Bored!

So Up-Date time!

I cannot believe that I have been living in Japan for almost three months already. Seriously, it feels like I have been here for a month or so. Yet I've gotten used to waking up at 6 or so on week days. That is something I would never do in England. I was more of a night owl compared to here. But I can't stay up too late on work days because I just don't function well if I don't get enough sleep. But the teachers I work with are really nice and I get on with them okay. They don't talk to me as much as they talk to other teachers, again, the language barrier is a pain in the ass.

I've managed to make my apartment my own now. I don't have much furniture but I have been able to buy a 22" Monitor to plug into my laptop which is only like a 11.6". So the bigger the screen, the better. I have bought an A3 printer scanner which has helped me out a lot! I have had a lot of worksheets to make and being able to print off a master copy at home has helped. But sometimes I don't realize there is a mistake until I get to work the next day T_T talk about being stupid (>__<)))

There has been a few problems with making friends here though. It turns out that there are still real ass jerks here in Japan. Or I just have amazing luck in finding said jerks! By jerks, I mean guys who are only after one thing and lie to you with a straight face. However, I hope things are different with this guy I am going to meet up with again next week. We met through a friend and we have been talking a bit via email. But I hope we can be good friends. He is the first guy I have met who is the same age as me! I was starting to think that everyone in the city where I live is only 24 years old! So not helpful to someone who is 27.

I do miss my best friends back home though. I am sure they would give me the perfect advice on how I should handle some people. I would at least then have someone to talk to and won't brush me off because if we are seen out together, then people will think we are dating. I honestly hate how some people just think pushing me to one side is going to make me jump through hoops next time I see them. Just as I was starting to really enjoy my life here and feel comfortable with my friends and having a laugh. Something drastic happens and they make me feel like crap because I am worried I will go back to how I was when I was England. I left England for a better life and do something completely different where I wouldn't have to feel pressured into doing something I didn't want to do.

At least the work load recently hasn't been too bad and I have been ale to organize my time a lot better. Having to deal with making a worksheet for every single lesson I do is very time consuming. I know it needs to be done and sometimes I give myself a lot of work to do because I make my own lesson plans. But it still be great to not have to do so much for a lesson. But the company I with have a certain way of doing things and we have to go by their rules.

One annoying thing about not getting much free time, is that I don't really get enough to draw like I used to. That and because I didn't bring any painting materials with me. I have tried to look for water colour paints, but all I've found is those in tubes and I prefer the little slabs of water colour so I don't waste anything. I haven't even been able to find any water colour paper. I don't really want to get my parents to keep sending me things, so I am just going to stick to digital art for the time being.

So confused!

Please excuse this rant but I am so confused!! I thought things were going well. But I guess I was kind of kidding myself. I really do have a habit of making situations awkward.

On the other hand, I have been getting on with things okay recently. I've managed to do as much work as I can during my free lessons and I've successfully managed to do most of the prep. work there. It just gets delayed when it comes to marking other teachers worksheets. They say its not in any rush, but the sooner its done the better so I can carry on working on my own lesson plans and worksheets. I am getting used to creating worksheets now, plus I remember to use American-English and to check my worksheets before I print them. Compared to when creating worksheets for training T_T.

I've met some great people here in Kuji. I've started to become a regular at a few places. And I am sure that the people at Lawsons are going to get annoyed when they see me enter, but they always greet me with a smile. Plus my friend likes to tease me by saying one of the guys who works there is cute and that I should give him my number or talk to him more. He is just trying to get me to have this love triangle to see where it will get me. As long as I am not put into the same situation as last Saturday then I am okay with that.

Last Saturday was hell for me. I am never going to a bar on my own again! I know little Japanese but to be told to sit with three drunk Japanese guys is the worst thing ever!! One guy kept trying to talk to me.. in his totally drunk state. Then tried to touch my hand, I shook his hand twice and then he tried to rest his head on my shoulder. This same guy told me he a girlfriend.... WTF! I am sorry, but that was hell. I couldn't understand what they were saying most of the time. When they tried to speak in English, they mumbled. I will be put in that same situation ever again!!

