Okay, I talk about everything under the sun except the JOB I am actually paid for. So here goes.
I am on the JET programme. (Japan Exchange and Teaching) It:s a collaboration between CLAIR and 3 Japanese ministries and brings people from all over the world (41 countries this year) to serve in 3 roles. 1. CIR- Coordinator of International Resources, SEA- Sports Exchange Administrator and ALT- Assistant Language Teacher. I am an ALT.
School is actually on summer vacation. That doesn`t mean I don`t go to work. It just means I actually have nothing to do. I spend my time at the Board of Education (BOE) learning Japanese and reading about lesson planning. I hope to be fluent enough by the time school starts in a week and a half to introduce myself in Japanese to my kids. Finger crossed.
I have the Ichinohe schools. I think this is great for two reasons. Firstly my schools are in town so I can walk. Although the Junior High does seem to be a ways off, the Elementary is jus accross the street from the Library. I guess I can come over here every day after school if I want to. The second perk is that all my kids will be from Ichinohe, so unlike Alex and Dan I get to run into my kids on the road (running at the slowest pace ever) , in the supermarket, at the festivals, etc.
I have one other school that I go to on Mondays, ;pretty much every other week. It sounds like it`s far but I not worried. It`s not often.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Aliens!!!!
When you are in a foreign country you are refered to as an alien. Here in Japan when you are from somewhere else you truly are an alien.
Japan is the most homogoneous society in the world. For those of you who don:t know that means that the people are as much alike as a people can be. Not only do they look alike, but they`re supposed to act alike and everything. So when you are not Japanese you stick out like a sore thumb. Dan, Tyler, Alex and I have been having a ball with out. I suppose Alex and I stick out more. Alex has red hair and I am black. Some people are cool about it. Kids are the most fun though. . Sometimes they just stop and their mouth drops open like `Oh my goodness! Mummy, what is that?` Some mornings when I run on Main Street everybody comes out to watch. Not sure if it`s because I am black or because I am the slowest runner in the world. Tuesday was the best. I ran past a group of high-schoolers and they tried to pretend they didn`t see. This one chick nearly broke her face when she tripped. All her friends died of laughter!!!
It`s cute now I suppose it will get annoying some day.
Japan is the most homogoneous society in the world. For those of you who don:t know that means that the people are as much alike as a people can be. Not only do they look alike, but they`re supposed to act alike and everything. So when you are not Japanese you stick out like a sore thumb. Dan, Tyler, Alex and I have been having a ball with out. I suppose Alex and I stick out more. Alex has red hair and I am black. Some people are cool about it. Kids are the most fun though. . Sometimes they just stop and their mouth drops open like `Oh my goodness! Mummy, what is that?` Some mornings when I run on Main Street everybody comes out to watch. Not sure if it`s because I am black or because I am the slowest runner in the world. Tuesday was the best. I ran past a group of high-schoolers and they tried to pretend they didn`t see. This one chick nearly broke her face when she tripped. All her friends died of laughter!!!
It`s cute now I suppose it will get annoying some day.
The world`s slowest runner
Drumroll please, and the title of the world`s slowest runner goes to... me!!!
I mean I really suck!!! Today I went up the mountain. It was of course a complete accident. I mean I live near the foot of a mountain, so it`s har d to do anything without a little incline but today I really WENT UP THE MOUNTAIN. To the part where the road actually starts to wind around and on one side all you have is trees and the next side tress in gully. Never again. I ran a new route. Actually since I have been here I haven`t run the same route twice. When I reached my office I was supposed to turn left in an effort to go to the fire station which is on the edge of town, but a silly little voice said keep straight and I did, past the back of the BOE and up the mountain. I know there should be at least two roads on the left to bring me back down, one will come out by ESSO and one by the train station, but I just couldn`t figure which road to pick so I stayed on the main and ran out of choices and ended up on the mountain. It occurred to me, looking over to my right that I would never find a road coming down through hthat gully so eventually I turned around.
I will go back out there and challenge the mountain again--- in May. Because I am not going to be ready for it before November, and nobody, not even Elvis Presley culd convince me to go up a mountain in the winter. And since Iwate winter is more forever than diamonds, I won`t risk it til May. Hold me to it peoples, Mountain in May. I may run back over that way though. The last left before the mountain is a sports centre and I would like to go over there and check it out.
Still I suppose the mountain was a good thing. I heard the town song from up there and it felt like a scene from Narnia, like the trees were singing. There was nothing up there other than a random shanty (Jah ras all over the world- lol) but people do live at the top of it. Rumour has it there`s an old lady who lives up there that comes down in the winter to live in the currently uninhabited house next door. Plus, I got in a 40 minute run, whoich would probably have taken 20 for normal people. This iis good because I didn:t run yesterday or day before and sinc e I`ll be going with Janine to Golden Temple tomorrow, running would mean being up at like 5. I have to meet here at the Library at 7 and it`s a 20 minute walk... But I plan to run every day next week because I know I will miss Friday and Saturday since I will be in Morioka and then hopefully at the Akita Fireworks festival.
