Me vs. Japan

Emoji

2010-07-07T12:03:00.000+09:00

Everyone knows about emoticons that are available on any messenger program, mobile phone, or social network. However, the level of expressing yourself with icons is taken to a whole new level in Japan. A level in which I liberally indulge in.

This is a trend I didn't really get into until about 6 months after moving to Japan. I had a cellphone and used the basic icons when I felt I wanted to express myself more. However, one of the ALTs here introduced me to "pictograms" which are tiny pictures that you can use in addition to the basic icons that come with your phone. Unfortunately, I am a sucker for super cute things and even more so if they come in mini size.

Long story short, I have downloaded about 500-600 of these little icons and use them often on a daily basis. It's a bit of an addiction for me. I like to find the perfect icons that will accompany my messages and really show my friends how angry, hungry, or pretty I am feeling. Plus, it's really helpful if any of the few students who have my number sends me a message in English.

When I leave Japan, this is most definitely be one culture that I will miss the most. American phones just don't express themselves like Japanese phones do.

One more year

2010-05-21T09:12:00.002+09:00

A comment on my blog reminded me that I never updated if I was going to stay on JET for another year or not.

In October, all the JETs are given recontracting forms and information. You have you make a final decision by mid-February if you plan on staying, switching placements, or leaving. It was a really tough decision for me but I have decided to stay another year.

I can't really say that teaching has been that exciting for me. However, I did learn that I can be a pretty good teacher but it's not the path I want to take in life. That aside, I love my students and I like seeing them and talking to them. Some days they give me enough energy to touch the sky and other days they make me feel like I should dig a hole and bury them alive.

I miss my family, my friends, and my boyfriend. I think about them daily and I cannot believe it's been nearly a year since I've seen them. Deciding to stay another year was a tough decision, but I checked the "yes" box for three reasons.

1. The money. The U.S. economy STILL sucks. It's hard to get a job and to make money to live on. I have student loans to pay and car payments. JET provides me with a great salary that supports my hobbies and allows me to save money. I have been saving and I think at the end of my second year, I should have saved enough to pay off a good amount of my loans.

2. The traveling. Japan's location is so perfect for traveling to all the countries I want to visit. One year was not enough time for me to fit in all my trips.

3. One year is not enough time. I feel like I'm just getting the hang of life in Japan. How to communicate, how to get around, and finding all the places I like to eat at and shop at. I can't just leave now. It would be a waste of all that culture shock!

Since I am recontracting, I am going home for almost three weeks, this July, to get my fill of family, friends, and boyfriend lovin'.

Worst blogger in the history of ever

2010-04-28T12:24:00.002+09:00

I think the title says it all.

Japanese hanami (sakura viewing) season is the immediate signal that winter has come to an end. The sakura flowers will suddenly bloom out of no where!

Viewing cherry blossoms in bloom and smelling the sweet, unique scent that thousands of flowers are giving off is intoxicating...or it could be the alcohol. Either way, hanami season was wonderful. It was definitely one of those "I need to remember this" memory.

Usually, in early April, all the cherry blossom trees start to bud and bloom. A couple of weeks later, everyone is rushing to the park with family and friends, booze and alcohol, and big sheets of tarp to sit on.

Of course, the foreigners (i.e., me and company) are the loudest and most noticeable group at the park. Random Japanese people would walk by and snap photos of people singing and dancing. Several brave Japanese souls even decided to join in in the debauchery.

Celebrating hanami with friends is really great fun but I think that everyone should also experience hanami alone. I took a walk down the river, near my apartment, where cherry blossom trees lined the side. The colors and the scenery was really amazing. It felt very refine, very serene, and very Japanese.

It's all gone now. The trees are bare and the smell has been blown away. I can't even find where the fallen petals have landed. It's true - they come as fast as they go.

Nappy

2010-03-02T14:40:00.002+09:00

Today I found out that the nap room in my base school is actually used by all the men. Crap.

I had no class today and I had a huge urge to play my Nintendo DS. So, I snuck out and went to the nap room to play my DS. About 5 minutes later a male teacher comes in and when he finally notices me sitting in the corner, he is confused. He's like, "What are you doing?"

I can't really say, "Playing Animal Crossing on my DS," so I exaggerated a minor tummy ache into a full blown one. Well, now he thinks that I'm resting because my stomach is killing me and giving me a headache. He excuses himself and goes and tells my supervisor who comes in to check on me. He also informs me that the room is used only by male teachers. GREAT!

They also called the nurse, who took me down to the nurse room and gave me a hot pack for my tummy and let me lay on the empty beds. She tucked me in and I took an hour nap and then went back to work.

What a shocking day! I mean, where am I going to sneak in naps now?

Long time

2010-01-27T14:43:00.001+09:00

The laziness is setting in. I sit at work with nothing to do for hours and I still don't want to update. I will try harder.

I'm not even going to try to write a detailed post about everything I've done.

Winter trip to Thailand - 14 days
I went to Bangkok, Koh Tao, and Koh Phangan. I love Thailand. The people and the law are a bit dodgy but the shopping and the food is right up my alley - the entire country is like a dollar store.

Laying on the beach was wonderful and WARM, which was a big change from Japan. I got tired of Thailand after a week and a half because I wasn't doing anything exciting and I was irritated with constantly worrying about being scammed and getting pick pocketed. Also, I like laying on the beach but I get dark so fast, I don't need to be doing it for 6 hours a day. I must say though, Thailand is home to some of the most gorgeous beaches. Riding in a taxi boat and seeing the blue ocean brushing up against sugary sand was just breath-taking.

On Koh Phangan, we went to the original and biggest Full Moon New Year's Party. It's a huge beach party with endless buckets and about 50,000 people from all around the world. It was crazy!!! I heard someone got stabbed and some people died. Well, I say if you walked out into the ocean, while intoxicated, to take a leak and got dragged away by the waves, then you should have thought about it a little harder.

Quirks - Japanese women and their embarrassment with the sound of their pee.
I went to use the restroom today and I am wearing heels so you can hear the 'click, click' noise when I am walking. The teacher in the stall next to the one I got in heard me and she started to flush the toilet and played with the toilet paper holder - making all sorts of ridiculous noise. I just can't believe it's that embarrassing. I'm starting to feel a little pee-shy.

Winter trip

2009-12-21T11:51:00.002+09:00

I have given up trying to recap everything that has happened since I last updated. If you're interested - which you're probably not - then you can ask me.

I am going to Osaka in 2 days and Thailand in 3 days. I cannot wait to sip on a Bangkok Cooler while I get my tan on at the beach! I really want to check out all the sites especially the floating boat market. I'm trying something new this trip. I'm going for 2 weeks and I'm only packing a medium size backpack. I don't know how to pack lightly. Like the Japanese would say, "Ganbaru!" (I will try my best!)

There is drama in the Land of the Rising Sun. Also, The 3-4 feet of constantly falling snow, since Friday, isn't fun either. I was stuck in my apartment because all the snow from the streets got plowed to the sidewalk. Good thing I keep a surplus of food. It's still snowing by the way. Glad I am leaving in less than 48 hours!

Insight on Japanese people from a student

2009-11-25T13:35:00.003+09:00

Mostly unedited:

"There are many clean people in Japan. They can't touch the things that have been touched by someone. If you go to their house, you must pay attention carefully not to annoy them. If you want to go to the bathroom, they won't allow you to use it. Their bathroom can be used by only them."

Chopsticks

2009-11-25T11:32:00.000+09:00

Never in my ENTIRE life have I had my chopsticks abilities be commented on as much as in Japan.

I grew up using chopsticks and somehow the Japanese think that they are the only Asian people that uses two sticks. I went to a ramen restaurant with a friend some time ago and the ramen cooker commented on how I looked very Japanese. When he found out I was from America and is Vietnamese he commented on how well I could use my chopsticks since I wasn't Japanese.

FYI, I can dance circles around you with my chopsticks abilities!

Kerosene

2009-11-18T13:40:00.001+09:00

They've brought out the kerosene heaters for the teacher's room and the hallways. You can't really smell it until you leave the room and come back in. That's when you get a face full. Whatever, at least it's preventing me from becoming a popsicle.

Quickie

2009-11-13T09:10:00.002+09:00

Where did the effing time go!? How is it already November 13? I guess a year won't be so hard.

There is a Brazilian restaurant in Takaoka. Hilda took me there as a birthday present and I enjoyed a hamburger. It was awesome. I'm going to describe and it'll probably going to sound strange and not like a hamburger, but just take my word for it, it was delicious. A big meat patty (YES!), slice of ham, two big strips of bacon, a fried egg, lettuce, and tomato. Without the egg, it would have been your typical blood clotting burger, but I enjoyed the egg. It was only 700 yen! That is so cheap! Attached to the restaurant is a Brazilian store and they sell steaks - like, American size and thickness steaks - for about 1000 yen. That is AMAZING! I will definitely be getting some meat from there.

The weather is getting cold and my nose won't stop running. I have a real fear of looking sick in front of Japanese people. The influenza scare is high here and I don't want to scare anyone away with a cough or wiping my nose too much.

In other news, I've booked my plane ticket to Thailand a couple of days ago! WOOT! Going to escape the cold of Japan and travel to tropical Thailand, where the weather in December is around 80-90 degrees. I'll be Osaka on December 23 and then Thailand on the 24th until January 6. It took a really long time to find a good deal. At first, I was told that going to Thailand is 'dirt cheap'...uh, this is not true. We started looking for tickets at the beginning of November and every travel agent and website would give us a range of 75,000-100,000+ yen (~$750-1100) per person. Korean air even gave us the ridiculous price of 250,000 yen (~$2,500) each! Finally, I remembered that National AJET had sent an email about traveling with STA and how low the prices were. I checked it out and it turns out to be the best price. I am paying 55,500 yen for my ticket to Thailand for 13 days. Not bad compared to the other prices. Anyways, I am so EFFING excited.

