Friday 23rd of July 2010
I am sitting in my hotel room of the marriot waiting for the orientation to start. This is it, the last day in the united states. At the orientation I will get some more information, have a nice dinner, receive my passport back and the final instructions that I need to know for tomorrow.
We left pretty early this morning, around 4:30 because we were planning on picking up my friend Sam on the way. About 4:45 we get a call saying that she wont be ready and she will get someone else to give her a ride. About 7am I find out that she isn't going. This upsets me because I really enjoyed spending time with Sam and would have liked to have someone I knew to come to LA with, but also because it is a big mistake not only will she have to repay the JET program a lot of money, she is going to miss out on so much. The JET program is this amazing once in a life time adventure that only a select few get to enjoy. It's funny, I have been thinking a lot more about a friend missing something wonderful then I am about what I am about to do.
We got to the air port on time with no problems and then we sat around for a bit talking. I quickly meet up with the other JETs at the terminal and we formed a group. This helped a lot because there was no one meeting us there at the air port so we had to figure out how to get to the marriot and check in on our own. Not really that big of a deal but when you are going on a big adventure like this you already have way too much on your mind and you don't want more things to worry about or have more things to go wrong.
I have to say I feel very grown up at things like this. Fancy hotel, black suit, high paying job, I feel really important. I still sort of think of myself as that little teenage boy but I guess I really am an adult. All I need to do now is get married.
Well I have a few hours to kill so I think I am going to try playing fallout one on my little netbook, well see how well that works.
Wednesday July 28th 2010
I am writing this on the bus on my way to meet my supervisor in Kamogawa, it has been a crazy past couple of days.
The orientation in LA was fine, our recruiting agent talked way too long and it got a little boring with that but we had a nice mexican dinner party. It was kind of a bad descision though because it was hard to eat dripping fajitas while wearing a fancy suit. Sam did in fact show up. She bought a plane ticket from Tucson to LA at the last minute and made it, I was really happy to see her and she said that I really helped her out.
We got the the airport really early the next day and waited around a bit for the plane. The plane ride was actually kind of comfortable, even though I didn't get any sleep. Once we got off the plane we were hit with a wave of heat and I remembered just how hot it was there. We were greeted by all of the JET staff and that was really nice. It took a long time to get to on the bus and then it was about an hour and a half drive until we got to Tokyo.
I actually stopped here because we arrived at our location, I'll get to that in a little bit.
So the first night we were greeted by more JETs in this fancy hotel and they gave us a bunch of books and what not and our keys. After getting situated I went out to shinjiku to get something to eat when I just bumped into Emily Love from Konan. We had some ramen with this guy I found a little annoying. Now that I think about it I guess I can see a lot of myself in his annoyance. He had only studied a little bit of Japanese but acted like he knew more then I did, I can do that too because I have relatively had little Japanese experience.
The next day was tough, I got dressed in my suit which made me feel very grown up. The meetings were very boring and not all that much new information. In themselves it wouldn't have been so bad but that jet lag, (JET lag, if you will) made all of it really painful. The workshops were mostly useless. There was a banquet that night but I was feeling really light headed so I just wanted it to be over. That day I did get to meet up with Juliene Fang who is also a friend from Konan and we went out for ice cream afterwords. After that I came home early and got some sleep.
The next day was much better, jet lag was now that bad, the meetings were much more energetic and useful, got me a little worried about the actual teaching part of the job. We had a meeting with the prefecture advisor and got some more specific information about Chiba. That night we went out to eat with everyone from Chiba, we went to an izakaiya place. At these restuarnts you order a bunch of small plates that everyone shares. The amount of food you get is really small and people only go here because you can get all you can drink alcohol for a set price. I really hate paying $15 and still feeling hungry. I then just headed back to the hotel from there.
The next morning it was just packing, checking out and waiting for the bus. We rode a bus to Chiba city something something center. We had a very small meeting where the ALTs meet the contracting organization. Much like the meeting when I studied abroad. I was meet by HXXXX san and a coworker of her's that I do not remember his name. Even though I was really nervous at first, I quickly felt very relaxed and felt a real connection with them. I was able to carry on a decent conversation the whole way in Japanese and the guy treated me to a sushi lunch. HXXXX san is really wonderful she is so friendly and seems to be more like a best friend rather then a boss to Niji and Chris. She has even gone as far as to have me stay over at her family's house. They are so nice and friendly it is simply amazing. There is also a little kid in the house who is adorable and really wants me to come to his kindergarten. This is going to be the best job in the world and I can not believe how much the lord has blessed me.
Friday July 30th
I will not be posting the names of people I work with because Japan is very worried about privacy.
Well it has been a week since I left Tucson and started on this JET program. It has been a very long week and I want nothing more right now then to be in my own place and try and make it my home. Don't get my wrong I am very grateful for the accommodations I have received from the Japanese people (directly the HXXX family) but I want to unpack. I want to sprawl out on my bed and just take a big sigh of relief. Tomorrow afternoon I should be moving in, finally.
