Work is stupid. Lots of politics and people aren't doing their jobs. Reactive management all over the place. A fax was sent out today all about this and that and be sure to always be in your dress code and don't bother the receptionists and something else stupid and piddly. As far as I can tell it's problems with one or two certain teachers. This is not the right way to go about things. You have a situation. It needs to be dealt with. But it doesn't concern the entire school, or even MOST of the teaching staff. Deal with the people directly that need to be dealt with and allow the others to continue in the positive environment they were living in. It is ineffective and demoralizing to come down hard on an entire staff when it is the actions of one or two that need to be modified. This is the aspect of reactive management that I don't like. Managers come up against a difficult situation and of course you don't want to have to deal with it again so instead of talking to the people directly they involve all staff in an attempt to curb any future unwanted behaviours. The problem with this thinking is that it does nothing to actually curb the behaviour at hand because the specific perpetrators probably have no idea that they are causing grief. Instead it causes the staff as a whole (most of whom are completely abiding by appropriate behaviour and guide lines) to question each other as well as themselves. I saw the fax and immediately I felt like I was being scolded. I then started to think of all the things that could possibly be a problem. I often talk to receptionists, I think that we should be encouraged to do so, so that we all feel like we're part of a greater team as opposed to the divisiveness that occurs with an us vs. them mentality (which I have seen actually lead to racism at the school, all the Japanese receptionists are stupid, all the gaijin teachers are stuck up and conceited). So now I start doubting myself. Who have I offended? What have I said wrong? Upon reflection there's a darn good chance that it has absolutely NOTHING to do with me but because it is out there, although due to only a minute few individual's behaviour, I feel like I need to be walking on egg shells.
There is much that I want to complain about and to say to help them improve, but quite frankly I don't want to rock the boat so I will continue on my path, doing as I believe is within the bounds of the framework they have set for us, and I will keep my mouth shut.
It's officially winter. People everywhere are complaining about how cold it is. I checked the weather report. It's only 10 degrees at night. I don't believe it. It feels way colder than it does on the island. Not that it's bad, and certainly not as bad as people make it out to be. All you need is a sweater under your jacket and away you go. The mornings are pretty chilled though, I have to admit. Especially seeing that tonight is clear. It drops pretty good with no cloud cover, which is why I don't believe it's only ten. That said, I have had my heater on the last two nights. I may like it cooler, but I still like to lie around with no clothes on. Not that I've been able to, even with the heater on. It's still kinda drafty.
Last night I moved my kotatsu into my tatami room. I feel all cozy and much more comfortable sitting on my bed as I'm on the comp. So now I have an entire room in my house that is completely empty except the closet in the room, my rice cooker, and some jackets and packs that are hung on the wall. I may move a coat or two into this room now where I used to hang my yukata. The surprising thing is that even with the heater on, my closet and all the clothes therein are positively ice. I even leave the door open, the heat just doesn't seem to make it's way into the space.
