Sorry for the lack of updates
I must apologise to you regular readers for the lack of updates over the past month. I have been pretty busy with work and some personal things and have hardly had the time to sit down and tap away at my keyboard. But the week at my school is coming to an end and so I find myself witha bit of time on my hands and an inkling to update you with what’s been happening in my life.
Since I got back from England at the end of August it’s been pretty busy for me, despite the 2 public holidays (and therefore long weekends) we’ve had. We’ve had Respect for the Aged Day on September 17th (I called my folks and respected them!), and we had a subsitute holiday for the Autumnal Equinox on the 24th. When a public holiday falls on a Sunday in Japan, the next day is taken as a subsitute holiday in lieu. Pretty good deal if you ask me, but the Japanese need as many holidays as they can get as they’re a very highly stressed out race. I don’t think I’ve met a people work such long hours. Note that they’re not so productive at work, but they work long hours. I’m sure if they did a reasonable amount of work during the day, they wouldn’t have to stay at work until 8 or 9pm at night. But that’s beside the point…
I’ve had a couple of diving courses start too, and I’ve had the expected lateness and cancellations from my students. Calls an hour before a session is due to start telling me that the student in question had just woken up hungover and had forgotten about the class, other telling me they can’t make it because they’re celebrating after a school event (a month after we were meant to meet previously, having cancelled twice before) and a couple of others have tested my patience. And of course, in any diving course there’s always one or 2 people who will turn up late, all apologies, but who you know will be late the next time too. But those who know me know that I’m a very tolerant and cool-headed person, and I’ve acted in quite impressive restraint in telling them they’d have to reschedule at a time that suits us both in the future. It’s a complete joke but there’s not much I can do about it unfortunately. I know that without the lure of alcohol and the chance to embarrass the foreign community in front of members of the Japanese public, it’s a hard sell I’ve got on my hands. Saying that though, I do have 2 cracking students at the moment, who will hopefully be doing Open Water dives 1-4 this coming weekend. They are by far the best students I’ve had going through theory and the pool sessions, and I’m sure they can continue it through to the ocean tomorrow. Hopefully my standard (and tardiness) of dive students my increase in the near future though. Kadena Marina, one of the US military dive shops, has offered me a part-time dive instructing job with them. I’d have access to the base classrooms, equipment, pools and base access. It will be a great opportunity for me as it will give me the chance to increase the number of students I certify, get a little extra money on the side, and possibly open up the door to staying in Okinawa whenever my teaching contract finishes. I am waiting to get the contract from the dive shop, but will let you know how that all goes. From what they were saying before, they wanted me working for them from mid-October, so I expect to hear something soon.
Chernobyl - finally a solution?
As an announcement is made that the nuclear reactor site at Chernobyl is to be enclosed in steel, replacing the crumbling concrete casing, people are hoping that it is going to signal the end to the 1986 disaster.
Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko has hailed the plan, calling the day of announcement to be when, “A solution to the problem that has long been called the Chernobyl problem was formally found”.
Reading around this subject in the absence of my students’ sports day today, I found the following, saddening and sobering account of the legacy of this disaster:
http://todayspictures.slate.com/inmotion/essay_chernobyl/
This new case for the site can’t fix the people already hurt, but maybe it can limit future pain and suffering here.
Abe’s back, back, back, back, back…….. gone!!!
Just watching a news conference with J-colleagues and Shinzo Abe, I believe is in the process of resigning. 
So much for his “Beautiful Japan”. The final straw came for him when he declared at the end of last week that if people didn’t support him on the military in Afghanistan, he would resign. He expected people would rally round him like they did with Koizumi to an extent. They didn’t, and most were saying good riddance.
There’s a strange buzz going round the office at the moment. Have to say it made for a great UN lesson at my school. The story started to break just as the class started, so I announced it in our “world news” section. The kids started to get interested and spent a lot of the class researching, shouting out news as they found it on the net and were genuinely interested in what was happening.
So, what does the future hold for the Japanese government? Well, a few weeks ago Taro Aso was mentioned as being a possible successor. At the moment the story has only just come out but I’ll follow-up with more information as it comes in
NRL biggest hits of 2007
As most people know, rugby league is one of my biggest passions. And some of the biggest thrills for me come not from a length of the field try (Wigan score very few of those anyway these days, but that’s beside the point!), but a big tackle. Managed to find this little video of some of the best hits from Australia in 2007.
Hold onto your chairs - there are some big ones in here!
Luciano Pavarotti R.I.P.
This is probably mentioned on thousands of other blogs and in more articulate ways than here, but the world lost a great voice this week with the passing of Luciano Pavarotti, aged 71, to cancer. A legend in the UK due to his singing of Nessun Dorma being the theme for the 1990 World Cup. By all accounts a great person, and with a voice that makes the hair on the back of your next stand on end.
Rest in peace Luciano.