Willy Goes To Japan: Part Deux

HAJET Summer Meeting: Camping

2011-06-28T18:37:00.000-07:00

HAJET held their Summer Meeting at Shin Shinotsu again this year and it was very fun!

For me, this marks the first camping trip of the season and I look forward to many more, as long as my schedule permits it...

I arrived at the campground Friday evening to a beautiful sunset, with just enough light to get the tents set up. As the night approached, it became quite apparent that the sweater I brought with me was going to be a necessity. As people began to trickle in, we decided on building a fire to stay warm. In that first night, we bought all of the coals that were available from the local Lawson (convenient store).

We had a great time gathered around the fire pit talking and catching up. Later that night we all gathered in our designated tents and slept. Well, some of us slept, while others were far too cold to sleep. I was able to deal with the temperatures and had no problem sleeping.

We squeeze ourselves on the bench near the fire pit to stay as warm as possible

The tower at the campground

And of course Wani, is always a staple at HAJET events

Super serious.

Waking up quite early the next morning, I decided to take advantage of the onsen right next to the campground. Refreshed and ready to go, we held our HAJET PC meeting and general meeting and after the official HAJET stuff, the members were free to enjoy the campground or the area surrounding it. I stayed on the campg enjoyed the rest of the day playing basketball, throwing the frisbee, throwing the football, and playing with the kids who began to gather around the campground.

HAJET General Meeting

The Tower at the Campground. We enjoyed throwing the football and frisbee of of the tower.

Not sure what`s going on here.

Later that night we held our HAJET enkai and cooked tons of food. It was significantly colder than friday and this time, I woke up at 2:00am shivering and realized I couldn`t deal with the cold, so I gathered my things and slept in my car. haha


So our Tents were camped out in the center near the firepits. A.K.A. Gaijin Town haha

Cooking the hot dogs, while eating... We really bought a lot of food.

Still cooking

A short break to enjoy some convo.

Eating in the sun.

And of course, what`s camping without Marshmallows

And the Cold Set in

Like I said, we bought a lot of food.

Sunday morning I again woke up very early and took advantage of the onsen. There was much to clean up, but we took care of it and had plenty of time to enjoy the incredible weather. It wasn`t too hot, but I got sunburnt like crazy! The kids around the campground enjoyed chasing us around and it provided a wonderful opportunity for some Kokusai Kouryu.

Wani, always has the best pictures

We held a yard sale, where those JETs who were heading home had the opportunity to sell a bunch of stuff they wouldn`t need... And some people really took advantage of this time... Whether the stuff sold was a different story.

Watch out! There`s a giant skull with an axe wearing a Gakuran right behind you!!!

Someone was selling a Kotatsu, so we decided to model the Kotatsu outside. You can`t tell, but we`re playing a very interesting game of Scrabble.

Sitting around hanging out in the sun

Me, deep in thought.

The kids had a good time messing with Andy. And we had a good time watching!

And of course, Wani, always a hit with the kids.

All in all the summer meeting was a success. For me, the best part of the weekend was the huge opportunity that we had as an organization to show the positivity we could bring to the local community. With so many families and their kids camping at the campground, we were able to play tag with the kids and teach them a little english while doing it. It was great to see the parents laughing and taking pictures of the kids running around with us. As we were heading out, I went over to one family to thank the parents and they said to me, "We`re so glad that we decided to come this weekend. Thank you for spending time with the kids, they really had a fun time."

I`m Alive, don`t worry I`m Alive!! Part 3: Here comes Spring

2011-06-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

In March, HAJET had it`s winter meeting in Niseko and it was awesome. At this meeting I officially took my office as President of HAJET. Looking back it seems like a very long time ago, but a lot has happened since.

Literally a week after taking office, the massive earthquake and tsunami that rocked Northeastern Japan struck on March 11.

Depicts the areas that shook the most when the earthquake hit.

I was returning to the BOE from a full day of classes at the JHS, when all the sudden the entire office began to move. It wasn`t a shake, but more of a slow shifting back and forth. If you were prone to motion sickness, you would have ended up feeling horrible. This continued for quite a few minutes. As it began to lessen, my coworkers gathered around the TV and it was quite evident a very large earthquake had struck the Northeastern Coast of Japan. The news stations were trying their hardest to warn everyone to evacuate the coastal areas. Looking back at this, it really seems surreal. I remember looking at the TV and thinking that the Tsunami won`t be too large, but as the water began to rush the coast you could see bridges being taken over. People and cars were still trying to escape. It was quite the scene. Of course no one knew how bad it would really be at that time.

Having recently become President of HAJET, the prefectural council began discussions about what we could do. Eventually with the help of many people, we decided to sell a T-Shirt with 100% of the proceeds going to the Japanese Red Cross Society. I`m very happy to say that we successfully completed this fundraising event, and we have talked about doing more in the future. In fact, we gathered so much money as an organization, it was the most money donated to the Japanese Red Cross Society collection center in my town. My town mayor decided to hold a small ceremony and I ended up on the local subprefectural news paper, 十勝毎日新聞　Tokachi Daily News Paper. Here`s the article... BTW, I had to have broken some kind of record, this made the 4th time in less than a year that I made it on this news paper! hahaha

Golden Week!

So, in May I spent about 10 days on vacation for Golden Week. It was awesome. Golden Week just happens to fall on my birthday, so it`s convenient in that sense, but since most of my friends are off on vacation, no one gathers around or is too busy getting ready to leave for some trip. I spent a few days in Kansai and then after more than two years, I finally got to go back to Okinawa. When I landed in Naha, it was like coming home. Though I was born in Florida, I will always and forever think of Okinawa as my home.

I got to spend some time with my Grandmother and other family members, while visiting different parts of Okinawa. One major goal that I had for my trip to Okinawa was to purchase a Sanshin. Which I did and it`s awesome. I can`t tell you the number of times I`ve sat at home in Hokkaido wishing I had my Sanshin to play. Now, I can play it whever I want!

That pretty much catches us up. On other info. I did recontract back in February and will have the wonderful opportunity to spend another full year in Hokkaido.

There`s tons of stuff that went on and I really don`t believe this three part series did it justice, so if you have any questions about anything, please shoot them my way. If you`re a JET and have been placed in Hokkaido, feel free to ask me anything. And if you are on your way to Hokkaido as a JET or ALT, good luck and i hope to see you soon!

Please stay tuned... Hopefully I`ll have something entertaining to write about soon... and I don`t mean in another 6 months.

I`m Alive, don`t worry I`m Alive!! Part 2: Yuki Matsuri

2011-06-15T19:41:00.000-07:00

So in February I went to the Sapporo Yuki Matsuri or Snow Festival.

This was awesome. Again, I`ll have pictures below.

Following the Yuki Matsuri, I began to get swamped with various things.... one of which was a new hobby! I found that snowboarding is an incredibly awesome sport! For those of you heading to Hokkaido as a JET and may not be used to the winter, the best way to fight the winter blues is to find a hobby.

Before coming to Hokkaido I had Skii`d before, but never snowboarded. Luckily, I had made the decision that I was going to try snowboarding and on my first day on the slopes... I just splattered myself all over the mountain... The next day, I hurt in all sorts of different places. After about my third time on the slopes I began getting the hang of it and can pretty much snowboard anything.

I don`t have many pictures of my snowboarding adventures, but I hope to get some up later.

