Off a Mountain, On an Island

Waiting

2010-01-09T02:51:00.000-08:00

Currently at the Raleigh-Durham airport, waiting for my flight to Chicago to arrive.

It's been a fun, hectic, crazy three weeks here in America, and I'm not looking to the long, bumpy flight to Japan. But I'm ready to be back in Kyoto and for things to get back to normal again. Oddly, I made a lot of new online contacts in Japan while I was in the States, so I imagine I'll try to reconnect with them once I'm get situated.

Anyway. I'm alive so far and have lots of pictures to share.

Until next time.

Trip Home

2010-01-04T18:35:00.000-08:00

Still Here

2009-12-29T08:53:00.000-08:00

So I haven't updated in awhile. I'm terrible I know.

I've attempted to post several times, though I always end up making a long-winded post and never really finishing what I attempted to write.

So I guess this time I'm going to try and keep things shorter and just update with WHATEVER. At least to get things flowing again.

Anyway, in America now, currently with Zack at Panera stealing free wi-fi and updating. Just here for the holidays and then heading back to Kyoto January 9th. I'm excited!

Holidays went well. Sort of. Minus the nasty weather, but otherwise I'm alive, fat, and happy.

Need to post pictures sometime. I'll try to get started on that.

Anyway, until next time.

2009-11-11T06:19:00.000-08:00

Even Monkeys Fall

2009-11-11T05:23:00.000-08:00

Absolutely exhausted at the moment. Lack of sleep, combined with pouring rain and a long track to my farthest school does not a happy boy make. Though I’m impressed with my bike skills; riding through the pouring rain, one handed with a wind blown umbrella, jeans soaked with rain, dodging businessmen and school children and dressed-to-impress housewives and young bachelors/bachelorettes. During my job interview, I was asked what I would bring back from Japan should I return back to America.

I’m beginning to think it’s extreme biking.

Only one class today I’m told. I have no idea what I’ll be doing with the rest of my hours here. I really prefer more work at my good schools whenever I can since it speeds up the day for me. In the meantime I generally find myself sitting around reading or typing up a blog entry. Once in awhile I try to study Japanese—I received some books and CDs for studying Japanese, but since I don’t have earphones for my computer yet, I haven’t really had the opportunity to listen to them while at work. Once I’m at home, I don’t find myself interested in studying anymore. Lately, I’ve been interested in getting a subscription to Japanesepod101.com. I don’t know if it’ll be a waste of money, but maybe it’ll help me more with studying habits. Earphones are definitely a must first.

---

Class went well. Then again, I only had one student in class today. Three teachers and one student is a little overkill, but I liked it otherwise. Teachers here in Japan have a habit of standing and being very professional with their students, and generally I play the role of an obedient assistant, standing along with the teachers unless otherwise told to sit. But with just one nervous student in my morning class, I wasn’t really out to impress anyone, or to intimidate the student any further. So I plopped myself down next to her, flashed a big, happy smile, and proceeded to ask her general questions: “What is your name?” “How old are you?” “What do you like?”

This went on for a little bit until she read her introduction speech and I read mine. Afterwards, I showed her my usual introduction pictures, mostly about food, friends, and Halloween. She had this great wide-eyed look of interest at what I was showing her, which made me happy. Shortly after our introductions, we began to learn the lyrics to Bob Dylan’s song “Blowin’ in the Wind.” Now, I never really thought I’d have to sing so much in my job, but I do it quite often these days—songs from The Carpenters, The Beatles, and John Lennon. I generally tend to like doing it, since it breaks the monotony of repeating vocabulary and sentences. Still, it was a pretty straightforward task. I had a few confused moments with the rhythm of the song—I’m not much of a Bob Dylan fan and I had really only listened to the song a handful of times. Otherwise, it went well and hopefully the student learned what she was supposed to from it.

---

Somehow today is flying by pretty quickly, despite only having one class. During lunch I decided to hang out with the students for a change and try to strike up English conversations with them. Most of them gave me confused faces; I had two girls laughing ridiculously when I was asking about their lunches. I slid away after that and headed toward a group of boys to see if my luck was any better. Thankfully an English teacher was sitting with them, so I joined her on the floor. The boys weren’t too much better about speaking English, but at least they weren’t falling over themselves laughing. But somehow they managed to disappear on me one by one and I ended up being left alone with the teacher.

The teacher suggested I head upstairs to talk to the girls (AKA: my random fan club). Apparently they were working on their play for the school festival to present to the seventh and eighth graders. I agreed to go, since I didn’t have much else to do, and walked upstairs. I quietly snuck into the room, although my entrance distracted them anyway. Their play had something to do about eating well. At what angle they were coming from, I’m not very sure. Healthy eating? Don’t starve? Don’t eat food when you’re not supposed to?

After they finished recording their play, they went straight back to eating their lunch. I tried to make simple conversations with them—“What are you eating?” “Who made it?” “What will you do this weekend?” Generally the conversations are one-sided, so it’s always a struggle to get out of the awkwardness of it. In an effort to get them comfortable speaking to me, I decided to ask them to teach me Japanese.

Usually when I ask this, I get very typical responses. “Konnichiwa” “Sayounara” “Itadakimasu”—polite greetings and expressions I already know. In a surprising move, one of the students started teaching me Japanese proverbs. Now that was interesting, I thought. First the student taught me “isseki-nichou.” She did her best to explain it, although I ended up becoming confused by her long explanation. I eventually told her to write it down so I could actually see the proverb.

Once I saw the kanji (一石二鳥) I immediately knew what she was saying. “Two birds with one stone.” I had seen this expression before in written Japanese so I told them we have a similar expression that means the same thing. I wrote it on the whiteboard in English for them and asked them to remember it. After that, they taught me another Japanese proverb.

猿も木から落ちる
saru mo ki kara ochiru

We don’t really have a very good English equivalent for this (the only thing I found in my dictionary was “Even Homer sometimes nods”), so I had to literally translate it. The saying came out to be, “Even monkeys fall from trees” which I think is suitable as it is without an English equivalent. The girls didn’t go into depth about the explanation; they probably assumed I knew what they meant when I started translating it. Still, I think the idea behind the proverb is that everyone can make mistakes. I’m not sure about the direction of the proverb though. Does it mean to watch out for mistakes? Or does it mean to not worry about mistakes?

Regardless, I think I’ll remember these from now on and appreciate the challenging Japanese words.

Unmotivated

2009-11-10T03:44:00.000-08:00

Still haven’t really been in a writing mood lately. Not sure what’s hit me all of a sudden, but maybe it’s because nothing terribly exciting has been happening. But, I’ll do my best.

At the moment I’m at attending one of my least visited junior high schools. I’m only here for a week and afterwards I won’t be here again until another year. Kind of strange really—why not spread the days out? I feel like I’m more of a guest at the moment, on a temporary visit. Still, regardless, all the staff members here are very quiet and nice, and I really like the English teachers here so far. Calm, happy, down-to-earth people. I wouldn’t mind working here more often if I had more a say so.

Ah well.

Recently I was a judge in a speech contest. It wasn’t really my decision; I was unwillingly “nominated” by the Kyoto Board of Education. Still, I always kind of envisioned the contest as something moving and inspiring—young students trying their best to speak English fluently and proficiently, much like how I feel about Japanese.

Of course, the way you think something is and the way it actually is, are of course quite different.

The contest, for some reason, was held on a Sunday. Why a Sunday, I don’t know, but it already put a dent in my enjoyment factor. Furthermore I was fairly tired from the previous night. I had trouble sleeping and I had to wake up around 7:00. That’s more of my problem than the contest’s, but having to wake up early on a day I usually have off is never really enjoyable for anyone I think.

We had a brief meeting beforehand; everyone introduced themselves one at a time unnecessarily to people that probably wouldn’t remember who or what they do. I suppose it was all out of politeness, really. Or maybe it was more of a headcount than anything else.

We later moved towards the school gym, but briefly headed to another room nearby to discuss what our roles were as the judges. A fellow JET and I were designated to handle judging plays. Of course, that wasn’t going to happen until much later in the day—so what do we do until then?

Before anything too serious started, I greeted my base school English teachers and the English Club. I wanted to say a quick hello and to wish them all luck. For some reason I asked the whole English Club if they were nervous. Of course, only two of them were actually participating in the event. I was already aware of this before, since I helped only two students practice their speeches during our Friday club meeting. The students kind of gave me an unsure stare, and eventually a teacher commented saying that the club members were all there to support the other two.

Ah. Whoops. Oh well. My clumsiness never ceases to amaze me.