Yesterday was my first real day at the office and well I didn't really do anything. There isn't anything for me to do so I've been reading up on the JET manuals that I have received but Chris came by and he got on his computer, and he said it was alright, YXXX even offered her computer while she was gone. It just feels really weird to not be doing anything and getting paid for it. Like I am wasting tax payer money, and I get paid a lot. I get around 36,000 USD a year, tax free! Because I am making so much I bought a new TV. I ordered it on Yodobashi.com and I think I got a great deal. Now normally TVs are much more expensive in Japan then they are in the US but I got a 40” Sharp 1080p LCD TV for 89,000 yen with free shipping and 20% back on Yodobashi points. So I have about $180 credit at Yodobashi which I can use on an electric dictionary and almost get it for free. So $1000 for a 40” TV and an electric dictionary isn't a bad deal even in America, maybe not the BEST but I still feel good about it. I found out that Japanese TVs have two things weird about them. The first thing is that they have three broadcasts going on, the first two are simple analog and digital broadcasts like the states went through and the other is this thing called BS where you have some sort of card inserted into your TV and you get channels that are more like little programs then anything else. I have no idea how that technology works but it is probably why Japanese TVs are more expensive. The second thing weird about them is that a lot of the ones I look at don't have component ports on them. They have this D5 terminal thing, which I guess is supposed to be the same quality as component but who knows. This means that all of the cables that I thought I wouldn't need in Japan, I actually do. Xbox VGA, ps2 composite, and HDMI -DVI cable. I sent an email to Dad asking him to mail them, we'll see how long the shipping takes on that I suppose.
Any rate it is really nice staying at HXXX's house. It is very Japanesey. There are tatami rooms, slidding doors, caligraphy, etc. I am enjoying it and I am enjoying getting all of that free food, some nice Japanese home cooking. There is a little boy there who is hilarious and that really makes me feel more at home.
So I am enjoying Kamogawa and it isn't a Inaka (very rural town) but I think it is proof that the JET program isn't for everyone. It is a good distance away from everything and there really isn't much to do. The town has what I need, there is a game store, a book store, a video rental store, a walmart like store, karaoke, McDonalds, train station, but I am very distant from the life I had in Kobe. I think it lacks the excitement Kobe had. Which isn't that bad but I think I am really going to have to put a lot of effort into building a social life and finding what really makes me happy here. I guess what I am trying to say is that if you just want to be a long term tourist (like I was before) I don't think you could make it here.
Another thing I have learned is how bad and good my Japanese is. I can talk to just about anyone no problem, but I make mistakes. In the office I hear Japanese all of the time and sometimes I am like “wow I understood that whole thing” other times I am like “wow I didn't understand a word of that”. But this certainly is the total submersion that I had wanted. There is no gaijin bubble that I need to escape from, rather I will have to find chances to have a natural conversation in English. I think I will definitely improve my Japanese by leaps and bounds. In fact I will probably be studying a lot at work since there seems to be a lot of down time. I really just need to get my hands on a good JLPT level 1 book.
One thing that is a little uneasy right now is how helpless I am. Everything is dependent on getting the alien registration card. I need that for a bank account, for a cell phone, to take ownership of my car, for internet (maybe), just everything. Everyone is really nice and has helped me out a lot but still I want to get my own life started already.
I really hope I didn't come off as negative in any of this, I am grateful beyond measure. This job is going to be a lot of fun, I am really going to love spending time with my students, I have wonderful co-workers and just a breathtaking view of the beach. The town is good distance away from a lot of things but I love it all.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
catch up
Friday 23rd of July 2010
I am sitting in my hotel room of the marriot waiting for the orientation to start. This is it, the last day in the united states. At the orientation I will get some more information, have a nice dinner, receive my passport back and the final instructions that I need to know for tomorrow.
We left pretty early this morning, around 4:30 because we were planning on picking up my friend Sam on the way. About 4:45 we get a call saying that she wont be ready and she will get someone else to give her a ride. About 7am I find out that she isn't going. This upsets me because I really enjoyed spending time with Sam and would have liked to have someone I knew to come to LA with, but also because it is a big mistake not only will she have to repay the JET program a lot of money, she is going to miss out on so much. The JET program is this amazing once in a life time adventure that only a select few get to enjoy. It's funny, I have been thinking a lot more about a friend missing something wonderful then I am about what I am about to do.
We got to the air port on time with no problems and then we sat around for a bit talking. I quickly meet up with the other JETs at the terminal and we formed a group. This helped a lot because there was no one meeting us there at the air port so we had to figure out how to get to the marriot and check in on our own. Not really that big of a deal but when you are going on a big adventure like this you already have way too much on your mind and you don't want more things to worry about or have more things to go wrong.
I have to say I feel very grown up at things like this. Fancy hotel, black suit, high paying job, I feel really important. I still sort of think of myself as that little teenage boy but I guess I really am an adult. All I need to do now is get married.
Well I have a few hours to kill so I think I am going to try playing fallout one on my little netbook, well see how well that works.
Wednesday July 28th 2010
I am writing this on the bus on my way to meet my supervisor in Kamogawa, it has been a crazy past couple of days.
