I was thinking that my degree is probably useless by now. It`s been 7 years since I graduated. I might`ve had a job in my chosen field but the offer came too late.
       I could`ve stayed were I was but I needed to work. So I moved back home.
      Anyway, I finally moved to Japan in 08. I`ve been working as an English teacher ever since. I guess I could get a teaching cert....but I`m not sure I want to teach in the public school system.
Having those summers off would be pretty awesome though.
      I`m thinking that I might like to work for myself. My father said "it`s the hardest job I`ve ever worked but I wouldn`t go back to working for other people."
     What to do though.... Therein lies the problem. I don`t have any concrete skills that would allow me to work for myself. The Ex said I should get a masters degree and then teach at the community college level. Foreign relations and the like. I`ve actually got a few ideas. Maybe I should do all of it. Get a teaching cert then get a masters and then do something else. There isn`t a guidebook so I`ll just have to do the best I can do.

What am I to do...

Well, it`s happened. After having one of the shittiest years of my life, I got divorced. 

I feel like I`m in a boat adrift at sea. I guess I should at least tell my folks. I haven`t though.
I just want to forget about it. I just want to figure out wtf I should do next. I`m not stuck here.
I can leave if I want to. But, I have a few reasons not to leave just yet. I still have friends here.
Still, there are places I`d like to visit. The decision to stay isn`t difficult at all.
It`s the "what next" that bothers me more than anything. I`m trying to see it as a positive.
I`m roughly middle aged. Wtf am I to do? I`m reminded of a joke from Louis CK. "I`m 41, maybe I`ll do the second half gay". I`m certainly not going to do the second half gay.
The idea of doing the opposite of the way I`ve always done. That`s what keeps coming back.

        It`s been a while and I`ve had a few things on my mind. I`ve been reading some J-blogs and found that I`m not the only person who thinks there are many very unattentive Japanese people wandering the streets, driving cars and so on. I think the worst when a pack of people are spread out across the sidewalk shoulder to shoulder or handlebar to handlebar. Drives me fucking bonkers. I just hold my ground and stay the course. They move.
        I did try going around a drunken pedestrian and bumped him. See the "shit" post about that one. I don`t like stereotypes but as a friend said, they exist for a reason. Not everyone is completely absorbed in what they are doing but many are. Be careful out there.

Weddings

My wife`s cousin is getting married on Sunday. So, we`ll be getting up at the ass-crack of dawn to drive there. I`m not driving thankfully. We can only afford one of us going. What I mean is that people give money to help the bride and groom recoup the cost and the cousin chose a big fancy hotel to get married in and so we`re paying more than the standard \30,000 and paying \50,000 to them. So I`ll be wandering around Tokyo. Nice.

For those living in Japan

I found an interesting website. www.debito.org  check it out if you haven`t already. Lots of good info about living/surviving in Japan.

Shit

My paycheck this month will be about 190 dollars less than last month for no apparent reason. Fuck. On my way home I brushed/bumped a guy on my bike. He and 2 drunk buddies were spread out across the sidewalk as many Japanese people tend to do. He yelled and I was already pissed. I hit the breaks, he ran up to me.　ぶつかったんだよおめえ。。。すみません as I rolled my I eyes. おせんだようおめえ。。なまえまんだい。。。いらないだろう I said。。。。blablablah and kicked my bike as I rode away.  I wasn`t gonna risk my visa on a drunk asshole. I`m not saying I wasn`t in the wrong..... some fucking people.

Eating out

There are lots of good restaurants here in Japan. Many of them foreign. For example, I went to the Outback Steakhouse last night for dinner in Shibuya. It`s just like it is in the U.S..  I always get the bloomin onion. Terrible for my health, I know, but they are delish. Had steak and ribs. I should say we had steak and ribs because my wife and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary. Aaww, yeah, yeah. Before that we went to Ameyokocho in Ueno and had sashimidon. I had salmon and wife had toro. Again, delish. For \500 what a deal!
A lot of people either have no idea what Japanese people eat or they think everyone eats raw fish. Japanese folk love good food just like everyone else. You can get basically any kind of food that you want here in Japan. French and Italian are very popular as is Chinese. Vietnamese and Mexican not so much yet but seem to be increasing. Oh how I miss those two! Quality is usually very good. I love going to the grocery store and buying things that have been prepared there in the store because they are cheap and tasty. Here`s a tip, if you are grocery shopping in Japan, wait until an hour or so before closing time. They usually discount lots of items, especially meats, and you can get some really good deals.
Speaking of food, I`m hungry......