Conundrums

hi all,

I've been meaning to pay my health insurance for several days now, but I just went to the post office and discovered that they only deal with health insurance from 9AM to 4PM, which means I'd have to leave work about an hour early in order to make it there in time. Since I haven't even been paid yet, I don't really want to lose more money by taking time off to take care of it.

There's also my rent, phone bill, school lunch bill, and several other bills piling up at this time. One of the teacher's at my school found out that I like rock climbing/hiking and gave me a brochure about the Osato district of Kumagaya, about an hour from Ageo, where I work. There are several mountain top temples and hiking trails around the area. The trip to get out there costs about １７５０円 (almost $18), so I think that trip might have to wait until after I get my first paycheck.

The weather the last few days has been very frivolous. It will be very sunny and warm one day, then overcast and rainy the next. Once last week, I could even see a snow capped mountain peak in the far distance, but for several days it has been too overcast and foggy to make it out.

My work day routine has basically been to come in around 8:05 or so, say good morning to everyone on my way to my desk in the teacher's room, then sit around trying to find something to do for 7 hours. I bought a book a few days ago, so I've been reading that mostly, and I've also been going through my old Japanese textbook and re-learning the kanji and vocab that I've forgotten. Occasionally, one of the English teachers will come up to me and ask me to come to class. If I haven't met the class before, a good chunk of the lesson is me doing my self-introduction, which is just me talking about myself in English slowly, and drawing on the board, and talking about where I'm from, my family, and my hobbies. If I have met the class before, then I basically just do what the teacher asks me. Usually, this is handing out papers, pronouncing vocabulary words, or repeating bits of dialog from the textbook. Other than that, I just stand to the side of the room and try not to distract the students or look too bored. My basic purpose is to be a living tape recorder.

Now obviously, the Japanese educational system is doing something right when it comes to other topics like math and science, so it is somewhat perturbing to have such a blatantly ineffective educational method used. It is also strange to think that my Japanese might improve more than my students' English during my stay here.

Yesterday, an OL (office lady) at my school said there was some kind of party for teachers this Friday in Ageo, but I haven't decided whether I want to go. There are a couple teachers who've been friendly to me, and several who spent the first couple days talking with me, but now everyone comes and goes and ignores me. From talking to other ALT's, I guess this is actually really typical. Also, these parties usually cost about $45 to $100 dollars, as they include drinks and food. So, I'd basically be paying to hang out with people who have been pretending I don't exist.

Cheers,

One Month

hey all,

I realized last night that I had just been in Japan for barely over a month. That in itself is such a innocuous and yet crazy fact that I'm not sure what else to say about it.

Crazy night last night. Out to a bar, and conflicts over who owes who a beer, then more conflicts over whether so-and-so just went to the bathroom with someone else's girl, and several bowel loosening hours at a bass-thumping hip-hop dance club.

Cheers,

This Week

hey all,

I've actually accomplished several things this week. For instance, I got a cell phone, but that was really not my doing. I ran into an ALT who'd been here for 3 years and has amazing Japanese, and he basically talked the sales clerics through it.

I've received my first health insurance bill, which can apparently be paid at a convenience store or post office. I've been meaning to pay that, but I'll be trying to do that tomorrow, I think. Today, I rushed from Ageo to Omiya so I could get to the bank before it closed and open an account. I actually succeeded in that, and my bank card is "Grasshopper" green. I couldn't resist!

I've been teaching a few classes here and there, and have a strong preference for the younger students. The older ones are "too cool for school" and won't speak up, answer questions, or really do anything except act rude and disinterested. The third year English teacher seems like one of these older, going-through-the-motions type of teachers, and doesn't do anything about it, so I can't really take charge and yell at them. The second year English teacher, in contrast, won't even tolerate students having a single button undone on their uniforms.

Not too much else going on.

Cheers

Busy

hi all,

Monday was really boring. There's not anything to say about it other than that. I sat at my desk for 7 hours.

Today, I actually taught some lessons and went over some worksheets. On my way home from work, I ran into another ALT who'd been here for several years and he helped me get a cell phone. My original plan was to rush to Omiya and try to open a bank account, but getting the cell ended up taking a while. Now I will have a phone number to give the people at the bank tomorrow.

