First year status: Complete
So Japan is now in between the rainy season and the typhoon season. It's muggy, and it's hot, and soon the cicadas will be loud enough to drown out an entire conversation, but you know what else? As of Tuesday, I have finished my first year of teaching with JET!!!
I don't really want to turn this into some sort of year-in-review-thinky post, since you all got minor updates along the way, but I will say that the local community is very kind, the kids are absolutely awesome, and I'm immensely relieved that I won't be switching away from middle school, since I connect so much better with those kids and teachers than the ones at elementary. ♥ Nonetheless, I only plan to do one more year of teaching here. Summer break lasts for about 40 days, and after that I'll be going into my final year with JET! :O Crazy!
The other ALT in my town is busy packing up all his things, so he can move to Tokyo this year. I've had a little bit of online contact with the guy who'll be replacing him,but....let's just say that I don't expect him to be my new best friend. I'm not sure how well he'll be able to adjust to life in a rural town, but I hope he does well with the kids regardless of his struggles with being a self-proclaimed "city boy" in Gunma. It'll take nerves of steel and a full fountain of energy for him to successfully teach elementary school for 7 months, like he's scheduled to do. 8D;;;
Unfortunately for him, I won't actually be here to welcome him and show him around the town when he arrives, but that's because my family is coming to visit for about a week and a half starting next Wednesday! This'll probably be their only chance to see my home in Gunma.
My plan is to take 2 days showing them my town and introducing them to my schools and board of education. After that, my dad said that he was interested in climbing Mount Fuji, so we'll be heading down south to try our hand at reaching the top, along with a bajillion Chinese tourists. I also plan to take them to the theme park FujiQ Highland (which I hear has a new roller coaster) and the hot springs at Hakone while we're in the area. Aaaand after that it'll be back to Tokyo. I really want to see the fish market with them and have some mega fresh sushi. And then on my family's last day, because it's just before my sister's birthday, I want to take her shopping in Harajuku and then to take her to see the new Bleach musical.
It's a well-packed vacation, but I've got entire days set aside just for travel, so hopefully we won't be worn out by the end. I really am looking forward to the time with my family. ♥
This weekend I'll be going to the Heso Matsuri aka Belly Button Festival in Shibukawa! I was hoping that I'd be able to cosplay, since there's a character in TeniMyu who wears a short cut uniform and dances around with his belly painted, but evidently that's not acceptible. Girls aren't even allowed to show their stomachs, only guys. So instead, I'm painting t-shirts for Paula and I. Each one has half of Kamen Rider W's face on it. XD Don't worry. There will be pictures.
I don't really want to turn this into some sort of year-in-review-thinky post, since you all got minor updates along the way, but I will say that the local community is very kind, the kids are absolutely awesome, and I'm immensely relieved that I won't be switching away from middle school, since I connect so much better with those kids and teachers than the ones at elementary. ♥ Nonetheless, I only plan to do one more year of teaching here. Summer break lasts for about 40 days, and after that I'll be going into my final year with JET! :O Crazy!
The other ALT in my town is busy packing up all his things, so he can move to Tokyo this year. I've had a little bit of online contact with the guy who'll be replacing him,but....let's just say that I don't expect him to be my new best friend. I'm not sure how well he'll be able to adjust to life in a rural town, but I hope he does well with the kids regardless of his struggles with being a self-proclaimed "city boy" in Gunma. It'll take nerves of steel and a full fountain of energy for him to successfully teach elementary school for 7 months, like he's scheduled to do. 8D;;;
Unfortunately for him, I won't actually be here to welcome him and show him around the town when he arrives, but that's because my family is coming to visit for about a week and a half starting next Wednesday! This'll probably be their only chance to see my home in Gunma.
My plan is to take 2 days showing them my town and introducing them to my schools and board of education. After that, my dad said that he was interested in climbing Mount Fuji, so we'll be heading down south to try our hand at reaching the top, along with a bajillion Chinese tourists. I also plan to take them to the theme park FujiQ Highland (which I hear has a new roller coaster) and the hot springs at Hakone while we're in the area. Aaaand after that it'll be back to Tokyo. I really want to see the fish market with them and have some mega fresh sushi. And then on my family's last day, because it's just before my sister's birthday, I want to take her shopping in Harajuku and then to take her to see the new Bleach musical.
It's a well-packed vacation, but I've got entire days set aside just for travel, so hopefully we won't be worn out by the end. I really am looking forward to the time with my family. ♥
This weekend I'll be going to the Heso Matsuri aka Belly Button Festival in Shibukawa! I was hoping that I'd be able to cosplay, since there's a character in TeniMyu who wears a short cut uniform and dances around with his belly painted, but evidently that's not acceptible. Girls aren't even allowed to show their stomachs, only guys. So instead, I'm painting t-shirts for Paula and I. Each one has half of Kamen Rider W's face on it. XD Don't worry. There will be pictures.