Packing heat

2009-11-05T21:31:00.002+09:00

Indeed, I am packing the heat.

As the weather in Toyama starts to drop dramatically, I start bringing out my weapons of warmth, one at a time.

First , out came the floor throw rug.
Second, I set up my kotatsu - a table that heats!
Third, brought out the big gun blankets.
The space and kerosene heaters are coming out next.

Too bad, I can't put out too many tricks at school. I feel like frozen meat when I am sitting in the teacher's room. The only tool I have is a lap blanket. Ooooooooooooh!

P.S. Some students (~15) had swine flu "symptoms," so two classes are canceled for a week. I am getting pressured to wear the mask, but I refuse! It's pointless and looks weird.

Speech Contest

2009-11-05T21:27:00.002+09:00

Oh god! It's finally over! For the last month, I've been staying late at work nearly every day (and some weekends) to practice with my student for the annual speech contest in Toyama. There were four first graders in the research group and two second graders in the recitation group.

The contest was on Oct. 31. The research group gave the cutest presentation about Disney and won second place - which was awesome because first place was Minami High School that cranks up English education to the max! My recitation girls did the Hillary Clinton speech on women's right. They didn't place because there were so many contestants and a lot of them were really good, especially the high school (see above) that feeds their kids English crack.

My JTE treated everyone to a "viking" dinner after the contest. Viking dinners is a buffet. The restaurant we went to had such a creative name, it was called "The Buffet." I mean, wow. I had 5 trays of food and 2 trays of dessert. I was a full girl. For eight people, it was about 20,000 yen (~$200+). Pricey, but it is Japan.

Oh yeah, Oct. 31 was a Saturday and since I went, I got daikyuu, which means I can substitute a day of work for working that Saturday.

Exploring Toyama for free and Halloween party

2009-10-28T14:29:00.004+09:00

My birthday was on October 24 which was the day of the JAST event and the Halloween party.

In the morning, I headed to Toyama to meet up with everyone going on the JAST (don't know what it stands for) adventure around Toyama - for free! We rode off in chartered buses at 9 a.m.

First stop, the YKK company. Who doesn't know YKK? If you don't, look at any of your zippers, they most likely say "YKK" on them. Yup, we went to the zipper company. I wish we got to see the factory but we just walked around and looked at displays. We had an hour to kill and we were finished looking around about 20 minutes in. The gaijins (foreigners) decided to get some free coffee and sit outside until it was time to go.

Next stop, Unazuki town in Kurobe. We went to Otani Hotel to enjoy our traditional Japanese lunch. It was interesting and there was free beer. Too bad, I don't drink beer. They gave us about an hour and a half to explore the area. A group of us walked around and took in the sites and got some ice cream.

Last stop, Asahi to make wind chimes. This was so freakin' fun! I wish I had more time because I felt rush to finish my wind chime, so I kind of just half-arsed it. The wind chime instructor had blown a bunch of glass bowls for us to paint on and we kind of just did whatever and then headed back to Toyama.

Some of the girls headed to Alex's house to get ready for the Halloween party. When we arrived we ordered two pizzas and ate almost all of it in 10 minutes! We got ready and around 8 p.m. we left to hop on the train to Uozu (480 yen from Toyama). Everyone was staring at us and we felt a little uncomfortable until we ran into a bunch of other gaijins who were dressed up, too! The best costume ever is Ryan's HOMEMADE costume of the prince of the game Katamari (picture to right).

It was 4000 yen to get into the club/bar thing for the Halloween party. It was all your can drink, so that was worth it but jeez, 4000 yen is so much! I had fun and went back to Alex's to sleep at 2.

The next day, my group of good friends and I went out to dinner for my birthday. We ate some awesome yakitori (grilled chicken) and other items. Even though their attempt to be sneaky was horrible, I still really appreciated it. I had a blast, especially sitting on the steps of the station afterwards and just laughing our butts off!

Japanese people and their idiocrasies

2009-10-28T14:15:00.002+09:00

1) It's not okay to eat/drink while you are walking down the street; but, it's okay to chew with your mouth open and make ridiculously loud and annoying sounds.

2) Japanese people are not efficient; in fact, they are slow! It takes them twice as long to do anything because they have to do it the said way and not skip any steps, even if it is unnecessary. For example, my visiting school supervisor who refuses to go with my initial idea and after a 1.5 hour discussion, she decides to go with it. How about the fact that it doesn't matter if students do well on exams, do their homework, or even attend class, as long as they pass their entrance exams for high school and college, they're golden.

3) Big eyes and being skinny is important but horrible teeth and cankles are not.

4) Pronouncing rape with an 'l' and lady with an 'r' or pronouncing vulnerable with a 'b' and burnable with a 'v' - get it together.

Happy swine day!

2009-10-19T10:33:00.002+09:00

The physics teacher who sits across me has swine flu symptoms and did not come to school. Also, the junior high school in the neighborhood has several cases of swine flu. The white surgery masks are starting to appear in my staff room.

In other news, no news.

AJET Halloween party this weekend.....and my golden birthday! I've been looking forward to this birthday for 4 years - since figuring out that I would turn 24 on the 24th in 2009. Yet, I am not celebrating with my family, boyfriend, and favorite people. Every time I think about it, it makes me a little sad. I hope it will still be enjoyable with all my new friends.

Parking ticket - Part 2

2009-10-14T08:49:00.000+09:00

That parking ticket I got for my bike last week was really, seriously a warning!

Yesterday, David's care package (with some of Hannah's stuff) arrived at school today! I got my Korean ramen, hot sauce, and various other things. Biggest surprise? Diamond earrings from David for my birthday! WHOOOOOOOOO! So freaking classy!

At the end of the day, I left school carrying my large box, only to find my bike chained up with 8 other student's bikes who have parked their bikes against the rules. I was laughing because it felt like I received a 'boot' on my bike. I didn't even think to snap a few pictures.

I had the office lady call my supervisor downstairs and he had to run around looking for the teacher who chained up my bike to get the key for the lock. He says everything is figured out now....I guess we'll see. My driving record in Japan is not looking so good!

Typhoon Melor

2009-10-08T06:12:00.013+09:00

Japan will be experiencing the biggest typhoon to hit the country in nearly 10 years. And of course, I get the honor of being here and being "asked" to be present at school - even though classes are canceled.

More information

Update 1, 8:05 a.m.: Walked to the station until my umbrella became annihilated. I ran back to my apartment and grabbed my bike because if I'm going to go without an umbrella, I might as well get there as soon as I can and get out of the elements. On my bike, I almost flipped several times on the slippery pavement and had to make it through the new obstacle course created by the typhoon. I got to the station and was told the electricity was out so the trains would not be running. I called a teacher from my visiting school and ask him what I should do and he told me to call the school around 8. I called my supervisor at my base school and he told me to go home and he would ask the base school vice-principal what I should do and he would call my visiting school and talk with them. Now I am at home waiting.

Update 2, 8:40 a.m.: I called my visiting school and talked to one of the English staff. He said I didn't have to come in today because classes were canceled for the students. I called my base school supervisor and he was like, "OK, we just won't talk about the paid leave! See you tomorrow!" WHOOOOOOOO!!

Update 3, 2:22 p.m.: I just woke up after falling asleep watching Shrek 2. My friend posted a video of his bike commute during the typhoon, if it's public, you can see the craziness here.

Parking ticket

2009-10-07T08:45:00.000+09:00

Yesterday, I got a parking ticket.....for my bike!

Apparently, you need a special sticker to park your bike in the lots designated for first, second, and third graders. I told my supervisor and he is going to ask if I need to park in a special place.

Oh and this ticket...it was really a warning. I didn't have to pay anything. However, they sure did tape that sucker on good!

wah wah wah

2009-10-05T12:04:00.002+09:00

I am feeling homesick.

I am in the foulest mood I've been in ever since I arrived in Japan. I am feeling sick, tired, and angry with people. And yet, I still have to put on a smile and teach.

There's always alcohol and ice cream.

Ready! Seto! Go! Tokyo!!

2009-09-29T15:18:00.016+09:00

I am falling into the lazy blogger phase now. Or maybe it’s the “I have so much to talk about I just don’t know where to start” phase.

We had September 21-23 off for Silver Week. When you combine it with the weekend, all the ALTs get 5 days off of work. Another ALT, named Denise, and I decided to go to Tokyo for 4 days and 3 nights of fun.

Night bus

The cheapest way to get to Tokyo, for us lacking cars, is by night bus - around trip for one person is 13,700 yen. We boarded a bus from Takaoka Station on Friday the 18th at 10:30 p.m. and arrived in Ikebukuro, Tokyo at 5:30 a.m.

Day 1 – September 19 – Toyama to Ikebukuro to Shinjuku & Shibuya

Getting off the bus, I spotted someone blonde. Actually, I spotted someone I think I know. It turned out to be another ALT from Toyama, Kim. We were on the same bus and didn’t even know. With the addition of Kim, we head to the Ikebukuro Station and got some Suica cards – which are refillable cards that you can use to pay for the trains and vending machines in Tokyo, Kyoto, Kobe, or Osaka.

We dragged ourselves on the train and headed for Shinjuku, where our hotel was located. But let’s remember it’s maybe 6 a.m. right now, there is no checking in at this time. We look for our hotel and leave our bags with the front office until we check in time at noon. Then we had a delicious breakfast at the gyudon (bowl of meat over rice) vending machine restaurant. That means, you put money in the machines, buy the meal you want and get a ticket. The worker will come over, take your ticket and bring your food. It was 290 yen for a pork gyudon and miso soup. So cheap!

