Being sick - worried or selfish?

[Otaku]

I'm sure you've all seen this incident time and time again. Someone in the teacher's room comes to school wearing a mask and has a couple of sniffles. The entire room explodes in something that resembles a nuclear bomb telling that person to go to the hospital. Well, that happened to the teacher sitting next to me today.

There were 7 teachers gathered around this teacher for about 10 minutes telling her she needs to go to the hospital. She emphatically kept telling them she can't because her students have a test today, to which they responded give the test to another teacher. I don't she wanted to because her test looks a little messy. I know...I had to proof-read it.

After everyone finally got it through their heads that she wasn't leaving school, everybody scattered and I leaned over and asked her, "Are the other teacher's REALLY worried about you or are they worried about themselves and might possibly catch what she might have?

With all the fake insincerity and passive aggressiveness going on in Japan, what do you think?

[regardo]

they just wanted her to wast some good nenkyu

[gsuiris]

My teachers do the same thing. Some of it I think it general worry for their co-worker, but I think a lot of it is for themselves. I would say it just depends on the person. No one wants to get sick because someone else is too stubborn to go to the doctor! The other teachers may also fear that if the person doesn't catch something early it could get worse and then that teacher would have to miss even more work.

I'm sure that the whole gaman attitude in Japan doesn't really help things, as people feel pressured to stay late, come to work, etc., I read an editorial yesterday that made me think - if there was an outbreak of a new strain of the flu here, so many people would just go to work anyway, thus increasing the possibility of infecting others.
editorial
Japan Times article on a flu pandemic

[Otaku]

Here's the clash that I see: gaman versus constant nagging for what seemed like an eternity. I would imagine a true 'gaman' attitude would say, "Stay at work. Tough it out..."

I also read that editorial yesterday. I wanted to lock myself in my house and not come out ever again...

[Paul]

We've had a flu warning in place here in Okinawa for nearly a month now, well over 5,000 cases have been reported so far.

Ok now at school if the teacher is that bad, sniffling, coughing, the Kyoto or Kocho at my schools WILL send their arses to the Doctor because they are a potential threat to otehr teachers and students as well.

It also calls their common sense into question as well.

Now if it is just a few sniffles and nothing major? The other teachers are just doing their obligatory, aww you caught a cold, we all know it isnt that bad, but to make you feel better we are going to OVER exagerate our concerns for you and your situation and get the hell on with our jobs.

A few years ago I caught the flu and at first I wasnt feeling too bad, it was a Monday AM, I went to school had 4 hours of ES classes and by lunch time my ass was dragging. I told the Kyoto I wasnt feeling too hot and that there was a chance that I might have been exposed to the flu. He got royally pissed off in a fatherly way and damn near grabbed by tub of lard, jelly like substance of 250lb, 6'4" butt by my chain with his 2'ft 36" 100lbs soaking wet if he is lucky ass, and tossed me out of the school. I am thankful he did because I went to the Doc, found out I had the dreaded influenza "A" virus and got sent home. One night of high fever and I was back to work with my Doc's OK by Thursday.

In retrospect I should have stayed home for the entire week and maybe had a party or played pachinko but I was fine. I showed them I was a team player that week.

[Otaku]

Good times...I remember I caught the flu last year. This was another reason I left the stupid a$$ city where I was working....

I couldn't get out of bed; felt like my death bed. In one day, I received 2 phone calls from my base school's JTE and 3 phone calls from my supervisor at the BoE. Each of the phone calls expressed a strong suggestion to go to the doctor. The problem was the BoE decided that I would live in the mountains and the nearest hospital that I knew of was about 30 minutes away. I told them it was not a good idea that I drive myself to the hospital because I felt like the reaper had already backstabbed me.

In the last phone call from my supervisor at the BoE, he told me if I didn't go to the hospital, the byoku would change to nenkyu. MEXT them, I took nenkyu!