The orientation in LA was fine, our recruiting agent talked way too long and it got a little boring with that but we had a nice mexican dinner party. It was kind of a bad descision though because it was hard to eat dripping fajitas while wearing a fancy suit. Sam did in fact show up. She bought a plane ticket from Tucson to LA at the last minute and made it, I was really happy to see her and she said that I really helped her out.
We got the the airport really early the next day and waited around a bit for the plane. The plane ride was actually kind of comfortable, even though I didn't get any sleep. Once we got off the plane we were hit with a wave of heat and I remembered just how hot it was there. We were greeted by all of the JET staff and that was really nice. It took a long time to get to on the bus and then it was about an hour and a half drive until we got to Tokyo.
I actually stopped here because we arrived at our location, I'll get to that in a little bit.
So the first night we were greeted by more JETs in this fancy hotel and they gave us a bunch of books and what not and our keys. After getting situated I went out to shinjiku to get something to eat when I just bumped into Emily Love from Konan. We had some ramen with this guy I found a little annoying. Now that I think about it I guess I can see a lot of myself in his annoyance. He had only studied a little bit of Japanese but acted like he knew more then I did, I can do that too because I have relatively had little Japanese experience.
The next day was tough, I got dressed in my suit which made me feel very grown up. The meetings were very boring and not all that much new information. In themselves it wouldn't have been so bad but that jet lag, (JET lag, if you will) made all of it really painful. The workshops were mostly useless. There was a banquet that night but I was feeling really light headed so I just wanted it to be over. That day I did get to meet up with Juliene Fang who is also a friend from Konan and we went out for ice cream afterwords. After that I came home early and got some sleep.
The next day was much better, jet lag was now that bad, the meetings were much more energetic and useful, got me a little worried about the actual teaching part of the job. We had a meeting with the prefecture advisor and got some more specific information about Chiba. That night we went out to eat with everyone from Chiba, we went to an izakaiya place. At these restuarnts you order a bunch of small plates that everyone shares. The amount of food you get is really small and people only go here because you can get all you can drink alcohol for a set price. I really hate paying $15 and still feeling hungry. I then just headed back to the hotel from there.
The next morning it was just packing, checking out and waiting for the bus. We rode a bus to Chiba city something something center. We had a very small meeting where the ALTs meet the contracting organization. Much like the meeting when I studied abroad. I was meet by Hatanaka san and a coworker of her's that I do not remember his name. Even though I was really nervous at first, I quickly felt very relaxed and felt a real connection with them. I was able to carry on a decent conversation the whole way in Japanese and the guy treated me to a sushi lunch. Hatanaka san is really wonderful she is so friendly and seems to be more like a best friend rather then a boss to Niji and Chris. She has even gone as far as to have me stay over at her family's house. They are so nice and friendly it is simply amazing. There is also a little kid in the house who is adorable and really wants me to come to his kindergarten. This is going to be the best job in the world and I can not believe how much the lord has blessed me.
Friday July 30th
Well it has been a week since I left Tucson and started on this JET program. It has been a very long week and I want nothing more right now then to be in my own place and try and make it my home. Don't get my wrong I am very grateful for the accommodations I have received from the Japanese people (directly the Hatanaka family) but I want to unpack. I want to sprawl out on my bed and just take a big sigh of relief. Tomorrow afternoon I should be moving in, finally.
Yesterday was my first real day at the office and well I didn't really do anything. There isn't anything for me to do so I've been reading up on the JET manuals that I have received but Chris came by and he got on his computer, and he said it was alright, Yoriko even offered her computer while she was gone. It just feels really weird to not be doing anything and getting paid for it. Like I am wasting tax payer money, and I get paid a lot. I get around 36,000 USD a year, tax free! Because I am making so much I bought a new TV. I ordered it on Yodobashi.com and I think I got a great deal. Now normally TVs are much more expensive in Japan then they are in the US but I got a 40” Sharp 1080p LCD TV for 89,000 yen with free shipping and 20% back on Yodobashi points. So I have about $180 credit at Yodobashi which I can use on an electric dictionary and almost get it for free. So $1000 for a 40” TV and an electric dictionary isn't a bad deal even in America, maybe not the BEST but I still feel good about it. I found out that Japanese TVs have two things weird about them. The first thing is that they have three broadcasts going on, the first two are simple analog and digital broadcasts like the states went through and the other is this thing called BS where you have some sort of card inserted into your TV and you get channels that are more like little programs then anything else. I have no idea how that technology works but it is probably why Japanese TVs are more expensive. The second thing weird about them is that a lot of the ones I look at don't have component ports on them. They have this D5 terminal thing, which I guess is supposed to be the same quality as component but who knows. This means that all of the cables that I thought I wouldn't need in Japan, I actually do. Xbox VGA, ps2 composite, and HDMI -DVI cable. I sent an email to Dad asking him to mail them, we'll see how long the shipping takes on that I suppose.
Any rate it is really nice staying at Hatanaka's house. It is very Japanesey. There are tatami rooms, slidding doors, caligraphy, etc. I am enjoying it and I am enjoying getting all of that free food, some nice Japanese home cooking. There is a little boy there who is hilarious and that really makes me feel more at home.
