Work Work

So i just finished my second day of work. Not too bad. Most of the time it is easy, but students can ask tough questions. It is hard to explain what something like "convincing" means, without using any more complicated words. But the workday seems like it can go by rather quickly.


The Mall

There is a pet store right across from the school. They have... baby bunnies!! Um, Im not sure how many days it will be before I take one home. I am using all my strength and intellect to keep myself from getting one. But I go there on my breaks and squeal at them.

There is a coffee shop on the bottom floor, that sells soy lattes. Only 370¥, less than Id pay at home I think. So I really have all I need here. Except a good mixer. I cant find cranberry juice at all.

Oh and today when I was on my dinner break there was a festival going on outside The Mall. People were dressed up in different costumes and dancing and there were tables with people selling different foods and cotton candy. I wish I had my camera.

So after spending 2500¥ last night on dinner (and beers), I tried to cook tonight. Didnt go so well. I had a potato and onion and some broccoli to fry up, and I went to the 7-11 to find some tofu. I dont know if it was tofu I bought. It wouldnt fry. It seemed like egg or something. So when it wouldnt do what I wanted I chucked most of it and put a bit into my fried potato/onion/broccoli thing. It was OK. I guess I cant really cook.

Last nights food was good though, I went to a restaurant (I have no idea what it was called) with my neighbor after work. I got some weird purple vegetables, yellow vegetables, french fries, and edamame beans. The place was close by, and the menu had pictures. He ate squid. Little baby ones. The legs wiggled as he slipped them into his mouth.

I guess the toughest thing about being vegetarian here is not the lack of options, but not knowing what my options are. For all I know they have veggie-dogs and seiten kabobs but I just cant read anything. And most of the vegetables are so foreign I dont know what to do with them if I bought one. They have a lot of leeks here. I need a leek recipe.

The fruit is small and sometimes expensive. But I find most stuff to be on par with prices in the US. The things I buy, anyway. I havent gone clothes shopping or anything. But lattes, they're the same price. That's my point of reference.

Hiro Wrap-Up

Im back from my training in Hiroshima. I wrote a bit while I was gone and took some photos of the super depressing A-Bomb tourist traps. You can see more photos on my Flickr page.

24 September 2007
Well, the euphoric phase ended abruptly. I shouldn’t have wasted all my serotonin on the first two days.

I don’t want to complain. I don’t want a complaining blog. I want to share all the wonderful and bizarre stories of life in a strange new land. But, c’mon, it’s me. As I mentioned before, I do feel a bit isolated here. I blame the lack of internet access as well as all the obvious. I feel like I am talking to myself in my head all day. I need this blog to communicate. Even though Im not online right now I am typing this on my Word program.

An internet addiction is a hard thing to break.

I need time to work all the kinks out. I am under a lot of stress and haven’t figured out my routines yet. I like routines.

After training today I went out with the other newbies to get food. I ordered rice and a “salad.” We parted ways after that (they’re mostly all living in Hiroshima) and I took the street car back to my area. I like knowing how to take this random public transit. That’s really fun.

I went back to the apartment I am temporarily staying in and took off my heels and slacks. Here, even when I dress up I feel like a slob. All the Japanese people dress so well. After changing into my jeans and mumbling a “hello” to my co-occupant I headed out on the town. I had no idea where I was going. First I went to the internet café, and to elaborate on the story with the Australian man who sat next to me, after he showed me how to switch the kanji off he asked me if I was working in Hiroshima. I said “yes” and then he invited me on a cruise on the 14th. Woa. I told him I wasn’t from around here and heading back to Kudamatsu. That shut him up. Why cant I have a non-creepy interaction with someone? You know, like “Wanna go get some coffee or a beer?” Maybe he works for the cruise line, I don’t know.


view from Hiroshima apartment

So I left the café when he was in the bathroom and wandered around Hiroshima a bit. I couldn’t really find anything interesting, so I stayed around the station. I bought a little notepad and pencil and headed for a coffee shop to draw. They actually had soy lattes so that was excellent! I was pretty exhausted and only did a few scribbles. I was feeling bored. So I stayed about an hour then headed back to the apartment.

I contemplated just going in a random direction and getting lost, but I do have work tomorrow. A partner in crime right about now would be nice.

Training is kind of intense. I mean, the work isn’t hard but the semantics of the lesson plans are a lot to memorize. The speaking English part is a breeze. Tomorrow I’ll be teaching my first lesson by myself. Im not too worried, but I do get nervous if Im being observed.

