Friday, August 29, 2008
204
Thats how many stairs there are going in one direction to or from my apartment, I counted last night on my way home. So that means I probably walk about 500 stairs a day between the ones to my place, the ones at the train station, the ones at my school and the ones to get on base. By the time I get home I'll have walked enough stairs to last me a life time... and lets just say Justin and I will be getting a one story home when we get back to the states! =)
Thursday, August 28, 2008
My School
I have a few pics from my school I am going to post. I can not take my camera to school and take pics, so I took a picture of a picture from a brochure about the school. I have figured out that if I leave my apartment by 7:15 I can make the 7:30 train. It arrives at my stop at 7:50 and I am at my school before 8:05. Today was another boring day. I just sat at my desk all day and thumbed through the text book pretending to be creating lessons. This 8:30-4:30 crap is nonsense! Hopefully once school starts and there are actually students at school it wont be so bad... except I have nothing to teach them yet! Oh well I'll figure something out =)
So I'm not lovin the weather so much here. It has rained pratically everyday I have been here. Don't get me wrong, I like the rain, just not when I have to walk everywhere I want to go! Especially when its humid at the same time! I am not used to having it rain, yet still sweating at the same time. Yuk! Not a fan of their weather especially when I have to hike up 3 hills and 4 exhausting flights of stairs to get home! One of these days I am going to count how many stairs I have to go up. I bet its close to 100, if not more. If you want a good work out, just make the journey to my house. I know I don't have to worry about getting fat while I'm over here, I have a great work out routine on my way home everyday.
Anyways here is my school, it looks more like a university.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
First Day
Ohio Gozaimas! (Good Morning) I'm not sure if that is how you actually spell it or not, but I spelled it that way to remember how to pronounce it. Well today was my first "real" day working at my school. I finished training on Monday, and yesterday I went to my school for about 10 minutes to be introduced to the kouchou sensei (principal), kyotou sensei (vice principal) and a few of the JTE's I will be working with.
Today was a pretty boring day. School does not officially start until Monday. So I arrived to my school, which is named Yokosuka Sogo High School around 8:15 this morning. I was shown to my desk and told to hang out and relax until 9:00 and the kyotou sensei would meet me to give me a tour of the school. My desk is in the same office as all of the JTE's so while I was waiting on the vice principal, many of the JTE's were asking me questions. When 9:00 came around the vice prinicpal came down and gave me a tour of the school. Its a very big school, and I am really happy to have received a placement there. We finished up around 10:00 and he told me to take a 15 min break and he would be back to show me the gym, and the theatre and such. After we were done touring the rest of the school it was around 11:30 and the kyotou sensei and a JTE offered to take me to lunch. We went to a Japanese restaruant, and although I didn't really like what I ordered, I smiled and ate it anyway, not wanting to be rude and seeing that the kyotou sensei was paying for it anyways. We arrived back to school around 12:30 and I was told to prepare lessons for the next 4 hours and I could leave at 4:30. I was soooo bored! I had no idea what to prepare, or how the prepare anything. There is another alt named Brian who I will be working with, but he is on vacation until Monday. Brian does not work for the same company I do and has been working at the high school for about a month.
On Monday, I have to give a speech and introduce myself to about 80 teachers at the school, and again to the 960 students that go there. Basically I just have to introduce myself so it shouldn't be too hard. On September 19th and 20th the school is having a school festival. From what I understood I have to go to school on Saturday and Sunday for the festival and in turn will get the following Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off, then Justin pulls in that Thursday! I just wish I had Thursday off so I could watch them pull in again, but I'll take what I can get. My JTE's were very excited about inviting Justin to the school festival. They really want to meet him, and I think it would be so much fun if he could attend and see where I work, and meet my students and co workers, but he won't be in port yet =( Oh well, I'm sure there will be another school event and hopefully he will be in port for that one. For the festival, I have to create a huge poster about myself, including pictures. I am excited to make that! Well thats about it for now, hopefully tomorrow won't be as boring, but seeing that classes don't start until Monday, I'm assuming it will be another day like today.
Goodnight everyone!
Today was a pretty boring day. School does not officially start until Monday. So I arrived to my school, which is named Yokosuka Sogo High School around 8:15 this morning. I was shown to my desk and told to hang out and relax until 9:00 and the kyotou sensei would meet me to give me a tour of the school. My desk is in the same office as all of the JTE's so while I was waiting on the vice principal, many of the JTE's were asking me questions. When 9:00 came around the vice prinicpal came down and gave me a tour of the school. Its a very big school, and I am really happy to have received a placement there. We finished up around 10:00 and he told me to take a 15 min break and he would be back to show me the gym, and the theatre and such. After we were done touring the rest of the school it was around 11:30 and the kyotou sensei and a JTE offered to take me to lunch. We went to a Japanese restaruant, and although I didn't really like what I ordered, I smiled and ate it anyway, not wanting to be rude and seeing that the kyotou sensei was paying for it anyways. We arrived back to school around 12:30 and I was told to prepare lessons for the next 4 hours and I could leave at 4:30. I was soooo bored! I had no idea what to prepare, or how the prepare anything. There is another alt named Brian who I will be working with, but he is on vacation until Monday. Brian does not work for the same company I do and has been working at the high school for about a month.