Now, the polite thing to do when you have nothing to do as a judge is to watch the other events. There were two speech recitations, a small intermission skit, and the last block being original plays. I stayed for the first recitation event, and even saw one of my students from my base school go up to recite. I gave her a big smile and hoped for the best.

She ended up making the same pronunciation mistakes she did during our practice session. I laughed on the inside—not necessarily at her (although she did say “little girl” and “little boy” in strange way), but mostly at how pointless my help had been. I can’t help anyone in a day. It takes a lot more time than an hour’s worth of English Club.

After the first recitation event was over with, it was lunchtime by then and we all decided to head out somewhere to eat. Originally we were interested in ramen, though the shop someone suggested was closed that day, so we all agreed to Indian after that. Unfortunately for me, the restaurant we went to was a little expensive—about $10 dollars a plate (which isn’t terrible—rather normal for Kyoto), but I only had about $5 dollars on me. I really didn’t want to borrow money again from the other ALTs, so I just decided to pass lunch instead.

I ended up getting a lassie (a sweet yogurt drink) and waiting for everyone to finish eating. The meal everyone had didn’t look that impressive anyway and I didn’t feel like I was missing out too much. Though afterwards, when we returned from the restaurant, I did eat my fill of leftover fruit sandwiches and snacks in the judge’s room. It satisfied me until dinner, anyway.

The play part of the contest was… interesting. There were four performances in total, each ranging from about 8-15 minutes. The first was rather impressive, just in the sheer number of people alone. A total of 40-some students arrived to perform, each having a speaking role of at least one student. With that many students, your play had to be a well-oiled machine or you were going to flop.

Needless to say, the play was a well-oiled machine. I didn’t have high hopes for a play called “The Color of English”—I immediately thought “black and terrible as the darkest night” personally—but the students ended up impressing me fairly well and they only had a few minor flaws.

The other three plays… not so impressive. Some of the English was just terrible to the point that I had no idea what was being said. I was probably the hardest judge then; my scores were very low for most of the other plays. Originally, during the competition, I felt like I needed to take the judging seriously—if you’re participating in an English-speaking competition, you need to be clear in what you say. The other performing students were incomprehensible, and to me, weren’t really fulfilling the goal that the competition was promoting.

Looking back on it now, I realize the competition wasn’t really about being able to speak English decently. Really, it was event to encourage students to speak English. Whether the students won gold or silver or bronze prizes didn’t really matter—none of it really mattered. What middle school kid is going to care about a $5 dollar trophy when they’re all grown up? Not many, I would imagine. So while I would’ve liked the students to speak more clearly, I think the next time I have an opportunity (read: forced to) judge a contest, I’ll adjust my expectations.

The boyfriend hit the nail on the head, I think.

“Those kids won’t stand a chance,” he said. He was referring to my strict teaching then, when I tutored him in Japanese. Maybe he was right in a way.

A Quick Update

2009-11-05T06:04:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to say that things are well at the moment. For the most part anyway.

I have Internet access now and I've been eating up all my time with that. Music, movies, chatting with friends.

Halloween went by fairly simply. We had the party, but I ended up buying mostly premade food. Custard cakes, pumpkin cake, apple juice... things like that. Overall the potluck was pretty tasty and I still feel pretty gross from everything I ate then.

Anyway, not in my writing element at the moment, but at least I'm officially back online. Keep your eyes peeled.

Halloween Has Come

2009-11-05T06:03:00.001-08:00

Fall appears to be here in some shape or form. Some of the leaves are gone from the trees, the nights and mornings are chilly, heaters and special autumn foods are out for sale. I’ve even broken out my winter futon blanket.

My gawd is that blanket soft. But my gawd is it ugly. I flip it over when I have it laid out, to hide the blue, green, and brown flowers some blanket designer thought was attractive. I don’t even think my grandmother would use it.

I’ve purchased my plane ticket at the convenience store, which was a little confusing at first. There’s a lot of information on that tiny stall screen! But, after some squinting and eliminating the unnecessary, I managed to find what I was looking for. Unfortunately, the price of the plane ticket went up quite a lot since I last checked it, so I’m not too thrilled with how much I had to pay. After rent, bills, and the ticket home, I’ve been left with roughly $300 until November 21. I think it’s doable for the most part—lots of eating at home, no special trips anywhere, no random purchases. Though not that I was too guilty of the last two very much; eating is usually my downfall. Still, I hope after Christmas and New Year’s I can start actually saving money again.

The Internet installer will be coming sometime in the afternoon on Friday. I’m pretty thrilled about that, although annoyingly I had to take a half-day leave just to wait around for some person to appear to check my connection. And even then the installer won’t be bringing the modem—that comes in the mail! Hopefully that will come on the same day, if there’s any luck with me then. Once things get running though, I hope to start making a few calls to friends and family through Skype back home.

Halloween is this Saturday! Still have no clue what to make and I really don’t wanna buy anything expensive. I did find Oreo cookies, but I haven’t seen chocolate pudding yet, at least where I last shopped. I may still try for the “dirt” themed dessert, but I have a strong feeling I won’t find gummy worms in Kyoto. What can you substitute for gummy worms? Hmm.

Sadly, I couldn’t fit a costume in my budget this Halloween. I wanted to go for a skeleton costume, but it was about $40 here. There’s a cute cape for sale that’s going for about $12, but I know I probably won’t be getting that. There’s a skeleton shirt that I normally wear, so I suppose I’ll wear that and dress somewhere close to what I originally wanted. (Haha)

Seven Eleven

2009-11-05T06:01:00.000-08:00

I’ve been trying to write lately, but I’ve found myself either unmotivated or uninterested in what I wanted to talk about. But I’m giving it another go… !

Things have been going okay, although I ran into a rough period for a day or two. Recently, I received another dash of culture shock over something rather simple.

It was raining the other day in Kyoto, as my luck would have it. Annoyingly, no buses go along the rode I needed to take for school that day, so I had to bike it. For me, biking through the rain is usually a disastrous combination that ends in slippery death. The Japanese, however, have mastered an incredible bike riding skill—they can steer their bikes one handed while holding an umbrella. I, on the other hand, am severely lacking in that skill. You can ask the man I nearly hit when trying to do so. But, with no other form of cheap transportation available for me, I had to make due and adapt.

Despite the rain, I was determined to bring my computer with me to school. While my Macbook was already in a fairly waterproof carrying case, I didn’t want to risk it. So, in some last minute move, I wanted to see if I could grab a plastic bag from a local convenience store to cover it more securely. I headed in the direction of the Seven Eleven near my apartment.

I walked in and waited near the counter until I grabbed a clerk’s attention. He was an older man, probably the manager of the store, roughly in his late 60s, maybe pushing 70. I asked him as politely as I knew how if I could receive a “bukuro.” Unfortunately for me, I was off to a bad start, since I said “bag” incorrectly in Japanese. He gave me a blank stare, leaned in, and was totally confused about what I had just said. I repeated the word, certain that I was right, and that he must either be stone deaf or overwhelmed with my foreignness.

It wasn’t getting through.

So I started spouting off Engrish. “Baggu,” “purasuchikku baggu.” Bag, plastic bag.

It finally dawned on me that “fukuro” was the correct Japanese word I was looking for. Gawd knows what “bukuro” means. I was somewhere in the ballpark at least. He could’ve gotten the hint.

He leans back upright, stares at me, and in proceeds to blandly ask me “Why?”

“Naze desu ka?”

Why? I hadn’t prepared myself for a “why” question. Nor did I know how to say, “So my computer doesn’t get wet.” I’m mildly stunned for a moment, but I attempted to stumble through my Japanese.

“There’s a computer, so… and it’s raining, so…”

I gave up in wet defeat. I met a cultural wall, and he was a gray haired Seven-Eleven clerk with glasses who wasn’t happy about a foreigner asking for a free plastic bag.

“Wasurete kudasai.” Please forget it.

I don’t even know if that was the right thing to say. “Ki ni shinaide” might’ve been better. Of course, the annoyed look on my face probably got my point across anyhow.

He looks away, nods. His plastic bags are safe behind the counter. His precious plastic bags.

I was hurt and frustrated for awhile. I thought I was asking for something very simple and, in my opinion, rather worthless. How can you put a value on something that’s thrown away as soon as it’s received? I couldn't wrap around my head why he could say no to me. If I walked into a store in America and I requested a bag, I think I would generally receive one, no questions asked.

Eventually, I accepted that it was just a cultural difference. I was not a paying customer and what I was asking for isn’t something that is necessarily deemed worthless in Japan. But I suppose the point of this whole entry is that I’m still adjusting, and that there are still moments where I run into cultural walls. And hopefully, in some magical way, this will all make me a better, understanding, more open-minded person in the end.

