Rants about water and heat

So I am sitting in my apartment right now, typing out this entry. All I can think about is the downpour of water coming from my balcony. I don't know what it is from, but there is this pipe on my outside balcony that has been spouting continually for about 2 days now. Obviously, this is not a good thing...and of course i have told somebody about it, but nobody seems too concerned (let's not even start with the wasting of water or the possible gigantic water bill which i will probably receive this month). I mean, I live on the 4th floor of an apartment building...so if something is leaking, isn't it obvious that water damage may occur to the floors below? I mean, this isn't a case of just the "dumb foreigner" will be effected by the leak...everyone in the building could potentially get effected...so shouldn't someone check on this? I mean, i guess i have to look at the whole situation this way...a) I am a foreigner, therefore in the minds of those that I deal with (sadly this is too often the case) I must not actually understand the situation, so it can not be as bad as I claim it to be. b) everything in this country takes years to deal with...(i.e. internet took 3 weeks to set up, bank account took 3 days, building a small house can take 8 months after groundbreak) so it is possible that it isn't because i am a overdramatic foreigner that they are ignoring me...it might just be that they arent in any sort of rush to deal with things. c) tomorrow is a holiday, so nobody will deal with it then.. now I have to wait until wednesday (after work, someone will come to my house to verify that yes its true there is water spewing from a pipe on her balcony...then they will call a plumber/handyman to come and deal with it, which lets face it might be weeks before they appear) What is with this place?

Next question: Why aren't the schools insulated or heated? Today was a warm day....thank goodness, because that meant I didn't have to teach class thru chattering teeth....(keep in mind it is only november..i have a long winter a head of me). My teacher informed me last week that it is considered rude to wear gloves indoors...can't help it though, because my fingers were turning purple....(and really, why should I care if i am considered rude..i mean i am constantly breaking etiquette as is...blowing my nose, albeit softly, in public....eating/drinking as i walk/ride my bike down the street....taking phone calls on the train (okay that's pretty rare, but sometimes it is a necessity). The point is, can't i just chalk up the glove thing as being an ignorant gaijin....i mean, i don't really want to lose any of my digits due to frostbite...and yes, i feel it may be an actual possibility...I mean on thursday, i could actually see my breath as i was teaching....And really, why do they insist on keeping the windows open, when it is like sub-zero outside (in celsius that is)....

So today,I went out and bought tons of those instant heatpacks that i used to put inside my boots and gloves for skiing....I was told that although i can't wear gloves, i can hold a couple of these heat things to keep warm....great, no problem...except these things remind me of maxi pads...and frankly, i can't take myself serious, when i teach while grasping one of these things so tightly you would think it was my life raft....it looks like a maxipad...it isn't subtle...rainbow gloves would be more subtle...

why why why???