So the company is pretty shady with a few things. You get paid for 44 minutes every hour; a forty minute lesson with four minutes to prepare. But there is no way you could pull all the files, pick a lesson plan, and get yourself together in four minutes. And they know that. It’s sad they don’t just pay you for your whole work day. But it is a salary, so no matter how much work I do in between I get the same pay. But when you’re asked to come in twenty minutes early to plan it really is unsettling. Maybe that’s just my American attitude. At past jobs you weren’t allowed to even help a customer after you punched out.

Yesterday, when I was traveling to Hiroshima, I was having massive panic attacks about work. I took a pill, didn’t help. I heard some more stories about how the company is in trouble. I was already feeling really stressed out because I had to repack and take a bunch of trains by myself and start this new job. I thought I was going to vomit. Walking to the station with my suitcase was torture, with sweat pouring down my face. When I got to the Kudamatsu JR station I had to drag my bag up a ton of stairs, and then go straight down another flight. While I was doing that my bag began to turn, and it would have twisted my wrist around had I not let go. So my suitcase went tumbling down the stairs. Girls giggled. My laptop was inside. I started crying later while I waited at the Tokoyama station. Maybe I wasn’t crying, maybe it was sweat.

As far as my worries about the company as a whole, and my pay, Ive started to feel a lot better. Ive talked to a lot of people about it and it has put me at ease. The company is closing 200 branches this month, but they aren’t kicking the teachers onto the streets, they’re transferring them to other schools, and just kind of consolidating.

Plus, I found out I am at an advantage, because I have a fresh new work visa. Teachers whose visas are about to expire would be more at risk for getting the boot, people say. And at a certain point if the company collapses Id be eligible for unemployment!

25 September 2007
So day two of training was intense. I taught two full forty minute lessons by myself. The first one was a bit rough; it was only one student, a teenage girl. She went through everything super quickly and I had trouble improvising activities for her to do to fill the rest of the time. At the end of the lesson I asked her if she had any questions and she started giggling and told me she’d just had the same lesson right before! Luckily (since I was being observed), I spinned it super positively and told her, “Oh well, that’s great! Now you’ll have no trouble if you’re ever in this situation!” It was another teacher’s error that caused the repeat, but I handled it well and the student understood the mix up. The staff at work are very concerned about student satisfaction and want the student to return.

I went to dinner and had some pasta and coffee with co-workers. When we got back to training I started feeling really sick. Like, I was gunna puke. I excused myself and I kind of had a cold sweat and was totally dizzy and nauseous. I had my next lesson in twenty minutes. I couldn’t focus on preparing at all. I was just trying to keep myself together. And my supervisor was observing this one.

I told him I didn’t feel well, and that I may just jump up and run to the bathroom at any second. He was cool with it. I think people just get sick when they move to another country, you know? But I actually had a great lesson. I kept everything on track schedule-wise, and was really personable with the students. We made some jokes and I kept them laughing quite a bit. There were definitely things I could have improved on, which may not have been an issue had I prepped more. But all-in-all I feel confident in teaching. I taught the two girls in that lesson what “indie” movies and music are (totally useless information).

Oh, and Ive completely forgotten how to speak in a Boston accent. Im not kidding. I was trying to do an impression for my coworkers and I completely blanked. I tried to channel Lauren, and how Id talk if I was with her, but I couldn’t think of anything past “pahk the cah” and “it’s wicked hahd.” Ive been hanging around too many Brits and Aussies.

So tomorrow is my last day of training. When I get into work I have about an hour to prepare two lessons, which will be back to back. Then I have another two lessons later that day. And that’s it. Thursday I go back home and I begin work Friday.

I hope to do some sight-seeing and picture taking Thursday before I leave. You know, so I have it on record that Ive been to Hiroshima, and never have to come back. Actually, I think I come back in a few days or weeks or months for kids training.

Yeah, so… I blog about my workday. Super-fun stuff, eh?

26 September 2007
Ive been here a week, today.

It could be a lot worse. Please, tell me miserable stories so I can think about how great I have it. It’s the rumours that are killing me. Giving me terrible stomachaches and sucking the fun out of all of this.

I guess I have a choice: a) start looking for a new job and do all the hard stressful work that comes with that but garuntees I stay in Japan or b) go with the flow, see what happens, and if it all goes to hell buy a ticket home.

So why wont my anxiety go away?