But. And there’s a “but.”

It will be a cold day in Hell when I shop at that particular Seven Eleven again.

Azuki Flavored

2009-10-24T21:12:00.002-07:00

Just turned in my paid leave form to the vice principal at my base school. He didn’t put up any fight about it, so I’m relieved about that. I can start planning my plane ticket and getting that out of the way. Now the only thing to worry about now is getting to the correct airport. Hopefully Osaka won’t confuse me too terribly.

Finalized the schedule of the Halloween party last night. Emailed my JTE of the details. We’re having the party at 8:00 at my place and then hoping to head out at around 10:00 to go to a dance club. My JTE friend is planning to bring her husband along with her, who I don’t think speaks any English. Not sure how well it will all go for him, but hopefully he will have a nice time. I think she mostly wants to bring him to get him accustomed to hanging out with foreigners. She’s hoping to move to America to work, and I’m pretty sure she’ll have to do some serious convincing to get her husband to come along.

I have an idea about what I want to make for the party!

Banana pudding! (Haha)

Not sure what made me think of it—or even want to attempt trying it—but it’s something I liked eating in North Carolina and it sounds very Southern to me. Do they eat banana pudding everywhere in North America? Or is it mostly a Southern thing?

I really don't think I’ll be able to though if I can’t find banana pudding mix and vanilla wafers. Pudding mix, maybe. Wafers, probably not. I’ll have to check a few foreign food stores here and see what I can dig up. Are there pudding mixes in Japan? Has to be… and what could I substitute for wafers? I wonder if I can find gummy worms here. Now that I probably can’t find. I remember one time with my mother we made little “dirt cups” with chocolate pudding, crushed Oreo cookies, and gummy worms. That would be a neat Halloween treat, I think.

Everything else is going okay. My aunt recently sent me some gift money to buy a few kitchen things so I’m very excited about that! Maybe I can break away from my bad convenience store eating habit yet! If I have time, I’ll try doing it today after work and get my kitchen organized. I just wish I had more shelving in my kitchen. Just means I need to move stuff around and utilize the other spaces I have. I have one cabinet near my door I NEVER touch, since I have no idea what to put in it, but maybe that will change soon.

A friend’s Macbook died recently. She’s had it for years so I suppose it was “its time.” I’m planning to have dinner with her tonight to take a look at it and to let her borrow the startup software that came with my computer. She says its time for a “new hard drive” but she’s been eyeing the used Macbooks here for a while now that are going for cheap. I’m sure it’s cheaper to get a new hard drive in the long run, though I wonder if a new computer for her is on the horizon.

Guess we’ll see!

Addendum:

Today at my base school was very good! I worked with one of my favorite teachers here today. She drips with the sucrose sweetness of a mother, and it makes me just want to bake cookies with her and draw pictures for her to stick on the fridge. We worked with the handicapped class first today, which was pretty relaxed. The kids are very sweet, and some are especially shy. Though there’s one girl that can be very aggressive—she has a hard time listening and responding to requests. She has a habit of growlining while she’s thinking! Still, she does fairly well at English surprisingly, since usually when I’m helping the class it seems like she’s off doing her own thing. She really loves shaking my hand for some reason and one day she patted me on the head.

It was very cute.

At lunch today, I went to a convenience store to pick up lunch. Lo and behold, I found the most amazing thing at a local Seven Eleven.

Azuki flavored Pepsi.

Rows and rows of the stuff. I’ve been looking around for the Japanese Pepsi flavors and didn’t have any luck—until today! There, in bright wrapping and bubbling pink, was Azuki Pepsi. I don’t think I’m allowed to drink soda at school, but I had to have it right then and brought it back with me.

My verdict on the taste? Not bad. I would drink it again. It’s hard to describe the flavor a little though. It doesn’t exactly remind me of azuki (sweet bean paste)—maybe mildly in some way. It kind of has more of a cotton candy flavor, I think. Maybe a cough syrup flavor, if you can imagine that being appetizing in some way. The “zing” of Pepsi is still there, too. I think the main thing that confuses the flavor is I generally associate azuki with a soft flavor and texture. The cola sort of changes the flavor into something harder and tangier.

Still interesting though! Looking forward to the next drink Pepsi comes up with.

Going Without

2009-10-24T21:12:00.001-07:00

And again, I am alone without my JTE. (Haha) But today wasn’t too bad and I’ve been milking my Halloween game for all its worth. Thankfully the children here were excited about playing it and responded well. Although some of them had trouble listening to directions. Still, I made it through the day, so I’m happy about that.

At the moment, I’m trying to plan my winter vacation. I want to come home to see everyone for Christmas, but I have to get permission for the days I want off first before I can get my plane ticket home. I’m hoping my base school doesn’t throw a wrench into my plans. They have the authority, of course, to say what days I can and can’t take off. My plans were to take off from December 19th till January 9th. It should give me enough time to say hi to all the people I need to, and to celebrate a few holidays with everyone back home.

I thought getting a plane ticket here in Japan was going to be a pain in my side, but it turns out to be relatively easy. A fellow JET looked around online for plane tickets and found a decent site ran by ANA that provided information in English. The fun part is, after you settle what you want online, you can pay for your ticket at a local convenience store if you don’t have a credit card to buy it online. You go to a small ATM looking machine at the store, enter the information the site provided for you to enter, collect the receipt, and pay the total amount at the register. Of course, most Americans (and probably any other country) would panic at the thought of bringing so much money with them to a convenience store of all places to pay for something so important, but… that’s how to Japan works. (Hahah) I kind of like it.

I’ve been trying to decide what to give everyone for gifts back home, but don’t really have a clue what to bring back. I had a few snack/food ideas but I wanted to do more than that. I still have another month and a half to decide what to get everyone, but I’m hoping to get something sentimental and meaningful. Not sure how successful I will be at that though. Maybe getting everyone to make a list of stuff they want would be a good start!

Social Dinner

2009-10-17T00:30:00.001-07:00

Today is okay. It’s Friday and that can only usually spell good things. Unfortunately I’ve managed to catch a cold here so that kind of hampers my fun. It was bound to happen working with children. It’s nothing terrible at the moment—a sore throat, and some coughing. Hoping it doesn’t get any more serious than that. Usually I don’t do anything for colds, but I might check out the pharmacy to see if there’s anything to ease it.

Tonight my base school invited me out to a “social dinner” or “enkai.” It’s not in my honor from the looks of it, which isn’t a big surprise. Still, I didn’t want to turn it down, since an actual English teacher from the school sent me a fax to ask if I was able to come or not. I guess my main concern right now is if I should prepare a speech or not. I’m thinking I need to write something up real quick just in case they surprise me. Hopefully the dinner will be fun. It’s supposed to be at Brighton Hotel, which I think is rated four stars. And for ￥7300 (roughly about $70), I hope it’s amazing since I’m pushing close to broke. But I get paid on Wednesday next week, so it should all work out.

So as most Halloween celebrators know by now, Halloween lands on a Saturday. The JET crew here is hoping to throw a small party. It’s been decided that we will have a “sweets potluck” for dinner, with a few savory things in between to ease the sugar overload. Someone suggested I make savory pancakes. Of course, in my head I’m thinking “Okonomiyaki?” But, still, I might give it a shot. After dinner, I suggested we go do costume karaoke, an idea I heard about from other JETs that looked fun, but it got mixed reviews when I mentioned it. So karaoke is up in the air at the moment. The definite plan is to go to a dance club sometime during the night. The fee is about ￥3000 (about $30) which is generally a little steep for my tastes, but I think it’ll be an experience worth trying out.

That’s all for now. Stay tuned.

He Said, She Said

2009-10-14T23:39:00.000-07:00

So right now I’m at my “special” school, which is practically on the other side of town from where I live. It takes a good 25-30 minutes to bike here, so it’s a workout after the ride. Not that I mind a work out lately. The school is very relaxed due to the children who attend it. Most notably is that no one bothers to take off their shoes when coming into the building. Generally, most of the students come from troubled backgrounds. Of what backgrounds they exactly come from, I’m not 100% sure about. My JTE informed me that some of the children come from divorced families or are notably poor. I’ve also heard that students come here because they had trouble fitting in at other schools. The two stories are probably linked in some way.

