JET Orientation

I'm so behind with blog posts it actually hurts... But next on my list is Jet Orientation! Way back on the... 9th ... of July. The day of the wonderful tube strike!

As they said at Orientation, this really was the first day of the job, I broke out my BRAND NEW SUIT (ugh), ate some awful breakfast from the awful on campus cafe (seriously what is that university, it's horrible) stayed in an awful room in a flat full of boys (SERIOUSLY?) and attended a lot of workshops and lectures.

The lectures were really helpful, despite almost every single lecturer, including the Japanese Embassy being late. Well, they were mostly helpful but I feel like we could've been given more info on daily life. The teaching workshop was a little pointless, we discussed drilling techniques and they're all techniques I use at Kumon. I get the feeling the majority of UK JET's have zero teach experience if they don't know basic drilling. We also had a really inspiring lecture from Michael Maher King, he actually did a TED talk. His lecturing skills are much better now but you can get the gist of what he said here!

I made some friends on the first day and went out for food with them (god forbid going back to the on campus cafe!) and the next day was dedicated to Japanese classes ... all day! IJ1 at SOAS made me feel awful about my language ability so I put myself in the intermediate class (even though technically I guess I should've been in advanced) but it turned out that intermediate was full of people too nervous to go into advanced so it worked out well! We covered a lot of stuff I already knew but it raised my confidence and it was nice to feel I was good at Japanese again. I have a nice shiny new self intro to use in Japan now too! But... again, I feel like most JET's don't know Japanese, there were only 2 classes for people who knew some Japanese, the rest were complete beginner classes as far as I could tell. It does make me wonder what kind of person they actually wanted to participate in the programme.

But anyway! I'm glad that's over, next week is Tokyo orientation (ugh more classes?) but we'll be in groups with people going to our prefecture so I'm looking forward to meeting people I'll actually be close to!

The day I received lots of things (and travelled to France)

My posts are a little back logged because I've been so busy and I'm currently writing this from a gross room in queen Mary's university to distract myself from, well the gross. 

Back to Wednesday 1st of July! Haha this post is basically about, well, the post. First I received this AMAZING STRAP I BOUGHT 

The free! birthday merch is adorable I'm so glad I have it! I was so excited when it was announced because ISN'T IT JUST THE CUTEST THING EVER?

 I also received an email from my predecessor and my contract! 

My preds info wasn't that useful but I guess some contact was nice. I did find out that I will be teaching at two elementary schools!! I'm really excited because primary age kids are usually really fun and I won't have to explain much grammar (THANK GOD). I'll also be teaching special needs students... I'm a little wary about this. First off I'm suspicious as to why I am doing this. I don't know another JET teaching disabled students and I have a feeling it's because I have a disability. This will be such a challenge but I had a pretty long discussion with some JETA's this week about disabilities in Japan and instead of scaring me it's made me want to do all I can to help. 

My contract is great, I get paid leave for THAT TIME OF THE MONTH and as someone who sometimes faints from the pain I am ETERNALLY GRATEFUL. THANK YOU NAGAHAMA BOE.

I also got my new glasses... Which... Then broke...

Then off to kings x I went to catch le eurostar which was DELAYED because of reasons unknown. Idk. Eurostar are awful at communication. 

R.I.P. glasses

We arrived in Paris just after midnight and at out accommodation even later, thanks so much eurostar I CANT WAIT FOR MY REFUND. 

PLACED

I FINALLY FOUND OUT WHERE I’LL BE MOVING TO IN AUGUST! Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture! K I’d never heard of Shiga, I do know it’s near (ish) to Kyoto (now) It’s in Kansai, Honshu (my boss is so going to laugh when she hears this, “I hope you’re not Kansai” she said). I’m close to Himeiji Castle (WHICH I NEED TO SEE) and Nagahama has lots of historical connections, and looks beautiful. I just hope it has… idk a bus service? Its no where near the busiest city in Shiga but I just hope.. I have a bus. Please god give me a bus service.

Even though I recieved that magic upgrade phone call, my handbook and all these important forms to fill out I don’t think I was really thinking of JET as real. Not capital R Real anyway. But now I know where I’m going I can get an idea of what to expect. I’m still waiting on my contracting organisation to contact me. I wonder what kind of school I’m teaching at! I can’t find a list of high schools only junior high and elementary schools. Maybe I’ll be at one of those? 

Back into the unknown I go. I feel like JET don’t want to give you all the information at once, they have it but gosh they are not going to give it. It’s stressful but also really exciting.