For the last few days all Ive been surviving off of 7-11 food, coffee, and rice. I don’t mind, because I don’t have much of an appetite, but I think it has a lot to do with being in someone else’s apartment, not knowing where a grocery store is, and working eight hour days. I could really use some fruit.

I cant wait to get back to Kudamatsu tomorrow. I found out that my schedule has been changed and I’ll be working all my shifts at The Mall. Kinda cool, because it cuts my commuting time down to about five minutes, yet I wouldn’t have minded getting a little further away from home every once in a while, into Tokoyama.

I haven’t really been watching a lot of TV, but I flip through sometimes. Today I saw a show that was teaching French to Japanese people. It made me feel like I was fluent in French.

Random stuff about Japan: I cant understand a word anyone is saying. I fell in love with a train conductor this morning (he may have been slightly mentally incapacitated, I couldn’t really tell). People bike on the sidewalks. The schoolgirls do wear those sailor outfits. There is always the sound of the click-click-clicking of a woman’s heels behind you. You can tell a foreigner from a block away [from behind, in the dark] because we walk completely differently (the Japanese have a lot of bow-legged men and pigeon-toed girls). I have yet to see a robot (unless you count the people). Seriously, dudes, Hiroshima isn’t that cool (Osaka was amazing). Men of all ages stand in rows at 7-11’s reading comic books. Some of the girls here are so shockingly beautiful you want to throw yourself off your ninth floor balcony in a bout of self-pity. There is no soap or paper towels in the bathrooms evah. People here get really, really fall-down drunk. I’ve seen quite a few Japanese people being carried out of bars.

Everything is efficient and everyone is perfect, from the trains to the coffee shops. As soon as you stand up someone is there to bow and wipe your table at a café and written notes of apology are handed out if a train is ever late.

Some problems that may become bigger problems: today I was looking for a “Pepto Bismol” anti-nausea type product and stood in the aisle for literally fifteen minutes, and left the pharmacy empty-handed. I did figure out some products for heartburn, diet aides, and gas, but nothing for nausea. I was scared to just try something with a picture of a sad tummy because I couldn’t be sure it wasn’t laxatives. Would hate to take a few of those before work.

I am really tired. Im heading to the Peace Memorial Park tomorrow afternoon, before I catch my train back. Lots of pictures will be taken, I promise.

27 September 2007

My new attitude: enjoy all this while it lasts (meaning: go out drinking a lot).

I went to the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima this morning. Not a super fun place to visit, as you can imagine. It was really depressing reading about children being burned to death. But it was pretty, I just wish it wasnt so hot and I wasnt rushing to catch a train. I am a terrible tourist.


Schoolgirls around the Peace Park


A Boat Restaurant

Oh, and please, only encouraging comments. Im really stressed out enough. Lie to me and make me feel better. And my computer still doesnt work, Im using my roommate's. She's downloaded Skype, and you should too, so we can talk for free!

Hiroshima

I am at an internet cafe in Hiroshima. I have no idea how much this is costing me. I somehow switched the keyboard over to kanji, but luckily there was an Australian next to me who knew how to fix that.

It is really hard typing on this keyboard, I dont know what to write about, except maybe how crappy my laptop　is.

I havent gone out and seen the sites of the city yet, I plan to on Thursday morning, right before I get on the train to Kudamatsu. Oh, Kudamatsu, I miss you. Honestly, I like it better there than here. Too many people here, it is isolating. And I really appreciate my roommate now, after meeting people I could have potentially lived with.

I started training today, very strange. It is hard to get comfortable talking in front of strangers. Especially Japanese ones. I think the key is to relax and be natural, while sticking to the strict lesson　plan.

Ok, my time is up! I guess I go find somewhere to pay (I know I did this wrong)?Sorry if I cant respond to people's emails right away.

"Konnichiwa, Bitches"

Jon has bought his ticket to visit me in December! I am super excited!

So I bought some instant drip coffee stuff, so I kind of have coffee now. The soy milk I bought tasted horrible. Maybe it wasnt soy milk.

I went to an electronics store last night and the laptops were all super cheap. I guess it would be cool to have a machine with kanji capabilities? After work settles down, and I know my branch isnt closing, I may try to buy a new computer (I feel bad stealing my roommate's all the time). I would need help figuring out all the specs though. I have time.

We're going to try to get an internet phone, so we can call the US & Canada wicked cheap. That would be rad. Seriously, Ive been doing way too much typing, and I havent even begun to describe what it is like here.