Once again, I’m without my JTE. For some reason we’re scheduled on days where we don’t work with each other. While I’m at this school, she’s required to go to another school to teach. I’m not sure who’s planning my scheduling, but it seems a bit off to me. I don’t suppose it's a big deal when you only attend a school once a month. In fact, I won’t be back at this particular school until December. I can only imagine I’ll be in the same situation again, so I should probably get a head start on making Christmas games for the kids. (Hahah)

This weekend, many JETs will be helping junior high school students interview foreigners, which I believe we’ll be doing in the Gion area. It shouldn’t be too difficult to do, depending on the children and depending on the foreign tourists. The students tend to forget their lines and the tourists tend to get moody if you’re interrupting their trip. We’re also supposed to be working with study abroad students from Kyoto University, which will hopefully be interesting. Although the Kyoto BOE didn’t seem too sure if they were able to speak English or not, but most of us guessed that if they were joining an English speaking assignment they must have some skill at it.

But this is Japan--more specifically Kyoto. And I’ve come to realize anything will and can happen.

So in other news, I recently came out to one of my JTEs a few days ago. She’s known to ask me rather deep questions, some of which I can’t answer very well. Usually the conversations are rather interesting, but as most of my friends will tell you, I tend to avoid those kinds of topics. Nonetheless, somehow a conversation about marriage came up.

“Why is it that Europeans have partners instead of marriage?” she asked.

“I’m not sure…” I said. “Maybe because they feel like they can be together without having a special ceremony.”

She later asked, “Why are there celebrities like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie who are together but aren’t married?”

“Ah, well…” I paused to think about it. “I heard they aren’t married because marriage is not equal yet. Since homosexuals cannot get married, they choose not to marry.”

“Oh really?”

Well, this conversation went on for a bit longer stretching into her own marriage, how she married too young and how she doesn’t think her husband will want to move to America with her. I later asked if she wanted a family, and she didn’t seem sure if she was ready for one yet. Her family was pressuring her to settle down, and she made a wincing face at the thought of it.

She eventually asked if I wanted to get married. I promptly said no and grinned.

She asked why not. I said I didn’t really believe in marriage. I said I think people should receive legal rights and benefits concerning their partners, but that they don’t need a ceremony to be together.

She asked me if I wanted to have children. I said I can’t—at least in the procreative sense, I thought to myself.

She stared at me for a bit, wanting me to continue.

“… because… I’m gay.”

Now I had prepared myself for a very Japanese response. “Oh, gay? That’s silly. No one is gay. You’re so funny. Ha-ha-ha.”

Of course, I didn’t give her enough credit, as it turns out.

“My high school teacher was gay. I had a big crush on him! He was so handsome and he spoke five languages.”

I smiled, maybe nodded. Something strange hit me.

I can’t really recall my feelings at the time. I wasn’t surprised, or disappointed, or relieved. Maybe it was a feeling like nothing changed between us. You’re prepared for some moment in your life, and it suddenly sweeps by you insignificantly. Like a 21st birthday, when you’re now supposed to be considered some big adult, but you still feel the same as you did when you were 18. Or when you land in a foreign country, thinking you’ll be somewhere magical, when really you’re on the same tiny planet.

It was nice. In a way.

More importantly, I can see us becoming friends.

Feeling Good!

2009-10-14T04:23:00.000-07:00

So I’m presently at one of my schools typing up a quick entry.

Things are quiet right now. The weather is a bit chilly and the sky is somewhat cloudy. It feels like autumn more and more. Which means I need to pick up some winter clothes soon before I start freezing. “Next paycheck,” I keep saying. “Next paycheck.”

My JTE isn’t here today at one of my schools, so I’m here floating on my own at the moment. I knew she wouldn’t be coming today since I was working with her yesterday at another school. Still, she told me that the other Japanese teachers would do their best to help me, and I’m hoping that’s the case. Currently if things don’t go as planned, I can always fall back on my Halloween cards and teach about monsters. I’ve done that for a few schools now and it works pretty good when I’m in a sticky situation.

I’m feeling a little better from yesterday. I don’t really know what hit me so bad to make me feel the way I did. One of my coworkers said something to me that rubbed me the wrong way during dinner last night, and my mood shifted after that to defensive. Soon after that I bolted back home, leaving a few of the people I was with to question what my problem was, since I didn’t ride back home with them.

It’s hard to express what I want to say into words about it. On one hand I feel like I have great friends here. We laugh and joke and have a genuinely good time together. And then there are times where I feel like, “Are we friends because we like each other or are we friends out of necessity because we live in a foreign country together?”

Will we maintain these connections after all is said in done? Maybe. Maybe not.

I suppose the important goal I need to make for myself is to realize that while I’m here, I need to make the best that I can of it. I need to enjoy the ride. However long it ends up lasting. And more importantly try to enjoy with it with the people I’m with and hope that they consider me a friend like I consider them my friends.

Despite my weird habits.

Addendum:

Today is pretty good! There’s a reason this is my favorite school. The children are really interested me, and all the staff members here are always so nice to me. I had a chat earlier with the vice principal about computers and why countries like America and Korea use computers more in the classrooms than Japan does. The conversation was a little complex for me, but I got the gist of it and it turned out to be rather interesting.

The teachers were very prepared and I didn’t have too much trouble getting into the rhythm of things. In the sixth grade class, we were learning about places and directions. The children were learning about “go straight” and “turn right/left.” I had a few problems with “turn right/left” since I have a habit of saying “go right/left” instead. It wasn’t too big of a deal, but I managed okay.

School lunch was pretty tasty, though I don’t particularly care for one dish. I think it’s a mix of small seaweed and vegetables like carrots and corn. Generally I like seaweed, but sometimes it just doesn’t go with certain things. I’m not sure if the children like it either, but I suppose it’s one of those “healthy things” that has to be on the menu. The rest of today’s lunch was a loaf of bread and some kind of cheese soup with either chicken or squid. I’m leaning towards squid. Or some other sea creature.

Not sure what my plans are today, but I don’t imagine anything too crazy. I’m hoping to get my DS charger back from a fellow ALT. And after that, who knows.

Maybe a trip to a local convenience store.

Moody

2009-10-13T04:20:00.000-07:00

Currently posting from a Japanese laundromat nearby my apartment.

Not exactly how I pictured using the internet here, but I'll take what I can get. And that's pretty limited.

Nothing terribly new that I can think of off the top of my head. Teaching children still has its ups and downs, but I try to hang on. I don't see myself teaching English forever, at least not like this. Which is a shame since I had a big passion for teaching at the university. I looked forward to it almost everyday. Now that I'm teaching a language to unenthusiastic kids, it completely demotivates you.

I can't blame it all on the kids, really. Teaching at 13 different schools can really take it out of you. Maybe for some busy ALTs that's a drop in the hat, but the point I'm trying to make is the lack of interaction you get with the students. And really, the biggest problem I have is the lack of planning I get to have with the teachers. Some schools can be incredibly difficult. There are times when I show up to school and they ask me, "So what do you have planned today?"

How should I know? I haven't been there in a month. You tell me.

There are good times, of course. There are times where I'm just smiling all day because I feel like the kids are really interested in English--and if not English, at least interested in what I have to say.

Outside of school, life in Kyoto is fairly basic. Wake up, work, eat, play, sleep. Minus the play part occasionally. While most of my other ALT friends are cooking, I find myself purchasing prepared lunches and dinners from the market. It's gotten into a really bad habit and I find it hard to break. I haven't purchased a cooking pan, I only have one cup, one spoon, and one pair of chopsticks. It's really rather ridiculous. And while I want to buy more stuff for my apartment, I've been trying to save money. Although saving money hasn't been easy living in an expensive city. Buying a pricey computer didn't help my pocket much either. I don't regret purchasing the Macbook, but it did leave a sizable hole. Next month doesn't look good either for my wallet, since I have to pick up a ticket for home for Christmas.

But I'll do my best.

Anyway, I'll just wrap this up quickly. I wish I could be more deep and meaningful with this post, but there's something limiting about typing in a laundromat.

Hm!

2009-09-26T19:23:00.001-07:00

So apparently there is no wi-fi at the McDonald's near my apartment! What a disappointment. At least the McGriddle was tasty. I was really hoping to do some updating and checking stuff online, but it looks like I'll have to find some other spot to steal internet.

Ah well.

Things are going pretty good. It's the weekend now and I'm trying to relax again. School yesterday wasn't too crazy. I get along with my English teacher really well and lately we've been talking about American holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving. I was thinking about inviting her to Halloween party, but I haven't even made arrangements for one yet, so I'm holding off. I did ask her if she'd like to join a Thanksgiving dinner and she seemed very interested. I don't have any solid plans yet, but so far it seems like it's going to be a small potluck with friends.

For some reason I've been very excited about Halloween here, which is surprising since I haven't been so thrilled with Halloween back in the States. I've been looking for events to attend and so far I've found one parade going on in Kitayama in Kyoto. I haven't looked too closely at it, but I'm hoping to find out more soon and maybe drag some other JETs with me to attend it. We'll see how that goes!

