Charming Japaneseness.

Today I am at the BOE office, it being exams at my high school (obviously, they have exams nine million times a year, it's more of a statement to proclaim that I ACTUALLY HAVE TO TEACH). At 12.15 today I went into the room where the majority of the staff work, to find them sitting in darkness. The lights were on in the corridor and the computer screens still glowed, so I knew the power was still on. Bemused, I presented my paperwork to my superviser, who squinted uncomprehendingly at the small text.

'Why are the lights out?' I asked, as he lowered his nose to within three centimeters of the print, trying vainly to decipher it.

'It is rest time' he said.

I looked around. Some staff members were, indeed, brewing coffee, or dipping chopsticks into bento boxes, but by far the majority were labouring, like my superviser, to continue their work by the dim light filtering in from the corridor.

'Do you want me to come back later?' I asked.

'No, no no'.

'Well, then, should I turn on the lights, just for a minute?'

Shocked face.

'It is rest time'.