NOTE: The Lonely Island Videos are taking a hiatus... well it seems they have taken a hiatus for a very long time, but now they`re on a Hiatus I can not control... My trusty computer has crashed and I no longer have the means to make the videos... I hope to get them back up and running sometime this year.

Atleast I get to buy a new Mac Book Pro!!!!

Anywho, Here are some Pictures of Yuki Matsuri and Snowboarding.

BTW... I`ve snowboarded in Niseko a couple times this year and though it was fun, by far my favorite place to hit the slopes is Asahidake!! The best!

This was a really large sculpture meant to depict Hokkaido

Lion King opened this year in Sapporo... so they made a massive snow sculptureof course!

Snow Tunnel.. well the tunel itself is made of a steel frame with a mesh lined with christmas lights, but all the white you see is snow that accumulated from the snow that fell during the Yuki Matsuri.... seriuosly it snowed like crazy.

This has nothing to do with Yuki Matsuri, but at a lake near my town... which I`ve shown you pictures of before... they make a two story Ice Bar... it was awesome!

Me and some friends hitting up Asahidake... and yes it is a volcano... you can kinda see the smoke in the background. I`m in the blue and yellow jacket.

that`s us heading back down the mountain to catch another ride up.

Stay Tuned for Part III

I`m Alive, don`t worry I`m Alive!! Part 1 Winter Break

2011-06-15T00:20:00.000-07:00

Seriously!!??? It`s been half a year since I did jack shit to this thing hahahaha...

Wow... Major Procrastination... Well, before I throw myself under the bus, I do have to admit that I got much busier than expected following the winter Holiday.

I will try to explain the past 6 months in a three part series.

PART 1 - Winter Break

So, my last post was right before I took off on a three week trip to Kansai for Winter Break. You may be wondering how it is that I was able to get so many days off. Well, it`s a combination of Winter Holidays, Nen-Kyu 年休, and Dai-kyu　代休. Essentially the days off that we get for winter holiday plus, paid leave, and over time leave.

If you`re in the JET Programme, you will have Nen-Kyu or Paid Leave. How much might depend on your contract and such, but it is generally 20days of every year, if you re-contract. My town is awesome and gives me Dai-Kyu, which is an over time system. On days that I work my English Conversation Circles, or stay in the office past 4:30pm, I clock that time in as over time. This accumulates and I can eventually use this toward taking days off without losing precious Nen-Kyu!

For Winter Break, I had accumulated about 72 hours worth of Over Time and used a large majority of that plus Nen-Kyu to take my very very long vacation.

Here are some pictures of that winter trip.

Snow at Obihiro Station. I had to leave a day early in order to not get stuck in my town. Luckily I made it out safely

My Girfriend and I went to Universal Studios Japanon Christmas Day... It was very windy and cold, but still a lot of fun

Cool Car... but the ride was Blahh

This was cool. I had a lot of fun on the Jurassic Park Ride. I ended up getting very drenched... which wasn`t fun in the cold

Probably one of the coolest rides at USJ.

Traditional New Years Food. First thing you do is Drink!

That`s my Predecessor. We met up in Kansai and he joined me any my Girl Friend`s family for Osecchi

I`m not drunk. It`s like 9:00am... well not drunk yet.

All this food lasts about a week or so. It is eaten every day following new years for a certain perioud of time.

Later we went to the Kobe Aquarium

View from the Aquarium

Then we hit up China Town in Kobe. This place is awesome. Nankin Machi. Check it out if you`re ever in Kobe


Was able to meet up with my friend Sho. It had been over a year since we last hung out. It was good to see him again.

Stick around for part 2.

Lonely Island Episode 15

2010-12-04T04:48:00.001-08:00

In this Episode, I will update you on a couple of things I've done in the past month. Enjoy the video.

THe next episode will be a wrap up of the first leg of my Journey as a JET.

Lonely Island VLOG Episode 14

2010-11-06T19:52:00.000-07:00

I have finally put up a new video... well kinda new. It's the second tour of the apartment after having lived here for a few months.

The winter here is fast approaching, and for me it"s really really fast. I'm definitely not used to it being this cold especially starting in October. In fact, it has already snowed. Luckily, it wasn't cold enough to stay, so it melted quickly, but still.

As the winter arrives, I'll be updating the blog regarding how to deal with the weather here and show some videos of the snow fall and the -20degree celsius cold... It will all be new for me, so this should be interesting.

A Quick Loop

2010-10-24T02:24:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, I took a trip to Asahikawa for a meeting with the Hokkaido Association for JETs... or HAJET. Asahikawa is located on the other side of Taisetsuzan National Park from where my town is and on Google Maps it's supposed to be about a 4 hour drive.

The meeting started friday evening, unfortunately I had to show up late and I arrived Saturday morning, which put my departure time around 5:00am.

The meeting was great and the organization really helps JETs and non-JETs keep their sanity when dealing with a number of obstacles that you face as an ALT.

Saturday night we had our party and the next day was time for us to head home. Fortunately with it being a three day weekend, I and many of the other JETs decided to do some other stuff. I joined a few friends on their trip to Sapporo and offered to drive all of us there... Thus began the road trip that would end up looping the center of Hokkaido.

We headed south to Sapporo and stayed the night sunday night. After spending a couple hours there monday we headed home. Having gone north then southwest from my home to get to Asahikawa, my way home from sapporo created an entire loop around the center of Hokkaido.

Here are some pictures.

During my drive through the mountains to Asahikawa, I couldn't help but pull over to take a picture.

This view was incredible. It's hard to tell, but at the time it was around 6:00am and there were about a dozen other people lining the roads taking pictures. The clouds were hovering low above the horizon and the sun was just barely peaking through the clouds and it almost made the sun look more like a moon... it was absolutely beautiful.

This is another picture from the same area, but a picture of the highway that was winding through the mountains. As you can see from the leaves, fall was quickly approaching.

Another beautiful shot. It almost looks as if the mountain is on fire or smoking. Again, its the early morning fog lifting from the mountains... well, that's what i'm going to think as I'm no expert haha.

This was a dangerous picture for me, as there was no where for me to pull over to take the picture, so I took the picture while driving... sorry mom! haha. It's a great photo though, the fog almost looks like a river running between the mountains.

Everyone gathering for the meeting.

A very very very very important conversation... I'm sure.

There was a festival going on in Asahikawa during the weekend of our meeting, it was packed and tons of food.

So, we decided to check it out. In front is Curtis, then Lauren, Melanie, and then Andy

The theme for the party was Fall of the Roman Empire... Our hotel probably didn't expect their sheets to be used in this manner.

If you didn't know... a man with a horses head caused the fall of the roman empire....

I believe there were about 80 of us trying to get into the restaurant where we had our reservations.

This was near the end of the night... and trust me you didn't want to smell or taste what was in that pot... disgusting....

But... one brave soul did! haha he lost Paper Rock Scissors and had to take a taste...

Yeah... we had fun

Also, wonder woman was a large cause of the fall of the Roman Empire...

Yeah, we decided to go clubbing... not really my thing, but it was fun non the less. Aparently it was Rap night cuz there was a Japanese Rap Artist on stage the whole night.

