Payday!

After more than two months without a paycheck, I finally got paid yesterday. It was a tad less than I was expecting but that is because I did not work a full month in January so the next check will be bigger. It was a very good feeling to get paid again, in the States, I always had a job so I just took getting a paycheck for granted but when you don't get one for a while it almost feels like the first time you ever got a paycheck.

To celebrate, I had McDonalds for lunch and after classes last night, went to a gaijin bar named Rickers for a couple of drinks. Rickers was fun and the guy that runs it, Aki, speaks very good English, he has even been to Idaho a couple of times. It was fun talking to him and I also meant another English teacher there so he and I chatted for a bit.

Bah! Everyday at noon, the air raid sirens around the town go off and I still haven't gotten used to hearing them. I am on the roof again and out of nowhere the sirens start blaring, it scares the crap out of me everytime. The reason for the sirens is pretty good though, the area I am in has been known to get some wicked typhoons and if the air raid siren sounds three times in a row, I am suposed to find shelter because one is going to hit the town.

For those that don't know, typhoons are like really bad thunderstorms with almost hurricane strength winds. They cause flooding and will down power lines. Several years ago, Fukuchiyama was hit by a couple of very severe typhoons back to back and a good portion of the town was flooded. Fortunately, I live on the third floor of a concrete building, bring it on.

Anywho, I got paid and life is good now that I am not Kenny poor. I am going to the 100Yen store after classes and buying a bunch of those cube shelving units that snap together. It is time to actually build and furnish my apartment. After I am finished, I will finally post pics of the kind of bachelor pad that I know everyone will be dying to own after seeing mine.

Time to go teach some wee ones, I will post more later!