Time Sure Flies When Your Sick and Theres Work to Do

So I ended up getting pretty sick. All in all I had to take two days off work to get well. But I've managed to pretty much kick it at this point, although I'm still coughing here and there. Now my car is deciding to get sick though, I'm gonna have to take in to the rental place. Its making a high pitched squealing sound, and this is precisely why I rent....because they will fix whatever it is and it wont cost me any extra.

I had a fairly uneventful week after that, we had another culture day. More singing. But my RowdyHill中 kids were really funny in the afternoon and even though KatsuTeacher also wanted me sing we had a pretty good time. Some of my 3rd years did a REALLY funny, and kind of hardcore dance to the Evangelion theme song, and I was cursing the fact that I forgot my camera. I can only hope that I can talk the school into letting me make a copy of the video they took. It was so funny I was in tears laughing.

I spent a lot of time at Kim's this week or so watching all 6 Harry Potter movies so we could watch the premiere of the 7th one yesterday after mid-year seminar. Movies really are best with other people to make snide comments with. And so we also had mid-year seminar, which was so conveniently close to me! Anyway, it was probably the most useful and informative function I've had so far in this process. Probably because now we all sorta know what we're doing and have constructive ideas to share. I do feel kinda inspired to try some more things, and I think I may have a little better understanding of what is needed. So all in all success.

I also went to Izumo Taisha for the first time today, with some other JETs. It really was fun times. The grounds are really pretty, even if the main hall in under construction for the next two years :(

Hello Sinus Pressure

So it turns out that my sniffles that I thought was my bodies really weird response to my screaming my throat raw is actually more like a real cold. This is probably a direct result of running myself a little ragged this week what with my whirlwind tour to Kobe, the fact that I was a little under the weather before that on Tuesday, and culture day at OMGItsHuge中 today.

But despite it getting me sick, its been a good week so I can't complain. Although I used the first of my sick leave on Tuesday because the people at work thought I looked like death warmed over. It was good because that way I could rest up and be prepared for my whirlwind journey to Tackey & Tsubasa joy! So I basically stayed in bed most of the day trying to sleep it off, which I imagine did not help my sleeping on the night bus.

But I got there bright and early, and it was a little pathetic how when I got off the bus how immediately at ease I felt. Looks like no matter how much time passes, or no matter if I live somewhere else now Kansai will always feel like home. I had to loiter and I failed at finding an internet cafe so I just parked myself on a bench and waited for Lexi to show up on her bus. When then spent most of morning sleeping/loitering in McDonalds, because thats what people do in the McDonalds at that time of day. After that we changed and went out to the concert venue. It was a BLAST! We had three tickets so I went to the first show by myself while Lexi had coffee hour with her laptop. My seat was great, and it was SO close. I could go on, but needless to say it was really amazing seeing my favorite boys so close up.

So afterwards I met up with Lex again and we got some snacks in between shows before we went back in for the afternoon show. It was SO worth it to go to both shows, after 2 and 1/2 years of no unit activity, and longer since I had got the chance to see them, it was really fun to just take it all in. Lexi and I had floor seats near the backstage, basically at the other end of the arena from where I was before so everything I didn't get to see close up the first time, I got to see close up the second time. And we sat next to really enthusiastic fans, and screamed and sang ourselves silly. It was SO much fun.

We came back again on night buses and I have been really really drained all this week. And now I'm getting sick. Culture day was interesting, although sitting through the super long choral competition part was murder on my sinuses. And of course the teachers are like, we will surprise the students by singing, and everyone was like...so will you sing? I told them no because they hadn't had me practice with them and I didn't know the song at all. But then it came time for it and my JTE was like 'Let's GO!' So I faked it with all my might. The afternoon club demonstrations were more interesting...especially brass band and rhythmic gymnastics.

I also got to give my JTE my present from the Tackey & Tsubasa concert, since she likes them too. She seemed happy to receive it, so I'm glad I remembered to get it!

Off to the drug store to try and convey that my sinuses are like BLURGH

Let Me Go Back in There and Face the Peril! No its too Perilous!

The date on the last post is so not right! Cause it was totally the next day that I found the couch that I was looking for, and now its being delivered tomorrow. I'm very excited, and hopefully one of the guys will come over and help me move my dresser. And that was Monday.

So now my kids mid-terms are over with, and next week is time for my big Halloween lesson. I had fun times with elementary school kids again on Wednesday, and let me say that they are the cure for all the ails you. I also finally went to Tuesday night diner this week after several weeks of being absent, and it was quite fun. And of course curry is always welcome. I think I'm going to start getting freebies there soon, I'm there often enough.

