The next day I was shown around the town a bit by Kamata-san, but once again, it was like the aforementioned teaching analogy and the only way I was going to really learn about the town was by heading out on my bike and figuring out what everyplace was by myself. On the plus side, it did give me a great mental geographical picture of the town. From the get-go I was expected to work regular hours because it was the first day of my contracted employment. Well, I was totally worked from all of the travel and was barely there mentally all day. After a presentation at the Board of Education, where I work every Friday that I’m not at an elementary school, I met the staff on our Education part of the building. They are a great crew. There’s Mr. Kamata and to his right, his boss, Mr. Tsuda, and to Mr. Tsuda’s right is the boss of the whole education department of Ichihasama. Next to me is a really funny guy nicknamed “Big House,” another cool cat named Ouchi, and Toshiko-san and Chiaki, the ladies at the bottom of the ladder. It’s a fun, jovial group, and I like being at the BOE, plus I can ask Kamata-san any question that pops into my mind. He’s fantastic and those first few days were spent taking care of all the necessary paperwork needed for a foreigner like myself to live in Japan for a year or two. And boy is it a lot of paperwork! (as I’m sure it is in the states, too) I can’t even begin to describe all of this to you, but one of the coolest things EVERY resident in Japan is required to have is what’s called a Hanko, or, personal seal… (BOE pic 6)