Pictures

hey all,

Blogger still doesn't seem to like my video format, so I have to keep it to just pictures for now.

 

 Myougi-san as seen from the train station. Yes, we actually climbed all the way to the ridge and back, but we didn't get to the highest point.

Some nearby knife-ridge mountains.

Michi climbing up one of the chain routes. We actually met a guy who was climbing the chain routes without any protection (no harness, no slings, and no 'biners). When I was asked by my housemates if there was a special term for that type of climbing, I said "stupid."

Cheers,

Third School, Weekend

hey all,

Last Friday I went to my third and final school. My classes there also went pretty well, but I ended up having to stay until my regular finishing time. By the end of the week, my voice was kinda shot, since I'd been speaking loudly in front of the classes, and also singing/chanting, etc.

Saturday, I did my regular yoga lesson with Michi, then we went shopping for outdoor gear. I picked up a sleeping mat, plus cooking gear: gas tank, stove, and camping pot. The last time I went camping, I relied on other people to bring the cooking gear, but next time (when I go camping/rock climbing with the outdoor club in Joyama starting next weekend), I'll be the most experienced climber/camper, so I should have my own gear.

Today has been a long day. For Michi's birthday, we decided to go to Myougi-san (Mt. Myougi, for Westerners), which is in the neighborhood of Ogawayama (the biggest rock climbing site in Japan that I went to in September last year). So, we met up early in the morning, trained for about 3 hours into Gunma prefecture, than hiked to the top of Myougi-san, had lunch at the top, and came back down. I left my room at about 6:50 this morning, and got back around 21:00.

Myougi-san is really cool looking: imagine 1000m tall really savage, jagged-edged knife made of stone, and that's what the mountains around Myougi-san (and Myougi-san itself) look like. It also has chained-hiking trails: long chains that are bolted into the rock-side which you climb you: Michi and I brought our harnesses and some climbing gear, so we were able to clip into the chains for extra safety. There's still a lot that we didn't get to see, so I'd like to come again. What we did get to see was unique and pretty grand. I've got a few pictures which I'll try to upload tomorrow, since I have the day off.

Aside from that, I'll be heading to Omiya to pick up a free blender, and preparing my lessons for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Cheers,

Second School, Day Off

hey all,

So my second school was really nice. I taught three 6th grade classes, which is a really manageable age group. I did a self-introduction, showed some pictures, had them sing along to Hello, Goodbye by The Beatles, and then finally moved on to the main lesson: the Alphabet. They had a "denshi kokuban," which is a kind of electronic blackboard where you can use the blackboard like a touchpad on a laptop, or more like a touchscreen computer display. It was pretty interesting, but the touching wasn't calibrated correctly (you'd be touching one location, but it would register 7 inches lower and to the left, so you're constantly pressing the incorrect spot accidentally), so it was actually more of a pain to use.

After my classes were finished, the principal said I could just go home, which I did, and was feeling awesome: the curriculum is basically set, so they just need a foreigner to do the song and dance bit, and it was nice to be able to go home, instead of pretending to be busy for the 2 hours after school is over.

Today, I did my interview with a headhunting company, which went OK, and have been lazing around my room since it has been pouring rain all day. This weekend is Michi's birthday, but I'm not sure what we're doing yet.

Cheers,

BOE Interview, First Class/First School

hey all,

So first I need to back track a little. My "interview" with the BOE was really weird because it was held in an auditorium, and there were ALTs from 2 other companies. So the neighborhood where I'm working has hired three different companies simultaneously, which I've never heard of. All we had to do was stand up on the stage when our company's turn came, and then introduce ourselves (and repeat in Japanese, if possible). Then we talked to our teachers about the first lesson.

That is pretty old news. What happened today, is I had my first day of work at my first school. Tomorrow, I'll be at a different school, teaching with different teachers, to different students. Thursday I'm interviewing for another job, and Friday I have my first day at my third and final school. Today went pretty well, overall. The first, second, and fourth classes went really smoothly, but the 3rd class was something of a loss. The homeroom teacher for the 1st class really helped out a lot, probably going above and beyond the call of duty, but the 3rd class lacked disciple, and the homeroom teacher didn't really help at all, and even when she did, the students still didn't get it. The support I got from the other homeroom teachers was about what I received from several of my teachers at my elementary school last year: not great, not horrible, but average.

Something that I've read in several different places, but hadn't experienced, was that teachers at elementary schools are given the same size lunch as their students. At my previous elementary school, they served me lunch in the teacher's room, then I'd take my lunch to which ever class I'd be eating with. Today, I got a small piece of fish, a small bowl of rice, a small bowl of soup, and a small dollop of nikku-jaga: meat and potatoes. I didn't want to be late to work today, so I left really early and didn't stop to pick up something for breakfast, and then they go and give me this tiny lunch. I don't know any adult who has the same dietary requirements as an 8 year old, let alone someone who walks 20-40 minutes everyday, does yoga 1-2 times a week, and regularly goes rock climbing (recently, 2-3 times/week). At the best of times, my daily diet is probably still something like 3000 Calories.  And, yes, I still weigh about 60 kg (135 lbs, give or take a few). I'd actually like to put on a little more weight and bump myself up to about 65 or 70kg, but I don't see it happening.

Cheers,

Settling In

hey all,

Things are still going pretty well at my new place. I've been going through the hoops to make sure I receive mail here, etc. I'm not sure if it works quite this way in other countries (as I never changed my address in Amsterdam), but every time I move, I need to go into the local city office and announce "Hey, just so you know, there'll be another scary, dangerous foreigner living nearby and I thought you might want to have my address registered so people know where to look when the neighborhood dogs and homeless start to go missing."