I biked around today, looking for new bags for my vacuum cleaner, the other which was sacrificed to riding myself of a cockroach. I found some, and it was like 300yen for like 10 of them so its a good deal I think. I got some more leggings for approaching winter too, and the big difference between the M-L size ones and L-LL size is that these are actually long enough! Little things but they make me quite happy.

My next project is to start searching in earnest for a kotatsu (heated table so nice) futon and a double size futon for my bed, because its starting to get a bit cold with just the two blankets I've got. But I'm trying to find a nice one.

I'm watching Monty Python as I eat dinner, as may be evidenced by the title of this post. I needed something English on the tv tonight, felt like hearing my own language for once.

My Blogging and Working Battle continues

Ok so I probably really can't do the updating once a week thing. But I'm really trying to do this regularly. Unfortunately its not like my other journal which I write random stuff in and is mostly made of witty one-liners between me and Corey from college. So its not really the same trying to write about my life, for people to read about. I like to do it, I just am tired to distracted or just plain forget.

So what I'm going to try and do is make this a little more anecdotal. That way its easier to write and hopefully once I start doing that, which would be more frequently, and that way its easier for me to remember. Hopefully.

So for about a month now I've been looking for a couch for my apartment, because I need another place to sit like woah. What I really want is one of these Japanese sofa beds which slide forward and recline so guests can sleep on them. Thats because if I have the couch there is probably no longer enough space for an air mattress or something. And I have about 200cm for one, and I was thinking that I really wanted a leather one instead of cloth. So I've been looking in all the recycle shops, but hadn't had much success at finding one I liked. Cause lets face it if I'm going to spend nearly $200 on this freakin thing I wanna like it. I think I finally found on, its kinda plain but its plain white leather so I think thats a nice and clean look for my room. If all goes well I could have it delivered by this weekend.

In other news apparently it was worth mentioning that I've been almost late a couple times in the past month to OMGItsHuge中. Never mind that "almost late" is like 20 minutes earlier than my contract says I have to be somewhere, but I go that early anyway cause they've asked me to be there for the teachers meeting (which I never take part of and can only sometimes follow).

No the reason for this is quite simple, the meeting is supposed to be at 8:10, so I try to arrive 3 or so minutes early so I can put my stuff down, grab a glass of water and then stand in my place for the start of the meeting. Lately the meeting has been fluctuating between being 3 or so minutes early or 3 or so minutes late. Mostly early. So what happens is I walk in right as its starting, but because the Vice-Principal is already starting to speak I do not want to cut through the room and disrupt it so I stand by the door. I am still there for the whole meeting, give or take a sentence or two. If I could predict when this would happen I could plan accordingly, Its only been in the last three or four weeks, and with all the strange schedule's I've had lately its only been this week that I decided, ok they wanna play that game then I'll set my alarm clock back ten minutes so its easier for me to be there a little earlier even. But I was apparently too slow on the draw and now its been mentioned....*sigh* I'm really kinda irritated about this. Its not like I'm being actually late, I'm just being.....precisely on time instead of being there a few minutes early.

I wonder if they realize that asking me to be there half an hour early would technically entitle me to leave that much earlier in the afternoon. Good thing for them I've got more standards than that.

But this weekend I watched Japanese Girl Scouts making a 25m long sushi roll, and that was pretty darn cool.

Sports Day(s) & Hiroshima

So I know I said I'd update every week, but realizing that my sports days would be split over two and thinking they should all be put together in one post...I decided to wait.

So the start of my second week of school started me really getting more into the swing of teaching, although it was still being punctuated by sports day prep. We spent three periods on Monday doing prep at OMGItsHuge中, and I used that time to wander around my school, sometimes with and sometimes without OnajiiName先生(sensei). Actually I spent my whole second week there. Although Tuesday was normal classes, Wednesday was sports day rehearsal. But as we all feared, it got interrupted by the oncoming typhoon. Luckily it was a quick typhoon and sports day went unchanged, but for the day the students had to get back inside. Because OMGItsHuge中 has a unusual layout for a Japanese middle school, the students were able to practice their dancing and cheering inside. Once again I was allowed to loiter about and watch various groups rehearse etc. During a break in the rain I helped the teachers deassemble all the tents, because I felt I had nothing better to do. But I think they really appreciated it, and I feel like after that I became closer to the staff.