Last night the Aussie-across-the-hall-neighbor, Roomie, the English girl (I need to make better nicknames) and I went and played pool (I sucked) at the only place to do anything in Kudamatsu. Saturday night and it was hopping (not). There were a few Japanese people there playing, with really stern dedication, we were all loud, laughing, having some fun. Then we went to the video store and rented Dodgeball, which (for obvious reasons) I had never seen.

I want to post a video tour of the apartment later today. Stay tuned!

Emo Sumo Children

I cant believe I.F.N. is on Blogger's "Blogs of Note!" That is so cool! I only wish I had something up there this week, go figure.

My bags came last night, so that was super exciting. I got my iPod and iHome setup, blasting slow Canadian emo music throughout the apartment. It is really hard not having any furniture. All my stuff is on the floor. And when it is super hot it makes it even harder to clean up. I kept collapsing on my "bed" (aka mat) between folding each shirt.

I went to The Mall today to buy some more towels, a key chain, and garbage pails (I wrote these three things on a list because I get so distracted), and I saw some pretty cheap shelving and little tables and desks in a department store. But I had no idea how to buy them! I stood around, hoping someone who worked there would come by and see me, but no one did. It was basically like a Target, there was a item on display with a price tag and a number attached, but I couldnt find where the boxes were. I didnt want to go find someone because I wouldnt know what to say to them. Id have to hold their hand and lead them over to the furniture. I dont know how the Japanese feel about hand holding.

Im watching a Japanese food show. So gross. They are eating bugs or fish or fish bugs or something.

Last night Roomie and I went out to dinner at the local Italian restaurant. She apologized for not bringing me somewhere Japanese, but I dont mind at all. There will be plenty of time for rice and seaweed in the next 362 days. I ordered pasta in a garlic sauce, with vegetables. The waiter came by and asked if Japanese vegetables were OK. I thought that was so cute. Imagine if I said "no, gross." What then? The vegetables were pretty universal, anyway. Mushrooms, zucchini, and something else, I dont remember (im a terrible travel-blogger, eh?). But there was these little bits of pink stuff that I swore was fish. I mean, maybe. It may have been tomato. They were really tiny bits. It didnt taste like fish, anyway. I picked most of it out, but you know, if it was fish I am still alive and well. The fish isnt, of course. That meal, without any drink, was ¥1,000.

This morning I woke up a little later than yesterday, but far earlier than I ever have in the US. I read comics in bed for a bit and then got that deep down itch to do some drawing. I went out front and sat on the steps drawing the house across the street. The neighbors downstairs were leaving the house. I think it is a couple with three kids, a boy (maybe 6 years old), a younger girl, and a baby. They were all so cute and running around playing. Then the father came outside and was racing with his son on the street, showing him the proper way to bend his knees and stand to start the race. They didnt know I was watching them. And they probably dont know Im blogging about them, either.

I have to pack tonight, because I leave for Hiroshima tomorrow. I have three days of training. I am excited to see the city, but not to lug a suitcase around the train station again. Once I get back I start work immediately.

Little kids are sumo wrestling on TV! They are so fat!

I am very confident that I will finish a comic book while Im here. There is not much around to distract me. I dont know if I will be as productive as say, someone who moved from Boston to Kentucky, but I'll draw lots of junk.

The sumo wrestler teacher keeps smacking the little kid's ass and he's crying. He has shamed his father.

I am not wearing any pants.

Sweat is dripping down my face. Each activity takes all my energy, then I have to sit and drink water. I want to go buy a soda, but I need rest first. It is 30°C or 86°F, and as humid as hell will be.

I met my Australian across-the-way neighbor today. He brought me to get my alien registration card. That was an experience. We got to the town hall, I went to booth six, and the man just giggled at every word I said. He was trying to explain to me to print my name, address, birthday. But the form clearly said all the in English. He was young and had really bad teeth.

Then neighbor-boy and I went and got coffee [at The Mall] which was pretty good. I figured out how to get an iced latte [with real milk, damn]. Aussie-neighbor got a hot dog? That was strange, eh? But the coffee place was nice enough, I may bring my sketchbook there in the future.

Then I went back to my neighbors place, which looks just like mine but with a Pringles pyramid, and we watched the Simpsons with another teacher, a woman from England. I couldnt understand half the shit they were saying. But she knew who I was before I introduced myself, I guess there are only a dozen teachers at the two schools, so a newbie is an event.

It is 3:45am where I used to live.

