Live from Japan!

Right now, it is summer vacation for the students in Japan. Summer vacation began several weeks ago and will continue until August 24th. Unlike the United States, summer vacation for students does not mean summer vacation for the teachers. Teachers are expected to continue showing up for work each day, unless they take paid leave.

Teachers receive 20 days per year of paid leave, to use at their discretion, from what I understand these days are used for everything – vacation, sick leave, family leave, personal business, etc. Days can be carried over from year to year, but the maximum number of days that can be stored is 40. If the number reaches more than 40, days are forfeited, simple as that. Despite the fact that days are lost, Takano sensei (my supervisor) tells me that very few teachers use all their paid leave days in a year. Apparently it is frowned upon and shows a lack of dedication. Not to worry, they don’t hold me to those standards, and I will be using each and every day of my paid leave!

Last week, despite the summer holiday, the office was buzzing. Most teachers and administrators came to work and worked diligently. I had people to talk to, some in English and some in Japanese. I had people to go to lunch with, I was introduced to some awesome restaurants. And I had people to ask questions and get answers. Even with all the people around, I had very little work to do and a lot of free time on my hands.

This week is the opposite. It is the last full week of summer holiday and many teachers have chosen to use some of their paid leave. Yesterday was by far the loneliest day since I have been here, and that is most likely because there was nobody here.

In fairness, there were two teachers at work in the morning. Both of them are English teachers, and both of them sit in my row in the staff room. They are lovely company. At about 11:30am, they started packing up their bags. I watched them carefully as they packed up their belongings, unaware that they had both signed up to take a half-day of paid leave. I looked around the staff room and realized that there was nobody else there. I was going to be the only one.

Before they left, Hattori sensei sat down to chat with me, one last time. She must have also sensed my uneasiness about being left alone for the remainder of the afternoon. She proceeded to ask me what I would do if someone came in and attacked me. Her comment kind of took me off guard. I had no idea that this was even something I should have been concerned about, it had never crossed my mind.

She told me that if someone came in to attack me, I should fight back. I am a strong, foreign woman. As she said, “you could beat just about any Japanese.” I was glad to have her confidence, but still a little confused by the conversation that we were having. As I waited, unsure about how to respond, a male teacher entered the office.

He said the usual, shitsurei shimasu (excuse me) as he entered and shuffled right past us. Hattori sensei looked at him, waited until he was out of ear shot, and continued to talk. “At least he is here,” she said, “although, I do not think he would be much help. He is not very strong, I think.”

“What makes you say that,” I asked her.

“Well, one day he came in with a big bandage on one of his fingers. I asked him what happened. He seemed a little shy, not wanting to tell me, so I asked again. He told me that his wife bit his finger. He had to go to the hospital and get stitches.”

We both shared a chuckle and I asked her why his wife had bitten him. She explained to me that he works very hard, usually he stays quite late at school. Apparently his wife was upset with him for being late for dinner and not being able to see his children before they went to bed. So she bit him. At least that is the story that Hattori sensei was given.

The conversation ended with Hattori sensei reminding me that if I am attacked, that I should fight back on my own, not call on this other teacher because I am much stronger than him.

Thanks Hattori sensei for the vote of confidence, but I certainly hope I am not attacked while I am sitting in the staff room at school.