My Boss
This past Wednesday I had yet another enkai, this time with the Board of Education. It was fairly fancy, really good food, and more alcohol than you could shake a stick at. See previous posts on how Japanese you work with typically react when drunk, and that goes the same for this one as well. What was interesting, however, was my interactions with my boss of bosses, the Superintendent.
Now, this is an interesting man to begin with. He’s the tallest Japanese person I’ve ever met, standing above even me. He’s one of my smoking buddies at the BoE, but never really says anything to me. Every so often he’ll just look at me, say something very quickly in Japanese, and then spend the rest of the break like I don’t exist. Sometimes I worry that he’s yelling at me for slacking or something, but then I figure I’m so far down the food chain that I don’t even rate his authoritative attention.
Then came the enkai, and while nothing has changed (he still ignores me on our smoke breaks), I had some interesting experiences that night.
While everyone was filing out of the banquet hall, Supes (as we like to call him) came up behind Ray and I and asked us if we wanted to join him for a few drinks. He was obviously trashed off his ass, and we figured it would be funny, so we decided to join him. The three of us and some other random drunk dude that never talked to me before went to this small little bar where Supes started drinking when he was 20, and goes there twice a week to this day. I’m pretty sure he’s about 60 now. I’m also pretty sure that the bartender there has been working there every day for the past 40-50 years.
At the bar, Supes kept telling me to drink more and more. I tried to respectfully decline at some point because, well, I had to teach elementary school the next day. He wasn’t having any of that, and so was attempting to, quite literally, force alcohol down my throat. My 60-year-old boss. I guess in the end I couldn’t resist and just kept drinking.
Eventually, as I got more trashed, I decided to ask Supes if he had any information on a teacher in the Joyo school district. Apparently, she’s a kindergarten teacher, was at the enkai that night, and is quite attractive, so I just wanted to know if she was married. When Ray asked for me, you’d think I just punched Supes in the face. He yelled several times “Dame!” which is Japanese for "bad." I was like, what, what’s going on, when he started hitting me and saying “You are now my rival! My rival!!” Thank god Ray was there to translate, as I don’t know what I’d do if I just thought my boss was randomly hitting me.
Thankfully, he stopped, and over the course of the remainder of the night, he would occasionally look at me, yell “DAME!” and move to hit me, muttering something about being rivals. Once I learned what to look for, it was no danger and I could avoid the beatings, but still, I figured it’s never a good thing to have your boss try to kill you over a girl.
Eventually, it was time to leave, but just as we were getting up, Supes orders a 40. Once he receives the 40, he immediately puts in into my trench coat pocket and says “for the way home.” Well, it’s a five-minute walk home, but ok, thanks. And so, we called it a night, having consumed a tremendous amount of liquor (none of which I paid for) and a 40 in my pocket. It was good times. Except for the whole hitting thing.
On a side note, I would like to mention that Japan has no open container laws, so you’re more than welcome to walk down the street drinking beer. However, this is not suggested, as if you live in a small town, no matter what time it is, you’re bound to run into your students, who will see you just as you’re in the middle of taking a swig, and then begin yelling things at you in Japanese… sigh, I am really worried about some of the rumors about me going around the schools.
Now, this is an interesting man to begin with. He’s the tallest Japanese person I’ve ever met, standing above even me. He’s one of my smoking buddies at the BoE, but never really says anything to me. Every so often he’ll just look at me, say something very quickly in Japanese, and then spend the rest of the break like I don’t exist. Sometimes I worry that he’s yelling at me for slacking or something, but then I figure I’m so far down the food chain that I don’t even rate his authoritative attention.
Then came the enkai, and while nothing has changed (he still ignores me on our smoke breaks), I had some interesting experiences that night.
While everyone was filing out of the banquet hall, Supes (as we like to call him) came up behind Ray and I and asked us if we wanted to join him for a few drinks. He was obviously trashed off his ass, and we figured it would be funny, so we decided to join him. The three of us and some other random drunk dude that never talked to me before went to this small little bar where Supes started drinking when he was 20, and goes there twice a week to this day. I’m pretty sure he’s about 60 now. I’m also pretty sure that the bartender there has been working there every day for the past 40-50 years.
At the bar, Supes kept telling me to drink more and more. I tried to respectfully decline at some point because, well, I had to teach elementary school the next day. He wasn’t having any of that, and so was attempting to, quite literally, force alcohol down my throat. My 60-year-old boss. I guess in the end I couldn’t resist and just kept drinking.
Eventually, as I got more trashed, I decided to ask Supes if he had any information on a teacher in the Joyo school district. Apparently, she’s a kindergarten teacher, was at the enkai that night, and is quite attractive, so I just wanted to know if she was married. When Ray asked for me, you’d think I just punched Supes in the face. He yelled several times “Dame!” which is Japanese for "bad." I was like, what, what’s going on, when he started hitting me and saying “You are now my rival! My rival!!” Thank god Ray was there to translate, as I don’t know what I’d do if I just thought my boss was randomly hitting me.
Thankfully, he stopped, and over the course of the remainder of the night, he would occasionally look at me, yell “DAME!” and move to hit me, muttering something about being rivals. Once I learned what to look for, it was no danger and I could avoid the beatings, but still, I figured it’s never a good thing to have your boss try to kill you over a girl.
Eventually, it was time to leave, but just as we were getting up, Supes orders a 40. Once he receives the 40, he immediately puts in into my trench coat pocket and says “for the way home.” Well, it’s a five-minute walk home, but ok, thanks. And so, we called it a night, having consumed a tremendous amount of liquor (none of which I paid for) and a 40 in my pocket. It was good times. Except for the whole hitting thing.
On a side note, I would like to mention that Japan has no open container laws, so you’re more than welcome to walk down the street drinking beer. However, this is not suggested, as if you live in a small town, no matter what time it is, you’re bound to run into your students, who will see you just as you’re in the middle of taking a swig, and then begin yelling things at you in Japanese… sigh, I am really worried about some of the rumors about me going around the schools.
posted by S A B at 12:02 AM
1 Comments:
Well, the rumors going around at BGSU about you were kinda the same- that you are a Jesus-like character who drinks and smokes. I don't know if your film students ever swarmed and sniffed you, but I bet Regan has tried to strangle you a few times. So did the 60 year old supe think he was going to go for the hot young teacher? The weirdest things happen to you over there. I want to come!
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