachers for other companies and we talk about work, ideas and back home. On Friday I have a interview at the school that will be broadcast on the school televisions during lunch time so that all the students are able to know who I am. Its funny when I walk down the hallways and student poke their heads out from the classes or the windows to get a look at me.
I still miss home, even though I do not call a lot and email as often as I please. However I now do have internet access and can talk online. I will get everyone a stable address as soon as I move in a few months. For no, just know that I am safe okay. I will try to come home in Late March, early April; however it may not be possible since right now money is well tight; so instead I may come back during my month off in the summer so that I can spend more time with people. Overall instead of one crazy week, you get to have me for two. Well I hope to hear from all of you eventually and I am going to find a good site for a blog and the send that address instead of a long email. Well take care and I hope that the weather is nice and that everything is going well for everyone.
Miss you all and hugs.
Tanyisha
So in my last email I think I wrote about how my old job was well; overall not a good place to be. From it being cold all the time in my room regardless of the air conditioner being on the hot setting; and using the kerosene heater. Things just were not working out. In the end I also am now again, fighting off another sinus infection. So I started to look for a better job with a company that would give me an apartment that is my own, not living with other people and having to wait for the restroom, shower, and even not being able to use the bathroom after a certain time in the morning. (Yes things were this bad.) So after trying to reason with my employer’s many times, I decided to well quit. After deciding this I got a message from a friend of mine and one of her friends was looking for a replacement for his position in the next city over. I thought okay let me go check this out and see what it is about before I decided. So I went; met the guy and his employer’s who were the leaders of the cities school relations department. They liked me and hired me and after learning that I would be working for the city and in public schools I wanted the job. Wanted being the key word here; since after I told my current employer’s that I was leaving them decided that they had to go and well make my life miserable. They went to my new job that found me an apartment and had already introduced me to one of the elementary schools, and well complained and showed them my contract saying that I can’t just leave. Even though in the contract it said my date of leaving was negotiable and it also said noting about quitting and that I had to stay for the whole year. During this time I was being harassed on a daily basis by both of my employer’s, (they were a married couple and the school was in their home) and of course they also were telling me everything they were doing to try and make it so that I couldn’t leave them. They even said that “You can stay here and work for free, you just have to apologize to us and we can figure out how you can pay rent and meals since we would not be paying you for your services.” So in the end they won, they lost me my new job, my apartment, and well my dream. However this was only for a few days. I was still going to move no matter what. Sunday came and I moved into s friend’s place, however on Friday I got a call from a company that works with the public schools and the board of education in those cities. They wanted me to come for an interview in Saitama for a position. So I left Monday morning at 5:45am, got on a train to Nagoya, then the Shinkansen to Tokyo and after a total of 5hours, arrived in Saitama. I went to the office and after filling out paperwork and talking to both the owner and my future boss; they told me that they would give me a contract. However I had to pass the interview with the BOE before they could do that. So I went with my coordinator to Saitama city hall and met the BOE. They liked me and offered me a job here in Saitama city. I would be working in two elementary schools and jr. high school. Being that I needed a job and this was exactly like the one that I had already gotten I accepted. I started the next day. So I found a place to stay and am waiting. My company wants to put me in a more permanent place since I am helping them finish an original contract that a woman who had to leave because of cancer couldn’t finish. So for now I am here for the next few months and well I will then be moving to Fujioka, Gunma to my new apartment that is a two bedroom and teaching in their public schools for the next few years. So far things here are great. The kids are a lot of fun and the staff is very friendly and energetic. Right now it is snowing outside and the hallways are cold, however the office is nice and warm and everyone is just waiting to go home. I do have to practice my Japanese more and work on not being so scared to use what I know. Its weird being in a new place, however it is also very comfortable here. Right now I am hoping that things go well. The place I am t is a guest house for foreigners who rents to us daily to monthly. The woman there, Tin tin, is great. She has helped me a lot and I have made many new friends. A lot of them are teachers for other companies and we talk about work, ideas and back home. On Friday I have a interview at the school that will be broadcast on the school televisions during lunch time so that all the students are able to know who I am. Its funny when I walk down the hallways and student poke their heads out from the classes or the windows to get a look at me.
I still miss home, even though I do not call a lot and email as often as I please. However I now do have internet access and can talk online. I will get everyone a stable address as soon as I move in a few months. For no, just know that I am safe okay. I will try to come home in Late March, early April; however it may not be possible since right now money is well tight; so instead I may come back during my month off in the summer so that I can spend more time with people. Overall instead of one crazy week, you get to have me for two. Well I hope to hear from all of you eventually and I am going to find a good site for a blog and the send that address instead of a long email. Well take care and I hope that the weather is nice and that everything is going well for everyone.
Miss you all and hugs.
Tanyisha