So I am enjoying Kamogawa and it isn't a Inaka (very rural town) but I think it is proof that the JET program isn't for everyone. It is a good distance away from everything and there really isn't much to do. The town has what I need, there is a game store, a book store, a video rental store, a walmart like store, karaoke, McDonalds, train station, but I am very distant from the life I had in Kobe. I think it lacks the excitement Kobe had. Which isn't that bad but I think I am really going to have to put a lot of effort into building a social life and finding what really makes me happy here. I guess what I am trying to say is that if you just want to be a long term tourist (like I was before) I don't think you could make it here.
Another thing I have learned is how bad and good my Japanese is. I can talk to just about anyone no problem, but I make mistakes. In the office I hear Japanese all of the time and sometimes I am like “wow I understood that whole thing” other times I am like “wow I didn't understand a word of that”. But this certainly is the total submersion that I had wanted. There is no gaijin bubble that I need to escape from, rather I will have to find chances to have a natural conversation in English. I think I will definitely improve my Japanese by leaps and bounds. In fact I will probably be studying a lot at work since there seems to be a lot of down time. I really just need to get my hands on a good JLPT level 1 book.
One thing that is a little uneasy right now is how helpless I am. Everything is dependent on getting the alien registration card. I need that for a bank account, for a cell phone, to take ownership of my car, for internet (maybe), just everything. Everyone is really nice and has helped me out a lot but still I want to get my own life started already.
I really hope I didn't come off as negative in any of this, I am grateful beyond measure. This job is going to be a lot of fun, I am really going to love spending time with my students, I have wonderful co-workers and just a breathtaking view of the beach. The town is good distance away from a lot of things but I love it all.
I am sitting in my hotel room of the marriot waiting for the orientation to start. This is it, the last day in the united states. At the orientation I will get some more information, have a nice dinner, receive my passport back and the final instructions that I need to know for tomorrow.
We left pretty early this morning, around 4:30 because we were planning on picking up my friend Sam on the way. About 4:45 we get a call saying that she wont be ready and she will get someone else to give her a ride. About 7am I find out that she isn't going. This upsets me because I really enjoyed spending time with Sam and would have liked to have someone I knew to come to LA with, but also because it is a big mistake not only will she have to repay the JET program a lot of money, she is going to miss out on so much. The JET program is this amazing once in a life time adventure that only a select few get to enjoy. It's funny, I have been thinking a lot more about a friend missing something wonderful then I am about what I am about to do.
We got to the air port on time with no problems and then we sat around for a bit talking. I quickly meet up with the other JETs at the terminal and we formed a group. This helped a lot because there was no one meeting us there at the air port so we had to figure out how to get to the marriot and check in on our own. Not really that big of a deal but when you are going on a big adventure like this you already have way too much on your mind and you don't want more things to worry about or have more things to go wrong.
I have to say I feel very grown up at things like this. Fancy hotel, black suit, high paying job, I feel really important. I still sort of think of myself as that little teenage boy but I guess I really am an adult. All I need to do now is get married.
Well I have a few hours to kill so I think I am going to try playing fallout one on my little netbook, well see how well that works.
Wednesday July 28th 2010
I am writing this on the bus on my way to meet my supervisor in Kamogawa, it has been a crazy past couple of days.
The orientation in LA was fine, our recruiting agent talked way too long and it got a little boring with that but we had a nice mexican dinner party. It was kind of a bad descision though because it was hard to eat dripping fajitas while wearing a fancy suit. Sam did in fact show up. She bought a plane ticket from Tucson to LA at the last minute and made it, I was really happy to see her and she said that I really helped her out.
We got the the airport really early the next day and waited around a bit for the plane. The plane ride was actually kind of comfortable, even though I didn't get any sleep. Once we got off the plane we were hit with a wave of heat and I remembered just how hot it was there. We were greeted by all of the JET staff and that was really nice. It took a long time to get to on the bus and then it was about an hour and a half drive until we got to Tokyo.
I actually stopped here because we arrived at our location, I'll get to that in a little bit.
So the first night we were greeted by more JETs in this fancy hotel and they gave us a bunch of books and what not and our keys. After getting situated I went out to shinjiku to get something to eat when I just bumped into Emily Love from Konan. We had some ramen with this guy I found a little annoying. Now that I think about it I guess I can see a lot of myself in his annoyance. He had only studied a little bit of Japanese but acted like he knew more then I did, I can do that too because I have relatively had little Japanese experience.
The next day was tough, I got dressed in my suit which made me feel very grown up. The meetings were very boring and not all that much new information. In themselves it wouldn't have been so bad but that jet lag, (JET lag, if you will) made all of it really painful. The workshops were mostly useless. There was a banquet that night but I was feeling really light headed so I just wanted it to be over. That day I did get to meet up with Juliene Fang who is also a friend from Konan and we went out for ice cream afterwords. After that I came home early and got some sleep.