So this was the end of our night in Asahikawa. The next morning was quite interesting. I woke up feeling horrid and many other people had wonderful stories to share about the night. One guy, who I'll leave nameless, woke up at 6:00am in the club to a lady cleaning the floors... apparently they were not interested in waking him up haha He then realizes that his Phone is missing from his pockets... I'd like to say that Hilarity ensues... but he was very upset and I'd be as well if I lost my phone. Also, a guy who is notorious for waking up in random places after drinking was missing the next morning with his friends unsure of his whereabouts. I can't say for sure what happened, but I have yet to hear anything bad, so we're assuming he's fine.

Me, Curtis, Lauren, Keri, and Teresa then take off for our trip to Sapporo.

It wasn't exactly the best weather, but I believe that we could create fun out of any situation after spending the day in Sapporo with these guys.

So from left to right Curtis, Luren, Teresa, Manaho, Keri, and me. yes, we're at a mexican restaurant in Sapporo... and it didn't taste that great or that mexican.

haha I'm sorry, this was a badly timed photo but it's still hilarious haha

I believe they just got done singing some kind of musical together... or they could be in the middle of singing it haha

Karaoke with the crew.

As the night continued Manaho began to share the love with some tree in Oodori Park.

Somehow Curtis has Manaho's sweater...

The girls on the bridge. It seems I always make it back to the slide when I go to Sapporo. This is a tiny bridge right next to the slide and we decided to take a break from walking and relax.

Our final day in Sapporo. We crashed at a Youth Hostel called Jimmy's Backpackers. Jimmy is the dude in the red beanie, real cool guy and I highly recommend his Hostel.

This ended my wonderful weekend and loop around the center of Hokkaido. I had a great time and it was such a blast hanging with these guys.

Stay tuned for my next Lonely Island Video Blogs. I've got an updated Tour of the Apartment and some video / picture footage of the trip to Asahikawa and Sapporo.

Enjoy!!!

A trip in my car!

2010-09-25T02:45:00.000-07:00

It's been about a week now since I finally purchased my car. I own a metallic blue 2003 Honda Fit. A little bit more flashy a color than what I'd like, but I'm happy with it. Well, kind of. The person I bought the car from had spilled some Gasoline in the car and the smell has yet to completely clear up. I've been having to leave the car doors open during the day to try and air it out. I feel like the smell is getting better... it still smells like gasoline, but it's not nearly as bad as it was, so I'm waiting over the weekend to continue to air out the car before I call the guy I bought the car from... anyway, on to my trip.

After seven long months, I finally got to see my GF. She arrived in New Chitose Airport and was scheduled to stay for only 4 short days. We decided to spend the first day in Sapporo, so we left my car in Chitose and took the train to Sapporo. The drive isn't too bad. It takes about 3 hours one way to get to Chitose Airport.

In Sapporo they just happened to be holding their first ever Autumn Festival. It was quite crowded and showcased a number of goods from all over Hokkaido and of course Food from all over Hokkaido.

The infamous Slide. I knew I'd get back to this slide after the wonderful night during Sapporo Orientation. It looks a bit different in the day haha

I love Ramen... I'm not sure if you knew that, but this place caught my eye when I was in Sapporo the first time... This time I had a chance to try it out with my GF. It wasn't bad...

I can't remember the kind of Ramen I ate, but it was good and very filling.

We found our way back to the Ferris Wheel and this time I got to see the City from the Ferris Wheel in the day.

You know... there's not much to say about this photo haha. BTW these are stores I believe... clothing stores not what you might think haha

I felt quite bad for this horse. He was very clearly exhausted.

The next day we continued our adventure closer to my town. We spent the day driving around the beautiful farmlands around my town. The weather didn't really cooperate, but we got to check out some wonderful cafe's. The guy that cuts my hair let me borrow a book that profiles a number of small cafe's in the small towns all over Hokkaido. These cafe's share a number of qualities and that is that they are small, in the middle of no where, and delicious.

This was a small cafe in the middle of the farm lands in Kami Shihoro. It's called Cream Terrace. It was quite delicious.

The next day my girlfriend and I took another drive. The weather was a little nicer, so we decided to take a drive through the mountains. We went to Lake Nukabira and all the way around to Lake Shikaribetsu and back to my town. After that we stopped by a cafe in Shihoro called Country Road.

Lake Nukabira

Lake Nukabira from a top of the mountains.

Yeah... I'm pointing at the lake...

The following day we decided to head south. We took a drive to Hanabatake Bokujou. This is quite a famous ranch / company in Japan. They are mostly known for making Caramel. The reason they're so popular is because it's owned by a Japanese Celebrity and I think it just got a ton of media exposure... of course his connections helped it to become as big as it has... oh and the caramel is actually quite delicious haha.

Hana Batake Boku Jou

"You lookin' at my Hair!?"

He was actually quite active and was standing up on his hind legs and getting all excited whenever someone would feed the horses next to it.

We looked through the book that I mentioned and found another small cafe in Nakasatsunai, where the ranch is located. On our way home we stopped by the ranch and it wasn't that bad... I felt like Country Road was way better. The cafe is called Weather Cock.

For dinner my girlfriend and I made Pizza and she made some Onion Soup. It was actually very delicious and quite easy to make. The Mozzarella Cheese that we used was purchased from the Hana Batake Boku Jou.

thanks for reading and stay tuned for more Lonely Island Episodes and posts.

The Lonely Island Episode 13

2010-09-25T02:00:00.001-07:00

Here's the new episode of the Lonely Island.

So, I ate Whale...

2010-09-12T00:33:00.000-07:00

I know many of you out there may get a little angry about this, but I ate whale at a Kaiten Sushi restaurant the other night.

The hunting of whales has been a controversial issue for years, but over the past couple years it has gotten more coverage with the help of the hit show, "Whale Wars." I admit I enjoyed watching the show when I was back home and I find myself siding with the anti-whaling movement. This may sound a bit hypocritical considering my recent meal, but I'll explain.

First, I want address the idea of whale and hunting whale in Japan... I'm not an expert and you could find more information regarding the issue through more credible sites, but what I have is the experience of conversing about this topic with a couple of Japanese people.

One thing I would like to make very clear is that not ALL Japanese are for hunting whales or eating whales. The conversation I had was regarding why Americans are so against the hunting of whales. I then had to explain that it wasn't Americans, but more a couple of organizations with a strong international support. I explained a little more, but will save you the boring verbiage. After I explained the loop hole in International Whaling that the Japanese whaling ships are taking advantage of, the man understood why it was that so many people are so strongly against the hunting of whales. He explained to me that, whale meat really wasn't anything all that great and doesn't see why it was worth hunting.

At the time I did not understand what he was talking about as I had not eaten whale meat, but now I understand.

This is Whale Nigiri Sushi.

Before going grocery shopping, me and my supervisor stopped at a fairly popular Kaiten Sushi. Kaiten Sushi is conveyor belt sushi. Many of you already know, but for those that don't here is a picture.

The way it works, is that on the conveyor belt, fresh made sushi of all sorts of varieties go around a circle. They color code the plates and based off of the colors, the prices vary. As you pile up your plates, so does your bill. Kind of dangerous as you don't realize how much you're really eating, since you only eat two roles or nigiris at a time.

Well, as I sat down at my seat, my supervisor points out that the dark, red, beef looking sushi is Whale. Automatically, this catches my attention. I begin to think about my own feelings about whaling and those of my friends back home... But, curiosity is a hell of a thing. Now, if it were only curiosity that got the best of me, I don't feel I could look anyone in the face, but there were a couple of other reasons for my desire to try the dish.