Then we walked around the Shinjuku area and checked out all the stores that were still not open. We hung out at the book store for an hour or so and parted with Kim there. Finally it was time to check in and pay our hotel bill – 27,780 yen, pretty cheap for 3 nights and being in Shinjuku.

The rest of the day was filled with shopping and eating in Shinjuku and Shibuya (huge freakin' mall called Shibuya 109). I know, it’s a tough life. Oh by the way, people in Tokyo walk a lot and ridiculously fast. I call it the "Tokyo Hustle."

Day 2 – September 20 – Harajuku & Roppongi

We decided to have gyudon for breakfast again. It’s really quite delicious and who can resist cheap? Afterwards, we got on the train and headed to Harajuku.

We visited the Meiji Temple, a huge tourist attraction. It’s just a huge park with a shrine in the middle. I think there is a wedding held at the shrine every day! It was a really fun time, especially when Denise said, “OMG! I saw old man penis!” Bathrooms aren’t so private, if you can see the urinal, you can see the other stuff.

Time for shopping! Maybe you’ve heard of Gwen Stafani’s song, Harajuku Girl? It’s true! The style and fashion is really unique in Harajuku throughout the world and Japan! We went down this shopping street/district and oh my goodness! There are so many people and stores; I think I need 2 full days to go through it all. We tried our best and got a bunch of goodies! We even took purikura at the arcade which was PACKED with girls!

Side note: What is the deal with Idol Shops? It’s a store that is filled from top to bottom with pictures of Japanese pop stars and a corresponding number. All the girls crowd in and write the number down on a piece of paper and gives it to a lady who gives you the pictures and takes 150 yen per picture. I do not like fighting for my life against idol obsessed Japanese girls.

OK feet are hurting. We walked to Yoyogi Park, hung out, and watched a drunk Japanese man dance like a lunatic. Then we headed home and rested.

Around 11, we headed to Roppongi, second party central after Shibuya. We had dinner at Mos Burger and then headed to club ALife. It cost only 1,500 yen to get in which is really cheap because you also get 2 free drinks. Let’s just say, the whole night was filled with Japanese men trying to hit on us and then a crazy Canadian man being a creeper. The trains stop running at midnight, so we didn’t get home until 6 a.m. the next morning. We crashed pretty hard.

Day 3 – Shiodome & Odaiba, Kubukicho

It’s now noon and we’re just stirring. I’m so tired I just want to keep sleeping. But I am not sleeping in Tokyo more than I need to. We got up and SLOWLY got ready. It was probably 2 or so when we finally left our room. We had an awesome lunch at a Chinese restaurant with amazing gyozas (dumpling). I felt like it was a hang over meal but we didn’t even get drunk!

We visited Shiodome to see the Japanese television building. A lot of popular Japanese shows are produced and filmed there.

The rest of the day was spent on the man-made island of Japan, Odaiba. We met Denise’s friend and went to see the Fuji TV (admission-500 yen), Rainbow Bridge, Aqua City shopping mall, had some had some tex mex. Afterwards, we checked out Tokyo Tower (admission-820 yen), the tallest structure in Tokyo. You can see a 360 view of Tokyo from the observatory. Then we went home, packed our things for departure, and then I crashed and didn’t even know it.

Day 4 – Ueno

Check out of the hotel and left our bags with the front desk again. We ate at a place called First Kitchen, which was not good! NOT GOOD! I ate all my food because I was hungry and didn’t want to waste food but I will never go there again.

Then we headed to Ueno to check out the Imperial Palace. It was ok. We were only able to see the moat, the outer gates, and the bridge leading to the Imperial Palace which was blocked off so we couldn’t go any further.

At least it was free.

Ueno Zoo was next! For only 600 yen, you get to spend several hours looking at all the animals and check out Japanese people! I think we spent about 2 or so hours in the zoo. It was tiring! So I rewarded myself with some takoyaki (octopus balls, 500 yen) from the street vendor and Denise got sweet potato soft-served ice cream. I burned my mouth, which just proves that I am a glutton.

From there, we hung out in Ueno, met up with Denise’s other friend and walked around and took purikura again. Finally, headed back to Shinjuku, grabbed our bags and made the tiring journey back home. It sucks to have heavy bags and no elevator or escalators. We left Tokyo at 10:50 p.m. and got to Takaoka at 5:50 a.m. I slept better this time around.

50 days of TP

2009-09-16T21:24:00.003+09:00

Let it be stated that when I moved into my Japanese apartment, on July 29, there was already a roll of toilet paper in the bathroom.

Officially today, September 16, exactly 50 days after, that same roll of toilet ran out.

FINA-FREAKIN-LLY!!! It was like the never ending toilet paper. Now I have pretty tulip-print toilet paper.

Cilantro

2009-09-13T18:06:00.002+09:00

I received some home-grown peppers from an Iranian who owns the most amazing kebab stand in Takaoka. I decided I wanted to make hot sauce with the peppers. I needed a few ingredients, including cilantro.

In the states, I would walk in the grocery store and there would be loads and loads of cilantro for me to pick from for no more than $1. Not only that, but I could walk into ANY store and find cilantro readily available.

Maybe it's an uncommon item for the cooking here, but there is no cilantro insight at my grocery store. What in the world!? I've never had to shop around and search for a mere herb like cilantro.

It's madness.

Path of dead things

2009-09-06T16:40:00.004+09:00

I taught my first classes this past week. I've taught 2 class at Daimon (base school) and 3 classes at Hokubu (Thursday visiting school). The students are nice and shy, exactly like I've been told. But I have a class of 12 third grade girls for a comprehensive English class at Daimon and I love them. They're so fun and excited and willing to talk! I like it a lot!

Hokubu High School

Not too many interesting things have happened, I've just been teaching my self-introduction to all the kids. However, there is a third grade girl at my visiting school and I think she's crazy. First, she stops me in the hallway and says, "Hey! You're pretty." I would tell her thank you and smile. She also changes her clothes in class while all her classmates are there - both boys and girls. She's in my last class on Thursday and I really think she has a stalker personality. I have to watch out for her.

I went shopping this weekend! So much fun! I love the fashion in Japan. I hate the size. There are girls who are triple zeros here or even smaller. I didn't think it was possible but it sure is.

Ladies at the Kanazawa Station

There was a huge thunder/rain/hail storm when school ended on Friday so I had to hang out for an extra hour or so and wait for it to pass before I could bike home. On my way home, I found a dead snake laying belly up along the curbside. When I got home, I found a trail of dead bugs and everything leading up to stairs to my floor. It was a really positive journey home!

Awards/Welcoming/Opening ceremony

2009-09-01T11:09:00.009+09:00

The second school term started for all schools across Japan today.

I. Hate. Japanese. Ceremonies.

All you do is sit and listen. The only thing exciting about today was I also had to make a speech to the entire school.

First, everyone gathers in the auditorium. Students sit on the ground in rows, according to grade and gender. The teachers are scattered around on the side and against the wall. Then the ceremony begins and all the students have to stand up and everyone bows.

Awards
The Kocho-sensei (principal) got up on the stage and did a bowing sequence and then went to the podium. Made his speech about students winning awards, handed out the awards, and then got off the stage.

Welcoming
I was escorted to the front of the auditorium and then followed the cue to go up the stage and sit in my chair. Then the teacher, playing MC, would invite the principle back up to the stage to introduce me.

I smiled and looked around like I knew what was going on. I didn’t realize how long his speech about me was going to be. So I smiled some more and then I got tired and just stared at him. Finally he finished and we did a bow. MC-sensei asked me to speak next.

“Good morning, everyone. My name is Torry Ha, please call me Torry. I am the new ‘Silvia’. I am very excited to be teaching at Daimon High School. I hope that you will all study English harder with me. Please help me enjoy Japan and feel free to speak to me anytime, anywhere. Thank you for having me.”

Then I cleared my throat.

“Mina-san, ohayo gazaimasu. Watashino namae wa Torry Ha desu, Torry to yonde kudasai. Atarashii ‘Silvia’ desu ga. Watashi wa Daimon koukou de oshierukotoni tote mo wakuwakusiteimasu. Soshite anata wa eigo no benkyoo o gambatte kudasai. Nihon wo tanoshimitainode, yoroshiku onegai shimasu. Itsudemo dokodemo koe o kakete kudasai. Kyowa kangeishiteitaidaite, arigatou gozaimasu.”

Waited for my cue from MC-sensei and then walked off.

Opening
Kocho-sensei got back on stage and made this super long speech. All the students and some teachers sang the school song. Then everyone gets to sit down. FINALLY!

Another teacher made an even longer speech about the school rules. The nurse made a speech about swine flu that lasted long than both the other speeches. One more final speech and then we were done. All the students got up and got in line to get their uniforms inspected. I headed back to the staff room. One school ceremony down, one more on Thursday and I can kiss this speech goodbye.

Side notes:
Two first grade girls fainted during the ceremony. Apparently it’s a common occurrence. After being on vacation for a while, students aren’t use to standing for such long periods of time. But we all know that my speech was just so spectacular, it made them weak in the knees.

Everybody bows here! I mean, I knew that but it's serious business. I had to stop myself from clapping after every speech. Instead of clapping, everyone bows.

Munching deliciously

2009-08-29T12:52:00.007+09:00

I made a food blog.

It was only a matter of time and motivation for me to create one. This afternoon, I had both time and motivation, hence, the birth of Oishii munchies - a blog dedicated to everything I eat and take a picture of.

