So This Is How It Ends

I'm not sure I even know where to begin for this post. A lot has transpired since I last wrote about anything but NOVA. Well I guess thats a better place than any to start.

Over the past few weeks NOVA has been through its toughest time to date. Pay has been late for the Japanese staff for I believe three times in a row (this month included) and last month for us teachers. The titled instructors only got paid for last month 3 days ago which thankfully was just in time for my AT to not have to cancel his east Asia holiday. Over 200 branches have been or are scheduled to close, but this reliable fact comes not from NOVA itself, but from the Japanese media (we are just kept in the dark).

Our AT finished up on the 16th of Sep, which was manageable, but due to the crisis two of our other teachers just left without notice so there was a mad scramble to cover shifts and get help from other branches. The three of us remaining all had to do overtime and personally I had to take almost half the kids classes that our branch has and I'm not exactly a huge fan of kids classes. Now don't get me wrong, some of my kids are fantastic, but between precocious brats, A.D.D, and crazy parents it doesn't leave you much time to catch your breath (esp when your taking 12 classes a week). We have two new guys in, both from England. Phil I have mentioned before, but on Wed Matt arrived and moved into my place. I feel sorry for the guys as they have come into such a shit storm and stressing about work is the last thing you need to do when you move to a new country. Also, because NOVA couldn't pay the rent on Phil's apartment, the landlord has kicked him out, so as I leave, Phil is moving into my place.

Now I'm sure that lots of you out there have been frantically fixing up your resume in between gaining self gratification by reading too much into all the posts on Gaijin Pot and the like, but a warning to all those who take such things so seriously: PEOPLE ARE PISSED OFF! DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ! Now this flows both ways as I also have no faith in the letters sent by the head of NOVA telling us every things going to be alright (it would help somewhat more if his Engrish wasn't so melodramatic and stoic too). People feel helpless and scared in times like this and need a place for the world to hear their grief. Theres nothing wrong with that, but we must realize this as we read. OK! Come to your own decisions, make your own choices instead of getting swept up in the lynch mob who's only power is to run away. Don't lie down and just take it by any means, but think about whats best for YOU in the long run, not whats going to piss someone off in the here and now.

With that said, if the company is going under I don't think I will look for work in Japan. I have a room and a job available in London (at least for a while) and the prospect of traveling through Europe would be too tempting to pass up. I don't want to leave Japan, I love it here, but it would be time to move on if the worst happens.

Just now the newest problem is my moving day. I have a truck coming in a couple of hours to take my stuff to Hiroshima, only to realize that the guy who's room I'm taking isn't out till tomorrow. AGGHHHH!!!! Waiting on a call from him as we speak. I have just taken a look at the lease for my new place and unfortunately it does say the 2nd, but i organised the day off with work about a month and a half ago and if it wasn't for the shift swap i would be working today in Hiroshima. All I can hope for is enough free space in the apartment for me to dump my stuff and either stay in a hotel or at a friends place for the night, but I have to work tomorrow in Hiroshima, so I don't know what they were thinking when they made my lease start from the second. Who knows if anyone WAS actually thinking. I know I should have looked at the sheet more closely, but I thought this had been organised.

On another note, Brayden's not able to make it to Japan as expected so I have to decide what I'm doing over the New Years break again. I don't think I can afford London, but then again I have so much going on that I cant even think about this just yet.

Finally to end my long rant; I'm single again. Not going to go into the details in such a public forum, but lets just say that it couldn't have come at a worse time with everything thats going on...

...and thats how it ends.

Jim.