Day 216 of writing every day.
If memory serves, there are no national holidays in Japan for the month of June, so this three day weekend in the middle of July is a long awaited reprieve from the five day work week for many. I think summer break is still going strong for students in the US, but it’s only just gotten started for some and hasn’t even begun for many students in Japan. August is when summer break really takes place and even the working world gets a few days of summer paid leave as part of the cultural observation of obon where the living take time to pay respects to the deceased at a time it’s believed their souls return to this world temporarily.
I, for one, am looking forward to working again. I wouldn’t call my situation ideal despite being free from the stress of work. Part of me is still sore about the rejected application for permanent residency. I’ve seen people talk about how they got it so easily by qualifying as “highly skilled professionals.” I won’t be able to rest easy until I know for certain I’m not in trouble with immigration for not having found a job within the standard deadline. I haven’t let myself be bothered with thoughts about it, but that’s because worrying about it does nothing to help with job hunting.
Job hunting this time really taught me that people think nothing of you and just use their prejudices to decide your worth based on a description of your life condensed into a few pages and not even bothering to get a good grasp of its contents. It’s like speed dating where you’ll be judged by your appearance and even though they’re no prize themselves, they’ll expect you to be at least a 8/10 or something and even then still treat you like 4/10 if lucky.
It’s like a miracle if you come across someone who is willing to engage and get down to your level. Well there might be more than a few, but often there’s going to be strings attached and skeletons in the closet.
I’ll be in touch with the company that’s offered to hire me once this three-day weekend is over. I’m busy with Aikido this weekend and feel quite worn out by all the physical activity. Still, there’s no guarantee I’ll be able to practice to my heart’s content once I start working again if I don’t get assignments that allow for it due to work hours and location. Enjoy the present while it lasts I guess.
Thanks for reading!
One Chance Works 