Otherwise, its all going well so far. Though I think I need to stop buying clothes >.< I am trying to blend in by buying Japanese style clothes.. but they are so pretty anyway that I can't help it! I've even made a friend in one of the clothes shops I go to. She came up to me on Sunday and asked for my name. Sadly, I have kind of forgotten her name. But its lovely how she came up to me and spoke to me in English. Maybe I should ask her where is the best places to go in Kuji, she can be my like tour guide :P

Its been so long!

Its been so long since I actually wrote a post. Life here is so different than being back in England. As well as the fact that I managed to find a guy I really like and the feeling is mutual!! Oh yes people!! Its MUTUAL!!! We haven't started dating yet. We are just friends first because I meet the guy like 3 weeks ago.

On Friday, three weeks ago, I was taken to a restaurant by a local guy and the two male Interac employee's. Being the only female had its perks, well it was less confusing any way. While we were ordering and I was talking to my Mother on Facebook (my social skills then were bad but there was some problems at home and it was the only time I could talk to my Mother). Anyway, I was told my friend Jay that I was getting checked out by a guy in the kitchen. I didn't really think anything of it at first because this is me. I am totally not popular with the guys back home. So me being me, I kind of felt happy that I was getting attention (who wouldn't) but I didn't know what guy he was talking about. As the night went on, I managed to make eye contact with this really cute guy. He totally caught my attention (>___.<. On the way to the restaurant, he said "I love Sarah!". I was so happy that I blushed and hid.

But we have been contacting each other everyday, so it must be a good thing right?! But this week I have seen him everyday. So fingers crossed!

Greetings from Japan!

Greetings from Japan!!

The past two weeks has been rather surreal. I still think I am really in the UK but only the primary language is different. Of course there was a lot of trouble in actually getting here. I will never be flying via British Airways ever again! I am really disappointed in the fact I was not allowed to fly the day I wanted. I arrived to training a day late; however I wasn’t the only one so I felt a little better after hearing that. Although, seeing as training already started, that meant that I didn’t have any time to get rid of the jet lag and adjust to Japanese time. For the first week I had very little sleep at around 4-5 hours as I kept waking up around 3:30am or 4:30am. I was able to sleep better in Morioka. I think it was because the training was more relaxed and I felt less pressured to do the tasks. However, I was able to meet the most amazing group of people ever. As well as making friends with other Brits who are venturing off to other parts of Japan and the two other British ALTs who are in Iwate Prefecture. I was able to make really close friends in Morioka and I do miss their company over the past couple of days.

However, since I’ve moved to Kuji-shi, I’ve managed to feel more at home. I have been meeting other ALTs every day and have gotten to know most of them rather well. Having that little support group has really helped me. Plus it helps that they speak better Japanese than me. Although I have been told that I am more than a beginner at Japanese then I am. I don’t know if that is true. But I hope to improve at least over the next two years.

Today was a very big day for me. I introduced myself to the Board of Education in Kuji. I did feel a little out of place as I kind of interacted with people but I mostly just sat there quietly and tried to listen to what people were saying. Then I was taken by my IC (Independent Contractors or “Helpers”) to my schools to greet the Principle, Vice Principle and the head of the English Department.

The first School I went to was one of the JHS’, it seems like a very big school and I have still yet to find out which classes I will be teaching. But the Head of English seems very nice and supportive. I even introduced myself to the teachers in the staff room in Japanese. I didn’t really expect it but they all smiled at me and that made me feel so at ease.

The JHS I went to was very small in comparison. I think there is a total of 50 students through out the entire school. The 2^nd and 3^rd years only consist of 15 students in each year. Very small indeed, but that means I get to learn less names. I was shown my desk in the teaching room. It really made me feel like part of the small group of staff. I was even given a tour of the school and spoke to the 3^rd years. They seem like a nice group. I think I might even get to help decorate the English room as it seems pretty bare at the moment.

