皆川たちの手紙をもらった！

Yes, I got a letter from my host family! Really, from my host mom, but she updates me on everything and is really the sweetest lady in the world, I swear. I was actually getting a bit concerned, because I sent a letter in May and a little greeting card in June and hadn't heard from them since they sent me a birthday card back in March. But, yesterday I got a cute little letter and all is well. My host parents were sick for a good portion of the spring, so they've been busy.

Anyway, I took a picture of the first page, so you can see both the cuteness and the handwriting:


There's a second page, too, and I guess my reading skills really have improved, because I can read all of it easily. She said that they want to come to my college graduation, in both English AND Japanese (to make sure I understood, I guess?), so... I don't really know what to say because that is a really long way to go to see someone graduate. I'm going to tell her that, of course, they'll be invited, but don't feel obligated. Isn't that crazy, though? I read that sentence twice and was just like '...for real?' They're like my Japanese grandparents, seriously.

Speaking of Minagawa-tachi, I realised that most/all of you don't know what they look like because my only picture is a physical print. But, with the wonders of my digital camera, I was able to capture it. So, if you're curious, this is my host family, AKA Minagawa-tachi/皆川たち:


お父さん (otousan), お母さん (okaasan) and ゆうき (Yuuki). I have another host sister, too, はるよ (Haruyo), but she's married and doesn't live at home anymore. Haruyo is the one who took me to see The Lion King in Tokyo. And that is the dining room (which doubles as primary living area) in their house.

And now, because it's way too hot, I'm going to go collapse away from my computer. I really want the heat wave to end, because this is uncomfortable. And my afternoon bus never seems to have A/C. I've taken to quick, cool showers when I get home so I don't feel disgusting all night. Can it be under 85 again, please? That'd be ace.

Book Recap

Do y'all remember, back in January, when I said I was going to keep track of all the books I read this year (for fun, not for class, because the class books don't really count), with a goal of 50? Yeah, much like my media blog, which has two entries, but a third now in progress, that didn't really happen. But I have been reading, so I'm going to do a little list of 2009's selections to date, in case anyone is curious about what I read when I'm reading for my own sake.

Um, they might not be totally in chronological order. I remembered as best I could.

Books of 2009, as of 25 July:
1. Autobiography of a Blue-Eyed Devil - Inga Muscio
2. Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut
3. Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman
4. The Zombie Survival Guide - Max Brooks
5. Neuromancer - William Gibson
6. The Opposite of Fate - Amy Tan
7. The Joy-Luck Club - Amy Tan
8. The Bonesetter's Daughter - Amy Tan
9. Takarazuka (Sexual Politics and Popular Culture in Modern Japan) - Jennifer Robertson
10. The Hundred Secret Senses - Amy Tan
11. The Kitchen God's Wife - Amy Tan
12. Cunt - Inga Muscio
13. Beyond Heaving Bosoms (The Smart Bitches Guide to Romance Novels) - Sarah Wendell, Candy Tan
14. Killing Rage - bell hooks
15. Fragile Things - Neil Gaiman
16. Polite Lies - Kyoko Mori
17. Looking for the Lost (Journeys Through a Vanishing Japan) - Alan Booth

Okay, so 17 isn't terribly impressive for it being the end of July, but remember that I did also have 12 books to read for my classes last semester. So, really, I've read 29 books so far this year.

Anyway, looking at the list, you will probably notice that I went on an Amy Tan kick there for awhile. I read her memoir and then decided that I needed to re-read all her novels (except for the one I don't have). Another thing that might be noteworthy is that 11 of the 17 are by women, 2 are by Neil Gaiman, 8 are non-fiction and 3 are about Japan (or an aspect thereof). The book I'm starting next is also non-fiction and also about Japan, but not written by a woman.

All of these books are recommended, but if you're curious about any particular one, I can do little reviews. Just drop a comment and I'll add it to my to-do list.

By the way, I changed my blog title. It's now 我思う故に我あり (われおもうゆえにわれあり, ware omou yue ni ware ari) which is the Japanese version of "I think, therefore I am."

Finger in position on the switch

First of all, before launching into further work horror stories (they never end - it's so awful it's hilarious), I want to share a video. You see, friends, I watch exactly one reality type TV show: So You Think You Can Dance? I have watched SYTYCD since season 2, back in summer of 2006 - it's a piece of my summer. Season 5 is two weeks away from ending and yesterday was the show's 100th episode. As part of the little celebration they did, three Emmy-winning numbers from previous seasons were performed (by the dancers from each respective season). One of these was Ramalama, a group number from season 2.

I searched the internet and found a decent quality video of its 2006 original performance and want to share because it's awesome. Wade Robson choreography + zombie theme + Roisin Murphy = win.



Okay, moving along to My Job, I have two incidents to share. As it turns out, they happened literally back to back on Wednesday afternoon. I was having a good day.

