I finally couldn't take it any more and bought myself a bike (sorry for the blurred photo, but you get the idea). Not the high-speed tourer I'd like to get—with any luck, if I really budget myself I'll be able to buy one of those in a year or so—but a "mamachari" (from "Momma Chariot", I guess): it'll get me around town, and I can get a little bit of exercise and let off steam after (more likely before) work. And it was only ￥15,000, a little under $150.
I haven't written much lately, but that's mainly because I've been consumed in training. I'll be brief and say training is not exactly enjoyable. You choose six people, tell them very little about what is going to happen to them, give them no help when they get here, then act condescending and unsympathetic when you are training them, and you are going to have breakdowns and, possibly, people leave. I have neither broken down nor do I plan to leave, though I very often question whether I will do the job up to their standards. I do know people who are about to crack, and I think it is extremely unfortunate. Sure living in another country can be difficult and employers are unsympathetic, but a similar lack of sympathy is not an appropriate way to prepare people who have come to work for you.
I feel pretty good about things after my first day. I had a good time, and it was helpful to be around people in a similar situation. I'm pretty tired, though—I got home at 10 pm and it is now 12, and I'd gotten into a schedule of going to sleep at 10 the past few nights. I've tried really hard over the past 10 years to get into such a schedule for work, but now it appears I'll have to immediately switch back to one I'm more accustomed to, as my classes will primarily be 3–9pm.
When I came here the last time, it was enough for me to visit the parks and historical places of Tokyo; I didn't worry much about eating well or taking care of the environment. This time, I am starting out very differently; I have seen the sights, I know a great deal about the city, and it is more important to me to find the niches that satisfy my interests.
My bed, a thin but deceivingly comfortable piece of foam, came in yesterday, and I feel much less bruised today. It fits well in a corner of my room.