Work, or lack thereof

I'm a bit embarrassed that I'm actually getting paid right now. The first few days of "work" here consisted of meeting all sorts of people around Kosaka, doing the diplomacy dance, opening a bank account, and other necessities like that, but...wait a tic...I get to do this during work hours? Without taking vacation time? And you'll ferry me around town in the city-owned car and help me with everything? Heh heh. This ain't right, but it still puts a teensy smile on my face.

Now that most of the prerequisites to a comfortable life here have been taken care of, work is, well...*ahem* I show up. I study Japanese, write in my blog, read e-mail, find other ways to keep myself entertained for 8 hours, and then go home. Oh, and there's a 45 minute break from these rigors for lunch. Every now and then there'll actually be some stimulating conversation with a coworker, but they all seem to keep busy most of the time. Thank God, Vishnu, Krishna, Buddha, Amaterasu, Jehovah, and possibly even Yahweh (plus anyone else who's listening) that this won't continue much longer, because I'm seriously considering sharpening some bamboo twigs and giving myself a tattoo, just to fill the time. Starting on the 20th, though, I actually report to the junior high school instead of the city office I'm presently at, and then I'll be able to get to know the people I'll be teaching with, along with preparing lesson plans, etc. And I'll have a desk of my own that I can decorate in suitable gaijin fashion. Suggestions, anyone?