So, first of all, something that absolutely drives me crazy is when people who really don't know much of anything about a given subject act like experts. This applies specifically to Japan, a country I have a little better than passing familiarity with, and that an appalling number of people don't understand at all.

My coworker, V, is one of those people.

It came up Wednesday morning that I plan to move to Japan for awhile after I graduate next year. Later that afternoon, for some inexplicable reason, V and T were sort of mockingly talking about that plan when I was in the room and within earshot. So, I sweetly interjected with a somewhat self-deprecating comment on it, and the following went down.

V: You should go to Dubai instead.
Me: Why?
V: Americans can make a lot of money there right now. And you could probably meet a rich guy to marry, and then never have to work again!

I think my horror was visible on my face, because she moved on to the topic of Japan before I could say anything.

V: You know, I've been to Asia, but I've just never been interested in Japan. I mean, if I'm going to have to spend thirty dollars on a hamburger, it's just not worth it.
Me: ...I've never even seen a thirty dollar hamburger.
V: Well, my friend went to Tokyo and he told me that you can't find meat anywhere, and everything is way too expensive, and I can't imagine anyone wanting to move there because rent is, like, 8,000 dollars a month and you can't really own property anyway. They're so crazy there, and everyone must be really rich to afford it.
Me: Um, that's not really true. I mean, there are places where things are super expensive, just like in America, but it's definitely not the norm. I was there for four months last year and I didn't have that kind of trouble, anyway.
V: Oh, but you must have spent all your time in a foreigner-targeted area.
Me: No, actually, I lived in a fairly small city with a tiny foreign population. Japan really isn't like that.
V: That's not what my friend said.

At which point, I gave up because there is no reasoning with people like her.

Then, just to make my day complete, T gave me another reason not to like her. One of the medical assistants is Vietnamese, loud, funny, outrageous and very gay (I'll call him Ty, which is how his name is pronounced, but not how it's spelled). Anyway, he was talking on Wednesday about his plan to get married next August. T is an evangelist and, more or less out of nowhere, launched into something that really pissed me off.

T: You know something? Ty told me about his wedding and asked if I'd want to go. Can you believe he even brought it up with me? I mean, he knows who I am and that I don't believe in that.
V: What's there to believe in? I don't believe in your church, but I don't get mad at you for it.
T: That's totally different. He can't really get married, anyway, so it doesn't mean anything, but I still can't believe he'd even mention it to me. It's so wrong.

At which point V bitched her out. It was kind of amazing and partially redeemed V in my eyes. But, yeah, I took that as my cue to go on break.

This entry was brought to you by the letter Ignorance and the number Fail.

Work story time!

This is a pretty good one, too, just to show off how ridiculous my lead really is.

The set-up: It was the very end of the day Wednesday. Tuesday night/Wednesday morning I saw a midnight showing of Harry Potter with Dana (go see it, it's great), got home at three and had to get up at six to go to work. So I was pretty much a zombie and, by four, was at the giving up point because, honestly, I really don't care that much.

Anyway, M (the light duty person who actually had her last day today) asked me why I looked so out of it, and the following exchange occurred, involving T (my ever-loved lead):

Me: I am pretty tired, yeah, I saw a midnight showing of the new Harry Potter movie. It was kind of a stupid thing to do because I had to work today, but I've been a Harry Potter fan for about ten years, so it was worth it.
T: Why do you like that stuff? It's so satanic.
M: It's not satanic, just harmless kid's stuff.
T: It is not harmless!
Me: ...Right. I'm just... gonna go over here now. Yeah.

I couldn't even make this stuff up - she's so crazy. She also was under the mistaken impression that, now that M is gone, I'll be working in medical records full-time (rather than just from 7:50-2). She said at one o'clock today, and I quote, "you can go upstairs early today, because this is the last day I'm gonna be able to let you go up there."

I just kinda went smiled and nodded... and went straight to my supervisor to ask her about this statement. Supervisor said, no, I will still work upstairs from 2-4:50 because that's part of my job. T does not have the authority to 'let' me do anything. So, um, she's gonna get a little bit of a surprise on Monday when I pack up and leave records at 2, same as usual. I'm probably a little bit too happy about that, but she's so vile I can barely stand it, so I've decided I'm entitled to my tiny victories.

Unfortunately, due to potential monetary troubles in my near future (my family may not be able to give me the money they have in the past), I have had to extend my work plans to 21 August. So, I'll only have a week off before moving back to Salem, but it'll get me another thousand dollars, which can only help. But I was looking forward to quitting on the 7th, so I'm a little sad about that part. Oh well, it's only another two weeks, right? Right.

Stay tuned for further updates in the crazy.

Also, Ashalyn! When are you gonna be out here? Even though I'll almost certainly be working, we'll have to hang out.

Today's waste of energy

This is another one of those annoying events that really happened.

