My First Week in Japan

     As you may have guessed, I am now in Japan, where I have been since last Sunday. These past few days have been amazing, but my time here didn't start off so wonderful.....

     When I first arrived in Japan, I was an absolute mess. Jet lag hit me like a ton of bricks and I felt physically and emotionally worn out. I wasn't sleeping right, I couldn't eat without feeling nauseous and I was very dehydrated. Tokyo Orientation was all a blur and I had to skip multiple panels just to go lay in my room and sleep. I would lay down and it would feel like everything was spinning. I got to explore Shinjuku a little bit, but not nearly as much as I would have liked. I was just too exhausted to be adventurous. I don't know if I had ever felt so strange before in my life...

     However, once I arrived in Suzuka-shi, Mie-ken, my new home, and got settled into my apartment, I slowly started feeling more like myself again. Now, I am feeling great and have gotten my appetite back. I'm really loving exploring my neighborhood and trying all the different foods, especially the pastries :)  There are a few shops very close to me that have a large variety of things. I bought a nice new bike that I've been taking everywhere and I'm in love with it.

     I can't say anything about the job yet, as I don't begin teaching until September, but right now it's really easy and kind of boring. I have to report to the City Hall every weekday from 8:30 to 4:30, but we get a full hour for lunch, and all we have to do is sit at a desk and we occasionally are asked to help with minor tasks. Mostly, though, us 4 municipal Suzuka ALTs just talk amongst ourselves and this awesome Japanese guy who loves to hang out with us. It's pretty laid back, but I know it won't stay this way. In just a few weeks, work will become a lot more hectic, as I get used to a completely different schedule and a much more demanding work load.

    So far, so good!  Stay tuned!

It's getting close...

    7 days until the farewell/early birthday party at my house, where I'll get to see a lot of friends and family for a final time before I leave

    14 days until the last day of my current job (where I've worked at for 7 YEARS). I'll miss some of my coworkers, but I am very happy to be moving on to something new!

    And, last but certainly not least, 21 days until I accomplish one of the biggest items on my bucket list -- JAPAN.


    These past few weeks have been super busy with work, running errands, and trying to hang out with friends as much as humanly possible. Two of my best friends are moving to Baltimore today, which is a good 7 hours away, and I already miss them :( . One of my other friends who can't attend the party got to hang out last weekend and I have no idea when I'll get to see her again. There is just a lot of goodbyes going on recently and it's making the whole "moving to Japan" thing super real. Like, this is a thing I am actually doing. People are saying goodbye to me, and it's not the "I'll see you again in a couple of weeks for dinner" type of goodbye. It's the "I have no idea when I'll see you again. It will probably be a couple of years or something. We'll have to Skype every now and then..." type of goodbye. It's so strange.

    As far as preparations go, there's a lot left to do. Still got to call Visa about using my card overseas. Still got to get vaccines, if I'm going to get any at all (I'll probably just update my tetanus. I live life on the edge..). Still got to go to the dentist, if I still want to do that (probably not). Got to finish packing, but I've already got quite a bit of that done, actually. I have to get a mailer box and send off some bulky winter clothes to Japan ahead of me. Gotta print off some pictures that I took of my house and family that I can show students. Aaaaaand....I think that's about it. I think.

    Life has been moving pretty fast. I kept telling myself I would have plenty of time to get all this stuff done, but...not really. 21 days = 3 weeks, and I have to tell myself not to start freaking out. I'm excited, don't get me wrong, but stress has been getting the better of me lately. I think I'll going to go run off this nervous energy and start making a detailed to-do list for next week....



 

Yay! It's an Update!

So I have finally got the e-mail with loads of important documents (contract, guidebook, apartment details, etc.)! Here is what I know:
1) I'll be living near the downtown area of Suzuka.
2) My apartment is considered spacious in comparison to other JET apartments
3) It will be equipped with a western style toilet(THANK GOD) and a dryer. If I'm getting any other furnishings, I don't know yet.
4) I'll be alternating between two middle schools every two weeks. I may also visit some elementary schools and have occasional office hours at the City Hall.
5) I will only have to pay about 70,000 yen for apartment starting costs, which is pretty freaking awesome. I was expecting to have to pay at least 100,000 yen.


What I don't know is whether or not I have a predecessor. I know I don't have a JET pred, but I assume I do have one from the other ALT company. However, I do not know if this person is expected to contact me or not. It would be cool to know if any other furnishings would be left in the apartment for me and other little details.

I am really happy that I'm going to be in the main part of the city, close to lots of things to do and places to eat :)  Not to mention, most of the other ALTs in the city live in this same area. If you're reading this and you're a Mie prefecture JET too (or if you're a JET anywhere remotely nearby), let me know! I want to meet everyone I can.

....Hi

     Just dropping by to say hey, pretty much. Nothing has really happened since my last post, but I'm expecting to hearing some new news soonish. Just letting you guys know I'm still alive! haha
 We did get some info on the flight to Japan for us DC Consulate people, actually. We'll be flying through American Airlines: DC to Chicago, Chicago to Tokyo. Yep. Chicago to Tokyo is a 14 HOUR flight. That will be fun, right? heh.
     It seems like I've been getting emails from Japan every Monday for the past couple of weeks, so if that trend continues, I'll wake up tomorrow morning with an update from my BoE! We shall see....