[jessen100]

seriously, japanese need to learn to take a MEXTing break. you only get one life, where as it seems a whole hell of a lot of them waste it in an office doing something they dont really like doing. Ive heard of japanese people dying at their desks, as im sure you have and it makes me sick.

i guy i know makes tatami, and he said to me, "i havent taken a break from work in 20 years" or some other high number of years. I didnt say what i was thinking, which was, i suppose thats why you still have the same cold that you had 4 weeks ago. if you take one or two days off and actually try to get batter, it would be pretty easy to make up that work with a month of just not being sick id imagine. while i dont make tatami, im confident in such.

and all this hype about going to the doctor, ive been told a few times to go, and i can say, based upon how i felt at such times, if i went to the doctor in america, he would probably get pissed at me for wasting his time, then tell me to go home and get some rest.

[crustpunker]

Here is a good one.

Today one of the English teachers came up to me and informed me that one of the kids in one of my classes now has influenza. His seat is directly in front of me in the front of the class. Last Thursday I taught him in class and I had mentioned that I was feeling kind of sick (In English so I am actually surprised/pleased the kid even understood me)
ANYWAY,
The kids father calls the school today and tells the English teacher who spoke to me that..
1. I gave his kid influenza (even though I don't have it now)
2. I joked about being sick in class and this is not appropriate for a teacher to "joke" about especially now that his kid is sick (convienently) the first day of test week. Now I don''t want to accuse the kid of pulling a sickie if he really is sick but he is known as a shite student and it really wouldn't surprise me.
3. I should be held responsible if his son is not able to pass into the next year due to the illness that I gave to him..
(that I don't have)

"where's the tower
where's the gun.."
lovely aye?

[Otaku]

Here is a good one.

Today one of the English teachers came up to me and informed me that one of the kids in one of my classes now has influenza. His seat is directly in front of me in the front of the class. Last Thursday I taught him in class and I had mentioned that I was feeling kind of sick (In English so I am actually surprised/pleased the kid even understood me)
ANYWAY,
The kids father calls the school today and tells the English teacher who spoke to me that..
1. I gave his kid influenza (even though I don't have it now)
2. I joked about being sick in class and this is not appropriate for a teacher to "joke" about especially now that his kid is sick (convienently) the first day of test week. Now I don''t want to accuse the kid of pulling a sickie if he really is sick but he is known as a shite student and it really wouldn't surprise me.
3. I should be held responsible if his son is not able to pass into the next year due to the illness that I gave to him..
(that I don't have)

"where's the tower
where's the gun.."
lovely aye?

That story was awesome! Unbelievable, the gall of some parents...

[crustpunker]

thanks!!
it gets better!!!
He was demanding an apology directly from me over the telephone she just informed me!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! (pause to breathe) GWWWAAAAHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

So now, this poor teacher has had to tell(lie) to this irate parent that I have profusely apologized to her because unfortunately, my LEVEL OF JAPANESE IS NOT FLUENT ENOUGH TO GIVE THE APOLOGY MYSELF TO HIM OVER THE PHONE!(also a lie)

If I ever see this guy I am going to do one of 3 things.
Please read the answer choices then choosethe best answer.

A) flying Macedonian hell kick to the the spine
B) Open mouth and eye sneeze right in his face
C) Bow so many times in a row that the sudden rush of blood to the head causes me to pass out at his feet but not before vomiting all over his shoes/hello kitty slippers

[Otaku]

My vote, A, B & C, simultaneously!

[regardo]

A & C simultaneously is a bid hard, but i AB or CB combo sounds like fun.
DO IT!

[crustpunker]

I shall do my best for the combo!!!

I hope that somehow as this is happening there is a voiceover saying "Finish Him...."

[regardo]

haha

[Otaku]

Before any of the combos, try:

up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, <insert combo here>, start!

[Meat]

The Konami code!

[crustpunker]

30 lives in Contra!!!!
Sweet!
I saw a t-shirt once here with that code on it but it was like 4,000 yen...

[Paul]

Here is a good one.

