Actually You`re Boring

Usually it is the same thing every time. The same lame ass garbage regurgitated to me as if I started teaching last week. No new ideas or `real` shop talk ever happens. Instead, I am watched all day as if I am guilty of some twisted crime. I cannot focus my mind because there is a little man holding a small title with a massive ego up in my shit all day. They tend to follow me around like some lost puppy. They psychically put their nose in my business. I am sitting at a table going over a few mental notes in my head while some jackass leans over and ask random questions meant to confuse me. This boot licking sold-out Nazi has the idea in his head that since I am a front line teacher there must be something very fucked up about the way I work. He only needs to smoke me out and he will find that I am deeply fucked up and a shit teacher. At least, that is how folks of his stripe think. Yes, I am talking about mangers in the English teaching biz.

Truth be known, most foreign managers are nothing more than a troll for the Japanese managers who actually run shit. For some reason it is standard thinking in my biz that gaijin always listen to other gaijin. A lot of the times when you go directly to the J-managers and tell them whats up, they write you off, make a decision, and have some boring ass pillow bitter threaten you until you agree with the company. Mr. Pillow Bitter is usually, but not always, some lame prick who has the backbone of Judas. This person will do several things to force you to go with the company agenda: glaring stares, outright threats,lies, dismissive attitude, correct everything you say even if you are right, twist every word you say into a negative statement against the company and their favorite tactic of writing bad reviews of you until you give in. Sound familiar?

In their own minds they are god`s gift to Japan and English teaching. They are a `special` gaijin because the Japanese corp. world has chosen them to oppress, threaten and sell out their fellow foreign workers. In their mind that makes them slightly bit better than all the other foreigners in Japan. They spend their days in a false sense of perfection due to the Japanese managers(you know, the ones who actually run shit) fill their heads with how `professional` they are and what a `great` teacher they are. They quickly become addicted to the attention and are willing to do almost anything to maintain their `special` gaijin status. All other foreign teachers are considered a threat and must be sold-out and back stabbed at the first chance. For Example, if some teacher gets more students then every effort must be made to make that teacher look made. Remember! No one can be better than the `special` gaijin.

Call me crazy?! What I just described is so normal in Japan. At the end of the day is really gets on my nerves. I don`t understand this cutthroat shit that gets in the heads of most foreign managers in Japan. It must be some kind of fucked up complex in their heads. Gaijin managers act so much like the damn police that I am willing to bet that both are suffering from the same fucking problem in their heads. Come to think of it, out of all the gaijin managers I have dealt with only one actually had a fucking personality. I am serious about this. You know how police are so damn uptight and lame that offering them a ham sandwich upsets them? Well, that is the same crap you will get out of most gaijin managers. EVERYTHING is an issue for them. You WILL do something to piss them off. Once you have pissed them off you can sit back and watch them contradict everything which comes out of their mouth. Usually, I just sit back and listen. The hard part is not busting out in schoolgirl giggles while I listen to someone try to not look like a horse`s ass.

I wonder if they actually take time to stop and think about what they are doing? If any of these jokers would get real with me they would discover that I am not their fucking enemy. I actually like talking about teaching; but only with teachers who drop their ego. They would also discover that most of the things which they are told to talk shit about actually brothers me a little as well. If they could cut the bullshit for just a few minutes they would learn that we have almost the same struggle daily at work. Yet, they lack the ability to stop puking out massive bullshit to anyone coming in contact with them. Well, they can keep their lame `special` status. I will always be the better man.  

Pulling my Time..Handling my Business.

Another day has been fought, while not won, it has not been a losing effort either. I was able to get some much needed business rolling along well. There have been some very interesting e-mails floating around as of late. The kind of stuff which demands attention. I got it taken care of for now. People got contacted who needed contacting. Those who needed a little kick in the butt got kicked. I drudged though the sickness of greed and power plays to finally sit at home typing away on my home PC.

The stress of the day has not worn off completely yet. Hell, in Tokyo one can ever really shake the stress. Although, I do feel slightly relaxed and in far better shape compared to the mid-day balls to the wall rat racing. I drank a big bottle of beer when I got home. It helped a little but by no means was it enough. I would have drank more but payday looms around the corner leaving my wallet hungry for yen. When payday does arrive you may very well find me getting tanked down in the Cho. If the situation is right I may even enjoy the company of fellow drunken corporate dicks and leaches. Rest assured it will be all you can drink for me.

Sunday I must travel slightly outside Tokyo to a little place called Noborito. I have been there a few times before checking out the branch while doing E-vals and training. I never believed it would survive but to my surprise numbers have been up recently. I am not sure if this is due to keen sales or quality instructors but I am pleased all the same. I would really hate to see Noborito go under. We need to keep a decent foot hold in that area anyway. It looks to have a decent chance of becoming a stable branch. Hell, with the way the market is right now anything can happen during the 3rd and 4th quarters.


Yeah, I am pulling my time and handling my business here in our dirty little city called Tokyo. The ups and downs are really tough to deal with sometimes but I manage. Everyday something happens which shakes, and yet, reinforces my resolve to dig out a little life for myself here in Japan. So far, there have been parts of this process which has been far too easy. Although, there have been other parts which have proven to be much harder than I expected.

Another day will start up in a few hours. Maybe I will sleep for a bit. Maybe I will stayed glued to the hyper reality of the internet; catching two hours of sleep before getting ready for work. Either way it will do little to prepare my mind and body for another day of fighting the other bastards out there for a piece of the pie. Only pure will and stubbornness will give me the inner strength to put up a good fight.


The little voice in the back of my head says:

Yes, you are still in Tokyo. No. There is still no rest for the wicked.