Preparing for the Move

     Not too much has happened since my last post. I still haven't heard anything from my predecessor yet. There is a pretty good chance I may not have one, because it sounds like nobody in Suzuka has taught at a middle school before and I think that's what I'll be teaching... I have heard from the BoE (board of education), though. It was just a hello and welcome e-mail, so I'm still waiting to hear exactly what schools I'll be teaching at and where my apartment will be.
     I'm also still waiting to hear if my background check has made it through or not. I get my next credit card bill next week, so if the charge from the FBI isn't on there, I'll probably get a little worried. Thankfully, the JET office seems very understanding that things can happen and are willing to work with us to help solve problems that arise. I think the DC office said they would send out e-mails on the 15th to all the people they have yet to recieve the background checks from so that we know to call the FBI to see what's up.
     As far as other preparations go, I've bought a new camera -- Sony Cybershot, 12 MP with HD video capabilities and it can take panoramic photos, which is pretty cool. Also, the battery charger is two-prong and compatible with Japanese frequencies and all that jazz. Then, I bought a Samsonite roller luggage set from ebags.com( http://www.ebags.com/product/samsonite/winfield-2-3-piece-luggage-set/234482?couponid=28766504&sourceID=DEALTIME )  It's a little more money than I wanted to spend on luggage, but this set is perfect for my needs. Also, it fits airport regulations perfectly and they are very lightweight for being so heavy duty. I'm using the smallest of the 3 cases as a carry on. I've heard that if you don't spend a decent amount of money on luggage, it will probably fall apart as much as it can get thrown around by airport security, so I don't regret buying these.
     Today, I'm going to try making some phone calls. I say "try", because I really don't like calling and talking to people I don't know on the phone. I need to call banks and see who can convert my dollars into yen, because my bank won't do it. I've heard that there's no easy/cheap place to convert money in the Mie prefecture, so I'm going to go ahead and convert all my money here. Also, I need to make some doctor's appointments...yuck. Gotta get a new pair of glasses before I leave too...
    
     Safe to say, I have my work cut out for me... but I get to go to Japan and have an awesome job and stuff, so it's all worth it in the end :)

My Placement!

Last week, I was sent the email with my placement for JET and I think I'm really going to like it.
I got Suzuka City, in Mie Prefecture! Woot!
To give you an idea of where that is exactly, let's look at a handy dandy map.

As you can see by the teeny tiny map in the bottom right hand corner, it's pretty close to major cities and it's on Japan's main island (Honshu). While the Mie Prefecture is, as a whole, considered a rural prefecture, Suzuka is one of the more urban parts of the area. I'm pretty happy that I'll be so close to the water, considering I'm no where near the ocean at home.
Also, the other JETs in Mie seem to be really friendly and have already been extremely helpful on the MieJets.org forum.
While I'm still nervous about the big move, I'm also very excited. I don't think it's quite hit me yet that I'm actually leaving home. I don't think it will until I'm headed to DC for the Predeparture Orientation....

Regardless, I'm feeling fairly optimistic about everything at the moment. I'm ready for adventure :)

So you've been shortlisted! ....Now what?

     First off, to those of you who have been shortlisted for the JET Program: CONGRATS! The application and interview process can be rough and this isn't an easy job to get into. All that waiting can make a person want to pull out their hair....but you've MADE IT.

     I happened to notice my job results email while in the car, on the way home from a long, tiring day at work. I thought, "Hmm. It's been a few hours since I've had the chance to check my email on my phone....let's see.........oh my god. I see the word "congratulations". It has to be good!!!!  AhHHHHHHH". After I got over the inital shock of this news, I calmed myself down enough to call and text family and friends, then, of course, updated my facebook status :-P 

     The next day, the reality of everything set in. I read over the email again, and made note of all the additional documents that had to be submitted. I sadly realised that my work here was not yet done.... Here's the list of things you'll have to mail in after getting shortlisted or alternated for JET:
          
             1) Reply Form: This is a 2 page document. You answer some basic questions, attach two passport sized photos and a copy of your passport.

            2) FBI Background Check: First, you fill out this form: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks/applicant-information-form ... then, you mail that, along with fingerprints(rolled impressions of all 10 fingers), and check/money order/credit card form, to the FBI (FBI CJIS Division – Record Request, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, Clarksburg, WV 26306). If you need the credit card form, you can find it here: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks/credit-card-payment-form

             3) IRS Proof of Residency Forms (Form 6166): Here is the form 8802 you'll need to fill out to request From 6166 - http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8802.pdf . Make sure you follow whatever instructions you are given from your consulate in your acceptance letter/email. You can find additional information about these forms here: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i8802.pdf

             4) Medical Form: You must have a medical doctor fill out this form and make sure they answer every question. I've heard countless stories of people having to go back to their doctor, because something was missing. It includes a urine test, eye test, color blindness test, TB test (or chest xray), vitals (blood pressure and heart rate), and some medical history questions. If the question doesn't apply to you, have the doctor write "N/A".

             5) Proof of graduation: This applies only if you haven't already submitted it with your original application.


       In most cases, you'll be asked to submit the reply form, medical form, and copies of your background check request within 3-4 weeks of your acceptance email. Considering it could take some time to get in to see a doctor, get fingerprints, etc, it's a good idea to get started on these things as quickly as possible. Also, the background check takes anywhere from 6-12 weeks to be done, so sending that out quickly is important; the JET office usually wants it by late June.

      After you get all that sent, you can sit back and relax for a little while, until you get your placement email, which is usually sent in late May/early June. Then, a few weeks after that you'll get some additional info from your BoE (board of education), a contract, and your predecessor's info, so you can ask them questions.

I'll be posting again sometime in the next few days to talk about where I've been placed and what I'm currently doing to prepare for departure!