Random note about fireworks. It amazes me the things you can do and not do in Japan. I don:t have my Alien Registration card yet so I can`t buy a cell phone. However, kids can go and set off fireworks every night in the pasture behind Gaijin (Foreigner) Row- the nickname for my street. Oh the irony!
I mean I really suck!!! Today I went up the mountain. It was of course a complete accident. I mean I live near the foot of a mountain, so it`s har d to do anything without a little incline but today I really WENT UP THE MOUNTAIN. To the part where the road actually starts to wind around and on one side all you have is trees and the next side tress in gully. Never again. I ran a new route. Actually since I have been here I haven`t run the same route twice. When I reached my office I was supposed to turn left in an effort to go to the fire station which is on the edge of town, but a silly little voice said keep straight and I did, past the back of the BOE and up the mountain. I know there should be at least two roads on the left to bring me back down, one will come out by ESSO and one by the train station, but I just couldn`t figure which road to pick so I stayed on the main and ran out of choices and ended up on the mountain. It occurred to me, looking over to my right that I would never find a road coming down through hthat gully so eventually I turned around.
I will go back out there and challenge the mountain again--- in May. Because I am not going to be ready for it before November, and nobody, not even Elvis Presley culd convince me to go up a mountain in the winter. And since Iwate winter is more forever than diamonds, I won`t risk it til May. Hold me to it peoples, Mountain in May. I may run back over that way though. The last left before the mountain is a sports centre and I would like to go over there and check it out.
Still I suppose the mountain was a good thing. I heard the town song from up there and it felt like a scene from Narnia, like the trees were singing. There was nothing up there other than a random shanty (Jah ras all over the world- lol) but people do live at the top of it. Rumour has it there`s an old lady who lives up there that comes down in the winter to live in the currently uninhabited house next door. Plus, I got in a 40 minute run, whoich would probably have taken 20 for normal people. This iis good because I didn:t run yesterday or day before and sinc e I`ll be going with Janine to Golden Temple tomorrow, running would mean being up at like 5. I have to meet here at the Library at 7 and it`s a 20 minute walk... But I plan to run every day next week because I know I will miss Friday and Saturday since I will be in Morioka and then hopefully at the Akita Fireworks festival.
Random note about fireworks. It amazes me the things you can do and not do in Japan. I don:t have my Alien Registration card yet so I can`t buy a cell phone. However, kids can go and set off fireworks every night in the pasture behind Gaijin (Foreigner) Row- the nickname for my street. Oh the irony!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Rain, sweet rain
The rain has been pouring all day long, whis is excellent. It was actually pretty hot yesterday. I decided to walk through the rain to come to the librarym where I am using the internet and will shortly borrow another children`s book to practice reading since I am the most retarded Japanese reader. Then I will go over to the supermarket and by some oil. Cooking oil is my staple. None of the three of us new ALTs can figure out the grill or how to use the microwave as an oven so oil is really useful. So far I have managed to eat only one particularly weird thing. I:ll let you know what it was as soon as I find out.
On Saturday, Janine and I, another ALT from a neighbouring town will be going to the golden temple with a co-worker of hers. I have no idea where the golden temple is or any of its history, but I am excited. For one, I:ll be getting out of Ichinohe. There isnt much to do here. It doesn:t bother me yet, but it will eventually.
I signed up for a language course with the people who run this programme. I decided to take Hughar`s advice and not even bother with the beginner`s course and apply for intermediate. Dan found the beginner`s course in his house so I am looking through it. Not very thoroughly. I need to get back to my JLPT study. Plus, I want to be able to speak enough Japanese to introduce myself to my kids in Japanese. That gives em less than two weeks! Gambatte! (Good Luck!)
In case you wonder about the completely random punctuation, I can:t figure out how to get an apostrrophe on the library computer.
On Saturday, Janine and I, another ALT from a neighbouring town will be going to the golden temple with a co-worker of hers. I have no idea where the golden temple is or any of its history, but I am excited. For one, I:ll be getting out of Ichinohe. There isnt much to do here. It doesn:t bother me yet, but it will eventually.
I signed up for a language course with the people who run this programme. I decided to take Hughar`s advice and not even bother with the beginner`s course and apply for intermediate. Dan found the beginner`s course in his house so I am looking through it. Not very thoroughly. I need to get back to my JLPT study. Plus, I want to be able to speak enough Japanese to introduce myself to my kids in Japanese. That gives em less than two weeks! Gambatte! (Good Luck!)