Ridiculously long mornings

2009-08-27T13:39:00.005+09:00

Is it just me or once it's 12 p.m. (noon) or past, then it's considered to be the afternoon? My Japanese teachers are always saying "in the afternoon" and I always think it means after 12 p.m. However, afternoon seems to be a bit later than 12 p.m. In fact, I think they mean after 2.

I was suppose to help one of the English teachers record a listening section for her exam in the afternoon, but I still haven't gotten word from her about when. It's 1:35 right now. When I asked her when we were going to record it, she said, "In the afternoon."

I'm suppose to go to the bank or ATM with my supervisor so he can help me furikomi (bank transfer) money to pay my gas bill this afternoon. Again, no word. When I asked him, he said, "Sometime in the afternoon."

Time, eats my face

2009-08-24T11:04:00.015+09:00

How is it possible that it is August 24 already? That means that in two days, I will have officially been in Japan for a month. Hopefully time will slow down a little bit for me to enjoy Japan, because if it keeps going at this pace then the year mark is going to come up pretty fast and I have yet to learn how to order a meal for myself!

I have to go to my visiting school, Toyama Hokubu Senior High School, this Friday. What does that mean? I don't know but I'm going to predict a lot of stressing out, walking around, and looking lost. It's about 45 minutes away from Kosugi (my) train station. Route 1 is about 20-30 minutes on the train (320yen) and a 20-25 minute walk. Or I can do route 2 - a 10 minute train ride (230 yen), catch a tram/light rail (200yen) and then walk 10 minutes. I can either save time or save money - but not a lot of either.

The fall trimester of school starts on Tuesday, September 1. After a month of no productivity, what-so-ever, I'm dreading having to do some work. But I'm sure finally being able to interact with the students will be a lot of fun. As long as they behave and I don't have to beat them....just kidding....kind of...

On another note, I got attacked by a cicada this morning as I was walking obliviously down the stairs of my apartment to go to work. The Japanese cicadas are ginormous! I think a pack of two cicadas could probably eat my face. And it didn't really attack me. As I was approaching, it opened it wings and flapped around me like an idiot, making all sorts of hideous wing-flapping noises, and then jumped off the third floor of my apartment.

Nap time, hanko, gas/electricity reading

2009-08-18T11:34:00.007+09:00

I haven't been able to sleep well for the past couple of nights. I don't know why but maybe I can't sleep when it's too comfortable? I turned the AC for the last two nights and I haven't been able to sleep through the night since. I wake up every 30 minutes to an hour. I'm going to keep the AC off tonight and see how I sleep - plus, saving money never hurts!

So, because I am so exhausted from the lack of sleep at night, I decided to take a nap in the nap room at school. However, I'm still nervous and scared about using it and what would happen if someone found me passed out on the tatami floor. In effort to combat that, I grabbed a Japanese studying guide and all the stuff I've been working on for the English board at school and spread it across the table in the tatami room. Then I proceeded to sleep holding the Japanese book to my chest.

Sneaky, right!?

I paid for my hanko name stamp yesterday when I received the hanko the first day I arrived! It totaled 1680yen. A hanko is your personal signature and you use it to stamp everything! When I first arrived in Toyama, I had to hanko so many forms that I stopped paying attention, and I'm pretty sure one of the forms was for my life.

My hanko has just my last name on it and in roman letters - 'Ha'. At first, I thought it was the stupidest thing in the world! Everyone had their names in Japanese katakana and kanji and here I was with 'Ha'. So lame! After I posted a picture of it on facebook, everyone was telling me how cool it was and I don't and still don't understand why. But if the people like it, I won't oppose.

The readings for my gas meter and my electricity reading just came in. I found one in my mailbox downstairs and the other in my mailbox on my apartment door. How random is it that it's a slip of paper with the readings on it and how much I owe them but it's NOT a bill - which will come later....

Cellphone charms

2009-08-15T22:54:00.004+09:00

I've discovered the art of TOO MANY DAMN CELLPHONE CHARMS!

My phone is rather new and there are already 3 charms. I still have an entire year to try to break the world record of how many charms you can fit on your cellphone.

Finally getting settled

2009-08-15T22:34:00.012+09:00

Items: Blue card - health insurance card that I must have with me when I need to pay for medical services or I'll have to pay the full price myself. White card - alien registration card from the City of Imizu. Yay for not having to carry my bulky passport around anymore! I'm officially a legal foreigner in Japan.

A yukata (浴衣?) is a Japanese garment, a casual summer kimono usually made of cotton. People wearing yukata are a common sight in Japan at fireworks displays, bon-odori festivals, and other summer events.

Before attending the Isurugi High School brass band concert, I went to Takaoka to try out yukatas with Denise today and the librarian from her school, Horii-sensei. It turned out to be a lot more fun than I thought. The professional yukata man at the mall said that I would look best in dark colors.

Also, I discovered I have some mad yukata matching skills! I picked out that first yukata from a rack and it was made by some famous yukata designer and it was super expensive but one of the nicest ones! I also have crazy color scheming abilities. I picked out nice color combinations for Denise and of course she bought it all. I should get paid for this.

Toyama orientation and payday!

2009-08-13T13:02:00.018+09:00

August 10-12
Toyama orientation is finally over!! It was a great way to get to know everyone and see people who lived a bit far away from the main cities, however, I cannot take anymore lectures about the same thing, over and over again. My butt can only take so much sitting.

First day - long day of ceremonies and seminars with the Japanese English teacher from my school in Toyama.

Second day - regional (GO TAKAOKA!!!) meeting with regional representatives in Takaoka.

The third day of orientation was pretty awesome. We went to Tateyama to climb Mt. Tateyama. Everyone met at the North exit of Toyama Station at 8:30 a.m. The supervisors did a head count twice and then we boarded the charter buses for a 2 hour ride.

Once we got to the base of the mountain, people divided into two groups – those who wanted to explore and those who wanted to climb the mountain. I decided to climb the mountain. Those who didn't want to climb went sightseeing and used the onsen (hot spring bath).

After much pain, regret and two hours later near the top, I decided I was done for the day. I took a little lunch break and did the hour climb/slip and slide down the mountain. It was a trip up a mountain that I’ve never experienced! It was paved roads until the middle and then from there it was all rocks and boulder, no actual pathway. I don't know if the shrine and the mini stores was worth it.

I will probably never climb another Japanese mountain again for the sake of the bruise soles of my feet, the burning soreness in my legs, and the aching pain all over my shoulders from the backpack I was carrying.

As usual, everything starts on time and goes into overtime. Instead of getting back to the station at 4:30 p.m. we get back near 6.

August 13
Payday!
I’m supposed to get my pay on the 15th of every month but this month, Obon holiday (family gathering for ancestors) is happening starting the 14th so you get paid the earliest day possible. My bank account got a deposit of 328, 440 yen. That is a lot!! I made more money this first month because Tokyo Orientation counted as working days. I had to pay back 60,000 yen to the school since they let me borrow it for my first apartment payment. By the end of the month, I will also be getting paid my rent subsidy for the next 4 months and get all my reimbursement for my business trips.

Also, I received my alien registration card and my pension refund book today. . Depending on how long I will be in Japan, I will get about $3000 for 1 year $6500 for 2 years, and $9000-10000 for 3 years. I have to keep this pension book safe, or else it’ll be like losing $3000-10000 dollars!!

Earthquake

2009-08-11T09:24:00.005+09:00

5 a.m.

I was in a deep sleep when I woke up to my entire apartment shaking in the dark. I thought I was dreaming until I felt myself rumble in my bed. Maybe I was just too tired but I just laid there and watched my walls blur before my eyes. And then it stopped and it took seconds to fall back to sleep.

The Daily Yomiuri (Japanese newspaper) reports that a 6.6 earthquake hit Tokyo this morning (following the 7.6 earthquake in India the day before).

I should probably learn to be more concerned than I actually was.

Kamiichi HS workshop

2009-08-07T12:29:00.009+09:00

On Thursday, Kamiichi High School hosted a 'Let's Challenge' workshop for ALTs to come and learn about Japanese culture and get help on their self-introductions for their school. I had to pay 230yen to get to Toyama and then 580yen to ride the private Dentetsu train to Kamiichi and the same to go back. The school will eventually reimburse me for my traveling expenses (aka business trip) but not my registration/lunch fee (1000yen)!

I don't know if 'writing' calligraphy with ink and paper, making paper cranes, cooking cold somen and making sushi, watching Japanese archery, having snack time, getting awesome gifts, and having the Kamiichi students translate our entire introductions is considered work....but whatever it was, I had so much fun! So much better than sitting at work and twiddling my thumb.

Met an ALT named Denise, she's really cute and seems like someone I could hang out. I mean, she helped change my voice mail to English and let me share her ice cream. I think we're hanging out this weekend, having a shopping trip in Kanazawa, watching the fireworks, and hitting up the beach party.

I paid my initial payment for my apartment today. Goodbye 160,000yen! May you be in good hands and eventually find your way home to me. PLEASE!

On another note, the ALTs in Toyama are all so ridiculously nice. Everyone is willing to help and go out of their way to make sure you're okay and can find your way to the meeting places. I can't get over how welcomed I feel here.

Daimon

2009-08-03T10:57:00.008+09:00

A group of male students came into the teacher's room and cleaned this morning! They swept and emptied the trash cans. It was pretty awesome except for when you look at their faces and they look like they're hating life. I sure hope that's not the case.

I just had a conversation with a ninensei (second grade) boy named Otomo but he would rather be called 'Bond...James Bond'. HAHA! So cute. The Japanese sure love Mr. Bond!