I really want to send gifts out to everyone back in the States, but I've been procrastinating so much about it. I did pick up a few things for some people, mostly some snacks. I'm thinking I might hold off on it and gather what I can in December. I was planning to come back during Christmas and New Year's and perhaps gifts to family and friends that way. Seems like the easiest idea to me, but I should tackle the mailing/packaging system here in Japan soon.

No big plans for today. Hoping to meet a friend and possibly hang out. She mentioned about trying to get involved in a tea ceremony, but I'm not so sure about that yet. Hahah. The last "tea ceremony" I had was at a friend's high school hosted by the students and my legs were killing me after all that sitting. The sweets were tasty though.

I'd like to start decorating my apartment more. I was trying to go for a black, white, and green theme, but I can't be bothered to stay consistent! I need more storage space as well. I'd like to buy more furniture, but I haven't gotten comfortable enough to use the delivery services offered by the department stores here. One of these days though I'll get my head around it.

I guess that sums up what's going on in my life so far. Nothing too epic, but it covers the basic things. Hopefully something more interesting will come up soon!

2009-09-25T19:21:00.000-07:00

So the holiday is over with now. We just had "Silver Week" pass by, a group of three holidays attached to the end a weekend. Basically a five day holiday starting from Saturday till Wednesday.

It was a very nice vacation and it passed by way too quickly. But another weekend is just up ahead so I'm waiting for that.

I don't think I did too much during the break. I visited Osaka with some Kyoto friends and checked out a Ghibli art gallery at the Suntory Museum. The museum was a collection of sketches and plans for all the animated movies done by Ghibli Studio--the studio responsible for "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Spirited Away." I was hoping to visit Den Den Town, a big electronics district in Osaka, but time didn't really work in our favor, so we had to pass.

A few days after, we visited Lake Biwa, the largest lake in all of Japan. Apparently it's bigger than all of Tokyo, so I guess that speaks of its size. From the looks of it, it was practically an ocean. We rode an American themed boat called "The Michigan." Personally, I give the whole experience mixed reviews--poor food and a poorly maintained ship does not a good boat ride make. Still, being with friends is always enjoyable.

It's nice to have a computer again, although the lack of internet access is still a problem. I'm hoping to sign up with Yahoo! BB sometime soon, possibly this weekend. In the meantime, I've been stealing music off my friends and adding to my collection. Managed to get The Wizard of Oz movie on my computer as well, so that will keep me occupied on a quiet night.

School has been going well. Today was fairly nice, thankfully, although the last class was a little too excitable for what I'm usually accustomed too. I had two fairly smart, well-behaved elementary classes earlier this morning. They quickly understood my English introduction and were very responsive. The last class I taught was a bit older and the students very energetic--they had a hard time listening to me and answering me. At the end of class when we said our goodbyes, the students immediately rushed to me and encircled me. They were very interested in my height and my beard. One boy, the noisiest of the bunch, was determined to get a touch of my face. I was equally determined he didn't get a feel. A few students were touching my sides and prodding me with interest. Another student took away my name tag and began looking at it closely.

It was all very overwhelming. It wasn't scary or terrible by any means, but I normally like to have control over my mobs.

There is one thing I've noticed at all my schools that I can't really understand. At lunch time, all the students and teachers will receive a small carton of milk and a small straw wrapped in plastic. On top of the carton is a small hole for the straw to pierce through. For some reason, many students and teachers will leave the plastic wrapping on the straw, leaving it bunched up around the edge of the hole while they're drinking.

I finally asked one of the English teachers today about it. She kind of laughed and made a funny face. She basically never thought about it before--it was just a habit. She guessed it was to keep the milk from being "contaminated." But I pointed out that her bowls of food were out in the open, and jokingly questioned why she wasn't bothered by that. She laughed and admitted defeat, although she was quick to point out that I don't even drink milk, so I had no need to worry.

I suppose I'll try to take care of some laundry now. I need to purchase a washing machine sometime soon, but, one thing at a time. : )

Overall

2009-09-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

There hasn't been a day that has gone by that I haven't thought about updating my blog. Of course, it's very difficult to update a blog when you don't have a personal computer. And the charm of updating one is quickly lost when you're at an internet cafe. And while some of my friend's here have gotten internet access at their apartments for awhile now, taking over their computers to write lengthy blog entries just doesn't sit with me right.

So, how do you catch up on two months of missing blog entries? You can't, really.

The flight over was intense, as anyone can imagine. Sitting in a cramped airplane seat for 13 hours is never amazing, but the selection of movies were pretty decent. I kind of regret not bringing any music with me during the flight, but I managed to pull through. I made some pretty good friends during the mandatory Atlanta JET Orientation and we formed a tight group during the initial few days.

Having been to Japan before, I wasn't expecting to experience any serious culture shock. At the very least, I was hoping to be excited about being in the country again. But what surprised me the most was I didn't experience anything. When we landed at the Narita airport, when we arrived at the hotel in Tokyo, I didn't feel any thrill about coming back to Japan. It's hard to describe the feeling I had two months ago, but it was a kind of "Well, I'm here" sort of moment. While everyone was smiling and exploring the city of Tokyo, I was kind of in a tired daze of "blah" and uninterest.

Eventually I met my British friend during the orientation, a fellow JET who was going to Kyoto City with me. She had been to Japan before as well and was in a similar emotional state about her return. The "We are here and just here" feeling. I think that helped us bond in some ways.

Fast forward to Kyoto.

Life here has been decent. It was a rather rough start, to be perfectly honest. Watching thousands of dollars slip out of your hands to cover start up fees is never an easy thing to see. I was left with approximately $500 dollars to last me about 4 weeks. I would say this is fairly doable, even in the city of Kyoto--with proper planning.

I didn't properly plan, obviously. If I were in that situation again, I would've separated my money into "food/essentials money" and "transportation money." Around the last week, the week before payday, I was down to roughly $10 dollars. I had to dip into my bank account back home and pull $100 out. Really not something I wanted to do at all and something I was hoping to avoid at all cost.

As with any job, teaching has its ups and downs. I teach 13 schools, ranging from elementary school to junior high school. Some are exceptionally nice and new. Some are old and begging to be condemned/revamped. Some of the kids are incredibly shy and quiet, and some are unbelievably loud and obnoxious.

Since I have to go to 13 schools, and since most of the time I generally only see one school a month--I usually stay at the junior high schools for roughly one week--I don't feel like I'm making a difference. The same kids from elementary are still the same ones in junior high that only know how to say "My name is So-and-So" and "I like baseball." And you pray really hard they can even remember to say that.

At most of the schools, I'm strangely popular. Something I kind of expected and didn't really think too much about, but when it happens, you're not sure how to handle it. Most of the kids get an excited look on their face and are eager to greet me with big hellos or smiles. Some like to high-five. I had one very butch male student in junior high, who at first glance didn't appear very interested in me, but turned out to ask me the most questions during my self-introduction, drew a picture of me, and proceeded to give me two high-fives at the end of class. "Ikemen" and "dekai" are popular words thrown in my direction--"ikemen" meaning "hot/handsome guy" and "dekai" meaning "big/tall."

It's flattering and superficial in a way. I don't take it to heart. But I still grin when I hear it.

Overall things are fine. I'm still alive and I'm doing well. The food is great, the people are nice, and I'm adjusting. I do have moments where I miss home. I was reading one of my favorite books called "Dream Boy" awhile back. The story mostly recalls rural eastern North Carolina and for some strange reason I missed the area intensely for awhile. I still do miss it, the family and friends I still have there. But eastern NC is definitely not for me, and there are several reasons why I left the area to begin with.

In the mean time, please continue to look forward to more entries. Again, sorry to be slow about updating, but I hope to post more frequently now. Things are getting interesting around here so I hope everyone will be around to read about my adventures.

Until next time.

HEY!

2009-09-20T06:34:00.000-07:00

So! It`s been awhile but I have my own computer now. :)

Will hopefully update either tomorrow or the following day about everything.

BUT YAY COMPUTER!

The City of Kyoto

2009-07-31T23:15:00.000-07:00

I don`t have long to post since I`m at an internet cafe, but I`m here in Kyoto City. Incredibly humid place, let me tell you!

It`s a pretty big city and there`s a ton to do. My apartment is pretty crazy, but it`s doable and I`ll probably like it more once I`m able to buy furniture and decorate. That won`t be for awhile though.

Anyway. I gotta jet! Time`s almost up! I`m alive and I`ll update soon again!

Alive & Well

2009-07-27T01:17:00.000-07:00

A short post, but wanted to tell everyone I'm fine here in Japan. The flight was long and grueling, but I got here sometime in the afternoon on Sunday around 3:00.

