Haircut Madness

I really have been a bad little blogger. Life just goes so quickly here, its already December, Xmas is coming, life has been whizzing by. I am feeling settled in my house here, life is becoming a little more predictable which is nice (never thought I'd say that). I am getting to know my students, team teachers and schools better, its nice to build relationships around my work and feel a part of the place.
So the big news is, I got my first haircut in Japan yesterday. I wanted to cry for about two hours afterwards! The haircut itself is fine, pretty much what I wanted. It was just a very different experience to be sitting in the chair and completely unable to communicate what I wanted. It got down to pen and paper diagrams. Normally in NZ I really look forward to a haircut, its a time of pampering and zoning out for a while. Not the case in Japan. Next time I go, I am going to study for a week beforehand! It's all about learning right. I'm a sensitive wee soul. Ironically, this morning I am really enjoying my new short hair. I got a lot cut off. I am trying to grow out almost a decade of blonde hair dye. I just can't have regrowth for the rest of my life. Will brunette Rosie be as fun as blonde Rosie now that is the question.
The weather in Japan has really changed, it is raining more, a lot colder, the leaves are red and gold and falling off, and Christmas is coming. I am trying to adjust to this winter Xmas thing, its pretty cool really, but I think the southern hemisphere has the better deal. Long holidays, summer weather and Xmas and New Year all in one pop.
The thing that is really weird here is the work ethic. It's very Catholic and self-flagellating. In NZ, everyone really looks forward to Christmas Eve, no school or work for the holiday period. In Japan there is no school between Xmas/New Year yet the teachers are still required to come in and 'lesson plan'. It's like admitting you need time to relax and be away from your work environment, time to chill with your friends and family is a big no no. Japanese are unable to, or aren't permitted to take a decent break or relish some relaxation. I just can't relate to it, when I was talking to one of my young team teachers about it, she was saying she runs out of things to do. Japanese people have a reputation for working hard, but a lot of the time its just pretending. As long as they appear to be working, all is well. I will just never get that. In my mind, I want to go to work, do as much as I can reasonably do, and then when there is nothing left to do, go home because I do have a life outside of school. Lucky for me, as an ALT I get about two weeks holiday over the Xmas/New Year period. It sucks to be a real teacher.