First, I thought back to the conversation I had with the Japanese man and wondered if what he said was true. When, thinking about how much the Japanese go after the whale meat I wondered if it's some for of Sea Food Ambrosia and the absolute deliciousness of the meat has grabbed the hearts of many Japanese...

Secondly, as I mentioned, my own curiosity as to whether the meat really is so tasty that it's worth hunting for.

With these thoughts in my mind, I grabbed a plate of Whale Meat Sushi... As grabbed it with my chopsticks and dipped it in the soy sauce, I started to imagine what it would taste like. Oddly enough, it looks like raw beef, so I was starting to think that it would taste like raw beef. I took a bite and started to chew... And it tasted pretty good. The meat was very soft and didn't have the irony taste of raw beef. After eating the second piece of sushi, I kind of thought about the taste a little more and I understood what that Japanese man was talking about. The meat tastes good, but is no where near the delicious taste that warrants the hunting of such an incredible animal.

As my mind has been made up regarding the meat, I began to grab plate after plate of sushi until my supervisor pulls out the menu and points to a bowl of soup. He says, "This is whale soup. Would you like to try it? It's pretty good." Again, the same questions come up regarding whale meat, but this time I wonder, what if the meat is normally eaten cooked rather than raw? So, I agree.

Whale Meat Soup

A few minutes after ordering the soup the waitress arrives with two bowls of Whale Soup. At first the soup looks like a normal Japanese style soup, but slightly more oily. The soup has the typical vegetables and then the Whale Meat. Picture above is the whale meat being held by the chop sticks. It still has it's skin on it, so it was a little strange looking. I took a bite and it was actually quite tough, kind of the same texture as squid, but much more rubbery. The soup I have to admit, I was not a big fan of. The whale fat was quite over whelming and it tasted as if I was eating nothing but fat.

With, both Whale Dishes completed, I can say with confidence that the taste of the meat is not so amazing that it is worth hunting for. There is tons and tons of Fish that taste way way way better than Whale meat.

Anyway, if any of you have questions please feel free to post.

EDIT:

I wanted to add something I failed to mention above. There was one major reason I decided to try the dish. I truly believe that one of the best ways to understand and experience another country`s culture is through the food they eat. Japan is known for it`s seafood and this is truly part of it`s culture. There are many dishes that those of us outside of Japan may find strange or inedible, but these are perfectly edible and delicious to the Japanese. It is through these types of experiences with food that I believe you can make a connection with the people of another country. Though whale meat is a controversial dish, it is still something I felt was worth trying inorder to continue my own personal study of the Japanese culture.

The Lonely Island Episodes 10-12

2010-09-01T05:29:00.000-07:00

Please enjoy the videos.

If you have any questions regarding the topics please leave a comment.

In Upcoming Episodes

2010-09-01T00:12:00.000-07:00

I am currently working on a couple of episodes of the Lonely Island video blog.

A number of things have began since I last posted and that mainly would be classes. I also have had to go through a couple of everyday experiences that we take for granted in our home countries.

First, I will describe what I did for my first day of classes and explain my self-introduction. I will also explain how it was at my schools and what you may expect in your own situations.

Second, I will explain, my wonderful attempt at trying to find a place to cut my hair, which I was successful with.

Third, I will talk about welcome parties, which many of you will go through in the first month or couple months of your stay in Japan.

Please stay tuned!!!!

If you have any questions let me know!!!

The Lonely Island Video Blog Ep. 8 and 9

2010-08-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

Episode 8, is a quick video showing my adventure during the Fire Works Festival and an adventure around some mountains near my town.

Episode 9, shows the town's 7000 Person Festival and then an explanation of Sapporo Orientation with pictures.

Enjoy!

7000 person festival

2010-08-18T07:56:00.000-07:00

I just recently returned from Sapporo Orientation and it was truly a great experience. For me to get to Sapporo it's quite the effort, just as it is for many of my fellow JETs in here in Hokkaido.

I left for the Sapporo Orientation on August 15th (sunday). This also happened to be the same day as the 7000 person festival in Shihoro. I had a wonderful time participating in the festival. Days leading up to the workers and towns people volunteer to make the long long sticks of washi paper flowers that I showed on my previous post, well this festival was the reason for all the hard work.

My train was scheduled to depart around 2:00pm, which meant that I was able to participate for a little bit in the festival. What I did was join in on carrying a shrine on my shoulders and marching it around. Here are some pictures.

The weather wasn't exactly the best for the event, but they still managed to get a couple of people on to the Hot Air Balloon... unfortunately i was not one of those people.

This is the area where the festival took place. The pink things you see in the background are the "Hana Mikoshi" that me and a bunch of guys will be carrying our shoulders... There's two of them, the smaller one of the "mikoshi's" is for the kids to carry around.

The mayor to the right in a picture with, what I can assume to be important people... All the people in Shihoro are important!!!

I am somewhere underneath the big pink mess trying my best to help carry the big heavy box. It was surprisingly heavy even with the number of people we had carrying it.

That's me trying to look useful... unfortunately in the beginning I wasn't helping much at all. I was too short for the wooden beams to reach my shoulders, but I still managed to do what I could to help.

Some of the guys I became friends with while carrying the massive box. A bunch of real cool guys. Notice... my extremely short shorts... Yeah, imagine my face when I was handed my gear and they said, "change..."

A wonderful panoramic of the dancers dancing in large large circle surrounding the entire area. It was pretty cool, I could only get a 180 Panoramic shot.

Soon after carrying the "hana mikoshi" I changed back into my own clothes. It was great to wear my own shorts and not shorts that made me feel like I had Daisy Dukes on...

I walked around the festival a bit looking at all the cool stands and I had to hurry home to finish packing for my trip to Sapporo for Orientation.

To see what happens next tune into the next Lonely Island Video Blog.

The First Full Week of Work

2010-08-08T17:17:00.000-07:00

NOTE: Since, I arrived my blog has received some attention from the town, so the local monthly newspaper requested to publish the link for the people in town as part of my introduction article. I`ve also been asked to translate my blog as I write it... I`m no officially trained translator, so please expect errors as I don`t read or write Japanese well at all.

It was a little over a week ago, that I actually started working in the office at the BOE. In this short amount of time I:ve been able to do a lot of things and have a lot of experiences. The first few days I registered for the Alien Registration Card, created a bank account, started the process to get internet, reserved my iPhone, purchased necessities for the apartment. The following days were spent preparing my self introduction, and creating a stamp of myself for my students. I also joined the Town Hall`s Baseball Team, toured the schools, learned my way around the town, and enjoyed the Shihoro`s Beer Fest.

仕事を始めて一週間がたったが、この短時間で色んな事を出来て色んな経験も作ってきた。最初の三日間で外国人登録証を作ったり、口座を作ったり、インターネットを登録して、iPhone4を予約して、アパートの必要品をかった。その後は自己紹介のじゅんびして、自分の顔のスタンプをつくって、役場の野球チームに参加、士幌の学校を見学、士幌の道を覚えて、ビール祭りを楽しんだ。

Here are some pictures of my first week in Shihoro.

The biggest Burger I`ve Ever seen!!!

I went sight seeing and there were some horses.

A nice panoramic shot from an observation deck near a mountain.

