Today, I woke up around 2:30am, throat sick. Lots and lots of pain, a desire for water that could not be satisfied due to extreme pain when drinking, and total exhaustion. I woke up once (or was it twice) more before my actual alarm, needing to rush to the bathroom from all the water I was drinking. I contemplated just going to the doctor’s office instead, and getting a sick leave day, but my mother, who is visiting, convinced me that it was best to go to school, since I hadn’t been there much lately and would be gone the rest of this week, too.
And I discovered more of the Japanese views on work and illness while I was at work today. Almost no one seemed concerned that I was sick and at work (and could barely talk). Having to sit around at work after I finished all my classes was even more rough than the start to the day. And finding compassion for being ill and stuck at work was rather impossible from a people who practically would work on their deathbeds. (For those who don’t know, Japanese teachers don’t take off work for almost anything, including illness. Only the flu gets them all ruffled up into a panic, where they force you to stay home for a week.)
It was an odd day for sure…
Post-a-day 2017
hannah ananas 