In case you wonder about the completely random punctuation, I can:t figure out how to get an apostrrophe on the library computer.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Service in Japan
The service in Japan is something else. When we were in the hotel we were constantly impressed. I had a sore throat and I went to the CLAIR office and asked for a lozenge but all their lozenges had medicine in them so they told me to ask the hotel staff. The lady we asked took us down to the 2nd floor to the Convienience store and picked out the lozenges for us. And then picked out chap stick for another girl.
Then when we came to Ichinohe and the gas station attendant actually went out into the road to stop traffic for my supervisor to get out. Not that there was any traffic anyhow.
Ridiculous!
Then when we came to Ichinohe and the gas station attendant actually went out into the road to stop traffic for my supervisor to get out. Not that there was any traffic anyhow.
Ridiculous!
Okawabachi
That's the name of my district. It's really small. I originally thought there was only one blinking street light, but I have so far uncovered 3 on the main road. I've taken to running each morning and moreso than excerise it's become a way for me to meet the people in the neighbourhood. It's so funny how they react. Today I almost kill a teenager. Most people I meet just say "Ohayoo gozaimasu." Good morning. Sometimes people like to pretend they don't see me and look up in the sky. So this group of teenagers was walking by, pretending not to see me and this gurl is looking up in the sky and tripped over a rock. It was funny as hell. Took all my willpower not to laugh at the poor thing but her friends sisn't hold back at all.
My district is pretty small. There's a minimart on my corner which we never succed in buying anything from, because we can never find the person who works there even though the store is open! We live about 20 minutes walk from a shopping complex with a home store, stationery, flower shop, grocery store etc. It's not that far but you have to plan your shopping really well, because you've got to walk 20 minutes with it, so I never take more than I can put in my backpack. The library is on the same compound. I have so far borrowed two books, children's books in Japanese. My Japanese is coming along slowly. The library is cool, because you canalso borrow tapes and DVD's. Promise to try the DVD's and see if any have English voice or subtitles. You can also use internet there.
There's a train station to go out to Ninohe, the neighbouring city/town. I haven't gone up there yet, although the other two ALT's have. We have Obon from tomorrow. Three days off for summer. So maybe we'll go out there or out to Hachinohe, which is an even biggeer city. Next week is two-day Morioka Orientation, so we get to go back to the capital. The BOE is only sending us down the same day and bringin us back up the same night so we only have the first night to run around Morioka. Oh well. Free trip from nowhere land.
Actually I don't mind nowhere land too much. Living sooo far from the grocery store means I don't overspend on groceries and having not much distractions means I have lots of time to study Japanese. My Japanese really sucks!!!! But not for long!!!
My district is pretty small. There's a minimart on my corner which we never succed in buying anything from, because we can never find the person who works there even though the store is open! We live about 20 minutes walk from a shopping complex with a home store, stationery, flower shop, grocery store etc. It's not that far but you have to plan your shopping really well, because you've got to walk 20 minutes with it, so I never take more than I can put in my backpack. The library is on the same compound. I have so far borrowed two books, children's books in Japanese. My Japanese is coming along slowly. The library is cool, because you canalso borrow tapes and DVD's. Promise to try the DVD's and see if any have English voice or subtitles. You can also use internet there.
There's a train station to go out to Ninohe, the neighbouring city/town. I haven't gone up there yet, although the other two ALT's have. We have Obon from tomorrow. Three days off for summer. So maybe we'll go out there or out to Hachinohe, which is an even biggeer city. Next week is two-day Morioka Orientation, so we get to go back to the capital. The BOE is only sending us down the same day and bringin us back up the same night so we only have the first night to run around Morioka. Oh well. Free trip from nowhere land.
Actually I don't mind nowhere land too much. Living sooo far from the grocery store means I don't overspend on groceries and having not much distractions means I have lots of time to study Japanese. My Japanese really sucks!!!! But not for long!!!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Ichinohe!!!
So I have finally reached Ichinohe. I got here yesterday. Takes about an hour and a half from Morioka. I am going to be down there every other weekend. Morioka is the capital of my prefecture Ichinohe. We got there by Shinkansen (bullet train) on Wednesday. I have a post to put up about that but it's on my laptop and I'm on the office computer, so I can't get it up until Monday the earliest. Last night, Alex and Dan, my two JET neighbours took me to the "mall" . There's a library over there and a grocery store, home goods, fruits, etc. I picked up some groceries and went home. Watched some Japanese tv (lol-very useful), cooked spaghetti and some horrible Osaka sausage that I am really beginning to think is made of some strange meat other than cow. I started to unpack and then I went to bed.
We left for work this morning at like 8.10 . It's only about 10 minutes walk. We have nothing to do today so I'm practicing my writing Japanese and making lesson plans. We're going to go home for lunch. Maybe I'll bring my laptop up after lunch and work from that.
We left for work this morning at like 8.10 . It's only about 10 minutes walk. We have nothing to do today so I'm practicing my writing Japanese and making lesson plans. We're going to go home for lunch. Maybe I'll bring my laptop up after lunch and work from that.