Hey Everyone!
So, if you don't know by now (which I would be pretty impressed by, I think I've told everyone, even random store cashiers), I've been accepted to the JET Program.
For those who are a little unsure of what the JET Program is, check out this link and this one for some more information. JET stands for Japanese and Exchange Teaching Program. Basically, the Japanese government picks a good amount of students, about 1,000 or so (I'm not sure of the exact number) to teach English in Japan. Most JETs (I'll use this to reference people participating in JET) live in pretty rural location teaching English to kids who are less likely to learn it. It's the Japanese government's way to internationalize their society which is basically 99.9% homogenous.
I recently found out where I will be placed. I'll be teaching on a smmaaalll island closer to Taiwan than the main islands of Japan. The island is called Okinoerabu. While there isn't a lot of information about the island on the web, you can check out this link for some info. I'm being dead serious when I say there's pretty much zilch out there on the internet about my island. But, I'll be working in the town of Wadomari on the island.
Pronounciations:
Wadomari --> Wa (like "wa"ter) - Do (like "do", re, mi) - Ma (like "ma"ma) - Ri (like "rea"d)
Okino-erabu --> O (like "Oh") - Ki (like "key") - No (like "No", don't do that) -
E (like "Eh" embrace your inner-Canadian) - Ra (like "Rah" Rah, this time
embrace your inner-Gaga) -Bu (like "Boo")
Information about my island:
While there isn't a lot of info on my island on the web, I somehow managed to find the girl who is currently working on the island with JET.
So, she sent me a nice, long e-mail about the island and the life I should expect!
Okinoerabu is kind of small. It’s got a population of roughly 14,000 and around half of those live in Wadomari. It is one of the Amami islands stretching between Kagoshima in Kyushu and Okinawa.
The island has many Okinawan influences. While here, you’ll get the chance to listen to island songs and watch the dances that go with them, and try the local food.
Erabu is also a really beautiful island. The sea is amazing. It’s a risen coral reef so it’s a great place for snorkeling. There are some beautiful beaches here too and they’re often deserted which is pretty nice. Look out for star-shaped sand!
The weather! The summers are very hot and the winters rarely fall below 10 degrees C. It should be very humid when you get here. There are typhoons between July and September but these are often more of an inconvenience than a danger.
The people here are all really nice and incredibly helpful. A few people can speak English and you should meet them quite quickly. There are no other ALT’s living on Okinoerabu but there are ALTs on nearby Yoron and Tokunoshima.
The Job
I'll be based with the Board of Education of my town and will be visiting ALL TEN schools. Two junior high schools, 4 elementary schools, and 4 kindergartens. Basically, I'll be pretty busy. Once, I get there and have a better idea of what my work/life is like I'll definitely post more about it.
So, I'm definitely excited to be heading to Japan. I leave on July 31st for Japan, and will have a two-day orientation in Tokyo. After that, I'll head to my island and start getting used to life, setting up bills and bank accounts. School-time doesn't start until late-August/Septembet, so I'll have time to get used to the island before school starts. The girl currently there said that a lot of students are still going to school for different sports and clubs. Can't wait to check it out!
Hope you all are doing well! I'll try and post a little more before I leave.
Love you all,
Steph