Like a Mad Dog in Heat

You know, there is working hard, working your ass off, and then there is working in Japan. People in this nation work themselves to the bone at times. I used to be surprised and often wondered why people work so hard in Japan; until recently. If you just work as an instructor in Japan you really do not have to do so much to do your job well. If your lucky, or cursed, enough to break into management it becomes very clear as to why people have to work so damn hard in Japan. Truth be known, people are fucking lazy! For every one over worked person in Japan, there are at least 10 who do not do shit. If you show any ability to be a leader people will flock to you and load you down with work. There seems to be a general attitude of `Oh! He gives a shit. Give him all the work.`

So, I am sorry to burst people`s image of the hard working Japanese people. They only look like they are working hard all the time. For as many people you see working there ass off, there are twice as many people just going though the motions. I have learned this hidden fact of life in Japan from experience working in the land of the raising sun. I have seen people so quick to take the position of, `Look! It seems like he knows what is going on. Lets just follow him and do everything he says. If things fuck up it is his fault not ours.` So, they will follow you until things actually do fuck up. At that point, suddenly no one knows you and everything is your fault. I know some of you think I am kidding but this shit actually happens. You have to be very careful working in even the lowest level of management in Japan. People will screw you over in ways you could never dream of in the west.

Slowly, I have learned how to survive, yet I still makes mistakes sometimes when dealing with my Japanese counter-parts. One wrong word or move and your in the dog house until they feel you are worthy of notice again. This unique experience is something I never dealt with in America. I usually always knew exactly where I stood with upper management in America. If they did not like something I was doing they told me directly. In Japan it seems as if they do not do this kind of thing. If they have a problem with you, they do not tell you. Instead, they plan out a way to make you suffer for doing something they do not like. You have to play a damn guessing game in order to `feel out` where you stand with Japanese managers.

The best to do is never ask questions. If you do ask questions be very careful how you word your it. If you come to them very directly and straight forward they usually react in a negative manner. The Japanese seem to care about their own emotions a lot. In many cases, it depends on how they feel with respect to how serious they take you. It is a very different professional environment to say the least.

Overall, I am enjoying these challenges. Everyday something new happens which blows my mind, at the same time, motivates me to understand and carry out duties handed to me.

The Way to a Ghost`s Heart is to Buy Him a Case of Samuel Adams

If you want to get in my good graces real quick, all you have to do is buy me a case of my favorite beer. One of my instructors, Tony the sailor, understands the value of friendship. When he arrived at work yesterday he presented me with a case of the greatest beer created by the good old red, white and blue; Samuel Adams. I like Tony actually. I have even put my neck on the chopping block for him once. It was worth it because I feel that he has real potential as an instructor. Hell, how can I not like a guy who buys me a case of Sam.

I am, in effect, Tony`s boss. Although, I feel that I have been able to connect with him on a level that other management has failed to do. That is the secret to successful management; you have to make the personal connection with people. They have to feel that are working for you, rather than the company. Lets face it, most people hate the company they work for. Many people would rather stab their company in the back than take one for the team. This attitude can be changed and manipulated if you, as a leader, can make a personal connection with the workers. They will forget about how much they hate the company if they like you. They do things against their better judgment if they feel they are doing it for their friend rather than the company.

So, after receiving such a graceful gift from an instructor, I assume he feels that I am his friend. In truth I really am his friend. I know about his personal situation and what is happening in his life. I have taken the time to care about this fellow human. I buy him a beer from time to time,let him relax, and talk a little shit about various things. I try to get a good laugh out him. I want him to be a success. Although, I have had to bitch him out a few times about some professional things, he understands who butters my bread.

I hope to make these connections with as many instructors as possible. Hell, it improves moral greatly and give me a much more healthy social life. Sometimes I can talk an instructor into hanging with me totally removed from work; i.e. when we both have the same off day. This is good for them and good for me. We can have a good time and network about certain happens within the company.

So, here is a salute to Tony the sailor. May he become one of the best instructors in the company!

The Local Hang-Out

As I will be traveling around Tokyo at least once a week visiting different branches, I have decided that I must find a good local hang-out in each area. I have decided to do this for two important reasons: 1) I need a place to throw down a few rounds after a long day. 2) I must gather information about the instructor to get to know them better. So, I can kill two birds with one stone. Knowing a good place to relax after work, I can have a few beers while `feeling out` the instructor.

The challenge with this idea is trying to find the time to search out a good drinking spot. I could just go to the area on an off day and scope out a good place. This way I would appear to be knowledgeable about the area thus earning me some quick trust points with the instructor. The problem with scoping out a spot on an off day is that it would be taking away from my off time. The other option I have is arriving in the area very early, on the day I am to visit the branch, and finger a decent spot. Well, showing up presents an issue of timing. For most of the branches I will be showing at a time when all the bars and cool places will be closed to the public. I can walk around and see the outside of all the different hang-out spots, but I will have no idea what it is actually like.

My third option is to ask the if they know of a good place. The advantage of doing this is employee empowerment. They will feel like they are leading me. You know, `I showed the boss whats up` kind of thing. Hell, the instructor in the area should know better than me concerning a good place to have a few beers. If they can show me a good place that is a sign that they actually spend time in the area for other than working. It is good that instructors out into branch area. It is a easy way to get our name out into the community. Maybe some of the locals might think, `Look! Its those cool teachers from ----. I bet they give interesting lessons. Maybe we should go and sign up.` As long as the instructors are not raising too much hell having them out in the community is a big plus.

In the end I will most likely end up doing a combo of my three options. Some areas you only have to walk down the street and take your pick of the places to drink; while others take a bit of gum shoe work to find a decent spot. Still, I am sure I will go to an area in which only a person who has hung out there would know of the best hang-out spots. Anyway it is just a minor, yet important detail, that is all part of the fun of my job.