I will try to make calls and make more connections once I'm in Kyoto City. If family is reading this, please let everyone know that I'm well.

Talk to everyone soon!

Asian Zing

2009-07-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

My aunt and uncle invited me for one last dinner before my big move. And as most people know, I never decline a tasty dinner, especially from good chefs.

Tonight's menu was a little more casual and "hands-on" unlike my birthday dinner from awhile back.

Our delicious side items. To the left are potato wedges seasoned with herbs. To right is of course roasted corn.

Our main dish were some extremely tasty chicken wings covered in a very tasty "Asian" sauce. I generally don't eat chicken wings, but the sauce my aunt and uncle use just hits all the right spots on my tongue.

I'm a big dessert fan. I'm also a big fan of strawberries. So I was pleased to know about the strawberry shortcake inspired dessert my family prepared. Although I suppose it was more like strawberry poundcake. Nonetheless, as a delicious bonus, in the center of the poundcake was strawberry jelly. Shamefully, I had about three slices. Three tasty slices.

After dinner we all sat around the dinner table--my aunt, uncle, cousin, boyfriend, and myself. We talked about random things, ranging from pet rats to British comedies. We laughed and smiled till my cheeks became sore.

It was a wonderful memory to leave with, and my stomach will miss them greatly.

Back in Town

2009-07-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

So, I'm back in with the boyfriend for a few days. Thankfully with internet access now so I can Facebook and blog to my heart's content.

It was good to be home, though. It's very beautiful where my father lives, despite the heat and humidity, and is much more quiet. Back home I saw most of my main group of friends. All of them seemed excited for me about my job in Kyoto City. One friend, who is probably a bigger Japanophile than I am, vowed to visit me when he was able to get the money. I invited everyone of course to come see me, and I hope they take up my offer. That is if my apartment is big enough to accommodate a person other than myself.

Speaking of my apartment, I don't know a thing about it. I also don't know the school I'll be teaching at, where exactly I'll be living. I don't even have my contract yet. I have to say, I'm very disappointed and frustrated with the contracting organization doing everything at the last minute. If I wasn't doing this through the JET Program, I would consider this whole ordeal to be very shady and risky. Who in their right mind would go to a foreign country, be told to bring $3000 dollars, and not have a clue about where they are living or what they will be doing? I'd be absolutely frightened. Thank goodness for the other Kyoto City friends I've made on Facebook who are in the same boat as I am.

I have quite a lot of photos of various things about my state that I thought might interest people. Tell me what you think. There are many more photos, which I might try and upload later sometime, but I'll hold off for now. I also took a lot of videos, which I may or may not post. I guess we'll see!

By the way, for those who are curious about my departure time, I leave for Atlanta, GA, July 24th, and then I leave the country the following day on July 25th. I'll arrive in Japan on July 26th--the day disappears since I'm traveling to the "future." Hahah.

An Emotional Goodbye

2009-07-20T07:37:00.001-07:00

It was very hard to see my father choke up and cry as we were driving down a hill to my boyfriend's apartment.

"How do you feel?" I asked.

"Well," he paused to think. "I've been thinking about what I wanted to say the whole time I was drivin' up here. But I guess I'll tell you now."

He's a quiet, strong man. I only truly remember him tearing up once before, some years ago between him and my brother.

"Don't start crying," I said. "You'll start makin' me cry."

But, these things can't be helped. Like father, like son, I don't cry very often myself--I try not to cry. However, for someone who has loved and supported me so much through my adulthood, it's hard to say goodbye.

"I thought I'd be happy after you were done with college. But now I just feel sad inside."

As I tell most people, I'm very lucky to have the family that I do. It may be difficult to be without my family in a totally new country, but I will try to do my best in their absence. And I hope most importantly that they know I love them.

Home

2009-07-06T10:37:00.000-07:00

Officially moved out of the old apartment a few days ago. Didn't go too terribly and all the stuff I left beside the dumpster the night before the move was snatched up by morning. Thankfully living in a college makes quick work of unwanted furniture and appliances.

I left Boone Friday last week with my shaky car. My brakes managed to make it through the five hour drive home, so I'm relieved about that. Currently staying with my father, although that might change soon before my big leave. My aunt invited me to her place to spend some time there, and it's pretty tempting.

Independence Day weekend went nicely, although I wasn't terribly patriotic. (Hahah) On Saturday, my aunt came down to visit for a little bit and we did some clothes shopping for my trip to Japan. Picked up two pairs of jeans, some new underwear, two very cute shirts, and a new pair of Converse sneakers. I spent about $100, mostly because the sneakers were so pricey, but I still have some money to fall back on at the moment, although I'm trying not to touch it too much. On Sunday, I had a steak dinner with some family--my aunt, my father, grandmother, and myself. It was tasty! I forgot how much I enjoyed a good steak. Later on Sunday, I met with some friends of mine back in my old hometown. I made them a stirfry dinner and we spent most of the night chatting and playing a few games. I'm hoping to meet them today again and take some photos around town, although the weather here hasn't been too terrific.

At the moment, I'm at my father's work. I hooked up my computer here to take care of some bills and subscriptions--paying them off and canceling them. So far, pretty easy.

Anyway, I'm mostly babbling and updating everyone with information. My updating might be sporadic for these next few months, so please bear with me!

Until next time.

State of Shock

2009-06-30T13:46:00.000-07:00

I won't go into too much detail about my personal life, but I will say I'm incredibly lucky to have the family that I have. Without even asking, my father and aunt have made it financially possible for me to go to Japan without having to take a loan from the Board of Education.

I don't know what to say except that I am unbelievably grateful, and have nothing but love and respect for these two people.

Thank you.

Been Out of the Loop

2009-06-28T20:45:00.000-07:00

Things are going okay. I had dinner with some friends of mine tonight who are planning to moveout of town soon, and we had a very nice dinner together. It was a pretty simple dinner, mostly consisting of pre-made things like frozen pizza and a bag of salad. My friends also brought a bottle of red wine which I had a small glass of. I'm not much of a wine drinker, so I didn't have too much of that. (Hahah)

JET prepartions seem to be going okay. I've talked to my PA about getting a loan from the Board of Education in Kyoto. I was hoping I wouldn't have to do that, but it's the only way I'm going to be able to cover the start up fees. Thankfully my advisor seems to be very understanding, so he's trying to arrange everything for me.

We still don't know very much about our placement or schools. We may teach at a elementary/junior high school, or we may teach at a senior high school. Other than that, not too much to say information-wise. Luckily, we're going to have air condition at our apartments, so that's a big relief.

Sorry, a bit tired at the moment. Guess the main thing is, I'm fine, but I don't know much of anything yet. I hope July will be more informative.

Trying to be Optimistic

2009-06-24T09:47:00.000-07:00

This is kind of long and kind of ranty, but it's mostly addressing some minor problems I'm having before my big leave to Japan.

Things are doing okay so far, but there's been a wrench or two thrown in to make things a little worrisome.

I guess the first thing to really annoy me are my car brakes. It was bound to happen after awhile, living on a mountain and having to brake frequently. It's happened in just a few days, my car would squeak for a little bit and now it sounds like it's rubbing against metal. So, naturally I'm worried and I'm thinking I need to take care of it.

I called my father just a moment ago and he recommends trying to avoid driving it as much as possible, and to just try and make it home early July. Currently that's my plan for right now, because I really don't have the money to spend fixing a car I won't be using in a month.

I guess another thing that's worrying me (and this has to do with JET) is how things are going to be handled in Kyoto. I recently received another e-mail from my Perfectural Advisor answering some of our major questions. While he's very friendly and I'm looking forward to working with him, some of his answers weren't the ones I wanted to hear.

One of the worst fears he confirmed is the need for large amounts of money for the first month. Living in Japan can be very expensive, and getting an apartment is especially expensive for a foreigner. You have deposits, key payments, and a variety of other things that need to be paid off immediately. Here's some of the e-mail:

I looked up the numbers from previous years to see how much money Kyoto City JETs in the past have needed for start up fees. The number I came up with is 230,000 Japanese Yen. (Roughly 2420 US Dollars)

The actual amount you will need for key money, deposits, guarantor fees, etc. will vary from apartment to apartment, so I can't give you exact figures at this time (living arrangements and school placements are still being finalized).

How I arrived at the above number: the total amount of your expenses is actually more than 230,000 yen, but Kyoto City gives new JET Programme participants a startup allowance to help cover things. The total expenses in past years have ranged between 350,000 yen and 480,000. The allowance from the city is generally around 250,000. Therefore I subtracted the allowance from the most expensive startup cost to find out how much you will need to pay. (480,000 - 250,000 = 230,000).

