A Path Well-Trodden

I got paid yesterday after only three days of work. Actually it's an “allowance” because my visa doesn't permit any paid work. I was expecting ¥30'000 for the month but instead I got ¥50'000! That works out at about £214! Sure, for a full-time job that isn't much, but for what is essentially voluntary work it's pretty good. And they give me two hot meals a day too. I'll do a full post on my new job after I have been there at least a week, since I have a weekly timetable so I haven't worked in all the departments I am going to yet. One thing you have to love about Japan though is the number of national holidays they have. The next two Monday's I have off work for that reason so May and I are planning to seize the opportunity to do some proper sightseeing in Nagasaki. And you know what that means... lots of pictures!

I am really loving my apartment. Both May and I agreed that we were pleasantly surprised by our new lodgings. We were expecting something smaller, dingier and with fewer facilities, but we have all sorts of cool features. My tatami floor is just beautiful and the slidey paper doors (which aren't actually made of paper) are very Japanese-ey. Also, the fact that these rooms have been used by previous Gappers means there's loads of stuff they have left behind that we can use. This includes practical stuff like chopsticks and washing-up liquid, and fun stuff like books, videos, CD's and Japanese language guides. It's comforting knowing that this is a path fairly well-trodden by people before me.



Kimurasan – the woman overseeing my placement at the hospital – arranged for me to have weekly Japanese lessons for free at the so-called 'Nagasaki Brick Hall'. I had my first lesson yesterday and thought it was really good. I was surprised at who else was attending though – three middle-aged Indian women and a female basketball coach from New York. I was quietly smug that even though I was joining their class half way through the course, my Japanese was as good as, if not better than theirs. Previous Gappers seem to have been to this same class when they were here too because the textbook I need was sitting on the bookshelf at my apartment when I arrived. Just saved myself ¥2000 right there.