In Japanese high schools, students aren't freshmen, sophomore, etc. but ichinensei, ninensei, and sannensei (1st, 2nd, 3rd grade).

Food gifts from teachers count: 3 (chocolate covered peanuts, lemon gummy, and lobster cracker and green tea creme wafer)

Updates:

One of the ladies in the office downstairs just gave me a blow up comic balloon, a nifty little folder with interesting facts all over it and maps of Toyama and Japan. She's so awesome! I should have given her a bigger gift!

Ueda-sensei said that she feels both the Asian and the American side from me. Even though we only met a couple of days ago, she felts like we've been friends for a long time! YAY!! I'm in her circle! After work, she's coming to my apartment with Oda-sensei (IT and media teacher) to help figure out why my internet is acting up.

Landlord

2009-08-02T17:09:00.009+09:00

I have the sweetest landlord! The Yasuda (husband & wife) live next door to my apartment complex. I text the wife today about the trash system at the apartment and she came rushing over to see me. We discovered that my internet was down so I couldn't see the trash chart so we went to her house where she sat me down and explained everything. She also gave me bags for my garbage until I buy some, barley tea, ume (plum) jelly dessert, and fresh tomatoes from her garden!

Last night, Kita Nihon Shinbun Hanabi (fireworks) festival was held in honor of those killed in the WWII air raid. A big group of people traveled to Toyama City - the biggest city and capital in Toyama prefecture - and met up at a JETs house before heading to the river to watch the fireworks. I met a JET named Valerie who helped me figure out my train home.

Check out my Facebook photo album for my move so far.

Welcome to your life

2009-07-31T13:49:00.025+09:00

July 29 - To Toyama, alien registration, homestay
The flight from Tokyo to Toyama was less than an hour and the fellow JET I had to sit next to was a douche-bag (I don’t use this word often but it’s VERY appropriate for his case). Got the baggage in the airport and saw all these signs for us. Some were small signs with just a name, some were bigger with colors and pictures, some were big and stood out very well. I commented on how the sign for a guy name Patrick was very huge and prominent and then took a look to my right and saw a huge pink sign with tons of colors and pink pom-poms. Guess who it was for? Me…yes, I win.

Ueda-sensei (fellow English teacher) came with two first grade senior students to meet me. Once I got in her car, it all started. The students spent the whole time teaching me Japanese phrases I will have to say to the Principal as soon as I arrive at the school. When I actually got the school、I met so many people that I think I went a little crazy with names. I watched a Japanese guitar performance by some students who were leaving for national competition the next day. The staff had a nice somen (cold noodle) lunch for me and it was delicious and refreshing.

From there Yokka-sensei, my supervisor, took me to City Hall to get my Alien Registration done and a paper that said the card will coming soon so I can set up my bank account and get my keitai (cellphone). Then we headed to my apartment to meet the landlord and to wait for the internet man to come. All it took for the internet to work was to stick the ether net cord in the wall and in my computer….I could have done that. We went back to the school to get all my bags and took the two big ones to my apartment and then headed to Yokka-sensei house for a one night homestay. His wife is the sweetest woman alive. They were so nice and made me a delicious meal of famous dark Toyama noodles and gyoza.

July 30 - Bank account, apartment contract, shopping, keitai, group a welcome dinner, riding a bike
Went to school with Yokka-sensei. He had me practice writing my name and address in katakana and kanji. We went to the bank and I filled out all the forms and Japanese banking is SO MUCH COOLER, minus the being open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. thing. Went to the real estate office to get the contract for my apartment and then back to school, but after a quick stop at Lawson konbini for a salmon onigiri (riceball, 100yen). The first bill for my apartment is 159,000yen, which includes first month’s rent, security deposit, and fire insurance. JETs are very thrifty with what they spend until after they pay for this amount. Sometimes it’s more, sometimes it's less, sometime’s it’s free. The water is included in the rent and internet is free. I also pay for electricity and gas.

A little later, Ueda-sensei took me to the Daiso, a 100yen store to get some items for my house. 100yen stores are like dollar stores but with so much more and better quality (spent 1,500yen). Then we went to the grocery store and got some food for my apartment (~2,500yen) and then got a bike and a lock (14,000yen). Apparently bikes and umbrella are the tops items people steal here. Then we went to get my keitai (cellphone). This was the longest process ever! I won’t go into too much details but I ended up paying 23,500yen for my phone and 7,200yen for my first month of use. I have SoftBank, which most of the JETs have.

I was late to meet my new neighbor, Laura. She was meeting me at my apartment and taking me to the train station. We had a regional Welcome Dinner at 7 p.m. in Takaoka. I got to the station and realize I didn’t have my wallet and I was thinking about not going and then was convinced to go. We biked back to my apartment and I got my wallet and off again.

I’ll admit, I was the biggest baby about riding the train by myself. I felt like a 4-year-old, depending on Laura for everything. And the whole time I was having trouble with my keitai and was trying to save her number. After 10 minutes on the train, I got to Takaoka and met my regional rep, Hilda. She walked me to the meeting place. I ate and drank Japanese beer with a rowdy group of people (total: 4,100yen) and then they all headed to karaoke – very popular in Asia but I was falling asleep due to exhaustion. Laura and I caught the 11:24 train to Kosugi station (where we live) and I finally went home for the night.

I am so scared of riding a bike and falling and getting hit by Japanese drivers who do not care if they hit you or not (seems like, anyways). The ride home was so scary and wet. But I got home and did a little unpacking, took a shower and chatted a little while with my friend. Then I passed out for the first time in my new apartment in my new life.

July 31 - Omiyage and business trips
I spent the majority of my morning making gifts for the teachers at my school. They’re all super nice and omiyage (gift giving) is a big deal here. I gave the teachers that helped me the most a handful of jolly ranchers and a bottle of rum. For all the other teachers, I gave them a few pieces of candy. Each gift was in an individual gift bag and had a mini American flag sticking out the top. I finished as many as I could and then I REALLY had to get ready and leave for school. The P.E. teacher, Tabata-sensei, gave me a brand new set of rain gear - he's pretty cool and knows 3 or 4 different languages!

The bike ride was okay, the extremely bumpy road and the light mist of rain was no fun and it was farther than I thought. But I got to school safe and sound. I gave my gifts out and everyone seemed like they like them. And here I am, spending the majority of my time trying to figure out my keitai with Ueda-sensei, learning about travel expenses and all the ‘business trips’ I will make in the next couple of months with Yokka-sensei. Obviously I’m so busy that I have time to write about my entire week in Japan. That was a joke.

Departure and Tokyo Orientation

2009-07-31T13:26:00.012+09:00

I bought $200 dollars worth of yen before I left the U.S. and took about $1,800 with me. I exchange $1,279 at the Tokyo hotel. I lost money since the exchange rate was so bad - 88 yen to a dollar! I'm saving the other money for when the US dollar gets stronger so I can make up the losses.

July 24 - PDO
Pre-departure Orientation was pretty long and grueling – especially for an anxious and tired JET to be. It was a nice introduction to Tokyo Orientation though – you sit and listen, maybe ask a few questions, but most of the time you will count down the minutes until the amazing reception dinners. Which you also have to wait to enjoy until after the traditional ‘kanpai!’ or ‘bottoms up’.

July 25 - The flight to Japan
After packing until midnight and getting a total of 2.5 hours of sleep, I woke up at 5 a.m. to prepare myself for a trip I wasn’t sure I still wanted to take. It’s difficult to be excited to leave for a year when you look at the faces on your family and your boyfriend. All the JETs met at the designated area in the airport and we went through security together. After an hour we board the flight for LAX.

At LAX, all of the Denver JETs were hungry and we all grabbed a bite to eat ($10 for a roasted beef sandwich!?!?!?) while we waited with the 45 other JETs flying out of LA for the international flight to Tokyo. And then we were on the plane…

July 26 - More on the plane and arrival
…still on the plane.

Surprisingly the flight was fairly comfortable with all the individual selections of in-flight movies, games (TETRIS!!), and TV shows. We landed at 3:45 p.m., went through immigration, grab our bags and a cart to put them on, went through customs, used the bathroom, dropped our bags off to be shipped to our school, and boarded an one hour ‘Airport Limousine’ bus ride to Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

NOTE: I hate the Japanese humidity! I hate it! I hate it! I hate it! Ok, continue…

At the hotel, I checked in and got my room key in the ‘Hana’ room, showered, exchanged money, made a free Skype call and emailed everyone to tell them I arrived. Then I went to grab some dinner with one of my roommates at the konbini (convenience store). I was still full from the plane food but got a cup of ramen and a sausage (260yen) so I didn’t wake up hungry. Wandered around the hotel alone for a little while and then passed out in my room.

July 27 - Tokyo, day 1
I woke up at 4 a.m. because of jet-lag and lay around until about 5. Finally got out of bed and Skyped with David for a little while and then killed time by curling my hair. Around 6, my roommates got up and got ready. We ate breakfast, and then went to the opening ceremony. From there, it was a whirl wind of lectures, workshops, information overload, and vegetarian lunch (>_<)! And then my beloved Welcome Reception with so much high quality and delicious foods and desserts – I love these but you have to be a little aggressive to make sure people don’t just jump all over the line and prevent you from getting food. I am very good at getting my food first. After the reception, I went on a walk with one of my roommates and her friend from Fukui to explore Shinjuku. I could no longer depend on my cellphone for the time so I had to purchase a wristwatch (1,000yen) at the watch shop.

