25th July

4.30am. It’s light and I’m awake. Bugger.

Had to go to Oji for gaijin card. Went very early. Good job I did. Learnt a very important thing about Japan today:

No one knows where anything is but, regrettably, that doesn’t stop them giving you direction anyway.

Got to Oji in under 15 minutes, but then went on a walkabout armed with a map. Asked three people and received three different sets of directions.

Some bowed. Some didn’t.

Heat astonishing.

Found City Hall. Half an hour early. filled out some forms. Had to fill it out again, because they couldn’t read my writing. Very strange hearing Japanese person say “Stoke-on-Trent”.

Had debate with pretty girl behind the immigration counter. Apparently my address didn’t exist. Well I say you don’t exist, you slightly alluring sexy Japanese girl in a tissue-thin summer dress.

Back to Saitama Shintoshin for training. All very straightforward.

Met a new guy called Steven. Good bloke. Speaks a good Japanese. Worked for NOVA.

Helmut tells me it’s not hot yet. Wait till next month, he said, then it really ramps up.

Shit.

Observation at a school in Takamadaira. Bloody miles away. Went there with Steven. Good job. What a trek. Very difficult to find.

Asked a bloke for directions. He started to give them, when another member of the public butted in and said…..”Nah, it’s this way”.

Both were wrong. See what I mean?

Found school eventually. Neil was teaching some desperate housewives when we came in.

I will be taking over from him and teaching them. They were very interested in me. I tell you….if I was 20 years older and they were 20 years younger. And looked more like Michelle Yeoh out of Crouching Tiger.

Went with Neil to KFC for lunch. I’m a bad man.

Neil tells me he married a Japanese girl. Helmut’s married to Japanese woman. So is Jed, another teacher. Steve goes out with a Japanese girl as well

Hmmm......


Came out of KFC to the hottest temp I’ve experienced. Ever. It was so hot I laughed. Madness.

Observed some kiddies classes. One that I will be taking. Already got my eye on one little shit: Yuki. Japanese for snow. Well just call me the Snow Plough, because he’s not behaving like that my class, let me tell you.