Not really, but I do need to let them know that my address has changed, then they update my "Alien registration card." In fact, it is impossible to inform my cellular service provider or my bank that my address has changed until I first get my registration card updated, as I found out yesterday. Yesterday was spent going over to Omiya, picking up my new registration card, picking up my cell phone bill (and paying it at a convenience store; truly truly convenient), and trying to let my bank, and cell company know about my change of address.

My bank said I'd have to update my card first, so I went to the local branch office, and they told me to go to the main building. Anyway, it took a while and involved the usual bureaucratic fun. By the time I finished, I only had time to update my cell company.

While other banks have branches just about everywhere, my bank has almost no branches anywhere. However, almost every other bank charges up to $2 just to use an ATM (even at the actual bank; this fee is higher on the weekends), while my bank charges nothing. The plan for today is to head to the Tokyo station office, and update my address there. I think I'll also get some materials printer-ready for my classes next week, and stop by an international foods store.

By the way, although I'm currently living in Tokyo, saying that is almost meaningless. According to wikipedia, Tokyo has almost 40,000,000 people living in it. That is about 4 times the population of my home state, all squeezed into an area 31 times smaller (250,000 km2 versus 8,000 km2). Because of that, although I live in Tokyo (in fact in "Shitamachi," or downtown), it still takes 19 minutes to get to Tokyo station.

Later, I want to write a post about my "interview" with the Board of Education last week, since it was incredibly interesting.

Cheers,

Moved

hey all,

So I got myself moved today, and I'm beat. John and I hauled the stuffed that remained in my Omiya room to my new place, and didn't squish any Japanese people beneath my massive luggage while on the trains.

Although I probably didn't paint a very positive picture of the place before, so far I really like it. It is the biggest room in the building, and I'll be able to fit all my stuff in it pretty easily, once I get some shelves. I'd still be able to get everything in here, but it wouldn't be very clean or neat. My housemates seem like pretty cool people. There are two ridiculously friendly Taiwanese people here that I've met, and they've been really nice.

I think there are two negative things to say about the building. First, the one I've already mentioned: the laundry machine is not free. Second, I have to share a pathetically small refrigerator with 5 other people. Currently, there is basically no room in it at all, and even if there was, I'd have to trust that no one else would eat my food. From my experience in the co-op, I know that 99% of the time, there is no problem, but it is that 1% when there is that bothers me. With my own fridge, there is never a problem.

Oh well. I actually just got back from hauling one of my bags of stuff from Michi's over to my place, because it had basically all my electronics cords in it, including my ethernet cord and my phone charger. My phone was at 100% just yesterday, but this morning it was at 2 bars of 3, and then this evening it went to 1 bar. Plus, my room here for some reason didn't have an ethernet cable. My last room had its own router and cable, so I expected this room to have one too. So I didn't have internet or my cell phone for most of today, which is almost like living on a dessert island in the middle of an overcrowded country: you are surrounded by people, but somehow still cut off from accessing the ones you need to.

As tomorrow I have my interview with the BOE, I'm going to get some sleep. Even though I'm still off work until the 20th, this weekend and next week promise to be busy.

Cheers,

Packing and Cleaning, New Place

hey all,

Not an incredibly interesting post here, but there you have it. I've started packing my stuff and cleaning my room, and I'm actually already 70% done. I have my assorted electronics mostly packed up, including an entire grocery bag that is nothing but cords and cables. My work clothes are packed, as is my small selection of informal wear.

Last weekend, I took my camping and climbing gear over to Michi's, so that my friend and I will have an easier to moving everything else. She seemed a little too eager to store my tent and other equipment: I'll have make sure I get them back, LOL.

Yesterday, I actually checked out the building where I'll be moving to. The area is pretty nice, but the entrance to the building is a little dreary and gloomy. But then, I did go in the middle of a rain storm, so it would have been hard to seem cheery and sunny. Otherwise, I think it will be a decent place to live: it is about 5-7 minutes walk to the train station, there is a grocery store and a fresh fruits/vegetables store within 2 minutes walk. Near the station there is a Muji, which is a very Japanese "no brand" brand store. (There is little to no advertising for the store or its products anywhere: the only signs I've ever seen were just to notify you that there is a Muji nearby or above the store itself. The products themselves are good quality, but very plain: there is no brand name tag on them anywhere. They sell clothes, furniture, kitchenware, food, stationary, cleaning supplies: just about everything.)

The station itself is only 2 minutes by train to the rock climbing gym I like, and maybe 12 minutes to Michi's place, which is still within reasonable biking distance, but probably takes 15-20 minutes. It is ever so slightly closer to my schools than the apartment I wanted, but I still expect to commute about 40-50 minutes each way, which is what my commute last year took. I'll also be about 14 minutes from Akihabara, so I can get music, movies, and games to my heart's (or rather, my salary's) content.

Cheers,

Updates

hey all,

Got lots going on right now. My interview last week went really well, I think. I'm waiting to hear from them. I was also able to visit my schools on Thursday. Two were really easy to find, but one was a little difficult. The last one is in a really beautiful area, though. I wish I had brought my camera, but I forgot.

My coordinator found another ALT who wants a bike, so I'll be selling that this Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday will be packing and cleaning. Thursday I move, and Friday I have the interview with my new schools' Board of Education.

Tomorrow I'll be going rock climbing with the outdoor club. Right now it looks like only three of us will be going, as one of the sign-ups withdrew in order to go skiing, as the season is almost over. The weather has also taken a slight turn for the worse, with possible rain in the afternoon where we'll be climbing.

Tomorrow evening, I'll try to post some pictures from today and tomorrow. Michi and I walked around Tokyo a little this morning and got to see some blooming sakura, and the rock climbing location we're going to tomorrow has tons of sakura trees, so I've charged my camera battery and will pack that.

Cheers,