I hope my roommate doesnt come home early, to see me sitting in my underwear on the couch, using her computer. What a site! If only I could upload a picture for you all!

Uh, good afternoon.

So now it is a little after noon. Ive been up since five (see previous post). At around seven I went for a walk, nothing was open, not even The Mall. I couldnt find any coffee. I came back here and waited around for ten o'clock, when this town gets bustling! I sat watching a documentary about some sort of animal and checked my emails (not enough, guys) and then headed back over to The Mall. I bought a pillow, shampoo, and hangers. So it took a few hours.

Im still not on my computer, so I cant really add pictures yet. You guys have to see The Mall. It's a big concrete building with a green sign that says The Mall. And there are some palm trees. And Asians.

Attention nerds: If anyone can give me some computer tips, I want to get my internet working! I have a Dell Inspiron 1100 (I know). My wireless card works, but when I plug in the cable that doesnt work. It was the same situation in my house in Walpole, so I know it is my machine. Anyone know what I need? Maybe a driver to instal? I tried "repairing" the connection, and it said I needed to renew my IP address and call my ISP. I totally would, but my ISP doesnt speak English. Help!


TV from the hotel in Osaka

I appreciate everyone's comments. Whoever come visits me first gets to buy me dinner.

So I just killed another twenty minutes. I think I am going to borrow my roomie's bike and find city hall to get my alien card. Then probably go back to The Mall.

GOOD MORNING!

It is 5am on Friday. This is jet-lag.

I work at two different branches of the school. One of the schools is a five minute walk away, in The Mall. I teach there on Sundays. The other school is in Tokuyama, a ten minute train ride away. I am there Wednesday through Saturday. Before I got here I kind of wished I could just teach over at The Mall, but after seeing Kudamastu I am really glad I am being forced to get to Tokuyama a few days a week. I haven’t been there yet, but apparently that’s where everything, if there is anything, is.

I go to Hiroshima on Sunday. It takes about an hour on the super express train to get there. But it costs 3,800 yen roundtrip. The company is paying for me to get there Sunday, but it would get expensive to go there on my days off. Probably worth it, though. I mean, The Mall is awesome, but how many hours can I spend petting bugs in the pet store?

1/3 in Kudamatsu

Ever been to Kudamatsu? Or Kooder, as I like to call it? No?

Everything is going awesome. Only complaints: it is HOT and I am sweaty (I didnt pack any shorts). It's like returning to the land of my youth. Also, my hands are raw from carrying my luggage across the planet. But Im glad I over packed. I will not find Bristol board in this neighborhood. Last complaint, my computer sucks and only works with wireless. We dont have wireless. We have wireness. Luckily my new roommate is letting me use her computer. Oh, and last last complaint, I just showered and had no towel. It's in my bag that'll be delivered tomorrow night.

Today I traveled to my apartment. I took the train by myself. It made me really happy. This is exactly what I wanted from this trip, challenges in everything. Im in my euphoric phase, everything is new and I have to use my survival skills and brain cells. Not right now though, whenever I write these posts Im exhausted.

So I am one of three English teachers in my city. I live with one, and one Australian is across the hall. My roommate has been living alone for two months. And in this place that mustve been hard. The main attractions include the mall and a burger place (both are wicked awesome!). Roomie was extremely nice and picked me up from the train station, showed me around, took me to the grocery store, turned on the A.C. Euphoric phase.

This living situation reminds me of Massachusetts, where an hour of travel is needed to get to the city, and four hours to get to THE CITY (Tokyo=N.Y.).

I may not be making any sense. Im really a better writer than all this.

Once I get the camera/internet figured out I'll give you a video tour of the apartment. And trust me, getting the internet working is priority #1. I think I'll be doing A LOT of drawing and blogging here. You know, when Im not at the mall.

Only English TV station is discovery channel. SCORE!

ALIVE

EDIT: PICTURES!

I am in Japan.

There is a small chance I left the wire that connects my digital camera to my computer at home. I'll find out Friday when they deliver my luggage.

I remembered my passport, so that's good.

Im not really sure what time/day it is. But I do have to be up in seven hours to continue my journey to Kudamatsu. So far the trip has been pretty good. Except that I packed way too much and had to throw a lot of stuff out at the Boston airport.

And I exchanged too much money at the Detroit airport, where it was basically $1=100yen. Not good. But the four hours sitting at the bar was good. The flight was only bearable because of my new Jeffery Brown comics and the inflatable neck pillow I bought impulsively.