Today one of the English teachers came up to me and informed me that one of the kids in one of my classes now has influenza. His seat is directly in front of me in the front of the class. Last Thursday I taught him in class and I had mentioned that I was feeling kind of sick (In English so I am actually surprised/pleased the kid even understood me)
ANYWAY,
The kids father calls the school today and tells the English teacher who spoke to me that..
1. I gave his kid influenza (even though I don't have it now)
2. I joked about being sick in class and this is not appropriate for a teacher to "joke" about especially now that his kid is sick (convienently) the first day of test week. Now I don''t want to accuse the kid of pulling a sickie if he really is sick but he is known as a shite student and it really wouldn't surprise me.
3. I should be held responsible if his son is not able to pass into the next year due to the illness that I gave to him..
(that I don't have)

"where's the tower
where's the gun.."
lovely aye?

Ok this is JHS right? Dont worry about it if he is in 1st or 2nd year. Compulsory Education MEXT style, pass everyone, regardless if they even come to school or not. Oh shoot that was graduate them.

Held responsible? What are they going to do, hold your feet over a flame and roast you?

If the kid is a swine, tell him it was his fault in the first place you caught a cold because you were staying up late nights trying to figure out a way to make him participate in class better and due to the lack of sleep you felt run down.

Send his apology request to me in Okinawa, I have the perfect location for it.

Oh and remember the better thing for you is to take the high road here. If you dont think you are in anyway responsible for this dont fight it, just ignore it, it will eventually go away.

Just remember to do this........

You do the face palm and have the teacher be Jon Luc......just look at that face, classic huh?

Get it right and the kid will be baffled for years.

Oh if that doesnt work then do this one....double face palm.

[crustpunker]

god I love your posts!!!
thanks so much for the words of encouragement!

facepalm.. I can feel my palms tingle..
I suspect the kid knew he was not prepared for the tests as he has spent not just my lessons but every other class sleeping on his desk and this is an out for him.
He is a rich kid and his father is one of those "my son can do no wrong" kinda chaps,

The whole thing does make me a bit sick to be honest.
The other teachers know this whole thing is ridiculous.
"Blame the gaijin for foreign germs infecting my boy" is really rather silly argument aye?
Again I stressed to everyone "I AM NOT MEXTing SICK!!! THIS KID SAYS HE HAS INFLUENZA FER CHRISSAKES!!! I HAD A SNIFFLE!!"

sheesh..
I bet at least 3 hours were wasted today by 3 different teachers dealing with this BELL END of a father

[Paul]

god I love your posts!!!
thanks so much for the words of encouragement!

facepalm.. I can feel my palms tingle..
I suspect the kid knew he was not prepared for the tests as he has spent not just my lessons but every other class sleeping on his desk and this is an out for him.
He is a rich kid and his father is one of those "my son can do no wrong" kinda chaps,

The whole thing does make me a bit sick to be honest.
The other teachers know this whole thing is ridiculous.
"Blame the gaijin for foreign germs infecting my boy" is really rather silly argument aye?
Again I stressed to everyone "I AM NOT MEXTing SICK!!! THIS KID SAYS HE HAS INFLUENZA FER CHRISSAKES!!! I HAD A SNIFFLE!!"

sheesh..
I bet at least 3 hours were wasted today by 3 different teachers dealing with this BELL END of a father

Damn I wish you were here, I could send you a note from my friend who is a Doc. He could tell them YOU have the flu and that you can't come to school for the next week or so. That would really stir the pot........

You know you could have been the carrier. I am very certain that I was carrying around the flu bug this year, my daughter caught it, and was home, I was in fairly close contact with students who caught it as well. I didnt catch it, maybe because my system was strong enough. Same with you MAYBE.

HE IS BEING AN ASS! plain and simple and I really feel for you. I like the BELL END line, how sweet

Seriously though, please try not to let this crap get to you. You really sound like good people to me,
a keeper as they say

This stuff happens to just about every decent person that lives here gaijin or Japanese, getting blamed for something idiotic. However I must say I have never seen it happen to a'holes. Must be something there.

Keep us up to date please I am curious what the outcome is going to be, and if it gets any worse because of asinine, anal, parent type, let us/me know, I have some ideas for you to try after face palm.