Then lastly, after a 50 minute drive I arrived at the HS I will be working at. It is definitely the largest school of the three. Everyone seemed to be interested in this new Gaijin (Foreigner) in their school. Students were staring at me and smiling, to which I smiled back. Two female students seemed very happy to see me and said Hello to me. It is so strange to be treated this way. I was shown where my desk would be and introduced to the two other English teachers I will be working with.

I did have an interesting chat with my IC about holidays and going home. They suggested that I stay in Japan for the summer as I will be able to cope with that. However, going back to the UK during winter may be an idea. It gets cold in Japan and it is easier to get depressed during that period of time. Especially if I wish to stay in Japan for two years or more, going back home for a holiday will help.

Who knows what will happen over the coming year. But at least the first part of the greetings is out of the way. It’s the next part which is going to be embarrassing as it’s a greeting to the Students during assembly. I’ve heard stores that the students do something to greet the new teacher before they introduce themselves in English to everyone. I am so glad I have experience in being in front of a large group of people. However, that has been either singing or dancing. It has never been talking about oneself.

So wish me luck!!

 

 

Worst Day!!

I am so jealous of those who have already arrived in Japan!! I would have been arriving there soon if I had actually gone on the flight I was meant to go on.

Things just didn't go right today at all. I was printing off things till the last minute. But time flew by when I was with friends saying my goodbyes.

I was really nervous anyway. But as soon as I entered the airport, my stomach start doing loops. Then when I saw the lines for the drop off points... OMG!! I have never stood around waiting so much in my life! First waiting in line to get a seat. Then being told that the flight was overbooked and they asked if I want to let someone have my seat and be put on stand by. Which I didn't, ended up being on stand by, was about to start going through security when it stopped me as it had just turned 7:45. So it wouldn't let me through and I missed my flight T_T

Then I was told to go over to a section and join the queue there. I ended up waiting for two hours on a fast track queue to see about changing my flight as not only did I miss my flight by a few seconds. But they actually gave me someone else's boarding ticket. So the very kind guy said he would put as a high priority for the next flight but there was a 50/50 chance that I would be able to get on it. Then after waiting for almost an hour, I yet again get told that I won't be on the flight.

So I had to go back to the same place and re-book my flight.

Yet again I waited for two hours!! However, this time the lady who served me was very helpful and offered me compensation and a hotel room with meals for tonight to save me from travelling to and from the Island again. Admittedly, I didn't really want to end up on the next day flight but even this lady couldn't understand why I wasn't on the flight I was meant to be on. 

At least now I have my boarding pass for my flight, my suitcases are still in the terminal but I hope they are on the right flight. Apparently they don't put the suitcases on until you board the plane so they should be held somewhere waiting. I just have to go through security as I have 60,000￥.

Lets just hope tomorrow goes better and that there isn't any snow on the runways >_<

Suitcases packed..

Well I've managed to pack my two suitcases. I honestly hope that I will be alright getting from Haneda Airport to Narita airport when I arrive in Tokyo on Sunday at 5am. I do have plenty of time to get to Narita from Haneda as I won't be able to enter my room till 4pm. It will strange to be arriving in Japan and as my friend says "In 48 hours, you will be in in Tokyo". Its so strange to thing how quickly time has gone by.

I have never been so worried about getting my lesson plan right till recently. I know that I should really have more confidence in myself as I have been able to get my dream job. But all the more reason to worry about messing up. I've gotten so worried about it that my stomach started to churn and I wanted to be sick. I can get upset while worrying so easily that I really hope I get through Saturday and Sunday okay.

Preporations almost finished.

This blog will be focusing on my life in Japan and hopefully give people an idea of what its like there and how it compares to back home in England. Its going to be strange to be a Gaijin ("non-Japanese" or "alien"). To be totally immersed in Japanese culture and hope to learn more Japanese than I do now.

Well I've managed to pack my two suitcases. I honestly hope that I will be alright getting from Haneda Airport to Narita airport when I arrive in Tokyo on Sunday at 5am. I do have plenty of time to get to Narita from Haneda as I won't be able to enter my room till 4pm. It will strange to be arriving in Japan and as my friend says "In 48 hours, you will be in in Tokyo". Its so strange to thing how quickly time has gone by.