times they are a changin'

The new members of the 2006 きよいくいいんかい--no idea how to spell that department (even though its my current employer and the people who brought me to Japan.) We lost a few faces and gained some news ones in the March Madness, and last evening was a celebration of the comings and goings of new staff @ the やくば.
My new supervisor: Higashi-san

(Momー dont you think he bears a strangely close resemblance to our cousin JJ from Jersey. )

Kadomae-san & Ojima-san: New, but I'm not sure who they are replacing or what their job titles are? I'm pretty sure they don't know the answers either. But they are like two peas in a pod and inseparable in the office it seems.

Masato is out, Miyuki is in. Where was Miyuki last nite? It seems I have no pictures of the person I will be working with most closely while in the office! Oops...but in my own defense, the Asahi was better than ever last nite and I wasn't camerahappy like usual.

まさとーおさわになれました！とてもたのしかったです！ありがとうございます！まったね！

Newbies and oldies...here is the current office staff @ the after party. Got home a bit after 1:00 AM on a Tuesday, knowing we had to get up and face the music by 8:00 AM. Probably shouldn't have ordered that last round @ 12:45...でもたのしかったですね！

Masato & Sakamoto-san (pictured at far right) are off to new jobs and I will certainly miss their youthfulness around the office! From left: Haiyashi-san, Higashi-san, Sotojoh-san and Kobashi-san. Good luck to you guys! がんばてください！

Former translator Masato & new supervisor (who might not need a translator at all!?) as he has a few years of English studies under his belt! Taira, who works @ the library, was @ the party as well. I don't quite understand how the library, fitness center and hospital are related to the Board of Education...but somehow they are and everyone from these facilities was on hand to imbibe as much alochol as possible in the alotted 2.5 hour time limit.

After 4 enkais in 6 days, I must summarize my misunderstandings of these spendy 'work parties.' So we pay 5000 Yen to sit down (IN assigned seats) to long tables of food that they couldn't pay me to eat in the first place. You get a small sippy-cup size glass to drink warm beer from, while the smoke billowing in the room leaves your eyes burning for at least 3 days afterward. Usually it is a nabe -style meal--which means the few foods that CAN be cooked are done so, by YOU! I'm miffed and left wondering, what am I paying for? I cooked my own food, poured my own drinks and didn't have a choice as to what I wanted to eat or where I wanted to sit! For 5000 Yen/40 US Dollars a meal, it better be a smorgasbord of my favorite ethnic cuisines, complete with open bar (margaritas and screwdrivers please) and a dessert bar twice the size of the aforementioned international buffet, served by waitrons wearing white gloves and chefs hats, while seated in comfy leather highback chairs. Call me picky, but I can't justify dropping that amount for 2.5 hours of 'fun'. I spend 2500 Yen a WEEK on groceries that are delicious, nutritious, palatable and recognizable. And so, like many other aspects of Japanese culture, the enkai experience, is a bit too structured for my taste. The NEW meets the OLD. 2 supervisors, past and present, couldn't be more different--but I respect them for their unique ways and look forward to working with Higashi in these last few months ahead. It only took 8 months for the past supervisor to engage in conversation with me, better late than never I suppose. Really enjoyed his alcohol induced jovial personality, if only we could put him on an Asahi drip during the day, the office would have been so much more lively. Maybe I will suggest it at the next enkai...
2006: Board of Education