[regardo]

crustpunker, i would call up a meeting with the father and the principal and all the entourage. don't say a word, just stand up in the middle of the meeting for no apparent reason, slap him, say "now, go home and take care of your son!", sit down again AND -and this is really important - fart really LOUD.

goodnight

[crustpunker]

god I love your posts!!!
thanks so much for the words of encouragement!

facepalm.. I can feel my palms tingle..
I suspect the kid knew he was not prepared for the tests as he has spent not just my lessons but every other class sleeping on his desk and this is an out for him.
He is a rich kid and his father is one of those "my son can do no wrong" kinda chaps,

The whole thing does make me a bit sick to be honest.
The other teachers know this whole thing is ridiculous.
"Blame the gaijin for foreign germs infecting my boy" is really rather silly argument aye?
Again I stressed to everyone "I AM NOT MEXTing SICK!!! THIS KID SAYS HE HAS INFLUENZA FER CHRISSAKES!!! I HAD A SNIFFLE!!"

sheesh..
I bet at least 3 hours were wasted today by 3 different teachers dealing with this BELL END of a father

Damn I wish you were here, I could send you a note from my friend who is a Doc. He could tell them YOU have the flu and that you can't come to school for the next week or so. That would really stir the pot........

You know you could have been the carrier. I am very certain that I was carrying around the flu bug this year, my daughter caught it, and was home, I was in fairly close contact with students who caught it as well. I didnt catch it, maybe because my system was strong enough. Same with you MAYBE.

HE IS BEING AN ASS! plain and simple and I really feel for you. I like the BELL END line, how sweet

Seriously though, please try not to let this crap get to you. You really sound like good people to me,
a keeper as they say

This stuff happens to just about every decent person that lives here gaijin or Japanese, getting blamed for something idiotic. However I must say I have never seen it happen to a'holes. Must be something there.

Keep us up to date please I am curious what the outcome is going to be, and if it gets any worse because of asinine, anal, parent type, let us/me know, I have some ideas for you to try after face palm.

Man, I wish I were in Okinawa as well! SOunds like paradise compared to this dismal prefecture of nothing but Udon and drought. Well, the saga has played out and as I suspected there was more to it than just the kid being sick.
He really wasn't at all prepared for the tests and so he basically bailed. The teachers have spoken to the father and agreed that the kid can move up next year if he completes a series of assingments given to him by various teachers in place of his finals. I don't know how they arrived at this decision, nor do I care. Am just glad it is over...
Thanks so much for your encouraging words friend!
It has been awhile since I have had the finger pointing at me!
(especially for something so stupid as this...)
Cheers!!!

[crustpunker]

crustpunker, i would call up a meeting with the father and the principal and all the entourage. don't say a word, just stand up in the middle of the meeting for no apparent reason, slap him, say "now, go home and take care of your son!", sit down again AND -and this is really important - fart really LOUD.

goodnight

HA!!! that is priceless!!!!
Now if I ever sit down in any kind of semi-formal session I will have this scene running through my mind.
I may spray green tea out ma' grill and no one will know what the hell just happened but me (and possibly you!)
awesome

[Paul]

Man, I wish I were in Okinawa as well! SOunds like paradise compared to this dismal prefecture of nothing but Udon and drought. Well, the saga has played out and as I suspected there was more to it than just the kid being sick.
He really wasn't at all prepared for the tests and so he basically bailed. The teachers have spoken to the father and agreed that the kid can move up next year if he completes a series of assingments given to him by various teachers in place of his finals. I don't know how they arrived at this decision, nor do I care. Am just glad it is over...
Thanks so much for your encouraging words friend!
It has been awhile since I have had the finger pointing at me!
(especially for something so stupid as this...)
Cheers!!!

Okinawa can be paradise at times I will admit, but it takes a while getting used to.

Seeing as your school is private they can force this stuff on the kid, otherwise take off and go to a local JHS.