July 28 - Tokyo, day 2
The jet-lag was a little bit better today. Ate breakfast and went to the day’s ALT panel as the opening workshop. After another vegetarian lunch (spaghetti…kind of) and more workshops which were pointless, I left and went back to my room to Skype with my family and David. I repacked my bag a little later and took them down to the Hana room where they will be taken to the bus for our morning departure.

Toyama’s prefecture outing was this evening. We all gather in the lobby of the hotel and took a 15 minute walk to Arabian Rock – a Japanese restaurant with Middle Eastern décor and toothpick-size girls dressed as belly dancers. We had a set meal (several different dishes for 2800yen) and unlimited drinks (1,000yen).

July 29 - Tokyo to Toyama
Ate breakfast again and then got all my things together and left my beautiful hotel room behind. I heard a night in Keio Plaza Hotel cost about 33,000yen, about $330-350, depending on the exchange rate.

We boarded the Airport Limousine again and headed to Haneda Airport for our flight to Toyama. Japanese flight tickets are so odd to me. You purchase a ticket but it doesn’t have your name or anything on it. You can give it away or trade tickets for the seat you want. So if, someone steals your ticket then you’re screwed. Our supervisors for the trip had 30 tickets and just handed them out like candy.

Moving apartments

2009-07-06T03:44:00.009+09:00

My predecessor asked me a couple of weeks earlier if I wanted to move the apartment one floor up from the one she's currently occupying/my future residence. She said it had less of a bug problem but would cost an extra 1000 yen (~$10). I had told her that I didn't want to move cause it wasn't a huge deal and it would be a hassle to move everything. Plus, why spend an extra $10? That's an extra meal a day! However, it looks like I will be moving whether I like it or not.

She wrote me back:

"I hope you got the pics I sent you, and either ways, they might move you to an upper floor. ***-sensei said he would contact you about that soon. If they do though, no need to worry: They will move everything there for you way before you arrive, so your bed will be there. They will have everything prepared for you, and you won't have to worry about a thing. Plus, you'll have a bigger room apparently, and less bugs, both good things. Again, ***-sensei or I will let you know about that as soon as its definite or not."

These are the estimates of monthly bills in Japan:

Water - Included
Gas - Varies (5,000 – 9,000 yen)
Electricity - About 3,000 yen
Phone - About 5,000 yen
Keitai (cell phone) - About 3,500 yen
Internet - About 2,000 yen
Rent - 50,000 yen (plus the extra 1000 yen for the new place)

Current exchange rate: 1.00 USD = 96.1071 JPY

Q&A session

2009-07-02T02:23:00.004+09:00

Denver held their optional Q&A session on June 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

It was worth the trip to Denver to hang out with my friends and to see some of the people I will be going to Japan with...but I don't think it was something that I needed to attend. Although, some of the stories from JET alums were priceless! I did use the opportunity to turn in my passport and visa application - it was the safest way and it saved me money on postage!

I frequently visit the JET forums and the I Think I'm Lost forums. Anything I will ever need to know about the program, and somethings I didn't really want to know, can be found on those forums along with websites found on Google.

The Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival) was going on that day so I hung out there with several friends for a few hours.

Waiting for the mailman

2009-06-12T04:53:00.007+09:00

This week I received my information packet from the Consulate. Included was my "General Information Handbook", which has a bunch of information you might need before coming to, living in, and leaving Japan. Also, the famous "JET Life" DVD. There is also a "Japanese for JETs" book which has basic Japanese to learn and practice before you come - it comes with two supplement CDs. Along with that, there are a bunch of documents and the Visa application form that is due on July 3.

I was at Target and found some cute push-up pencils in the dollar bin. I have Finding Nemo for the boys and Little Mermaid for the girls. At the dollar store, I found a package of 30 mini American flags that would be so fun to pass out. I have some mini jars of honey (24oz) and jars of maple syrup. I'm not going to spend a lot of money on omiyage (gifts) - probably buy a bag of candy and let them share it.

Picture: [books from the consulate & documents from contracting organization] - [rewards push-up pencils and mini flags]

My predecessor informs me that I will probably need $1,700 when I first arrive here. I have to pay key money - which is a "thanks for letting me live here" money for the landlord. Also, the first month's rent, a security deposit, fire insurance, etc. I also have to pay to get my bags shipped to Toyama from Tokyo, a hanko name stamp, fees for setting up a cellphone, plus whatever else. AWESOME! I'm so excited! Not really, but whatever, we'll see.

From the predecessor

2009-06-07T03:00:00.009+09:00

In the last week, I've heard from my new ALT neighbor in Japan and my predecessor.

Both ladies were very nice and willing to answer whatever questions I had. My neighbor wrote me super long emails with as much help she could offer and attached a "Partying in Japan" guide for me in one of her emails - uh, perfect! My predecessor wrote a summary of where I would be teaching and what I would be doing and she also filled out and attached a "Successor Form" that had a ton of information.

Predecessor's email:

"Hi Anh!

....

Now, some details. You'll be working in Daimon Senior High School, right in the heart of a whole bunch of rice fields. Its about 15-20 mins away from your apartment via bike or walking, unless you decide to get a car. Also, if the weather is particularly bad, one of the english staff will give you a ride to school. Daimon is a mid-high level technology school so, as my predecessor said, " the kids are mostly driven by Science, Math, Broadcasting, Nerdy Things 101, etc". It's pretty academic. The students and staff are all really friendly. Expect to hear a lot of "hellos" and a chorus of girls screaming "kawaiiiiii" everytime you pass by! A lot of the staff know at least a little english, and there are some students with really good English skills too.

Once a week, on Thursdays, you will travel to a visiting school. Unfortunately, they've changed the visiting school for you, so I can't tell you anything about how that will be, although I will try to see which ALT you will be working with there and if they have any information I can pass on.

During August, you probably won't have much to do in the way of work at school, soooo I would say be prepared to entertain yourself for a month in the office. Bring a book or two or three. At least you'll have air conditioning there and can escape form the deathly humidity of Japan.

Well, that's just skimming the surface, but I don't want to overwhelm you with information just yet. There's a lot to cover-work duties, apartment things, life in Imizu, what to pack. I've forgotten what it feels like to prepare for coming to Japan, so let me know, what's your most pressing concern or what would you like to know more about first? I will try to be as helpful as possible. And I know everyone else here will be too, once you arrive. You have the sweetest landlady ever (Yasuda-san) and I can't count how many times various coworkers have helped me with things (or given me sweets for no reason!)

I will try to get some pictures to you soon too (^_^)

-***"

Letter from my ALT Coordinator

2009-06-04T01:12:00.004+09:00

Welcome to Tayama in Japan (Toyama Board of Education)‏

June 3, 2009
(CC: Mr. *** at Daimon Senior High School）

Dear Ms. A. T. Ha,

My name is *** and I work for the Toyama Prefectural Board of Education as the ALT Coordinator at the Toyama Prefectural General Education
Center (GEC) in Japan.

I am very glad to write to you as you have received an ALT position here in Toyama. This email is to notify you that I will send the same official documents attached to this email to your TEMPORARY address by express airmail in a few days.

The four attached files are as follows:
Notice of Appointment(9A)
Terms & Conditions
Statement of Agreement(9A)
Welcome Letters
You should receive an airmail package with the enclosed documents listed, in a week or so.

You are an American citizen, so I've also attached a file regarding Form 6166, which you are required to submit to me, upon your arrival in Toyama.

You've probably heard about "base" schools and "visiting" schools from JET materials you've received.

I'd like to give you some information about the school(s) you will work for;
Base School: Daimon Senior High School (SHS) in Imizu-city
Supervisor: Mr. ***
Current ALT: Ms. ***
Visiting School: We are thinking about Toyama Hokubu SHS in Toyama-city.
I've sent this email to your supervisor at the same time to let him know I'm trying to contact you as well as share information with him.

The current ALT (your predecessor) or your supervisor will give you further information about the base schoo where you will work, and your apartment including the rent, key money, security deposit, etc. very soon.

Please let me know you have received this email immediately. Please, also inform me of the arrival of the package when you receive it.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me or Ms. ***, who works with me at the GEC on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Ms. ***, ALT Prefectural Advisor (PA), is willing to help you as well.

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
***

Placement: Toyama-ken, Japan

2009-05-28T01:11:00.007+09:00

I've been placed in the Toyama Prefecture. I wasn't told what city, district, town, or village - hopefully that will come soon.

From Wikipedia:
Toyama Prefecture (富山県 Toyama-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Toyama.

Toyama is the leading industrial prefecture on the Japan Sea coast, and has the industrial advantage of cheap electricity due to abundant water resources.

Toyama has the fewest municipalities of any prefecture in Japan with 10 cities, 2 districts, 4 towns, and 1 village.

Agriculture
Toyama is a major producer of high quality rice making use of abundant water sources originating from Mt.Tateyama.

Manufacturing
Toyama is famous for its historical pharmaceutical industry which remains a top manufacturing industry in the prefecture in terms of manufacturing shipment value followed by electronic parts and devices (industrial robots, general machinery, etc.), and metal products (aluminum, copper etc.) manufacturing.

Transportation
By Train

Tokyo: 3 hr 8 min via Joetsu Shinkansen, transfer to Hokuriku Main Line via the Hakutaka Limited Express at Echigo Yuzawa
Osaka: 3 hr 5 min via Thunderbird Limited Express

By Expressway

Tokyo: 5 hr
Osaka: 4 hr 10 min
Nagoya: 3 hr 15 min

By Flight from Toyama Airport (TOY)
Domestic:

Tokyo 1 hr
Sapporo 1 hr 20 min
Fukuoka 1 hr 30 min

Google group

2009-05-27T05:17:00.004+09:00

The coordinator, from Japanese Consulate in Denver, created a group on Google, called 'JET Program - Denver' for all the people accepted into the JET Program from Denver. It has been super useful in getting to know how many other people from your region are going to Japan. Happy hours and gatherings have also been planned. I don't know if I'll make any of them but it's nice to know the Rocky Mountain region has some pretty nice people.

