The Japanese don't take sick days. Even when they are sick enough (I'm talking like a good chance of dying, giving birth, having limbs removed...) they use vacation time more often than not. Why? Beats the hell out of me. I think it gives them another excuse to talk about how busy they are. It just doesn't make sense really.
Case in point- Yesterday one of the first grade teachers wasn't there in the morning, which I found pretty strange. Two periods later he came in, bag of medicine in hand, clearly he had just come from the doctor. Someone asked him a question and all he did was point at his throat and manage to squeeze something out in a barely perceptible voice.
I looked over at one of the English teachers and asked, "How's he going to teach like that?" The question seemed to stun her, but she thought about it for a second, laughed a little and said, "I don't know." It hadn't even occurred to her. He was there, he came into work. That's all that mattered.
In an unrelated matter, I'm taking donations for the "Get Joe out of Jap'land" fund...