On Monday, I have to give a speech and introduce myself to about 80 teachers at the school, and again to the 960 students that go there. Basically I just have to introduce myself so it shouldn't be too hard. On September 19th and 20th the school is having a school festival. From what I understood I have to go to school on Saturday and Sunday for the festival and in turn will get the following Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off, then Justin pulls in that Thursday! I just wish I had Thursday off so I could watch them pull in again, but I'll take what I can get. My JTE's were very excited about inviting Justin to the school festival. They really want to meet him, and I think it would be so much fun if he could attend and see where I work, and meet my students and co workers, but he won't be in port yet =( Oh well, I'm sure there will be another school event and hopefully he will be in port for that one. For the festival, I have to create a huge poster about myself, including pictures. I am excited to make that! Well thats about it for now, hopefully tomorrow won't be as boring, but seeing that classes don't start until Monday, I'm assuming it will be another day like today.
Goodnight everyone!
Monday, August 25, 2008
More Pics
The kitchen
Room 2 had a sliding door to the balcony and a closet
living/dining area facing the hallway. Bedroom 2 is the door on the left.
Pics!
Ok everyone here at the pics of our apartment I promised!
This is the entry way, the door on the right is the toilet, the room on the left is the sink and the shower, and straight takes you into the living/dining area.
The toilet
The shower. This whole room is the shower, not just the tub. You just close the door and take your shower!
The window in room 1
This is the entry way, the door on the right is the toilet, the room on the left is the sink and the shower, and straight takes you into the living/dining area.The toilet
The sink. The space on the right is where the washer would go.
Room number 1. There are 2 closets and a window. My room is a mess already!
The window in room 1
Update!
Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't posted in a while I have been sooo busy! Well I moved in to mine and Justins apartment on Saturday morning. I don't have internet access hooked up yet so I have to come to base to use the free wireless they have here. The base is 4 train stops away from our apartment. I bought a bed on Saturday, but it wont be delivered for a week. Saturday night I made myself a nice bed out of some clothes and towels and slept on the hardwood floor. After deciding that that wasn't very comfortable, I went out and bought an air mattress, blanket and pillow on Sunday.
Who knew they had Hooters in Japan!
This one's for Bonnie, I can go to "Attle" whenever I want =)
Our apartment building
Today was my last day of training. Tomorrow morning I go to my school to meet my principal, vice principal and JTE (Japanese Teacher of English). Then I start on Wednesday! I pretty much work monday-friday 8:30-4:30.
Things have been good so far. Just can't wait to get everything settled in our apartment. We don't have a refrigerator or a washer so I am going to look in to getting those. But once we get all of that and Justin is here things will be great! I have some pics to post but to be quite honest, I'm a little tired, and still need to grab dinner, and get a good nights rest before my big day tomorrow! I will be sure to post and let you know how it goes, and hopefully post some pics of my apartment tomorrow!
Wish me luck!
Oh and also our address is....
Room 214 1-1-1
Hamamidai, Yokosuka
237-0077
I'm not sure if that is how you would address it on an envelope/package, but thats what I have written down here.
Here are a few pics for now...
Who knew they had Hooters in Japan!Our apartment building
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Call Me!
Hey guys! Sorry I didn't have time to post yesterday, I got back to my hotel late and my internet wasn't working very well. But! I did want to give you all my new cell phone number =) I can't call internationally from it because it is too expensive, but I do get free incoming calls from anywhere in the world. Thats right, it costs you guys to call me =) sweet deal! Just kidding, what I recommend if you want to, or ever need to call me in an emergency or something is to download a program where you can call over the internet, like skype or yahoo messenger, those programs are both very cheap to call anywhere in the world. I use both those programs to call home, instead of my cell phone. Well I guess its time to give you my phone number huh? Ok its
08066217655
Make sure you dial the country code and all that other nonsense when trying to call me. I' ll try and get all that info and post it on here, but for now I gotta run! Talk to you soon, and don't forget to call me =)
<3 love ya!
08066217655
Make sure you dial the country code and all that other nonsense when trying to call me. I' ll try and get all that info and post it on here, but for now I gotta run! Talk to you soon, and don't forget to call me =)
<3 love ya!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Japan!
Hey guys what's up?? Well I thought I'd start a blog so I can share with everyone my experiences in Japan =) So far things have been up and down. I arrived here Monday evening, which was very early Monday morning back home. When I arrived at the airport I had about an hour until my train arrived to take me to my hotel in Yokohama. During that hour, I had to freshen up so that I looked "professional" after my 11 hour flight. As I was leaving the bathroom after a quick change and freshen up of the make-up, I ran over my big toe with my suitcase (that my dad claims weighed 350lbs) and broke my toe nail! Who knew that I'd be using my first aid kit not even 30 minutes after arriving in Japan! Then on my way to my train, I almost broke my leg trying to go down an escalator in heels with 2 suitcases, a backpack, carry-on bag and my purse! It was quite the struggle but I made it alright. I do have to say that it was a very weird feeling arriving in Japan and not being greeted by Justin. After my hour and a half train ride, I arrived in Yokohama where a representative from my company met me and escorted me to my hotel. By this time it was about 8:30pm here/4:30am back home and I was completely exhausted, so I crashed.