The next day was much better, jet lag was now that bad, the meetings were much more energetic and useful, got me a little worried about the actual teaching part of the job. We had a meeting with the prefecture advisor and got some more specific information about Chiba. That night we went out to eat with everyone from Chiba, we went to an izakaiya place. At these restuarnts you order a bunch of small plates that everyone shares. The amount of food you get is really small and people only go here because you can get all you can drink alcohol for a set price. I really hate paying $15 and still feeling hungry. I then just headed back to the hotel from there.
The next morning it was just packing, checking out and waiting for the bus. We rode a bus to Chiba city something something center. We had a very small meeting where the ALTs meet the contracting organization. Much like the meeting when I studied abroad. I was meet by Hatanaka san and a coworker of her's that I do not remember his name. Even though I was really nervous at first, I quickly felt very relaxed and felt a real connection with them. I was able to carry on a decent conversation the whole way in Japanese and the guy treated me to a sushi lunch. Hatanaka san is really wonderful she is so friendly and seems to be more like a best friend rather then a boss to Niji and Chris. She has even gone as far as to have me stay over at her family's house. They are so nice and friendly it is simply amazing. There is also a little kid in the house who is adorable and really wants me to come to his kindergarten. This is going to be the best job in the world and I can not believe how much the lord has blessed me.
Friday July 30th
Well it has been a week since I left Tucson and started on this JET program. It has been a very long week and I want nothing more right now then to be in my own place and try and make it my home. Don't get my wrong I am very grateful for the accommodations I have received from the Japanese people (directly the Hatanaka family) but I want to unpack. I want to sprawl out on my bed and just take a big sigh of relief. Tomorrow afternoon I should be moving in, finally.
Yesterday was my first real day at the office and well I didn't really do anything. There isn't anything for me to do so I've been reading up on the JET manuals that I have received but Chris came by and he got on his computer, and he said it was alright, Yoriko even offered her computer while she was gone. It just feels really weird to not be doing anything and getting paid for it. Like I am wasting tax payer money, and I get paid a lot. I get around 36,000 USD a year, tax free! Because I am making so much I bought a new TV. I ordered it on Yodobashi.com and I think I got a great deal. Now normally TVs are much more expensive in Japan then they are in the US but I got a 40” Sharp 1080p LCD TV for 89,000 yen with free shipping and 20% back on Yodobashi points. So I have about $180 credit at Yodobashi which I can use on an electric dictionary and almost get it for free. So $1000 for a 40” TV and an electric dictionary isn't a bad deal even in America, maybe not the BEST but I still feel good about it. I found out that Japanese TVs have two things weird about them. The first thing is that they have three broadcasts going on, the first two are simple analog and digital broadcasts like the states went through and the other is this thing called BS where you have some sort of card inserted into your TV and you get channels that are more like little programs then anything else. I have no idea how that technology works but it is probably why Japanese TVs are more expensive. The second thing weird about them is that a lot of the ones I look at don't have component ports on them. They have this D5 terminal thing, which I guess is supposed to be the same quality as component but who knows. This means that all of the cables that I thought I wouldn't need in Japan, I actually do. Xbox VGA, ps2 composite, and HDMI -DVI cable. I sent an email to Dad asking him to mail them, we'll see how long the shipping takes on that I suppose.
Any rate it is really nice staying at Hatanaka's house. It is very Japanesey. There are tatami rooms, slidding doors, caligraphy, etc. I am enjoying it and I am enjoying getting all of that free food, some nice Japanese home cooking. There is a little boy there who is hilarious and that really makes me feel more at home.
So I am enjoying Kamogawa and it isn't a Inaka (very rural town) but I think it is proof that the JET program isn't for everyone. It is a good distance away from everything and there really isn't much to do. The town has what I need, there is a game store, a book store, a video rental store, a walmart like store, karaoke, McDonalds, train station, but I am very distant from the life I had in Kobe. I think it lacks the excitement Kobe had. Which isn't that bad but I think I am really going to have to put a lot of effort into building a social life and finding what really makes me happy here. I guess what I am trying to say is that if you just want to be a long term tourist (like I was before) I don't think you could make it here.
Another thing I have learned is how bad and good my Japanese is. I can talk to just about anyone no problem, but I make mistakes. In the office I hear Japanese all of the time and sometimes I am like “wow I understood that whole thing” other times I am like “wow I didn't understand a word of that”. But this certainly is the total submersion that I had wanted. There is no gaijin bubble that I need to escape from, rather I will have to find chances to have a natural conversation in English. I think I will definitely improve my Japanese by leaps and bounds. In fact I will probably be studying a lot at work since there seems to be a lot of down time. I really just need to get my hands on a good JLPT level 1 book.
One thing that is a little uneasy right now is how helpless I am. Everything is dependent on getting the alien registration card. I need that for a bank account, for a cell phone, to take ownership of my car, for internet (maybe), just everything. Everyone is really nice and has helped me out a lot but still I want to get my own life started already.
I really hope I didn't come off as negative in any of this, I am grateful beyond measure. This job is going to be a lot of fun, I am really going to love spending time with my students, I have wonderful co-workers and just a breathtaking view of the beach. The town is good distance away from a lot of things but I love it all.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
The day before
Tomorrow morning I leave for PHX airport where I will go to LA for orientation, then the next day fly to Japan. My job officially starts tomorrow. I don't know why but it still hasn't hit me. This is the moment I have been dreaming of for years and years and it is at my finger tips but it just seems like a normal day. It has been stressful though, so many things to pack and store and through out. So much paperwork to worry about, so I think that has been sucking some of the fun out of it.