Finally Thursday came and the skies were clear so we were able to have a glorious sports day, the weather had even cooled off making it bearable to be outside. Japanese sports day isn't what it sounds like to most westerners. The only usual sport they do is relay races. Everything is different, and quite possibly lawsuit inducing if it were happening in the US. I could go on but there is one game that involves boys holding up giant bamboo poles with hats on top and them running and leaping at them, trying to be the first team to pull their opponents pole down.

All in all it was pretty fun and I had a good time just watching and taking pictures/videos and chatting with the other teachers. I think next year it'd be good to like...declare myself for on team though. Because the students seemed very concerned with that, and it would make cheering easier. My Enkai afterward was also super fun and I was glad that my Japanese did not evaporate with the consumption of alcohol. Cause once they figured out I'd drink the sake even if I didn't like beer, it got a little dangerous!

All in all I spent a lot of time over at OMGItsBig中 over the second two weeks, and I got to know my way around and the routine a lot better. That weekend being thrown right into the Sports day at TeenyTiny中 wasn't so easy because I'd only been there once. But it was still interested, the a principal talked to me a lot and even talked me into joining the folk dancing at the end. So it was a good day in all, and the rain clouds apparently parted right over us and allowed us to have the day uninterrupted.

RowdyHill中 had theirs later that week, and I have to say the art at that school was definitely the best. Again a bit awkward cause it was only my second time at the school at all, and they only had two teams. But they were pretty good sized teams. And they had a lot of cooperative teamwork activities instead of so many physical ones. Partway through the day kids from a local kindergarten came and they had dance time with the 2nd and 3rd years. And it was about the cutest thing I'd EVER seen! Later during the day I pulled a penny that had somehow got stuck in my sneaker out and one of the boys ended up asking for it. I gave it to him and he seemed really impressed by it! I'll have to remember that small change makes a good bribe.

After my big challenge of so many sports days it was time for the well earned long weekend! I spent Saturday doing NONE of the things I had intended to do, and on Sunday I got up bright and early to get to the station and pick up Nicole and then Kim at her place to drive down to Hiroshima. It was a good long drive and I'm still getting the hang of this navigating in Japan thing, but we eventually found the station and Lexi. After that another adventure in the form of finding the hostel and getting train passes and we were off to the peace park for some lunch. We had the delicious pasta that Anna and I had when we were there, and then we caught a train to Miyajima. This time when we got there the shrine was still open! So we had a good time seeing that and walking around in the shops touristing a bit. I got a safe driving charm!

When we got back we met back up with Kim and went out for dinner and purikura! Back at the hostel we acted like complete nerds and watched Yugioh Abridged all night! And Nicole and I could not stop quoting it. The morning saw us getting up relatively early for a bookoff trip! After that obligatory stop we just had fun shopping the rest of the day and had Hiroshimayaki for lunch, which was tasty but I still like Kansai style best! We made Nicole try on leather shorts, which actually looked pretty good and she ended up buying them, the skinny thing she is. We left before it got too late so I would have energy to drive back and finally we got home, but not before I stopped off and got some delicious curry.

Now I'm home and enjoying another day off after a relatively uneventful two days at school. I'll have to gear up for another trip to Fukuoka soon though, since Lexi and I have concerts tickets for the first weekend of the month!

The First Week

So it's going to be my goal to write here once a week. So its a lazy Sunday and I just finished cleaning my apartment and getting some things in order. I paid two of my bills at the Lawson, and finally got enough stickers to get the promotional Miffy bowl there! Hehe, its cute! I also got a wireless router this week since one of the electronics stores is closing for renovations and is therefore having a sale. I even managed to set up the password an everything even though it was in Japanese. I'm now kicking back and enjoying the clean apartment, if I hear anything from the others maybe I'll go into town to have dinner and hang out. If not, I'm going to try and go to that place that looks like it serves Indian curry nearby and get some take-out.

So this week was my first week at my schools. I spent the first three days at OMGItsBig中(chuu), and then a day each at RowdyHill中 and TeenyTiny中 respectively. In case anyone is wondering, to preserve a degree of anonymity for my schools I wont be referring to them by name here on on FB. Those are what I've decided to call them for now. I'll probably keep the first and last one, but the middle one may change later. I may also come up with nicknames for the JTEs at OMGItsBig中 since there are a couple. But that'll come later. They are all preparing for sports day so theres a limit to how much I do there to start out with. Also because I have to go through that obligatory awkward stage where I don't really know what to do with myself, or any of my JTEs much yet. But I'm feeling that it will pass.