T: *on her computer making a church flier*
Me: *working*
T: Alexis, would you run up to the fourth floor and bring down records for me?
Me: *grits teeth and sets down work* Sure.
T: *goes back to misusing resources*

Up on the fourth floor:

Me: Hi, K! Do you have any records for me to bring down?
K: I brought them all down about 15 minutes ago - T checked them in. Is she looking for any record in particular?
Me: ...No. Thanks, though.

So, yes, I got to disrupt the flow of my work and run up and down two flights of stairs looking for records T had all but just checked in, while she devoted her morning to stuff for her church. Not cool. On the plus side, I'm getting plenty of exercise.

In other news, I'm reading Cunt by Inga Muscio and, if you're a woman and you haven't read/aren't currently planning to read it, you should put it at the top of your to-read list ASAP. And then make sure you read it on a bus, or in a like public space, to get the added bonus of disapproving and scandlized looks. It's pretty awesome.

After an unplanned hiatus...

I have work stories! Specifically, work stories of horror and woe. If you don't know, this job is brilliant for the money and the no-weekends thing, but otherwise completely horrific. The lead (I'll call her T, because it's a bad idea to use names here) is a stupid bitch who makes everything massively more difficult than it needs to be and speaks to me in that condescending tone reserved for children and very stupid people, the other permanent person (I'll call her V) snaps all the time, and the other temporary person is also kind of nasty. The personalities clash, I'm always the one blamed for problems, and it's pretty much the worst work environment ever. I've never been treated so badly in my life.

My supervisor (G) is great, and the people I work with from 2-5 every day are awesome, as is pretty much every other person in the clinic, but the people I work with most of the time? Yeah, they suck.

So, have some Real Life Events that will hopefully show just why this job is turning out to be hell.

---

Today's theme: Computers

1. I didn't have a log-in until last Monday (I started on 15 June). Finally, though, G came by in the morning when I was the only one in, because everyone else is chronically late, and told me that the log-in was ready and I needed to call MIS to get the temporary password and do the set-up. I knew I'd have to call MIS, because I had a county job last year and you always have to call them first, so I told G that I'd do it sometime that morning, after everyone else was in. All fine and good.

About a half-hour after the lead got in, she and I had the following conversation:

T: Alexis, have you logged in yet?
Me: No, I still have to call MIS.
T: Well, I'd like you to log in now.
Me: Okay, just let me put this file away and then I'll call MIS.
T: No, don't do that, just log in right now, please.
Me: Um, what? G came by this morning and told me to call MIS first, for the set-up. Gimme a minute and it'll be ready.
T: Well, G sent me an email and told me to have you try logging in. Don't argue with me, please.
Me: o.O Okay. What's my temporary password?
T: You don't know your password?
Me: ...No. Because I haven't called MIS.
T: You better call MIS first, then.

Yes, this really happened.

2. Again with the log-in issues. The people in medical records share their log-in info, because the computers time out after 15 minutes and you need a password to get back in. I picked a really simple, easy-to-remember password with the idea that, since a computer had been designated mine, it would only make sense to let them have the info. Otherwise, when I'm not in the room, the computer will be locked and useless. V told me not to give it to her, because I should have my privacy. I said something facetious along the lines of: I don't even have an outlook account - I have nothing to hide. She insisted that, no, don't worry about it, it really won't be a big deal. Then, the next day, I got the following:

T: Alexis, honey, when you leave the room make sure you log out. We don't know your log-in, so it's really inconvenient for us when you forget.
Me: Do you want the log-in? I can give it to you, so it'll never be an issue.
T: No, you just need to be more careful. You've forgotten to log out every day and it's getting to be a problem.
Me: I've only had a log-in since yesterday... Um, okay, I'll do that, then.

Then, a little later:

V: It is useless to have this phone turned on when you're logged in at this computer! Don't even bother next time, because it's really annoying.
Me: o.O Right. I'll remember that.

3. Sometimes records get misfiled. When there are hundreds of records, it happens. We're as careful as possible, but numbers just start looking alike after awhile, you know? Anyway, a file was missing last week for a couple of days, no one could fine it, and when it was found it was in the 27s (the file itself was a 40-something). My guess? The patient's birthday is 1927 and whoever filed it looked at the birthday rather than the medical record number (on the labels, the birthday is listed without spaces or slash marks, just like the MRN). Apparently, this potential confusion had never occurred to anyone else, but it makes sense to me. On Thursday, another file was missing and T told me to look for it.

T: Would you try to find this file?
Me: Sure. Have you checked by the last two numbers in the birthday? 'Cause we found that one file in the 27s, so it could have happened again.
T: No, I haven't.
Me: Okay, I'll try that first, then. *sits down at computer to look up the birthday, because it's not printed on the out card*
T: *like I'm an idiot* Why are you getting on the computer?
Me: ...To look up the birthday.
T: Oh, right.

This woman? Yeah, she's gonna drive me to screaming insanity. I can't stand working with her.