Or maybe it is because I have studied abroad before that I know I can see my friends again, I can skype with people, and I can visit home, that I am not feeling so anxious. It kind of like how when I went before I was like a kid on Christmas morning, and now I am like a parent on Christmas morning, I have to make it all somehow work even though I will still enjoy it.
Thinking back though I have really enjoyed my time in Tucson. I had a little bit of a rough start making friends and I had my ups and downs but I have wonderful people in my life and I am grateful for that.
I wonder what my new life will be like. Having build a social life from scratch might be a little rough at first but as long as I always try and find something to do or go to, I should be alright. Or rather I know as long as I stay true to being a good church member, it will be alright.
So I guess I'm ready to go.
Or maybe it is because I have studied abroad before that I know I can see my friends again, I can skype with people, and I can visit home, that I am not feeling so anxious. It kind of like how when I went before I was like a kid on Christmas morning, and now I am like a parent on Christmas morning, I have to make it all somehow work even though I will still enjoy it.
Thinking back though I have really enjoyed my time in Tucson. I had a little bit of a rough start making friends and I had my ups and downs but I have wonderful people in my life and I am grateful for that.
I wonder what my new life will be like. Having build a social life from scratch might be a little rough at first but as long as I always try and find something to do or go to, I should be alright. Or rather I know as long as I stay true to being a good church member, it will be alright.
So I guess I'm ready to go.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Leaving for Japan, bitter sweet.
It is now 16 days until I board a plane to LA, go to orientation then fly off to Japan the next day. It is all happening very soon. I of course am excited, I have such an amazing adventure waiting for me. But I am also a little sad. There are so many people in AZ that I really enjoy spending time with. Of course my family, I love them and they are going to be the ones I call the most for sure. But I'm also going to miss my "long time az friends" Cameron, Tyler, Heather and Rob. I've been in AZ since late 2004 and I think it was like mid 2006 that I really started to be friends with all of them. For a long time they were my only "real" friends and that didn't bother me. They are such wonderful people. But I also have my "con-nichiwa friends". All of the friends I made while working on our Tucson anime convention "con-nichiwa". I've wanted friends that I can just sit back and watch anime with for a really long time and it wasn't until I was about to move to Japan that I started making friends like that. I really hope that I can arrange enough time off next year to be able to visit everyone.
So leaving all of these people is starting to get tougher then I was expecting. Life is like this sometimes and you just have to move forward. It is going to be tough though. Going from having a bunch of friends to having to start up an entire new social life from scratch. I know I can do it, but it will be a little tough.
So leaving all of these people is starting to get tougher then I was expecting. Life is like this sometimes and you just have to move forward. It is going to be tough though. Going from having a bunch of friends to having to start up an entire new social life from scratch. I know I can do it, but it will be a little tough.
Monday, June 28, 2010
JET pre departure orientation
So I drove down to LA this weekend for the JET program pre-departure orientation. It was a little pricy considering getting a hotel and gas cost, but it was well worth it.
I drove down from Tucson with my friend Cameron. I brought my really old portable DVD player and we watched some Simpsons, King of the Hill, and My Name is Earl on the drive. It was nice because those are shows you can enjoy even if you can't see the screen. The driving in LA is insane. There were so many last second turns and mergers with just jammed packed traffic, I honestly feared for my life. I got a hotel a few blocks away from the hotel that the orientation was actually held at.
I had a little bit of trouble actually finding where in the hotel event was but I found a few equally lost JETs and we ended up finding it. The overall orientation was a real eye opener to both the fact that I am really going to Japan very soon and how much of an adult I now am. Fancy hotel, everyone wearing suits and ties, professional atmosphere. This isn't Wal-Mart any more. I learned a lot of good stuff like how to file taxes so I don't have to pay US or Japanese tax for two years, what sort of games and gifts I should prepare, and how to take care of legal paperwork abroad. I also got to talk to a lot of people who are going and who came back form my area, which has helped prepare me mentally.
The orientation was over at 4pm after that I went back to the hotel where Cameron was and we headed towards China town. We originally were planning on going to the California Science museum because it had free admission and both of us wanted to do this trip as cheap as possible. The traffic was just insane getting there because right next door was a huge rave/dance party where like 100,000 people showed up. And all of these kids were wearing quite frankly the slutiest costumes and just anything that they could do to be weird. Me and Cameron both felt it was funny how we wanted to go to the boring museum but there were so many kinds going to this party that we weren't able to.
China town was cool if not a little disappointing. Weren't really that many shops or restaurants. The China town in Kobe was way better. We did eat at a fancy Chinese restaurant, like the ones I see in Chinese movies.
The next day we went to Hollywood and did the tourist thing, that was fun. Just walking up and down the strip. After words we picked up Sam (who is also a JET) and headed home, which since we had three drivers really wasn't that bad of a trip either.