I have only half of what he recommends and I very much doubt I can get anymore than that. I e-mailed him again shortly after that basically stating I could only bring a certain amount of money with me. I'm still waiting on his response, but I'm hoping I'll be able to get a loan to take care of any initial bills and pay it back over time.

Some future JETs who are reading this might be wondering why I'm having to pay such a huge amount for my apartment. Well, the second issue I'm having is that Kyoto City JETs don't have "direct" predecessors. We are replacing assistant teachers (who I'm assuming are affiliated with JET in some way), but apparently we aren't taking over their previous apartments. I have no idea why and the e-mail didn't really explain why.

In Kyoto City JETs don't have direct predecessors in the same way that they do in some prefectures. You will of course be taking over someone's schools, but you will not be taking over their apartment. We've already asked our leaving JETs to write down information about their schools which we will pass on to you during the orientation period. Because of this Kyoto now has a policy of not distributing contact information of JETs. (Also, apparently in the past there were some misunderstandings involving leaving JETs selling items to incoming JETs. The city doesn't want to be seen as aiding any nefarious dealings.)

This sort of makes me uncomfortable since I don't have direct contact with someone with past experience. Am I being handed a slip of paper or two with a few paragraphs of advice? Is the information left by previous JETs being filtered by the school? This might be me worrying too much, but why are these JETs leaving? Did they dislike the school?

It's all very strange to me.

Small World

2009-06-22T08:54:00.000-07:00

So I finally heard from my Prefectural Advisor (a middle man from the Kyoto Board of Education that works between me and my future supervisor) yesterday through an e-mail, which has me a little relieved.

It was pretty straightforward--that an apartment is being finalized for me, that they will be sending me an information packet, and that there will be an orientation in Kyoto sometime mid-August. The PA also reassured me that since Kyoto is a big city, I should be able to find anything that I needed once I'm there.

But, here's something interesting. My PA is also from North Carolina and also graduated from the same university that I attended! What a surprise! He also commented that in his seven years working as an advisor that I am the first fellow North Carolinian they've seen in Kyoto City in a long time. What a big honor!

Although it makes me wonder where Kyoto hires its assistant language teachers mostly from...

Another Year Older

2009-06-17T19:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I've reached 25. Funny thing is, I still feel 18.

Today was a pretty good day! It was a terribly wet and stormy day, but the evening turned out rather nicely, surprisingly.

I helped a "friend of a friend" today who is interested in Chinese and Japanese, and I gave him some advice about learning Asian languages. I'm not sure if I was terribly helpful, but I did what I could. I tried to offer titles of websites and books that were useful to me when learning Japanese, so... perhaps he'll look into those?

I ran into my Senior Seminar teacher today while out having lunch, and it was a treat to see her. We chatted briefly about my blog and caught up with each other for a minute or two before she had to run off.

Tonight, my aunt and uncle prepared a really great dinner for my birthday. Lately, I've had an obsession with food blogs, and since my uncle and aunt are such good chefs, I didn't want to miss an opportunity to take pictures of their dishes.

I have no idea what the appetizers were called. I believe my aunt had an Italian name for them. These were absolutely delicious. I must've eaten five within the first minute. Consisted of mozzarella cheese, bacon, diced tomatoes, basil, and a pastry crust.

A tasty salad topped with walnuts and dried cranberries.

A shrimp and scallop pasta dish with a creamy Alfredo sauce.

Generally for my birthday my mother would get me a big chocolate chip cookie cake. While I love a big cookie cake, I'm quite fond of a good pie. My aunt knows I am a "pumpkin pie aficionado" and made this dessert from scratch.

Half of the pie is pleasantly digesting in my stomach.

The Beau's New Home

2009-06-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

This is the boyfriend's new one-bedroom apartment. He lives on the bottom floor. I think it's terribly cute and cozy looking.

I love the shelving. It has much more storage and counter space than our current apartment. The boyfriend's only complaint is how hot is when all the windows and doors are closed. It's an understandable complaint, but this is still a really great place, I think. We're moving stuff in gradually in boxes and we'll probably start moving all of his stuff by Sunday.

Thank You, Thank You!

2009-06-12T14:10:00.000-07:00

Thank you, IRS. Thank you for my form. And thank you to the person who answered my question so nicely. You've made my day!

And to put my good karma back on track, I helped a new neighbor move a ridiculously heavy couch into his new apartment. Me, being extremely weak and lacking any serious muscle, struggled the entire time. And I think I pulled a muscle in my wrist.

BUT I'M HAPPY.

Also, I have pictures of my boyfriend's new apartment. I'll tell more about that next post.

Around School

2009-06-10T16:25:00.000-07:00

So these are mostly photos of Appalachian State where I went to school. The weather wasn't the best, but it was slightly cooler than yesterday and I wanted to feel productive. So I did what I could. Originally, I thought it was going to be a pretty easy task, but trying to take pictures of a massive school, and then trying to convey the scale of it is hard work!

I thought this might be interesting to some of the Japanese students. These are special tunnels for students to pass through during a busy traffic day. These are also the only two places on campus where students are allowed to spray paint freely. Some people are really talented, I think!

This is the school library. I spent most of my time on the third floor either waiting for the bus to come around or writing a few papers. I went straight to the Japanese history section and took a few photos of what I thought might interest students.

This is the main lawn area located infront of the student union. Later I went into the union to take a few more pictures, but I didn't get as many I could have. Maybe I'll try and take some more later. Basically I took pictures of one of the sun rooms which I think is one of the nicer parts of the student union. Connected to the union is the school bookstore. Again, I didn't take very many photos, but I went straight to the Japanese section. I thought "Dirty Japanese" (a Japanese slang book) might get a grin out of the students.

Odd Photos Around Town

2009-06-09T12:23:00.001-07:00

First, some pictures of my apartment.

Some pictures of a a grocery store and other shopping places. I'm sure I was supposed to get permission before taking any of these photos, but I just didn't bother, nor do I think they would've cared either way. I tried to take photos that I thought were very "American" or "Western." I'm not sure if I really captured that. I did my best!

Well, if I'm going to take pictures of a grocery store, I'm going to have a little lunch. : ) Some tasty spicy sushi.

Some of the next photos are mostly taken at a local mall. In Japan, they don't really have malls, at least not in the same way Americans do. Again, I tried to take pictures of "American" things, but I also wanted to show that we had Japanese things, such as certain video games.

These were taken at a K-Mart in preparation for Independence Day on July 4th. I didn't examine them too closely, but I imagine they were humorously made in China.

Something At Least

2009-06-04T15:01:00.000-07:00

Currently we're "attempting" to get ready to move. And by that, I mean gathering boxes and moving stuff to the floor in disorganized piles.

These pictures make it look like a typical college pad, but once upon a time these were inviting living spaces. I promise! The "blue room" is basically where we've put all of our books for the time being. We have bags and boxes of them at the moment, most of which we'll probably give away to charity.

How do you like our DVDs by the way? (Hahah) Mine are mostly to the left, and his are mostly to the right. I wonder what they say about us...

Currently this is what it looks outside my apartment. A little drizzly, somewhat cloudy. One of the things I love about the mountains during the spring and summer is that everything is covered in an all-consuming green. It's really very stunning, especially with a clear blue sky. I'll take better pictures soon enough.

Today I went apartment hunting with my boyfriend since he's presently unable to go with me to Japan. We found this really cute, one-bedroom efficiency apartment tucked away in the mountains near town. Concrete floor, lots and lots of shelving, washer and dryer... there's even a little space to grow a small garden. Probably the only minor flaw in the deal is it's so far away from the public bus to school--it's about a good 30-45 minute walk to a bus stop.

Anyway, he picked that up right away, and I personally don't blame him for acting quickly. In a college town, good apartments get taken in a heartbeat. I'm just thankful he found something for a decent price and things are turning out nicely for him. He's actually getting excited about school again and "living on his own."

I'll be sure to take pictures of his new apartment.

But until next time~

A Stormy Day

2009-06-03T13:02:00.000-07:00

So remember that good weather I was praising about? A nasty storm came around and took care of that right away.

So no pictures today, unfortunately.

Currently just spending the day with the boyfriend, trying to get him situated for next semester, and having a slice of pizza.

Maybe tomorrow I'll try to take photos again?

Excited and Nervous

2009-06-02T14:17:00.001-07:00

At the moment I'm very excited! I just registered for my ticket to Japan and the hotel room. It looks like things are really solidifying and that I'm actually going!