Your school must also be financially stable to be able to issue ultimatums to parents and kids as well. Good for you, many are not so well off and from what I have heard through the ever present rumor mill is that in worst case scenario's the teacher if they didnt apologize didnt have a job at the begining of the next school year.

Parents at private schools can really be a pain in the arse. You are going to have to stay on your toes and probably have to keep reminding yourself about what you can and can not say to kids, and who the kid is.

This in and of itself can drive you apeshit. Having to kiss ass to parents of kids who are seriously in need of a swift kick in the ass is not my most pleasant memory. But they are paying your paycheck.

Now that this episode is over I added this, because I didnt want you to worry about it while it was happening. I apologize if your situation is not like this, but just wanted to add that private is very different than public here in many schools, from experience and from information off of the grapevine as well.

The teachers need to perform more than the public system and changover rates are much higher, plus getting tenure can be a life time accomplishment. On the other hand, as a foreigner you could get tenured or hired full time where as having that in the public system is MEXT to impossible currently.

[crustpunker]

Man, I wish I were in Okinawa as well! SOunds like paradise compared to this dismal prefecture of nothing but Udon and drought. Well, the saga has played out and as I suspected there was more to it than just the kid being sick.
He really wasn't at all prepared for the tests and so he basically bailed. The teachers have spoken to the father and agreed that the kid can move up next year if he completes a series of assingments given to him by various teachers in place of his finals. I don't know how they arrived at this decision, nor do I care. Am just glad it is over...
Thanks so much for your encouraging words friend!
It has been awhile since I have had the finger pointing at me!
(especially for something so stupid as this...)
Cheers!!!

Okinawa can be paradise at times I will admit, but it takes a while getting used to.

Seeing as your school is private they can force this stuff on the kid, otherwise take off and go to a local JHS.

Your school must also be financially stable to be able to issue ultimatums to parents and kids as well. Good for you, many are not so well off and from what I have heard through the ever present rumor mill is that in worst case scenario's the teacher if they didnt apologize didnt have a job at the begining of the next school year.

Parents at private schools can really be a pain in the arse. You are going to have to stay on your toes and probably have to keep reminding yourself about what you can and can not say to kids, and who the kid is.

This in and of itself can drive you apeshit. Having to kiss ass to parents of kids who are seriously in need of a swift kick in the ass is not my most pleasant memory. But they are paying your paycheck.

Now that this episode is over I added this, because I didnt want you to worry about it while it was happening. I apologize if your situation is not like this, but just wanted to add that private is very different than public here in many schools, from experience and from information off of the grapevine as well.

The teachers need to perform more than the public system and changover rates are much higher, plus getting tenure can be a life time accomplishment. On the other hand, as a foreigner you could get tenured or hired full time where as having that in the public system is MEXT to impossible currently.

I have actually never been to the island even once. I hope to remedy that perhaps one day soon but, as a gaijin (I am sure many of you are in the same boat here) All of my vacation time tends to be used up going back to the states to see mi familia. I have been here for a decade and seen about .05% of this fine country....

Yes, the school I work for seems to be the number 1 private school in all of Kagawa so they are fairly well off enough to issue said ultimatiums. (but they say they are not well enough of to give substantial pay raises but that is a WHOLE other story that I can tell you sometime if you like...) The parents here are GENERALLy quite good but there are, of course on prinicpal a handful of total asshats that bark all the time and play the blame game. Accusing teachers of not doing things that (to me) seem more of a parent's responsibility than a teachers but we all know that story here in J-land don't we...

The turnover rate here is HUGE for teachers (5-6 a year quit) but I think the school secretly likes that as they don't need to keep raising salaries and since this place has a respectable name, there are always young fresh out of uni teachers eager to work at a school with "prestige". Along with my own regular duties I am also part of the "Setsumeikai" events where I have to present to prospective parents and their kids a bit about what I do at the school. (Sometimes in the neighborhood of 200 or more at a time) talk about pressure!!! But this is not only limited to me. Quite a few other teachers also do LOTS of extra work making ad/pamphlet material, attending open school events, going on buisness trips to sell the school in various prefectures. This can really really burn people out and it shows with the high turnover rate. We have kids from all over Japan here (about 100 or so in the dorms) and because of this, teachers are also required to do after hour study hours AT THE FRIGGIN DORMS from like 7-10pm...place is a friggin mad house I tell ye....