Our coordinator is awesome! She put up this document tracker that lets you know what forms they still need from you plus all these links and files of super useful resources. Plus, she keeps us in the loop of anything she can. Just now she posted up a message in the Google group saying the consulate got the placement information from Japan and are working on translating it. They hope to get the information out by the end of today or early tomorrow. And then she sent an email to let people know she posted a message in the group. :), cute.

Mail

2009-04-28T05:45:00.009+09:00

Mail today included:

envelope from U.S. Department of Justice (FBI background check)
envelope from IRS - U.S. residency certification (tax exemption form, so you don't have to pay double taxes in Japan)

Sent them to the FBI and IRS a little less than 3 weeks ago and here they are! Basically I'm done with all my paperwork until I get contacted by my Contracting Organization about where I'm placed.

Picture: [envelopes]

Good thing I checked

2009-04-18T08:04:00.002+09:00

I emailed the Denver consulate about my forms to check if it they received them since I had no way of knowing. They said they have them however they still need my a copy of the IRS Form 8802 that I filled out. Whoops, good thing I checked or I would have been screwed! I just sent it and it should be there tomorrow or Monday - in time for the April 24 deadline.

Note to self: always check with the people in charge and see if you got everything you needed to do done...or else.

Forms

2009-04-09T13:17:00.016+09:00

I'm a bit of a frantic person when it comes to getting things done. I like things to be done right when I get them, especially when it comes to important matters like the JET forms.

So I filled all the forms out last night and went and got my health check up today. I mailed everything off just this afternoon. Yeah, I did get it done in about 24 hours...and yes, I'm a little bit of an overachiever.

My cost break down:

Finger prints (@ university police department) - $7.50
FBI background check - $18
U.S. residency check - $35
Health certificate - $53 (With no insurance and I declined the chest x-ray - as long as the doctor states that your lungs are "clear" in the provided space, then you're good to go and are not required to have a chest x-ray. The Japanese consulate for Denver told me that Japanese people get it done every year so the people in Tokyo would like everyone to get one but they don't expect people from the U.S. to do it since it's uncommon for us.)
USPS First Class mail - $4.17

Total: $117.67

Side note: I found out that the JET Program waited until Tuesday (4/7) 5 p.m. Eastern time to announce the results from the interview so that all American applicants would find out at the same time. Thanks a lot for making me a nervous wreck for the first 7 days of April.

Passport pictures: I really didn't think paying $9 for two passport pictures was really worth the money. I decided to use my photography skill (or lack-there-of) and my photoshop skills to make my own passport pictures. I printed out 12 photos (on 2 sheets) at Wal-Mart for 51 cents. If I did it at the store, it would have costed me $54. Saving $53.49 feels GREAT! Personally, I think they look better than the one that the store offered me. *pats self on the back*

ACCEPTED

2009-04-08T06:35:00.015+09:00

Just checked my email:

I'M GOING TO JAPAN!!

"Dear JET Program Applicant:

Congratulations! You have successfully passed the second stage of the screening process and are now on the final short-list of candidates for the 2009 JET Program. The term “short-list” refers to individuals awaiting placement with a contracting organization, which is possible in almost all cases.

After we receive your Reply Form (attached) indicating your participation, we will begin to process you. Personal placement information will not be available until May, as it takes time to match up all short-list candidates with locations. Efforts will be made to satisfy your placement preference if you indicated one, however, please understand that this cannot be guaranteed due to the limited number of positions available in each area.

In preparation for your departure, there are many forms to fill out and send to various places. It is important that you complete all of these correctly and submit them by the deadlines set forth. Failure to do so can result in an inability to process you, resulting in your inability to participate in this program. I have attached all forms and documents to this email.

A complete package will be arriving within the next week or so at the address you provided on your Information Release Form at your interview. The packet will have the same documents that are attached to this email.

Do not send/ return copies of your completed forms to me by email. Due to the number of participants I have to process, it is impossible for me to print out forms sent to me electronically and file them appropriately for everyone. The speed with which you return your documents to this office does not affect your standing as far as location requests. It will only negatively affect your participation if your documents come after the deadline.

If you have decided to decline this position, we still ask that you return your Reply Form so that your file remains in good standing, should you decide to apply again in the future. Please do so as soon as possible so that an alternate candidate can be upgraded in your place.
Once again, congratulations and welcome to the 2009-2010 Jet Program! I am sure you will have many questions about your upcoming adventure and we will do our best to support and prepare you for departure. Our website will continue to stay updated with details on the various events and info sessions we provide, so please be sure to reference it: www.denver.us.emb-japan.go.jp/EN/jet.htm

There will be a mandatory Pre-departure Orientation and Evening Reception on July 24, 2009. Your departure date is July 25, 2009.

We will continue to send out information as needed, so please make sure you inform our office of any changes to your contact information (postal address, email address, telephone numbers, etc.).

In the meantime, please read the attached documents and start preparing for employment in Japan!

The following forms are attached:

1. Processing Guidelines (read first)

2. Reply Form

3. Alterations to Reply Form

4. Departure Locations

5. Certificate of Health

6. FBI Identification Record Instructions

· FBI Cover Letter

· FBI Credit Card Payment sheet

· FBI Fingerprint Sheet

7. Proof of Residency Information
--
Best wishes,

***"

Waiting

2009-03-25T04:16:00.004+09:00

I really, really dislike the waiting game. I mean, come on! I've been waiting since October. April here I come.

The interview

2009-02-20T01:15:00.034+09:00

Everything about the day of my interview was pretty clear to me except for the interview itself.

I woke up at 7 a.m. and got ready for work. Since I was leaving work an hour early to get to Denver, I showed up an hour early to make up all the work I needed to get done.

I wore black dress pants, a blue button up shirt, and a black fitted jacket. Looking pretty snazzy, if I do say so myself. I ate a quick breakfast then off to work.

Once I got to work, I really tried to keep myself constantly busy so I didn't start thinking about what time it was. It worked for the most part, but every time I looked at the clock, only an hour had gone by.

Noon rolls around and it's almost time to go. My interview was set up at 3:10 but the drive down to Denver was about an hour. I left myself enough time to get down there, even with traffic (which there was none of) and find some decent parking - which, surprisingly, was pretty easy.

Getting to Denver
I got to Denver way earlier than I thought, around 1. I found parking at 1:20 I was starving since I didn't pack anything for lunch so I went to have a quick bite at Heidi's Brooklyn Deli.....waste of $7 dollars if you ask me. By the time I finished eating it was only 1:40 The meter I was at only allowed two hours max of parking. I sat in my car and waited until about 2 and put my coins in for two hours, giving me till 4.

So finally, 2:20 rolls around and I couldn't wait anymore. 17th Street Plaza, where the General Consulate of Japan-Denver is located, was just right around the corner. It was only a minute walk, so I took my sweet time. I got in the building and the Concierge told me "J-E-T" was taking place on the 14th floor. So up I go.

On the 14th floor I walked into a room with table and a circle of chairs filled with well-dressed people in them. I looked so confused, maybe I had walked into one of the interviews? The man at the table greeted me and asked if I was here for an interview with JET. Whoo! Totally the right place. It made me feel better when I saw other applicants walk in just as confused or even more so than I was.

I gave the man at the table my interview entry form and my driver's license. He made me sign the sign-in sheet and check off that he did check my form and my id. He told me my interview was going to be in room "B." I ask for the names of the interviewers in that room. There were 4 or 5 interviews going on at the same time. Then I had to fill out a release form that made me agree to follow all the rules and allow interviewers to ask unusual and personal questions. I skimmed it quickly and signed.

The next hour was so slow! I sat in one of the empty chairs in the circle and started chatting it up with the JET coordinators and the other applicants. Everyone was very nice, all smiles. I think they were trying to make a good impression on everyone that day.

The interview
A Japanese woman, named Nami, came out of room B and called out for an "Ann Ha." I guess that's me. She introduced herself and I reintroduced my name because it's Anh not "Ann" for goodness sakes. I walked into room B, which was a huge training room but they were only using the front part so there was a lot of empty space to look into.

My interviewers consisted of three people: an elderly Japanese man with the most gentle face, James; the Japanese woman who got me from the waiting area, Nami; and a Caucasian man by the name of Aaron, who was very nice and easy to talk to. I greeted them all with a small bow and a handshake at the same time.

I thought I was prepared for the interview, but how could I? I didn't even know what they were going to ask me. When I was preparing myself for the interview I thought they might only ask three or four questions, given their time limit. They started bombarding me with questions.

Questions
Why do you want to go to Japan and be part of the JET program?

All my life I've faced adversities about being Asian. Diversity has always been a huge aspect for me and I constantly integrate it into my daily life. I think the biggest problem I faced was communication. As you know, I was born in Vietnam and English is my second language. I think that learning English opens so many doors for you and it would be great to teach students that, especially since I grew up the same way, learning English.
In high school, my English teacher told me my writing would never be as good as the other kids because English wasn't my native language. Look at me now, I'm a journalism major and writing for the university for a living. I don't want anyone visiting America to feel like they're second-class people because they can't speak the language. Any help I can put towards that would benefit us all. Of course, I want the food and the cool vending machines, too.

What are some characteristics about you that will help you teach these students?

I'm determined and passionate and I think that will help me push my students. I'm outgoing and don't mind talking to people I don't know or acting goofy. I'm also flexible and can adapt to different situations which will help me when I have to deal with students on a case-to-case basis.