A bit cloudy...

A very beautiful landscape.

I actually got to see a deer frolic in the pasture... I see deer all the time in florida, but this was the first time I heard a deer cry... It was a very high pitched echoing sound...

This is me, helping create the flowers for the Festival in my town.

This is what the completed ones look like. Later these will be placed on top of a box that we will parade around during the festival... Hard to describe, I will have pictures of it later... haha

I then participated in the Sports Festival for the elderly... we lost. The gentleman to the right with the ribbon on his shirt is the Mayor.

The Beer Festival in Shihoro

Ladies and Gentleman... Obi Hiroshi in the background with the white Jacket. He`s a singer based out of a city near by called... Obihiro-Shi

How to make a Stamp.

First: Find an Avatar online of your likeness and print it out or draw your own caricature.

Second: Make a mirrored image of the caricature.

Third: Go to the local craft store or school supply section and purchase a very very large eraser... It is about 5in by 5in and about 3/4 inch thick.

Fourth: Cut a piece of the rubber that will fit your caricature and using carbon paper trace your caricature to the piece of eraser. You may have to go over the copied image with a marker on the eraser.

Fifth: Using wood carving tools or chiseling tools remove the necessary sections very carefully as to not undercut your imprint.

You are Now done and have your own personal stamp of your face! This you can use on the student`s papers.

A Tour of the Apartment The Lonely Island VLOG Ep.7

2010-08-01T00:53:00.000-07:00

This is a tour of the apartment and a small tour of my town.

I plan on doing another tour of the apartment after I've got most of my things settled in and I feel like it's more or less the way I like it. In the video I hadn't even unpacked or started moving things around, so the apartment looks completely different in terms of furniture placement.

enjoy.

Pre-Departure, Tokyo Orientation, and Hokkaido Arrival

2010-07-31T09:57:00.000-07:00

WOAH!!!

Let me describe real quick how I feel about the past week and a half...

If you could imagine being thrown in a dark room blindfolded, then suddenly thrown outside onto a beach with the sun shining and being told everything you need to know to survive on this island in only generalizations...

Real quick, Tokyo Orientation was a BLAST, tons of information and left me a little unsure of what to expect, but I did feel safe. Tons of information... and I mean TONS... so, I did feel a little unorganized through out the entire process... but I digress, let me start from the beginning.

ATLANTA PRE-DEPARTURE ORIENTATION:

I actually arrived in Atlanta on the Wednesday of the week of departure. We were scheduled for Pre-departure orientation on that Friday (24th) and then off to Japan on Saturday (25th). My Mother, Father, and I stayed at my Uncle's house while in Atlanta. The first thing we did was....

My Mother had been wanting to go to this Ramen Restaurant for about a year... If I recall it was called "Umaido" and is located somewhere in Lawrenceville. They specialize in what is my favorite type of Ramen, "Tonkotsu". Though, it was cool to see a semi-authentic ramen restaurant, the actual ramen wasn't excellent. I do want to add that I'm very very spoiled with the Tonkotsu Ramen I've eaten in Kansai.... If you've read my older posts you'll see a bowl of this Ramen that I had back in January... I'll post it below...

Ignore the date on the picture, but this is Tonkotsu from "Buta no Hone" the restaurant I ate at in January... you can see the difference... The one's I've had are much more rich and tastes more balanced between the soup and the noodles... Below is another bowl...

The date is accurate on this one, but this is from "Muteppo" another ramen restaurant that I went to often during my studies at Kansai Gaidai. The owner of this restaurant also owns "Buta no Hone," and in fact "Buta no Hone" was his first shop he opened and because of his busy schedule with all of his stores he can only open "Buta no Hone" once a year... so I was super lucky... once again I digress.

So this is me, my mother, my father, and my uncle at "Umaido"

The next day, I had to drop my parents off at Atlanta Airport so they could make it to our Family Reunion in Boston, that was scheduled on the same weekend as my departure. It was a sad goodbye, because it was so quick and we couldn't really hang around, but I know my parents were very proud and excited for me.

After, a long orientation in room that was freezing cold, which made it seem much longer than it really was, we headed to the reception where all 40 of us were able to enjoy dinner and conversation. After conversing we all headed either to the hotel room or to where ever we were staying for the night before our flight to Japan. I was staying in the Hotel.

NOTE: How I deal with Jet-lag.

When going to Japan, I always stay awake the night before I fly to force myself to sleep on the Plane to Japan. If I pay attention and time it right I will sleep on the long flight and wake up around 8:00am (Japan Time). Doesn't work for everyone, and though I may be adjusted... Jet lag still gets me by affecting my appetite. I tend to have a harder time eating as much as I used to...

It was quite the adventure gathering all of our luggage and getting it to the Airport.

We probably sat here waiting for about 3 hours for our flight to board.

On the way to Houston to get on the flight to Japan.

I managed to sleep most of the way between Atlanta and Houston. On our itinerary we only had a 35 minute lay over, so we HAD enough time to get to our connecting flight... While I slept in the plane to Houston, we were delayed 30 minutes at Atlanta because of the Engine was over heating. I didn't find this out until we got off the plane and was greeted by a man from Continental Airlines and was told we needed to run to the next gate... 40 of us went rushing through Houston Airport, I only regret I didn't have my camera out to film this intensely humorous event.

TOKYO ORIENTATION:

We arrived sunday evening and waited in line at immigration FOREVER... and it was quite toasty. After finally getting out of the airport we were herded toward the busses to drop off our bags we were going to send to our new home and then board the bus for the Keio Plaza Hotel.

This is a very unfortunate picture of Tokyo Disney Land on our way to the Keio Plaza Hotel.

After arriving at the Hotel, I put my things away, exchanged my money and met up with my friend's Dad and went to Shinanomachi. We then had dinner, and by this time I was exhausted and headed back to the hotel.

One of the breakfast rooms.

Tokyo Orientation began the next morning (Monday 26th) at 9:00am. Needing energy for the long day ahead my friend's and I had breakfast and it was quite interesting what they served... as was mentioned during the Orientation... the breakfast SEEMED right.

They had, fried eggs (which resembled what we see sandwiched in a McDonalds Breakfast sandwich), scrambled eggs (which looked more like a strange porridge), bacon, ham, cereal..., and this is where it begins to seem just not right... The rest of the buffet featured in stunning fashion, steamed vegetable medley, salad, and french fries.

This was the main room that the opening ceremony was held for Tokyo Orientation.

All together, there were 800 plus JETs for Group A orientation. in the first part of the welcome reception we were introduced to Bowing in Japan and met members of specific governing offices that oversee and are integral in the running of the JET Program.

Hokkaido JETs Representin'!!!

The entire room was organized according to prefecture and in geographical order. This arrangement put us Hokkaido JETs to the far left of the room, forcing all of us to twist our heads like Linda Blair just to see the stage clearly.

The Program Coordinators for CLAIR

These people gave their welcoming addresses and were very entertaining and introduced various aspects about the JET Program. They are responsible for the orchestrating of all the Orientations and counseling the different Contracting Organizations, JETs, and other duties. For More details check out the JET Programme Site.

After, the numerous break out sessions we had our reception where we were able to mingle with the JETs in our prefecture, other prefectures, and those that helped to organize the event. It was quite fun and they dropped bottles of beer on each of the tables.

