That old black magic

Well anyway, some of you might have heard, others not. That job I was expecting to come through did not, in fact, come through. It just sort of petered out, and just the other week I got that confirmation, as well as a long over due explanation. I am the victim of good old fashion racism! They hired a Canadian about 5 months ago; despite some reservations, as he had held 3 or 4 jobs with Japanese companies in the last three years. It turns out those reservations were well founded. In order to work for a Japanese company, you must accept a few things. You WILL be unexpected to work unpaid overtime, you will be expected to attend company functions, and you will speak as much Japanese as you can and become a part of the company family. This guy, refused to do all these things. After 5 months, they eventually fired him, essentially for his inability or unwillingness to assimilate into the company standard salaryman mold. So, he sued them. A pointless gesture, as Japanese courts rarely find against Japanese in favor of foreign people. Though, sometimes they do. So, since that Canadian didn't work out, the company has decided never again to hire white people. I am white, in case you didnt know. So, I am SOL. One of the most valuable things I am taking from my time in Japan is an intimate knowledge of racism, and how it must feel to be black, or other such things in America. I was not at all racist before, but after this place, I have a new respect and understanding of such things. Merry Christmas Ray!