How do you motivate students who don't want to learn?

I always think that learning should be fun. I would do a lot of interactive lessons with my students, which I think is so much better than I talk, you listen. Also, for those certain students who just don't want to learn, I will talk to them individually and see why they don't want to learn and focus on their personal motivation instead of generalizing the class as a whole.

How do you handle stress?

I've learn to take things one step or even day at a time. I just graduate college, which was very stressful and I've learn that life comes at you fast and you have to think things through before you act irrationally and sometimes you just have to dive right in. Everyone makes mistakes and I think we just have to move on from that.

You have a close relationship with your mother?

Yes, I grew up with only my mother as my mother and my father.

How does she feel about you going to Japan?

Of course my mother will miss me, I am her daughter. However, she would never hold me back from what I want to do in life. She also realizes that this is a great opportunity for me and encourages me to participate.

How would you show the students where you come from?

Pictures, lots of pictures and probably slide shows. And this is the age of youtube, so I can show them videos of Denver and maybe go out and find something that reminds me of Denver.

What are two things you would like to show Japanese students about America?

The history - the constitution, bill of rights. I want to show them how the United States is what it is today. And probably culture, as in, how we interact with each other, maybe throw a Thanksgiving lunch to show how we celebrate certain holidays in the U.S. I think I read somewhere the KFC is the closest thing they have to turkey in Japan.

What would you do if you were out drinking with co-workers and someone put their arm around you and made you feel uncomfortable? What if it was your principal?

I would probably tell him that I don't feel comfortable then possibly move myself to another spot. I know respect is a huge in Japan and I wouldn't want to embarrass anyone by yelling. And if it continues to the point where I feel threaten then I would seek out help of others around me. I know that Japan takes groping very seriously and there have been thousands of cases on groping, so I would definitely go to the authorities if it got to that point. (Aaron assured me they weren't trying to scare me, it was just in case. Nami told me, because I am Asian and look more Japanese than American, I have a higher chance that something like that would happen to me. I wasn't scared, I already knew about it. But how awesome...not.)

People are expecting a tall, blond hair, blue eyes American, how will you respond to that, since that it obviously not what you are?

Well, that's one reason why I think I would be a great candidate for the JET Program. I am American and yet I don't look the part. You want to go over there and show Japanese people what American culture is about and it's not about tall, blond hair people. I would hope that I could break or at least make cracks in the stereotype they have about Americans. We say that we're a melting pot and I think I would represent that positively.

Why did you put these big cities like Tokyo and Osaka?

To be honest, when I filled out the application I thought I had to put something down. I put down the most urban areas in Japan because I've only lived in urban areas the majority of my life. However, I am flexible and can adapt to any environment, so any placement would be fine with me.

How would you feel if we put you in a very rural area in Japan, where you are the only foreigner?

I am fine with that. I was born in Vietnam, a very third-world country where there were no luxuries like running water. Then I lived in the Philippines, where my family was the only Vietnamese family and the area we lived in was extremely rural. I think I would be fine with rural areas. I want to go to Japan to soak up the culture and I'm sure I can do that in any area.

What activities would you be willing to take on after school?

I heard there's yoga! I think it would be nice to exercise while you have fun with the students. I also hear there's Kendo and tennis, I'm not very good at it but it would be fun to help. And if the students want to start an English club, I would definitely be up for it. I don't really want to be stuck in my apartment with nothing so I would definitely be involved.

What if they required you to give up your entire summer to travel with the club you sign up for?

I would do it. I signed up for the club and it's a commitment I made when I signed up for it. I'm willing to take on any responsibilities or duties given to me.

Some people go over to Japan and they decide they don't like it at all. They miss their family or their boyfriend and want to jump right back on the plane and go home. Would that be something that could happen to you?

Definitely not. I don't think I could dislike living in Japan, but if it were to happen then I would stick it out to fulfill my contract. When I started something, I would like to finish it. And I would not put you in a situation where a school is left with no ALT. I was raise to finish what I started.

Everything after
I'm just recapping what I said. I'm not 100 percent sure. And it probably sounds better here then when I said it in the interview since I had time to think it through. The interviewers said my courage is admirable and that my approach to situations were good and some other comments, such as: "exactly, exactly" or "definitely" or "absolutely." I was glad that the interview was more like a conversation than an interview. We smiled, made jokes and had some laughs.

There were probably more, but I can't remember, there were just so many. Some of my answers were awesome and some I ramble on for a little bit. It felt like I was in there for an hour but when I left, only 25 minutes had passed. They ended on, "I think that's all we have for you, thank you so much for coming to the interview. If you have any questions, Jessyca (one of the coordinators at the table) will answer them." I thanked them for their time and shook their hands and bowed again. I wished them all a good rest of their afternoon.

I went to see Jessyca and she gave me a "FAQs" sheet and ask if I had any questions. She was very helpful. I got in my car and got lost in downtown Denver for a little while before I found the right way to get my mom's house.

People say that you go home and think about what you could have said and done. I didn't do that until much later. Probably when I was laying in bed. I don't know how I did, they were nice and friendly and didn't really give any indications if they were going to approve you or not.

When April arrives, we'll see if I'll go to Japan or move on with my life.

Applying for JET

2009-02-17T02:43:00.015+09:00

In December of '08 I graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in journalism and technical communication with a concentration in computer-mediated communications and a minor in business administration.

My interest with the Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program, or JET, started long before I even knew that it existed. As a child, my brother and I grew up watching anime and reading manga. The culture of Japan just fascinates me to no end. The culture, the fashion, the technology, the festivals, the vending the machines and most definitely the food - which is funny since I hated raw food, especially sushi, for the longest time! Can't imagine my life without it now.

The following is a time line of my journey with JET all the way up to 2 days before my interview.

Summer '08
I finally discovered JET when one of my sorority sister was already in Japan working as an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) when we started communicating about what the program was about and how to go about it.

September '08
The 2009-2010 paper application became available. I started my application but didn't finish or submit it until late October. The deadline for the application this year was Nov. 25 at 5 p.m. A week after I submitted my application, I recieved a letter, in a stamped envelope I included with my application, that notified me that my application had been processed.

Sitting, waiting, wishing...

February '09
On the first day of February (they're not kidding when they say EARLY February) the results were posted on the official JET website. All the applicants who had pass the initial paper screening process had their special identification number (found on your application) listed in a pdf file. The file I opened had about 45 ID numbers per row, with 4 rows per page and 7 pages total. Let's just say, the "find" tool is your best friend in this situation. However, if you want to do it the hard way, the numbers are listed in order.

Yay! I made the initial cut.

Shortly after, I receive an e-mail from a representative at the Japan Embassy in Denver (the location of my interview). She congratulated me and asked me to go to their website to schedule an interview. My interview was set for Feb. 18th at 3:10 p.m.

"Dear JET Applicant:

Congratulations! Initial review of your application for the 2009 Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program has been completed at the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C. We are delighted to inform you that you have been selected for an interview through the Consulate General of Japan at Denver.

If you have decided to decline your offer for an interview, please let the JET Program Office know by either sending an email or call us. We very much appreciate it.

You indicated on your application that you would like to interview in Denver, CO. Interviews will be conducted at the 17^th Street Plaza Building (this building also houses the Japanese Consulate). Please be advised that interview locations can not be changed.

Each interview lasts approximately 20 minutes. Interviews are conducted over a period of a two days, but each candidate will only be interviewed ONCE during this time period. There are not multiple interview phases. All applicants will receive additional information regarding when the results of the interview will be available and the continuing process from there on out at the actual interview.
......

Interview Day
Please arrive at the 17^th Street Plaza Building at least 15-20 minutes early for your interview. You will need time to find the room and check in at the registration table before your interview begins. Failure to be on time for your interview may result in an inability to interview you, which in turn, will result disqualification from this year's program.
Attached to this email is your Interview Entry Form. Please print it, fill it out completely, attach a photo and bring it, along with an additional official photo ID to your interview. (Acceptable IDs are a driver's license, school issued ID, military ID, etc.) You will not be allowed to interview without your Entry Form and a valid photo ID.
Please remember that this is a professional interview and therefore business attire is appropriate.

Other Helpful Information

If you do not already have a passport, now may be a good time to apply for one in anticipation of your acceptance into the JET Program.
If you are offered a position on JET, you will have to obtain an FBI background check, special IRS forms and a complete physical. You will be responsible for all costs associated with fulfilling this request. Detailed information will be sent to you about this later once your status as a participant has been confirmed.
......

Thank you for your patience and cooperation during our selection process. We are certainly doing our best to keep on top of things and keep you informed in a timely fashion. Please feel free to contact me with any questions about JET interviews that cannot be answered by visiting the above mentioned websites.

--
Best of luck,

***"

What next?
For the next couple weeks I researched the JET interview. I found out tips and detailed descriptions of what you should wear, how you should dress, what questions to expect and how you should present yourself. I read CNN.com every other day. I skimmed NewsonJapan.com once a week. I started Googling everything possible about Japan and JET daily.

The Emperor and Prime Minister of Japan.
Famous places.
Fun facts.
Etiquette.
Money.
Food.
and the list goes on....

Anyways, I think I've gotten a little worked up these past few weeks. To me, it feels like it's been a a couple of months, but in reality it's only been 2 and a half weeks. I still don't think I know enough. But I guess, you never can. However, I know why I want to go to Japan and what I hope to gain from it. I also know that I can survive outside my comfort zone for at least a year.

My interview is this Wednesday. We'll see how that goes.

Links
FastRider.net
JET interview
JET Program overview
Japan-Guide
YouTube JET video series