School…sucks?

So it’s been about three and half months since I got here, and I’ve been to all four of my schools. However, for the first 3 months of that time, I didn’t teach at my base school. It wasn’t until last week that I even started. The teachers don’t know me, and don’t care, and the same goes for the students. The teachers give me the cold shoulder or really make it awkward. Not getting invited to enkai’s and just being treated as someone who doesn’t belong makes you wonder why these people even asked for another English teacher.

To try and resolve this, I did what you do when your girlfriend gets angry at you. I bought them stuff. Because as most of us know, the key to a woman’s heart is your wallet. So I bought them candy and omiyage from Fukushima City, the capital city of our prefecture. I also dressed up on Halloween as a Pokemon, while walking into the standard Friday morning staff meeting. All of the teachers started laughing while the Prinicpal and Vice Principal just looked at me like “W-T-F dude? WTF?” None of them realized it was Halloween day, so they were shocked. I think I smelled something in the School Nurse’s pants too, she might have been really startled, or just laughed really really hard.

Everyday is a struggle, and it’s starting to wear on me, but I’m ganbarimasing, so hopefully it turns out ok soon.

Cultural Notes:

1. Enkai- (En-kai) – Japanese drinking party. Usually consists of unlimited food and drinks, where you get to see the more casual side of your colleagues.
2. Omiyage – (oh-me-ya-gay) – Gifts given to colleagues by someone who went on a trip out of town.
3. Friday Morning Staff Meeting – Pretty sure that every school has it, but a school meeting where all of the faculty gather in the staff room and have a huge meeting.
4. Pokemon – Gotta catch’em all
5. Halloween in Japan – According to the vice principal, brought to Japan about 5 years ago. Still not widely observed by many, but making its way up there.
6. Ganbarimasu – (Gone-bar-ee-ma-sue) – To try one’s best