I didn't do much at all my first day at OMGItsBig中 other than give my speech in front of the student body at the opening ceremony, and boy was that nervewracking. Its a very large number of students (at least to me) and they are were just staring at me. But I got through it, and sat in the teachers room most of the rest of the day reading the textbooks and trying not to fall asleep. At least its air conditioned. The second day saw me not doing much either except for coming up with my worksheet for the second years and teaching one first year class at the end of the day. There is one teacher there, not a JTE, who is the same age as me and I'm really hoping we'll get to friends! She seems nice and so far we seem to get on, she seems interested in getting to know me too. I've worked with three out of four of my JTEs there and they all seem nice enough, although I think I'll get on best with the one who seems to be directly in charge of me. She's fairly young, has good English, and likes the same music as me! Also she's fun to work with in class, even in my self-intro she engaged with me. On my third day it was a little more hectic, I taught 5 classes even though there were only 4 periods in the day. There was so confusion about where I would go for one period, so we split it half and half. I'm thinking of getting a whiteboard and writing who I'll be teaching with on it as soon as I know so the others can check. I haven't taught any third years there yet. But it seemed to go well and by the end of the third day I was settling into the routine there a bit more. The vice-principal(kyouto-sensei) seems pretty wonderful too.

The next day I drove to RowdyHill中 and had classes there. Because I'm there only once a week I taught all 4 of those classes in one day. I like the JTE there plenty, but the kids there were a little rowdy, compared to the ones I'd had previously. But still I got through my introduction fine, and hopefully I'll learn the best way to handle the slightly more rambunctious classes. I think its just intimidating to me since this is my first time. I made three different worksheets for that school, and to be honest I'm still not done grading them.

The last day of my week was spent at TeenyTiny中, my predecessors favorite. Its so small, and there are only 3 classes. But the building seems quiet nice, and the principal (koucho-sensei) is a woman! I was so surprised. It was a good day there. I had 3 lovely classes with those kids, and we did a little textbook work in each. The classes are small enough that each student could introduce themselves briefly to me personally, and it was really cool to have that interaction with them. They all seem pretty genki, and one first year in particular seemed really keen to interact with me. They were so cute, in one class when they had to come up and introduce themselves several of them were falling all over themselves to be first. One boy introduced himself like this 'I'm _______. I am cute!', and then the next boy followed that with 'I'm _______. You're cute!'. For the last two periods I went with my JTE and watched them do things to prepare for sports day. It was really fun, and I don't know what team they were but I am SO rooting for the team that is dancing to the AAA song!

All in all its been a pretty solid week, although I am worn out! I need to get the hang of this working thing. Once I get more established and used to the hours I think I'll do some hanging around after school visiting clubs. Also after sports day is over. I hope the teachers will take it easy with me in the real lessons for a while until I can get used to teaching and come up with some good games.

The Internet Finally Arrived

So it took freakin forever but I finally have internet in Japan. I'm kind of weirded out that I didn't do a pre-departure blog because it seems like no matter how much I forget to blog, thats one I always hit. But this JET thing just really had me too busy down to the last second. It was bittersweet as I kinda thought, but I was honestly really too busy most of the time leading up to get too sad. Although no matter if I'm flying to or from Japan it seems like I cry.

So anyway I sat next to Lexi on the plane and we arrived in Tokyo, a little worse for the wear but excited. Tokyo orientation just took it out of me though. I've never noticed being as jetlagged before because activity keeps me focused, but sitting in seminars all day....man. The worst was after lunch when I was so full, and the rooms where so nice and cool. But we had pretty good fun.

Then it was down to my prefecture, Shimane. I gotta say when the clouds parted and we were flying over the prefecture I was thinking 'oh god what have I gotten myself into.' But I got here and we were swarmed by people and taken to lunch, where I discovered that a lot of them spoke pretty good english. And honestly after that I was kept too busy for a long time to think too much on that initial feeling of misgiving. And now that I've seen what REALLY rural looks like, before that too but anyway, I've actually been content so far. I mean the little things that bug me about it location wise are really true and they aren't going to go away, it is difficult to get other places where things I am interested in are happening. But Izumo is a decent place, and its positively hopping in Shimane terms. YouMe Town is actually a pretty badass mall and cinema, and its got most of the usual things and Lawsons coming out of every orifice (I'm not kidding I've never seen so many Lawsons in one place before). And everyone here is SO nice. So I think the more I'm settled the more I'll be happy with this placement.

