Networking

My free wireless service provider, whomever he or she may be, is great, but it isn't always on. The sporadic connection at home along with no Internet at work so far (working on that ...) means I'm not online so often, so blogging will be sparse until I get this stuff sorted out.

Yesterday was our first full day of "work," but really we have very little to do until the students come back to school at the end of the month. We can use the time reading of textbooks or teaching material, preparing our self introduction speeches, arranging photo slideshows, etc. But that can only take us so far.

We also registered yesterday for our "gaijin card," simply a card working as an ID for a foreign resident of Japan. Today we're going to open our official bank account (the future home of my salary deposits, I assume) and begin a cell phone plan.

Meanwhile, not even a week from the three-night party that is the Tokyo Orientation, we've got two party events going on beginning tonight with a welcome party for new JETs in the Ise area, capping tomorrow with a beach party followed by obligatory after parties.

It's 10 to 8 and blazing hot/humid out there, and it's about time to begin the trek to Yamasho. Oh, and Sam (the other ALT at my school; she is from Singapore) and I have been invited to go watch the school's baseball team vie for the national championship next week ... exciting, yes?

Gotta run ... err ... walk into the death blaze of the rising Ise sun.