And the company was really great with picking us up at the airport, setting up the luggage delivery, buying bus tickets, taking us to the hotel.

Right now Im at a hotel in Osaka. It's a small room and thank god Im all by myself. I did go out with my fellow travelers tonight to get sushi and drinks. It was easy to order food with no fish. We're all cautiously optimistic about the company. So many people have quit, they need us! Tomorrow when I meet my roommate I'll find out what's really up with the pay.

From what Ive seen of Osaka it seems really fun. I only walked around a bit, most of the time holding four huge bags and sweating. Everything here is so small and bright. There are tons of bicycles. You could play dominoes down the streets. The people are so hip and pretty. I wish I could be more poetic or descriptive for you, but they'll be pictures and drawings. That's what Im good at.

With all the uncertainty, it was really worth coming here. Even if I dont end up staying the whole year.


I bought some weird juice with a purple carrot on it.

I'm so tired and a total zombie right now. And the next few days are going to be crazy with travel, paperwork, trains, bank accounts, finding things, updating my blogs, my training in Hiroshima, sleep. And finding an adapter before my laptop battery dies.

Thingies

Last night I was packing and someone was using my computer to creep around Facebook when my monitor suddenly shut off. And it wouldnt come back on. I gave it the night to rest, fix itself. But nothing, it would not turn on. And there was the burning smell.

Being lazy and busy doing other things (starting a new blog, eating cupcakes) I hadnt transfered all my files to my new* laptop. Most importantly I hadnt backed up any of the high resolution scans of my drawings. And some of the drawings are gone for good, sent off in the mail to better homes.

So, I figured it was the monitor. I asked Lauren to come over and bring her monitor. Yes, I ask Lauren to do a lot. I plugged in her pretty little flat screen thing and it still didnt work. This is not what I want to be dealing with 48 hours before I leave.

Turns out my video card burnt out or broke or something, so I just had to take it out, yell at it, and plug the monitor into a different hole.

Perhaps this blog will get more interesting once I get off the plane.

*hand-me-down

Four Days

Today is Friday and I leave Tuesday. No better time to start blogging about my move to Japan than now.

I don't know what's going on with the company Im working for. I'll admit, I didn't put much research into where Id apply to. I knew of a few people who used them to teach English in Japan. They survived. That was good enough for me.

Maybe I should have been skeptical when twenty-two days after I received my rejection letter I get a phone call from their Boston office asking me where my paperwork was. Apparently I did get the job and a "database error" caused me to spend those twenty-two days in one of the deepest depressions of my life.

Once I knew I got the job, on June 22nd, there was a lot of paperwork and waiting around. They were late with letting me know where I'd be moving and teaching. I didn't get that information until September 11th. With an apology attached.

Then on Wednesday they called to confirm I had my work visa and yen. They also let me know that due to something-or-another in the Japan office, my $1,200 salary advance would probably be delayed four to six weeks. I expected to get it after two. And of course at this point I have no way of getting together a couple of extra hundred bucks.

Then, there was this morning. I leave in four days. All my stuff is in boxes at my dad's house. I quit my job. I spent over $500 on new "professional" clothes. Im wicked busy with a million things to do (as you can tell by this super ugly blog). I get a phone call from the Boston office telling me they heard some of the teachers weren't paid on time this month. The man on the phone suggests I wait a month to leave.

What?

I cant wait a month. I don't have a job. I have a ton of bills. I already said goodbye to people.

Thanks for making me feel super confident about my flight to Japan. This isnt going to help my brand new stress-induced-adult-onset acne. I totally don't expect anyone to be at the airport in Osaka when I land. Hey, maybe if Im lucky the whole company will go under the day I arrive.

EDIT (I just received this email):

Dear Jeannette,

I refer to our conversation this morning. I informed you of our concerns about adverse speculation regarding [the company] which may affect your plans for travel to, and employment in, Japan.

We asked you to consider whether you wished to:

1) Continue with your current employment process and travel plans; or
2) Delay your departure to a future date until matters are satisfactorily clarified.

In our view it would be prudent to delay your departure pending confirmation by [the company] management that adequately responds to the adverse speculation.

In any case, we suggest that you take the precaution of bringing additional funds with you.

Would you please confirm, by return email, your decision to continue with your trip in order that we facilitate your arrival and employment in Japan.

We would be grateful for your prompt reply.

We sincerely wish you the very best.

Regards,
Satan