I think the IRS thing will be taken care of now. I faxed them more information yesterday which will hopefully resolve the issue that they had over the 8802 form I sent back in April. And if not... well, I don't want to think about the "not." But, I guess we'll see in a few days.

So far, I've been connecting with some people who are also planning to teach in Kyoto City. Two of them come from the UK, it looks like. So it will be a very international experience for me it looks like! I'm told there should be at least 10 other people teaching in Kyoto through JET, so I guess I'll meet them sometime soon.

I haven't heard from the organization hiring me or from my predecessor yet. In some cases, they can be very last minute about it and contact you right as you're leaving. I hope that won't be the case. In the meantime, I'm just waiting for more news to come in.

Planning to start taking pictures tomorrow (or sometime this week) of my university and surrounding areas for my self-introduction. A few of my apartment, too, I'd imagine. It's so beautiful around here lately, it's been inspiring the photographer within me.

IRS Annoyance

2009-05-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

So, I'm trying to get a special tax form to work overseas which I specifically need by July 1st.

First the IRS sends me a letter well over a month later saying that they received my request and that they are "processing" it. The very next day, they send me another letter saying they need more information since they can't find a tax return file on me in 2008. This is frustrating since many other JETs have already started receiving their forms and sending off copies of the form to the Atlanta consulate.

Anyway, after a quick visit to see my aunt and uncle, and embarrassingly asking them to help me in my panic, I finally sent off some paperwork telling the IRS that I was a full-time student during 2008 and that I was a dependent, and therefore I have no tax file to be found for 2008.

C'mon, IRS. You want my money. I want to work overseas. Let's be friends here and just give me the form. Please.

Thanks.

Suit Critique

2009-05-29T17:37:00.000-07:00

The suits I bought seem okay. A little tight in some places. Maybe that just means I need to lose a little weight.

I like the gray one pretty good. The pants I bought for the jacket is just a tad darker, but it isn't completely off, I think. Now, I'll admit, I don't wear suits often, but I noticed with the gray jacket that when I shift my arms up, the jacket tends to "scrunch up" and I have to tug the jacket down. Maybe that's normal for some jackets, I don't know. It's not a big deal, I guess. Only a small annoyance.

The blue suit, if you can tell, is a little wrinkly. The tie, too. I was rather lazy about putting the suit up properly, but I figured if I am dry cleaning these suits, then I can worry about the wrinkles a little later. The only real problem with this suit are the pants. I don't remember them being as tight when I was trying them on at the store. It's not exactly unbearable, but not exactly comfortable. Also... my butt fills them out. Completely. And I'm not sure how I feel about that! (Hahah) Part of me wants to think, "Man, my butt looks good in these pants!" And another part of me thinks, "Hm, I don't know if I want to give the wrong impression."

Here are a few more pictures.

For those who are reading, tell me what you think. I'd appreciate feedback.

Images of Kyoto

2009-05-28T09:06:00.001-07:00

Good News!

2009-05-27T19:54:00.000-07:00

I guess first off is to say I've been accepted to teach in Kyoto-shi! Or rather, "Kyoto City!"

I'm kind of in shock. I had no idea I would be placed in such a major and historically important city. I was preparing myself for a small rural town, but this is incredibly great luck, I think, and I can only hope of good things to come. While Kyoto wasn't my top choice (or even any of my choices to begin with), this is still great news and I look forward to teaching there.

From what the e-mail sounded like, I'll be mostly teaching at one high school. I was kind of looking forward to working with elementary and junior high school students, but I'm sure teaching senior high school students will be just as rewarding and fun. At least I hope so. Actually, to be honest, I'm a little worried. I remember when I was in high school and how difficult students could be. But I'm sure things will be a little different in Japan.

I will do my best!

Anyway, it's Kyoto! A major city with lots to do and see. I've been there once before and I remember it being pretty nice. I didn't explore very thoroughly while I was there--I believe I stayed at a youth hostel and visited a shrine and a park. What really makes me happy is since the city is so big, I can find a Japanese language school and continue my studies there. That was a big worry of mine concerning my placement.

Well, besides where I'll be teaching, I found some cheap things at Goodwill. I found two jackets and a pair of pants from there which seem to look pretty good. Afterwards I went to TJ Maxx and picked up a few more suit related things. I spent a little more than I wanted to there. Actually, I'll be returning a pair of pants from there tomorrow, so I'll at least be getting $30 dollars back. Still, I need to find some pants for a jacket, so I guess I'll try looking around again.

So, things are coming together, looks like. Just need to start working on my visa and some other paperwork and I should be set for Japan.

Debating

2009-05-26T11:18:00.000-07:00

Wondering if I should try to go to the FAQ session JET is hosting on June 13th.

On one hand, I don't see it as extremely useful. The questions they plan to address are already thoroughly discussed in the handbook and can be found online. Myargonauts ("Jason") discusses and answers a lot of these questions on several of his videos on YouTube. I also believe these questions will be readdressed again on several occasions, so if I do happen to miss this event, it won't necessarily be a big deal.

On the other hand, this could be a very important meet-and-greet situation where I could mingle with other JETs and build a network of support. But again, this isn't the last time we're all meeting as a group--there's the meeting in July at the Atlanta consulate and then there's Tokyo Orientation.

I guess my main concern about going is the distance. I live about 4 to 5 hours away from the Atlanta consulate, and unfortunately my car isn't in the best condition. I also don't have an extensive wardrobe of nice clothes--I actually had to borrow a suit from a friend of mine for the interview in February. So I guess you could say that makes me a little hesitant about going. I'm also a little worried about spending money on nice things since JET recommends that you save as much money as possible before your departure.

Maybe these all sound like excuses, but I thought I'd explain what's going on through my head.

I might try to come to a final decision tomorrow or Thursday. The deadline to reserve a free hotel room through JET is May 30th. I was thinking I might try to browse through a few thrift stores then and see if I can find anything decent for cheap. I don't know if I'll be that lucky, but it'd be worth a shot at least before I put down a ton of money on a three-piece suit.

Anyway, I'm doing fine, so far otherwise. Please wish me luck on my suit hunt!

It's Getting Close

2009-05-25T15:59:00.001-07:00

I've finally graduated from my university, which turned out to be a rather unepic experience. No long, drawn out good byes. No walking along the stage to pick up my diploma. Just a few brief hugs and shaky promises to keep in touch with those who were involved in my life.

The semester ended well. I somehow thankfully managed to get A's in all my classes--a feat I don't accomplish very often. In fact, I don't think I've ever gotten all A's. But it was an "easy" semester, so I'll attribute it to that. Currently I'm waiting to receive my degree, so I can ship off a copy to Atlanta to prove that I have a bachelor's for the teaching job. It's taking a little longer to get here than I expected. I'm hoping it will arrive soon so I have one less thing to worry about.

Two things from the Japanese consulate arrived a few days ago. The JET handbook and the Japanese study guide. Currently the Japanese study guide book is M.I.A., but I have the handbook beside me. I've been trying to read it on and off. There's a lot of information to take in and it has been difficult not to become overwhelmed by it. I'm sure the orientations and workshops JET has planned will drill everything into my head. In the meantime, I try not to worry too much.

From what I saw, the Japanese study guide was not very complex. Half of the book was written almost entirely in romaji, which surprised me a little considering how important hiragana and katakana are. I guess this was to avoid scaring new ALTs. I think there may have been two or three things I wasn't really familiar with, but the rest was very straightforward and simple. But I should probably look at it more thoroughly and start preparing some Japanese.

I would have to say, the major thing worrying me right now is how housing is going to be handled. And maybe money. In most cases, I'll be replacing an ALT and taking over their apartment, which in turn would save me money. In a worst case scenario, I would be forced into getting a new apartment--meaning I would have to put down a desposit and pay a "key payment," a total that could add up to several thousands of dollars. Most likely, my school would take care of this initially and I would pay them back over a period of time until I was out of debt to them.

I think also having JET recommend bringing $2000 dollars is a little frustrating. I'm not mad or upset at all by this (this is just a recommendation to feel financially comfortable for the first month), but I just can't get that amount of money as a broke college graduate. I'm already indebted to family for supporting me through college. Furthermore, I can't necessarily get a job for the summer since I'll be leaving town at the end of June to go back home and then leaving home at the end of July to go to Japan. So, I'm kind of in a predicament. I've asked a few JET friends on their advice. One said I should do my best to get the $2000 to live worry-free. Another friend said she was only able to gather $700, and although she struggled for a little bit, she managed to do okay until her paycheck arrived.

I think I'm going to just do my best to save what money I have and hope I have luck on my side. If college has taught struggling American students anything, it's that we can survive solely on ramen, peanut butter, and a tall cold glass of tap water.