Disappointing Replacement

   I've tried really hard not to be influenced by my first impression of my replacement, Judy.

   When she was going to move out to my apartment, I told her that I would meet her, show her around, take her to city hall to change her registered address, and help her buy all the important things she'd need. She said she'd be at the apartment around two, and I ended up waiting until seven. Not only was she not on time, but the guy who was driving her didn't have his cell phone on, so nobody could contact either of them.

   What were they doing? Buying a refrigerator and getting a USB dongle for mobile internet.

   Not only did it take much longer than it should have, but I told her I'd help her do that stuff. What a waste of my time. On top of that, both the internet and refrigerator are more expensive and worse than if she'd just come to the apartment on time.

   It was an incredibly frustrating waste of my time.

   She doesn't have a cell phone, though she could have asked the driver or just called me through a public phone. She apologized pretty sincerely in an e-mail, which helped.

   Though she tends to type in shorthand/slang, which irritates me... but that's just me, again.

   Last week, I was invited to a farewell party for all of the teachers who'd left the junior high this year. I really want to go, even though the promotion of one teacher and retirement of the other means it'll cost me around 100 USD -- that's 50 USD in "gift money" to each teacher, which is a cultural thing. I really like them both, so I don't particularly care so much.

   However, the party's at night on Friday and bus transport here is pretty sporadic, so I'd absolutely need somewhere to crash on Friday night, since I really don't want to have to bike back to the apartment late at night after a party. So I e-mailed Judy and asked if I could crash on my old couch at her apartment.

   I mean, she was going to the party too... so I arranged for one of the teachers to drive us both there.

   Two birds with one stone and all.

   She said okay, so I figured I was set. All I have to do is get the bills pressed so that they look nice and then get two ceremonial envelopes to put the money in. One worry that's not on my shoulders anymore.

   I wish.

   Today, three days before the party and nearly a week after I'd confirmed that I'd be going, Judy said that her boyfriend wasn't comfortable with me sleeping in the same apartment as her.

   I spent bus fare -- twice -- helping her, I gave her a bunch of stuff steeply discounted, I spent all Sunday helping her around the city, I introduced her to the family I teach English to, and most importantly, she said that she was fine with me staying over a week ago -- something that my decision was predicated on. And her boyfriend isn't comfortable with that?

   Fuck. That.

   I'm furious.

   She agreed, and now she wants to screw me over because someone else doesn't agree. I hate people like that, and I should have seen something like this coming. With 20/20 hindsight, her not contacting me and wanting to leave Japan halfway through her contract were both major symptoms that I should've have recognized as telling me that she's not someone who really cares about honoring committments.

   Maybe I'm overreacting, but I'm furious.

   I really want to go to this party and I really don't want to fucking bike up the mountain... after a party... late at night... and in my suit and overcoat.

   Furious.