My English School Franchise is Closed Today.
Today I didn’t go to my school franchise but I did go out! This morning climbing down the stairs to my garage I had to brace-up to a brisk mountain breeze laced with the smell of damp forest. I walked 12 minutes to the train from my house in the mountains. I was on my way to Shin Nishinomiya yacht harbour to go yacht racing.
As the train weaved its way along the track trees gave way to rice paddies and fig tree farms. Not long after it was deep inside the concrete jungle known as Osaka central. I had been riding the train for 20 minutes. Japan is 78% forest and such short train rides from forest to city are quite normal. I changed trains and this next train was quickly chugging along the coast line. The train stopped, I disembarked and jumped on my bus to the yacht harbour. It is truly amazing how well the public transport system works here in Japan.
Days Off and Yacht Racing
My co-skipper was waiting for me when I arrived and we jumped on our little 21 feet boat and headed out for a day of racing. We came in 5th out of 11 yachts and ended the day with a free BBQ at the Club House. I love yacht racing and fishing and so when I am not with my family you will most often find me on the ocean. Yacht racers like to practice and that takes time. My English School is supported by a Franchise system and this system closes shop for about 92 days this year. My own School Franchise is not open Monday nor Saturday. This picks me up another 102 days this year.
In closing: Don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with my family and I love my work teaching English. It’s just that with 194 days off I get to do plenty of racing and I earn no less than any other English teachers I know.
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