A few of the Hokkaido JETs were really itching for some Mister Donuts, so we headed out a little early for Shinjuku Station. We were told it was real close, but after further questioning of the bellhops, we found out the nearest Mister Donuts was at the Shinjuku Station.

Right outside Shinjuku Station.

Group Shot... and yes it was very humid and a little drizzly... of course the suits didn't help.

This is supposed to be an awesome Panoramic Shot... but it doesn't come out as cool on here.

I then returned back to the Hotel and after getting changed me and my roommates went and check out the Sky Bar at the top of the Hotel.

That was the end of Day1, Day 2 was just as busy and was packed full of break out session as well... It was also on this day that Embassy night was scheduled. In the past the U.S.A. never had an Embassy night because of the sheer number of JETs from the U.S., well they had one this year at the Hotel... and I didn't go... And I know I wasn't the only one... I was way too exhausted and really wanted to get out of my suit. This was the last night in Tokyo, so many of us wanted to go out and have some fun... so we did.

Here are some pictures over looking tokyo from outside the window of the Keio Plaza.

We then headed out for the Night. We went to dinner and it was a hodgepodge of JETs heading to different pre-fectures. There were Hokkaido JETs, Hyogo JETs, Nagasaki JETs...

HOKKAIDO DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL:

The next morning was quite hectic for many people. The Hokkaido JETs were scheduled to leave around 11:00am from Haneda Airport, so we gathered in one of the large rooms of the Hotel around 8:20am to depart for the Airport.

On the Bus to Haneda.

On the Plane to Hokkaido!

After a 40 minute delay on our departure from Haneda, we finally boarded the plane and took off for Chitose Airport in Hokkaido. As soon as we landed we headed for the luggage carousel, where after we gathered our luggage we were allowed to exit to the terminal 4 at a time. We were lead to a upstairs on the other side of the airport, at which point our name was called out and our supervisor would pick us up and we'd head off to our new homes.

I met up with my supervisor and the first thing we did was eat Ramen at a restaurant in the airport. We then quickly headed for the train station. It was about a one hour train ride to our stop, and then it was another one hour car ride to my new town Shihoro. The first thing we did was head to the office where I met all the other staff members and the head of the board of education. After sitting for a few minutes I went to dinner with my immediate supervisors.

With a full stomach, and a very exhausted body, I finally stepped foot into my new apartment and had to deal with the daunting task of rearranging the apartment and unpacking all of my belongings... It took me about 4 hours!!!!

Well, please enjoy The Lonely Island Ep.5 and Ep.6

Episode 7 will showcase a tour of the apartment and a quick trip around town.

The Lonely Island VLOG Ep.5

The Lonely Island VLOG Ep.6

Packing for Jets and The Lonely Island VLOG Ep.4

2010-07-23T11:21:00.000-07:00

When it comes time for this step, many of you may be pulling your hair out trying to figure out how to pack for year or more of life in Japan. Well, I hope this post helps.

First, the rules are subject to change and vary depending on country, so please use this as a rule of thumb.

Currently we are allowed Two Check-in Bags, One Carry-on bag and a Carry-on personal item (which is along the lines of a purse, laptop bag, backpack, etc.). Essentially you're allowed to have 4 "items".

The Two Check-in Bags can not be more than 50lbs, unless you want to incur the penalties for packing too much. Then your Carry-on bag has to fit certain dimensions, which you can find out what those are through your airline. In general, any wheeled luggage that is sized for Carry-on should fit those dimensions.

Here is what I did, because the trick to packing for JET is knowing what you need and when you need it. When you arrive to Tokyo with the multitudes of confused, jet-lagged JETs, all of you will be pushed to the bus boarding area with your luggage. You will be given a ticket prior to departure for Tokyo, which you write your Contracting Organization's address on. The reason for this is because you'll have to say "Bye" to one or both of your Check-in Bags, this is up to you which one or if both will be meeting you in your new home.

Because you will have to send one of your checked bags to your Contracting Organization, you'll have to designate what bag you'll need the most, because this checked bag will be staying with you and going to the Keio Plaza Hotel in Tokyo.

This is what I did:

The Above picture are of the Two Check-in Bags I will be bringing.

I purchased large Duffle Bags as my Checked Luggage for a number of reasons.

1- to save space in my new apartment.

2- to allow me to put more items in the bag in terms of weight. Since the duffle bags are mostly heavy duty cloth, it isn't nearly as heavy as other suitcases.

To protect my clothes and other items from weather and dirt, I used space-saver bags. These vacuum sealed my clothes and allowed me to put more items in one of the duffle bags. Keep in mind, Space Savers only save you space so it will still weigh the same. One of the Bags contain my clothes and necessary electronics and the other bag contains winter clothes, shoes, and other stuff. I will be sending the bag of winter clothes and such to my contracting organizations. I will be bringing the other bag with me, because it has my clothes but also I have gifts in there for my new bosses.

This is my carry-on bag and my back pack.

Now, I plan on using only the carry-on bag for the clothes I will need for Pre-departure Orientation and Tokyo Orientation. I've packed my two suits, 5 days worth of undergarments, two shorts, one pair of jeans, three t-shirts, two polos, and 4 under shirts. So, I intend to live out of this suitcase for the next 4 days until I'm settled in my home at Hokkaido. In my backpack I will carry my laptop, Bose QC15 Noise Canceling Headphones, Bose Sounddock Portable, necessary files, camera, and a few other items.

To wrap up and summarize, my two Checked Bags are solely to carry items I will need for life in Japan, but not necessarily immediately or during the first 4 days of travel. My two Carry-On items are things I felt I needed with me at all times and clothes for the first 4 days of travel.

Well, good luck and here is The Lonely Island VLOG EP4

A quick update on the departure situation & The Lonely Island EP.3

2010-07-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

On my last post, I had a list of things I needed to get done... Let's update that list.

Before I Go, I Need To:
- Get Clothes    -Done
- Get Gifts       - Done
- Get International Driver's Permit     -Done
- Renew Florida Driver's License       -Done
- Get a new Digital Camera -Done
- Get an iPod Touch 64gig     -Done
- Get a Bose SoundDock Portable     -Though, I work there still need to save money
- Pack my Bags     - Pretty much complete
- The Lonely Island VLOG Ep.3 (Goodbye Florida) - Done Working on ep.4
- Send off IRS Forms     -Done
- Talk to the Bank     -Done, will be waiting for my 401k check to rollover to an IRA
- Set up my IRA     -look at the previous item on the list
- Say bye to the fam and friends    -Mostly done, but still doing that
- Save $2000     -ummm yeah about that...
- Work my Last day at Bose      - July 16th my last day at by far the best Part Time Job I've had

So, It seems i've mostly completed my to do list. This has been an interesting few weeks. With so much to do, from Work, Packing, gathering last minute items, and other responsibilities it almost feels like I barely had any time to really contemplate the impending departure. Now that things have slowed down and I've been doing nothing but focusing on departing, things have become more real regarding my life in Japan. I am very excited for sure, but I will definitely miss my friends and family.

Well, with that said, here is TheLonelyIsland VLOG Ep.3

This was more of a goodbye video, but Ep.4 will focus specifically on packing. At this time many JETs have been focusing on how to pack, what to pack, and everything that deals with this area. I will explain how I dealt with this daunting endeavor. Maybe it will shed some light on how you may want to pack for JET.