It was a pretty good weekend.
I drove down from Tucson with my friend Cameron. I brought my really old portable DVD player and we watched some Simpsons, King of the Hill, and My Name is Earl on the drive. It was nice because those are shows you can enjoy even if you can't see the screen. The driving in LA is insane. There were so many last second turns and mergers with just jammed packed traffic, I honestly feared for my life. I got a hotel a few blocks away from the hotel that the orientation was actually held at.
I had a little bit of trouble actually finding where in the hotel event was but I found a few equally lost JETs and we ended up finding it. The overall orientation was a real eye opener to both the fact that I am really going to Japan very soon and how much of an adult I now am. Fancy hotel, everyone wearing suits and ties, professional atmosphere. This isn't Wal-Mart any more. I learned a lot of good stuff like how to file taxes so I don't have to pay US or Japanese tax for two years, what sort of games and gifts I should prepare, and how to take care of legal paperwork abroad. I also got to talk to a lot of people who are going and who came back form my area, which has helped prepare me mentally.
The orientation was over at 4pm after that I went back to the hotel where Cameron was and we headed towards China town. We originally were planning on going to the California Science museum because it had free admission and both of us wanted to do this trip as cheap as possible. The traffic was just insane getting there because right next door was a huge rave/dance party where like 100,000 people showed up. And all of these kids were wearing quite frankly the slutiest costumes and just anything that they could do to be weird. Me and Cameron both felt it was funny how we wanted to go to the boring museum but there were so many kinds going to this party that we weren't able to.
China town was cool if not a little disappointing. Weren't really that many shops or restaurants. The China town in Kobe was way better. We did eat at a fancy Chinese restaurant, like the ones I see in Chinese movies.
The next day we went to Hollywood and did the tourist thing, that was fun. Just walking up and down the strip. After words we picked up Sam (who is also a JET) and headed home, which since we had three drivers really wasn't that bad of a trip either.
It was a pretty good weekend.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Getting close to JET
Well it has been 4 months since I last posted a blog and for anyone who didn't know I did get into the JET program and I am going to Kamogawa city in Chiba prefecture. It is a smaller town of 35,000 people but it is only a 2 hour bus ride to Tokyo! So I really can't complain about that one bit. Chiba was my first pick and to actually get it was pretty amazing.
I ended up going back to wal-mart for a few months because I could not get a job anywhere else at all. I mean it got to the point where I was applying to be a pizza delivery guy and I wasn't getting a call back. But it wasn't that bad, there are a lot of things I do not like about the job but over all it wasn't the end of the world. But that is almost over as Friday is my last day again (the third time I thought it was my last day). After that I will have about 5 weeks to prepare for Japan.
I watched a dvd I got in the mail with my JET paper work and it showed what life is like and what to expect in the JET program, I am really excited right now. I just can't believe that I will get to live in Japan, do a fun job, and get paid that well. As a single guy with little debt, I'll be pretty well off. After paying $1000 a month to student loans (for just a few months) and living expenses I'll have more spending money then I did while studying abroad. I'm going to buy a lot of gundam models! Or maybe not, well see. But I am just so grateful to the Lord for blessing me with this and the Japanese people in general. I would be willing to do this job for longer hours with less pay and yet I don't have to.
I really need to start finding more people who live in the area and start making some friends. I really need to put a lot more effort into building a social life over there. I think it is really important to understand how busy people actually are and the whole soto uchi thing. I think you need to make a lot of acquaintances and from there you will make a few good friends. I also need to not limit myself to just finding otaku friends but find things to talk about with everyone.
Not related to JET but I have been building an arcade machine. I am leaving soon so I wont be able to use it that much but I more wanted to build it then to own it. I always think I am so close and then I get hit with another problem, its just one thing after another. The goal of an arcade is to have every single game be easily accessible from one joystick without having to change settings or use a keyboard. Since each single program is different this is next to impossible. Some programs will only work one way and others another way, there seems to be no way to win with them. I really just want to have it done already.
I have been working with a translation group called KAW and we have been translating an anime called senkou no night raid (flash of night raid) and it has been insanely hard to translate. What makes it so hard is that it takes place in 1930s Manchuria where Japan does a lot of political stuff and takes over the country. I have a very loose idea of what happens but not nearly enough. When I translate there are so many people talking about so many complicated things, it drives me insane. I really want to do a simple slice of life anime after this.
We went to Disneyland and six flags last week. We went with my sister's friend's family and they had a bus and all of that stuff. It was kind of a mistake to do it that way because we had no idea where the bus was half the time, we were all dead tired and couldn't get to the hotel until late. Dad likes to really plan stuff out and have a schedule but the group all sort of played it by ear. Jessie wouldn't hang out with us though. She had her friends and she said she would spend the day with us but then would break off and just have fun with them. I kept telling her, you are upsetting dad, he wanted this to be a family day, and she couldn't understand. He never told her she couldn't hang out with her friends but it was more then obvious how he felt. Jessie still has some maturing to do if she really couldn't figure out what she ought to do. But all in all Disney land was fun, I got a little sick on space mountain and I didn't do many rides at six flags but I had fun all around.