On Tuesday morning, the same man who escorted me to my hotel the night before, met me at my hotel so we could go apartment hunting in Yokosuka! We took the train down there. I was so happy to be in familiar territory! We ended up finding an apartment which is close enough to base for Justin, and right up the road from the Shioiri train station that I will use to take to work. Its a very big place compared to what I've heard about places in Japan. But along with the space comes the price and let me say thank god the military is paying for it! I should be moving into my apartment over the weekend and as soon as I do I'll be sure to post pics! (If I figure out how, or Bonnie tells me how to) After apartment hunting, I was sent by myself to figure out my way back to the hotel. The train systems here are quite confusing and sometimes you have to get off of one train and transfer to another to get where you need to go. Justin and I have gotten lost on the trains before so to be doing it all by myself made me a little nervous, but I just kept asking questions about which train to take, which stop to get off at and so on. Japanese people are so nice about directing you where to go, and for the most part can understand what I'm trying to ask, or where I'm trying to go. When I finally got back to my hotel it was around dinner time here, so I walked up the road to TGI Fridays =)
Today was my first day of training. It was a long day, but very informative, and quite fun. I met a lot of other assistant language teachers, some who are staying in the same hotel as me, and some who will be working in Yokosuka with me, just at different schools. For the most part these past couple of days haven't been bad. I have definitely had moments where I questioned whether or not I made the right decision, and moments where I miss home like crazy, but as everything is starting to fall into place, I am feeling more and more at home here. I mostly get around by walking, and occasionally by train, depending on where I am going. I am getting more familiar with the streets here, and go not by street names, but points of reference. For example, to get to the JR Kannai train station near my hotel, I know that I have to pass the starbucks, and make a left at the corner where the mister donut shop is. I know that on my way back to the hotel, I have to turn down the street with the big Chinese (and I mean Chinese, not Japanese) building on the corner. And if I get lost, I just stop and ask someone for directions, or point to where I'm trying to go on my map (thats right I have a map, and I hold it out in front of me like a tourist when I'm trying to find somewhere new) and get pointed in the right direction by some nice Japanese person who usually tells me to take care, or have a nice day after assisting me.
Well theres a quick update for you all! I will try and post some pics soon! love and miss everyone! XOXO
On Tuesday morning, the same man who escorted me to my hotel the night before, met me at my hotel so we could go apartment hunting in Yokosuka! We took the train down there. I was so happy to be in familiar territory! We ended up finding an apartment which is close enough to base for Justin, and right up the road from the Shioiri train station that I will use to take to work. Its a very big place compared to what I've heard about places in Japan. But along with the space comes the price and let me say thank god the military is paying for it! I should be moving into my apartment over the weekend and as soon as I do I'll be sure to post pics! (If I figure out how, or Bonnie tells me how to) After apartment hunting, I was sent by myself to figure out my way back to the hotel. The train systems here are quite confusing and sometimes you have to get off of one train and transfer to another to get where you need to go. Justin and I have gotten lost on the trains before so to be doing it all by myself made me a little nervous, but I just kept asking questions about which train to take, which stop to get off at and so on. Japanese people are so nice about directing you where to go, and for the most part can understand what I'm trying to ask, or where I'm trying to go. When I finally got back to my hotel it was around dinner time here, so I walked up the road to TGI Fridays =)
Today was my first day of training. It was a long day, but very informative, and quite fun. I met a lot of other assistant language teachers, some who are staying in the same hotel as me, and some who will be working in Yokosuka with me, just at different schools. For the most part these past couple of days haven't been bad. I have definitely had moments where I questioned whether or not I made the right decision, and moments where I miss home like crazy, but as everything is starting to fall into place, I am feeling more and more at home here. I mostly get around by walking, and occasionally by train, depending on where I am going. I am getting more familiar with the streets here, and go not by street names, but points of reference. For example, to get to the JR Kannai train station near my hotel, I know that I have to pass the starbucks, and make a left at the corner where the mister donut shop is. I know that on my way back to the hotel, I have to turn down the street with the big Chinese (and I mean Chinese, not Japanese) building on the corner. And if I get lost, I just stop and ask someone for directions, or point to where I'm trying to go on my map (thats right I have a map, and I hold it out in front of me like a tourist when I'm trying to find somewhere new) and get pointed in the right direction by some nice Japanese person who usually tells me to take care, or have a nice day after assisting me.
Well theres a quick update for you all! I will try and post some pics soon! love and miss everyone! XOXO
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