Oh yeah

2010-06-25T18:08:00.000-07:00

It seems I've conveniently forgot to mention.

A few days before the Q&A session, I received a wonderful package from my CO (Contracting Organization) in the town I will be working. The packet included, my contract in Japanese and English, Rules and Regulations in Japanese and English, and a very well written letter from my Predecessor about life in the town and the surrounding area. They also included a tourist map of the town, which was cool.

Then, a few days following the Q&A session, I received an e-mail from the CO. The E-mail was written in English (very well written I'd like to add) and was wondering if I had received the package and if it was ok to write me back in Japanese. He also included a few links about the town and a link to my new apartment. This was too cool. It gave me a floor plan, square footage... well in metrics... of the apartment and it included a picture of the outside of the apartment.

I have to say, I'm super stoked about my new, 2 story, 2 Bedroom apartment. Totally stoked about life in Japan.

OK, since I got that out of my system let me list a number of things I need to take care of before I go, and a number of things I've taken care of on that list.

Before I Go, I Need To:
- Get Clothes    -Done
- Get Gifts
- Get International Driver's Permit     -Done
- Renew Florida Driver's License
- Get a new Digital Camera
- Get an iPod Touch 64gig     -Prbably not happening, will get it in Japan
- Get a Bose SoundDock Portable     -Though, I work there still need to save money
- Pack my Bags     - Working on it
- The Lonely Island VLOG Ep.3 (Goodbye Florida)
- Send off IRS Forms     -Waiting for the IRS to send me the Forms
- Talk to the Bank     -already did, but never got called back... bastards haha
- Set up my IRA     -look at the previous item on the list
- Say bye to the fam and friends    -Not quite ready to do this, but I'll be back anyway.
- Save $2000     -ummm yeah... I have $1000... I'm working on it.
- Work my Last day at Bose      - July 16th my last day at by far the best Part Time Job I've had.

The JET Q&A plus The Lonely Island Ep.2

2010-06-21T01:31:00.000-07:00

A Picture from the Consulate and a view of the streets below.

This weekend was quite interesting. I believe all consulates partaking in the JET program throughout the US, are holding something similar to what I experienced in Atlanta. The JETAA (JET Alumni Association) hosted this Q&A session for the JETS departing this year.

I actually had a wonderful time. It was quite a long event, but I feel it was quite beneficial. The Q&A was not mandatory, but it had it's good points. For me, the most beneficial part of the session was not necessarily the break out sessions or the information, but rather the interaction with the JETs you'll be departing with and the interaction with the former JETs. Also, understand the information provided was great and well prepared and could have been more helpful if I had not spent a lot of time on Forums on JET asking and getting answers to a number of my concerns or questions. Many of these questions I had prior to the Q&A were covered at the Q&A.

The Lobby of the Japanese Consulate offices where the JET Program Q&A Session occurred.

____________________________________________________________________

Topics Covered:

-Teaching in Japan

-Preparing for Life in Japan (packing, culture shock, and making the most of an international experience.)

Break out Session 1

- Junior High School

- Senior High School

- Parents and Partners

Break out Session 2

- Food and Etiquette

- Community Involvement

- Diversity

- Travel

Break out Session 3

- Food and Etiquette

- Community Involvement

- Rural

- Female

-Budget and Finance

________________________________________________________________

1- Teaching in Japan:

They covered the Japanese Education System. Specifically they covered the number of years students are in Grade school. Elementary 6 years, Middle School 3 years, and High School 3 years.

Teacher / Student relationship was covered and so was coworker relationships.

A wonderful Proverb was also provided to help explain something we JETs will most likely encounter. "でるくいはうたれる" romanized "deru kui wa utareru." This roughly translates to "The Protruding Nail Gets Hit or Hammered"

This was compared to the English Proverb, "The Squeaky Wheel gets the Oil." The difference between the two proverbs are quite significant. The English proverb refers to the idea that the one who is the loudest will get the attention. Where the Japanese Proverb refers more to the idea that one who goes against the grain will be put back into the status quo. This was explained to help JETs understand that all our ideas will not easily be assimilated into the curriculum and we may encounter a lot of resistance. This wasn't said to scare JETs but more to prepare us.

A Teaching Technique called "TPR Storytelling" was introduced to help us in creating a lesson plan or understanding how to teach a foreign language. This was taught to us by a Former JET who participated in the program in the early 90s and is currently a teacher at an International School in Atlanta. She could only give us the basic introduction to the technique, so what I provide is not the best source.

The Idea of the technique is that you use questions to check comprehension and input. You as the Teacher would use Yes / No questions, Either / Or Questions, and Who, What, When, Where, and Why Questions.

Examples, based on the use of The Little Red Riding Hood Story. You would use these question techniques to check comprehension of the topic. Helping is allowed and whether the proper use of english was used is not necessarily important, but rather the comprehension of that question was accurate is important. You would adjust the difficulty of questions according to the skill of the students.

Please use these sites to get a better idea of the technique.

http://www.blaineraytprs.com/pages.php?page=explanationpage

http://www.tprstories.com/what-is-tprs.html

The Break Out Sessions I went to were "Senior High," "Community Involvement," and "Rural." These were great and it was good to hear some advice and also ask questions regarding the topics. For me, I've really done quite a bit of researching and asking questions on Forums, so these sessions were generally not that informative, but they were great to hear the former JETs experiences and advice.

The Main Room where the larger Sessions were held.

Then the Final Session was on Budget and Finance.

This was actually very very informative. It covered anything from, Money to bring to Japan to Pay to Bills to Finances when you leave JET. Much of the information you could gather from the JET Handbook, but it was soo much better hearing it explained.

At the beginning of the event, we were all given a packet that included a book called "Japan A Profile of a Nation." I read through much of it during my 6 hour drive back home and I learned quite a bit. This book was very informative and provided information on all aspects of Japan. Geographical, Topographical, Zoological, Historical, Political, Economic, Cultural, Religious, Sports, Societal, Art, and a bunch of other topics. One thing I realized is the book seemed quite outdated... It was published in 1994, so it doesn't include anything regarding the Bubble era... Also, the statistics are quite old, so I did have to take it with a grain of salt, but otherwise it was really great to read about the history of Japan and more specifically how the Government works.

At the end we all went to our "NIJIKAI" which would be the second gathering. This was held at a Bar near the consulate and some of the JETs and former JETs had an opportunity to talk and have fun.

This was taken at the Bar during the NIJIKAI.

My New Friends and JETS that will be having a blast in Japan!!!

The Lonely Island VLOG Ep. 2

The Lonely Island Ep.1 - Hokkaido Video Blog

2010-06-02T01:48:00.000-07:00

I've created a youtube account. TheLonelyIslandHAJET.

This is my Video Blog which will supplement this Blog. I will post the videos I upload on to this blog.

The Following is my first Video Blog... more of an experiment really. I never made one before, so I hope you all enjoy it.

It took me a couple hours to complete and I finally finished around 1 or 2 am... so it was a late night.

I have been placed!

2010-05-25T00:38:00.000-07:00

I received my placement this month and was extremely excited to find out where I'd be placed.

I found out that my new home for the next year, at least, will be in Hokkaido Japan. I was at first quite surprised and disappointed about my placement. My top choices were Kansai and Okinawa, so to be placed in Hokkaido was a bit of a shock.