In the first week we were busy with things like getting gaijin cards, getting phones, looking at cars, setting up bank accounts and it was all over pretty crazy. But when it wasn't crazy we got to sit in the BOE and chill. And it is brand spanking new, and the air conditioning is quite good. After that the final member of our merry little JHS JET group joined us and we did all those things again with him. A little beach going here, a large chunk of cash vanishing without a trace there, before I knew it it was time for the week long language course I'd signed up for. I got there, and after a little trouble with our board, I quickly discovered the course was in all reality too easy for me. But the week was still worth it with lots of hanging out with the other new JETs and adventures in Matsue to have. I got to go see the castle, and ride the river boat, and see the glorious sunset over lake Shinji among other things. But during this time I did get paid for the first time and THAT was exciting.

Then we came back and just as promptly went back again for Shimane orientation. Which was hit and miss useful. We came back and I got my car and joined the JE fanclub at long last. Freedom from the train schedule is beautiful! And after a few more days at the BOE I'm finally at my schools. I taught a class for the first time today. And it was a little awkward, they were first years and while completely adorable they can hardly speak any english, but I think with repetition I'll be less nervous and it'll go better.

Have I mentioned my supervisor at the BOE is freakin amazing. K-san is the BEST. She seems like she genuinely enjoys being with us, her english is superb, and she likes Arashi so much she wants to go to a concert with me and Kim (who is a big fan, and I'll be tagging along for the ride). We've been drinking and karaoke with her a few times, and shes really helpful and is willing to take a look at whatever we need explained legit work related concern or frivolous concern. She is very much the bomb.

My Japanese is even improving a but I think. I seem to notice myself using complete sentences a little more often and I'm coming up with the more advanced grammer on my own in conversation a bit more. Its still very hit or miss, but everyone at my main school is very impressed (probably because my predessecor had next to no ability) and I'm actually the one looked too for help from some of my compatriots. Its a bit surreal.

I'm getting more comfortable with my surroundings and my next project is buying a sofa. Also my plot to move into the larger unit next to me in my building will proceed as soon as I can get ahold of my landlord for more than five minutes. Thats all for now.

Summertime Musing

I'm back in Boone after a month of being with my mom in Raleigh on and off, a week at the beach and a week sewing for con filled my month. During my beach trip I got my placement, which is in Izumo city in Shimane-ken. In all honestly its taken a little getting used to, because initially Izumo seems like nothing at all like what I requested/wanted. I feel a little weird about not being initially thrilled about my placement, but as time goes by I anticipate more and more pleasant things about the place. I guess everyone can't be deliriously happy about their placement. I will admit to being a very modernly minded person, and most of my academic interests in Japan lie in the effect of globalization in Japan, which will have much less relevance in Izumo. But a good thing about Shimane-ken is that perhaps I'll have a better understanding of my interests having spent time living in a more traditional culture. But it does seem like a nice enough place, and I'm sure that there will be good things about it that I just can't predict.

So now I'm getting things together and trying to find out more about where I'll be going, the kids I'll be teaching, and what my living situation will be like. I got an Amazon Kindle for my birthday, early, from my mom. That'll eliminate one whole category of things from my packing list leaving me free to bring more of other things. And it'll be very convenient for when I am traveling in Japan. Once again it is striking me how difficult it is to think of the things that I'll need for moving to a different country. And whats immediately important and what can be sent. I guess I really need to hear from my predecessor.

Aaah summer in Boone is making me nostalgic.

A Year Later

So the last time I wrote here I was getting ready to leave Japan after an amazing year studying abroad. After another year at ASU, here I am again. I spent the year finishing the odds and ends I still needed for my degree, and doing one other thing. And that was spending a lot of time worrying about, and gathering materials for my JET application. About two weeks ago I got an acceptance letter informing me that I had made the cut, and I was going back to Japan! I tried to keep it on the inside, but I was so worried because this is all I've been aiming for, for at least 3 years now. And I just wanted to go back to Japan so badly ever since I left. I love everyone here but I'm just not done yet you know? Extra excitement because my friend Lexi, who applied with me is going too! I don't know where I'm going yet but I sent in the paperwork yesterday and I'm so excited! Its finally happening.

So this time I am going to make a more concerted effort to blog. Because I really do think documenting this amazing adventure is important. I will try and keep details to the minimum since I know privacy is important for the schools I'll be teaching at. But I wanna keep records of my off the clock adventures as well as my feelings about this, its my first real job after all! I might do a vlog too. Who knows? If I do I'll post some links here. Look forward to more posts about this process I'm going through and watch out Japan, here I come! .....again