I ended up going back to wal-mart for a few months because I could not get a job anywhere else at all. I mean it got to the point where I was applying to be a pizza delivery guy and I wasn't getting a call back. But it wasn't that bad, there are a lot of things I do not like about the job but over all it wasn't the end of the world. But that is almost over as Friday is my last day again (the third time I thought it was my last day). After that I will have about 5 weeks to prepare for Japan.
I watched a dvd I got in the mail with my JET paper work and it showed what life is like and what to expect in the JET program, I am really excited right now. I just can't believe that I will get to live in Japan, do a fun job, and get paid that well. As a single guy with little debt, I'll be pretty well off. After paying $1000 a month to student loans (for just a few months) and living expenses I'll have more spending money then I did while studying abroad. I'm going to buy a lot of gundam models! Or maybe not, well see. But I am just so grateful to the Lord for blessing me with this and the Japanese people in general. I would be willing to do this job for longer hours with less pay and yet I don't have to.
I really need to start finding more people who live in the area and start making some friends. I really need to put a lot more effort into building a social life over there. I think it is really important to understand how busy people actually are and the whole soto uchi thing. I think you need to make a lot of acquaintances and from there you will make a few good friends. I also need to not limit myself to just finding otaku friends but find things to talk about with everyone.
Not related to JET but I have been building an arcade machine. I am leaving soon so I wont be able to use it that much but I more wanted to build it then to own it. I always think I am so close and then I get hit with another problem, its just one thing after another. The goal of an arcade is to have every single game be easily accessible from one joystick without having to change settings or use a keyboard. Since each single program is different this is next to impossible. Some programs will only work one way and others another way, there seems to be no way to win with them. I really just want to have it done already.
I have been working with a translation group called KAW and we have been translating an anime called senkou no night raid (flash of night raid) and it has been insanely hard to translate. What makes it so hard is that it takes place in 1930s Manchuria where Japan does a lot of political stuff and takes over the country. I have a very loose idea of what happens but not nearly enough. When I translate there are so many people talking about so many complicated things, it drives me insane. I really want to do a simple slice of life anime after this.
We went to Disneyland and six flags last week. We went with my sister's friend's family and they had a bus and all of that stuff. It was kind of a mistake to do it that way because we had no idea where the bus was half the time, we were all dead tired and couldn't get to the hotel until late. Dad likes to really plan stuff out and have a schedule but the group all sort of played it by ear. Jessie wouldn't hang out with us though. She had her friends and she said she would spend the day with us but then would break off and just have fun with them. I kept telling her, you are upsetting dad, he wanted this to be a family day, and she couldn't understand. He never told her she couldn't hang out with her friends but it was more then obvious how he felt. Jessie still has some maturing to do if she really couldn't figure out what she ought to do. But all in all Disney land was fun, I got a little sick on space mountain and I didn't do many rides at six flags but I had fun all around.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
JET interview
I just had my JET interview so I am going to talk about that first. So I drove up to Phoenix and got to the location about 45 mins early. I wanted to get there even earlier but there was an accident on the way over. I came in and was greeted by some former JETs and they talked a little bit and I got to ask them some questions. A Japanese man came in and asked for me and started to talk in Japanese, basically just asking how good my Japanese was. I had no problems talking to him in Japanese for a bit and it turns out that he actually teaches at Pima (my old community college) and knew my Japanese teacher there. The other two interviewers were Americans. They first asked me to talk about myself and why I want to do JET and I gave them my whole rehearsed speech about wanting to use JET as a career move and how I feel grateful to Japan for all that I received last year. I forget the order but the lady there asked if I had any teaching experience and I was able to say that I am gaining some through church and volunteering. Church became a big topic during the interview. I was asked how I would react if someone asked about my religion, which I replied I would be happy to talk about religion and would ask about their religious beliefs while being very careful not to sound pushy or preachy. They asked if being in a small town, far away from a church would be a problem, which I replied that I would be willing to do some traveling to get to church. Also when the question about why I chose urban setting on my application came up I said it was so that I could be closer to a church. They asked a lot about my statement of purpose and I was able to explain how I want to do grad school but I need some time to think about what to study and how JET could help me get a scholarship for grad school. They also asked how I would run a class for middle schoolers, I was a little stumped on how to answer that, but I said I would introduce myself and talk about America for a little bit and then try and get the students to talk by asking open ended questions, the lady there said that it would be middle school students so open ended would be over their head but I responded by saying it would be things like “what is your house like?” or “tell me about your family”. I was hoping for a more specific teaching example, but I think what I said worked. Another question was how I would respond to being a part of clubs or hanging out with the school staff after work and I responded that work isn't just 9-5 there is more that goes with it and I would really enjoy doing those things. This was sort of a trick question, overtime and hanging out with co-workers is the norm in Japan. There was also the strength and weakness question.
All in all my recommendations are, do not be nervous, know your statement of purpose really well (that is why they picked you), and be willing to be flexible about anything.
All in all my recommendations are, do not be nervous, know your statement of purpose really well (that is why they picked you), and be willing to be flexible about anything.
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