This shock turned quickly to excitement, as I began to research and learn more about Hokkaido and my small town. My disappointment wasn't because I was placed in Hokkaido, but more because I had such strong desires to be placed in my preferences. I recognize that many people put a lot of time and energy into having JETs in their towns and schools and I need to do what I can to respect their efforts. I also know that where ever I was going to be placed I was going to do my best for the Job, but also to truly become a part of the community.

Well, if anyone is considering the JET program and really have a strong desire toward placement, please don't let a disappointing placement prevent you from taking part in this experience. You have only two options to deal with a disappointing placement and that is to quit or stick with it. Though living up north in the cold is a definite change for me, I'm willing to try new things and am excited for a new experience.

My next post should be right before I leave for Japan.

I got Good News!!!! Again!!!

2010-04-17T16:19:00.000-07:00

As April came closer and closer, I and many many others through out the country were on edge about whether or not we made it in. No one, knew what was going on. All anyone knew was that in early April, notification would go out. So, what exactly defines early April!?!?!?!?

I wanted to know as much as I possibly could, so I spent some time online reading forums and through reading posts I found out that the Consulate in Denver sent out a notification that they would be sending notification on April 8, around 3:00pm. With this as my mark, I was able to wait out the next 4 days.

I work at a retail Store in Florida the town is a high tourist area. April is the height of Spring Break season, so the whole week of April 8th was extremely busy. Particularly on the 8th. With so many people in the area, the cell towers were jammed and my 3G network for my iPhone wasn't worth a thing. Even as 3:00pm rolled around the best my phone could load was just that I received an e-mail from the Japanese Consulate in Atlanta. This really messed with my head. The first chance I had to use my friend's phone I did. After waiting the e-mails to load for a couple minutes I finally received the Good News!!!

On April 8, 2010 I was shortlisted into the JET Program... this means I made it.

Now the wait begins again. Sometime in May we will all find out where we will be placed.

One thing, once you've been shortlisted you must send a reply form to your respective consulate. There are number of things that are required with the reply form, so take your time, ask your questions, and do everything that needs to be done. You'll be provided a forum to ask and have your questions answered, so don't worry.

I got good News!!!!

2010-04-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

So, it's been quite some time since I last wrote, but quite a bit has happened.

In January I spent a couple of weeks in Japan and while in Japan I received my notification that I made it through to the Interview. I was highly excited.

Here are some pictures of Japan.

Nara used to be the capitol city of Japan about 1300 years ago. This is a picture of one of the Gates at the Capital City grounds. Oh, and it was FREEEZING that night. I thought my nose was going to fall off.

This is Doutonbori. A real well known river in Osaka City. This night was also quite cold. By this point I decided I needed some more layers. Long-Johns became my best friend... or other wise known as Pacchi in Kansai. Trust me, during the winter these help a lot.

Nara Park. These deer, really want their biscuits. I bought some from the lady selling the biscuits and she told me to feed the wrapper as well... and sure enough the deer ate the wrapper. This particular deer, rammed me in the back for turning my back on it... good thing there are no horns. haha Oh and it was cold this night too, but I had my trusty Pacchi by this point.

Todai-ji. Is the really well known temple in Nara Park. There are many temples, but this one is extremely huge. No, I didn't go in. I'm not really one to give money to a religion that has seemed to lose its focus. I do however, respect the history and culture these wonderful building represent. If you get a chance to visit Nara Park, please do so it's truly beautiful.

This is Wakakusa yama. As I said earlier, this was the 1300 anniversary of Nara and it's former Capitol of Japan Status. So, these events were more packed and crowded than before. Every year, they light mountain on fire. Obviously this is before the flames... Mountain is more of a mis-nomer, its more of a glorified hill.

This was actually really cool. They also had this wonderful 10 minute long Fireworks Display, which was AWESOME!!! Then they set the mountain on fire. It was quite cool to see.

Over looking Kobe. This was my first time in Kobe since I was little. The last time we were even near Kobe was when we flew into KIX right after the Kobe Earthquake... The city is incredible and I really loved it. I recommend hanging out there when you have the chance.

Well, it was about this time during my trip in Japan that I received notice from JET that I made it through to the interview portion. I was extremely elated to have received the news. Although, I couldn't really do much about it in Japan. Once I returned home I set up my interview day and time and prepared as much as I could for the interview.

The interview itself went well. I can't really provide details, but I suggest to all that you dress sharply and be your self. Really study your own application and have a strong idea as to the reason you want to be a part of the JET program. If you do these you'll be fine.

The JET Application

2009-11-04T11:25:00.000-08:00

It is currently November 04, 2009 and I am so very close to finishing the application. The due date is November 24, but anyone who knows me, knows that when it comes to things like this I like to be 100% absolutely sure that I will have the application turned in on time... and on time means early.

What has taken me so long to get the application together? I wondered that myself, and it isn't waiting for others, or procrastination. Honestly, the thing that held me back the most was my Statement of Purpose... You'd expect that with something that I want so greatly, it'd be easy for me to type up two pages of information stating, what skills, experience, and characteristics I possess would be appropriate for whatever position, and what i expect to gain out of the experience... The regular Statement of Purpose guidelines... It took me about two weeks to type my Statement of Purpose. I went through about four versions of the essay and each time, I'd get about a page into the essay and realize it wasn't what I wanted. So, I would stop and walk away and leave it alone until I felt ready to write again. This cycle took me two weeks... until finally I sat down, wrote an opening paragraph I liked then backed off and came back wrote a little bit more until I finished the essay.

I really felt good about the essay too, I think it really encompasses my desire to join the JET program, but also thoroughly expresses my skills, experiences, and characteristics that would be helpful with the program.

Any way, I will have another post once the application is turned in.

And... It Begins... Once Again!

2009-10-14T11:08:00.000-07:00

J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS!!!!... Sorry, Jets fans, but that's not what this blog is about.

The Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program, or JET Program, is an exchange program that allows participants to engage in cultural exchange in Japan through three main positions. You can apply for three of the following positions: The Assistant Language Teacher (ALT), The Coordinator for International Relations (CIR), and The Sports Exchange Advisor (SEA). If you want more information on the specific positions check out their official website.

I have begun my application process with the JET Program to apply for the ALT position. I fit the eligibility, and it provides me with an opportunity to teach and gain experience in a classroom environment. Some of you may recall my last blog and how detailed the application process was, well multiply that by 10. No, its not that bad really! An online application process helps keep your paper work down, so it really isn't that bad.

Where I'm at... I'm literally in the wee beginnings of this application process. I've completed the online application, but I have not submitted it, because I want to review, fix, and make sure EVERYTHING is correct and according to the instructions. So, I've completed that and I'm also in the process of collecting the necessary documents required to complete the application process, i.e. transcripts, letters of recommendation, and a plethora of copies of each.

The process is long, tedious, and just like the other application process I'm going to be just as nervous. Let me summarize the application and notification process. Let me note this information can be more accurately obtained and if you're interested in applying you should use the official JET website regarding the application process. Just google JET Program.

Application - Notification Process (abridged):

-October: Application opens

-November: Deadline for Application

-December to January: Initial Screening (this is where they select the applicants for the next step)

-February: Interviews

-Early April: Selection announcement

-May to June: Placement Notification

This is an extremely long process and hopefully I will receive wonderful news in April.