Oooops

Well, it's been a while, eh!

The PC died in a nicely spectacular way. Windows did an automatic update, and then froze on the restart - not booting at all. Safe Mode worked but that was it. Trying to revert to an older version did nothing at all. SO, I copied files over to the external drive (I knew there was a good reason to buy a 300GB drive!), which took a couple of days since I was trying to do this around work as well as other odd jobs that needed doing.

I conveniently forgot to copy over my internet bookmarks - so there went 3 years of surfing down the drain. Ah well....

Thankfully my laptops were working. I needed both of them running at one point since one also decided to misfire on startup. I also had to reinstall Avast on both of them since it had been so long since I'd used them! After perusing some websites and getting some advice from good friends in the know, it was time to reinstall Windows. It took a few hours to get things sorted out but it reinstalled successfully on the first try.

Then the Internet wouldn't work.

I called the ISP and tried to explain in Japanese what was going on and if they could help. After doing that for 10 minutes the girl suddenly started speaking English to me!!! This was in the morning, mind you, and I certainly wasn't functioning at my best! Not happy - but at least I know I could function in Japanese enough to get through that situation about 90% of the way without my wife around to do the translating. I must be making progress.

Turns out it was my fault anyway - the network card drivers weren't the right ones and I had to update them, along with with the graphics and sound card drivers. Once I'd done that things were fine, the Internet was rocking and I was downloading the software I needed again like a fury.

Now everything is fine again.



In other news, my trip back home is drawing closer and closer. 16 days to go! Thailand is pretty much organised now. All I need is to pack and buy my tickets for the airport bus. My travel blog will chronicle the epic journey or catalogue the disaster as it unfolds.


One of our teachers, Rachel, has gone to Yamaguchi prefecture with her boyfriend and we've received another teacher in trade. She's a Canadian, fresh out of university and a whole lot of fun, as my hangover from yesterday will testify!

So that makes my school look like this;
Myself, Paul (New Zealand), Pavla (Canada) and Caitlin (Canada).
Yep, in a flash we've gone from being Southern Hemispheric dominant to being outnumbered by Canadians! That's not such a bad thing if I want to have a good time, but not such a good thing if I want to save money and stay healthy, if recent nights out have been any guide!
Our Japanese staff are Yuko (manager), Masako and Eri (part-timer) - all amazing in their jobs and so very helpful to all of us.

I might be moving on early next year. It'll be six months in Otsu come February and that's what I first said I'd do to our area manager when I volunteered to come down. Looks like Pav will take over the reigns there, which will be a good experience for her - and a more approriate position considering her experience in other jobs before Nova. No thoughts or news on where yet, but I suspect it'll be back to Himeji. That could be fun if Keiko decides to study English again, since that'll be where she'll want to go as well! My wife as a student!? Not likely!!


The weather? FREEZING! I can't wait to get out of here. It's such a shame that K can't come along as well, but she's not going to get another holiday at this time of year for quite a while I suspect. Besides, I have no other 'siblings' getting married this time around.