Ah well, I am glad all this drama is over and thank you for and everyone else in the community for your support through it all.
Had the timing/situation been different this could have been one of those "Gaijin teacher snaps and walks out of the building screaming laughing and crying all at the same time" thanfully this was a bomb that was defused BEFORE it had a chance to go off...
Cheers mate

[Shamisen]

Replying to the first post...
Its all about the G-points

I get the feeling that there is a fierce competition going on here,fueled by jealousy, and the person who puts in the least hours of work is the loser. (There are no winners, just like WoW)
To that end, I think co-workers (esp female) try to get people to go home early in order to damage that person's "ganbaru points." (G-points)


Have any of you noticed a gender difference? I THINK... that the women are much more likely to get sucked into this kind of thing. 2 women teachers I had last year, both of which told me with a no-arguing tone of voice that I go home with my cold. One of them GOT IN A CAR ACCIDENT and still spent the rest of the day at school. And the rest of the week. Limping. With a bandage over one eye. Bleeding profusely from the severed stump which had been her hand. (NR) She was determined to grab every G-point she could get. The other teachers, realizing that she was about to rocket forth into G-Point glory, did all in their power to persuade her to go home and heal. But she would not.(I learned how to connect sentences by reading New Horizon! But I think its good for study. So I keep to study)

She did this again when she caught a minor cold - which progressed almost to pneumonia, loss of vocal chords, and a hacking cough that dragged on for 3 weeks.
OH but the G-POINTS she racked up!!!



More about G-points:
Everyone knows, G-Points are double if you are injured or sick and yet continue to bite off more than you can chew. So Naturally, 1 G-point will be removed for every hour spent on healing or relaxing. HOWEVER! points will be neither removed nor added if said person uses that time to take care of their family, do the grocery shopping , change the wheels on the car ,etc etc. This is one way to offset the G-point loss if staying at home is inevitable. Of course, said person must also let it be known (See: passive boasting) that they did not rest while at home, so that G-Points can be fairly calculated by all parties involved in the game.

Now, not all people do this Im sure, but I can name 6 Japanese women off the top of my head right now who definitely do.

**Passive boasting:
the art of appearing to fish for sympathy by highlighting the "victim" role one is forced to play, in order to mask the true motive , which is boasting about ones strength or ability to do amazing things, even while under immense stress (healthwise or mental) and thus legitimaizing ones claim to extra G-points.

I think really old ppl succumb to this too.
Tell me if youve heard this one....
"When I was your age, we had to walk to shcool 2 miles, uphill both ways in 2 feet of snow."

[Paul]

Interesting reading however through my experience I think it has a hell of a lot to do with the atmosphere in the school and how the principal and vice handle sickness and people that take vacation time too.

At my schools the vp will usually kick teachers in the ass for not staying home when sick. But he will chew them a new butthole if they ever NOT show up because they were partying too much with everyone the night before.

Hangovers are not a reason to take time off.

I think really old ppl succumb to this too.
Tell me if youve heard this one....
"When I was your age, we had to walk to shcool 2 miles, uphill both ways in 2 feet of snow."

I think people my age have a tendency to exaggerate to make our points.

And damn straight I walked 3 miles in a 2 feet of snow, uphill both ways, dont you ever forget it either!

Damn whipper snappers these days!

[Shamisen]

YOUR age? heheh Just how old r u?

[Meat]

He's 22　かも知れない。

[Paul]

Oh I was also born before Microsoft, I also thought that 8 Track tape decks were the next best thing since bubbles were put into beer, beta meant the type of video deck I had, I was happy to get an album for a Christmas Present, I actually remember the line "The Eagle has landed" and M.J. meant Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5ive when I was a kid.

Oh I also remember that our TV when I was growing up was black and white and I was the remote control

My mother is close to 90.............enough hints?