Not too much else to say. I've been eating a little better the last few weeks, and have started socializing with some of the other ALTs in my area. Both have been pretty big boosters for morale. Part of the deal for getting a cell was waiting around in a few bars while they were making sure my info checked out, so I'm a little tipsy and will be heading to bed shortly.

Cheers,

Weekend

hi all,

Yesterday I went to a SGI (Soka Gakai International) meeting with Masa. That was pretty interesting, but kinda crazy. Today, a bunch of us ALT's went to a Thai place and walked around the park to see the last of the sakura blossoms. I picked up a composite video cord so that I could play my PS3, but I couldn't get it to work. The PS3 sounds like it starts OK, but I can't seem to get the video or sound to come out of the TV.

Tomorrow is the first day I get to take out the trash from my guesthouse. I get to do that all week. Monday is also day number four of working at the school.

I'm really disappointed about the PS3, cuz I was looking forward to it. There might be a way to get this going somehow but I don't really know.

Cheers

Day Number Three

hey,

My third day was much better than yesterday. Today, I was late to work by 13 minutes because I got lost on the way there by taking a new route. This is not too big a deal, but I still don't like it because I'm still setting the pattern for what I'll be like as a teacher, and being late shouldn't be part of the pattern. Anyway, I got to school and I started pulling down the old pictures from the pervious ALT's bulletin board, and then asked for permission to use a computer to print mine out. Asking for permission (and being explicit about the reason) is actually an important thing, because if you don't tell them the reason they think maybe it is illicit. I got those printed out, and then there was yet another ceremony in the gym, which involved a few skits of things students shouldn't do, and then demontrations from all the clubs in the school (kendo, soccer, art, tea ceremony and flower arrangement, basketball, baseball, volleyball, tennis, ping pong, and track). I might try to join the soccer club.

After that, I started puting my pictures up, and then I was asked to actually come to a third year classroom and teach. "Teaching" in this case meant doing a self-introduction in English, doing an activity which most of the students didn't do, and then just standing in front of the classroom while the Japanese teacher of English spoke for the rest of the class in Japanese.

I also walked around the school with the JTE for the first year middle school students, and they seemed a little more eager to speak English and more fun than the third year students.

I also finally got tired of riding in from Omiya, so I bought a parking spot for my bike, and took the train back to Omiya. I met up with some ALTs and we all went out to a local bar and there was much merry-making until 2 or 3. A pretty satisfying day, overall.

Today, I'm catching up on reading some manga, surfing friends' pages, and just relaxing. There is some kind of party in Roppongi today that a lot of ALTs are going to, but from what I've been told Roppongi is exactly the type of place I'd want to avoid. I've been invited to a hanami party on Sunday, so I'll probably chill today, and have fun tomorrow.

Cheers

Day the Second

hey all,

Today was kinda a let down compared to yesterday. I thought I would be teaching, but then they said that class wouldn't start until the 14th. This is a very weird thing that is going on. I mean, school has started, kids are showing up when it begins and leaving when it ends, and teachers are coming and going to different classes through out the day, but I have nothing to do.

So I still got two whole days with nothing to occupy my time, yet I'm required to come in for my 7 hours. Despite their friendliness, the other teachers are really busy with their own stuff, and aren't too forthcoming on how I should spend my time. I've already completed several obvious tasks, and I actually spent a lot of time today going over my Japanese textbook, and drawing a picture that is kinda a mishmash of Switzerland and feudal Japan.

I guess the only thing that I think is really interesting right now is the suicide rates in Japan. After sitting through two induction ceremonies for junior high, it seems like an incredible amount of crushing social pressure is being placed on students. I can see why under that kind of stress, that some students would choose not to deal with any of it any more.

Tomorrow, I'm bringing in a CD with a bunch of pictures from my travels. They have an "international" bulletin board that currently features pictures from the previous ALT, who seems to have been British. So I'm gonna put up my pictures, and maybe try to get the other teachers and passing students to chat about them with me to kill time.

Cheers,