I think that I was incredibly lucky to get a job where I did.  My boss is beyond compare; even when the higher-ups started panicking about money, he made sure that my position wasn't cut back to part time.  And that's just one of the many things he's done for his staff.  My coworkers are also amazing.  I actually look forward to going to work, despite not really enjoying my job all that much, at least not recently.  Still, I'm not interested in looking for another job just yet.  Unfortunately, I can't say the same of everyone at my school.  The lead teacher, who's been incredibly over worked for the past few months, is packing up and heading off to France.  He's dating a former student, and decided that it's time to move on.  I can't say I disagree with him.  He's taught and worked at our school for quite a few years, and I can tell he's gotten out of it all that he can.  There's no opportunity for him to get promoted without a master's, and even with one, the Director of Studies position seems to exist in name only.  Most of our schools don't even have a DoS anymore; it seems that it's starting to be phased out.  So, job dissatisfaction and romance are calling him away.  He's done at the end of this week.

And then there's there Student Services Manager.  I actually know her from Kochi: she was there on the JET Program during my first year.  I think that's part of the reason I got hired, though she didn't really remember me at the time.  Anyway, she's got an interview somewhere next week.  It's bad enough losing one coworker, but two?  I'm afraid our boss will take it pretty hard as well; we're not just coworkers, but also friends.  The lead teacher's been living with our boss for a few months now because he was between apartments, and clearly needed to do some thinking.

I realize that things like this happen, but I've never been so happy with a job before.  It's amazing how the whole package just came together, and while the pay could be (much) better, the benefits are amazing.  That being said, I can completely understand where both of my coworkers are coming from.  There is no where to go in this company unless you want to take a job in Scranton, PA or Angola, IN.  I'm sure they're both lovely places, but I live in San Francisco.  It's tough to beat that.  If the interview goes well and the Student Service Manager moves on, I'll take over her job.  But then that's it; there's no further I can go without moving somewhere else, which is not really an option until Katy's done with law school, anyway.

So, I guess we'll see how things go.  I've been here for one year, so that at least is good.  Perhaps I'll take some time to update my resume, just in case.

Riding to work on the bus today, I got a call from Japan.  I lived there for three years as a teacher, and other than the other foreigners I met there, I don't keep in contact with anyone, really.  Well, except for Miyake-san.  He's the leader of the band I sang with in Umaji, and every once in a while he'll give me a call.  An international drunk dial, if you will.  Or even if you won't, I suppose.

It's always good to talk to Miyake, though he's often hard to follow.  Not only is he a mumbly oyaji, but a mumbly oyaji from Tosa.  And he likes to pepper his sentences with bits of English and Indonesian.  All that aside, he's a good guy, and we had a lot of fun nights out with the band singing, drinking, just hanging out.

I sometimes think that there's no reason to go back to where I used to live in Japan.  I've gone back a few times, and each time it's worse than the last.  All the kids I taught are long gone.  Most of my coworkers are retired or were transferred to other parts of the prefecture.  And, I'll be honest, I'm not certain I was all that likable.  Katy seems to think I'm okay, but I wonder if my bad attitude and obvious discontent with teaching brought me to my current melancholy state.

But then I get a call from Miyake and I know that I want to go back to Kochi.  Perhaps not Umaji - well except to eat at Yamanami, which is the best damn restaurant in the world - but definitely Kochi.

...that and Katy and I feel the henro sickness itching at our feet.