Japan shall endure me yet

There is a General Union in Japan. This union exists for the many foreigners who work in Japan and have to face thieving corporations and a prejudiced, apathetic government. My former employer, NOVA, was among those companies whose employees had established a chapter of the General Union. As such, the union was heavily involved in the entire debacle since NOVA's bankruptcy.

None of us thought that much was going to be accomplished, but due to being a native West Virginian I do have some healthy respect for the power of organized workers, and decided that I didn't have anything to lose after the bankruptcy, and joined. (Prior to this incident, I hadn't heard about the union; things were apparently a bit hush hush since the company supposedly had a history of targeting members.)

Surprisingly, however, it turns out the union has teeth, and forced the new benefactor of my old company, who had effectively laid me off on Christmas Eve, to reconsider their decision. And solely because of my membership in the union, in fact! Several of my friends were unable to join in the mass return due to their not having signed up with the union, as the company's agreement was only to extend their original offer of employment for union members.

Regardless, they are still trying to trim the workers as much as possible, and thus they are (quite illegally) trying to say that they will only employ workers through the original terms of their NOVA contracts. So when I got a phone call asking me if I wanted to come back to work at NOVA, effective the next day, and that if I did I would be guaranteed a position until November 2008, I jumped on it! (After all, if any of my other job interviews gives me a better off, I can always just quit.. but in the meanwhile this solves some financial and VISA/immigration problems that were beginning to mount.)

Basically, and I know this is dangerous and that I can't rely on it, but: I seem to live a charmed life where I float from one incredibly lucky situation to the next. I hope that my life will continue in this fashion.

Just wanted to post and share the good news.

Changing the subject, it snowed in Osaka for the first time that I was aware of it since I've been here, on my way to work the other day. I didn't even recognize it at first, so unexpected was the flurry. Life is settling down and I am back into a routine, though with all of my part time jobs and private students I am now quite literally busier than I've ever been in my life, save finals in Uni.

I also recently started tending a bar, once a week or so. It is fun, but I sure need practice when it comes to pouring from a tap.

Basically I was seriously beginning to question if I was going to be able to continue my planned next three decades in Japan... And now, my next year at least is guaranteed. It is a good feeling, and although I wasn't particularly stressed by it, it is still a relief to no longer have to worry.

It was a very good year.