Hello Everyone!
First, I am so sorry that it’s been such a long time since I last posted.
School started and things got real busy, real quickly!
This week, my main school’s 2nd years (8th graders in US terms) are on their annual school trip around Kyushu. My co-teacher, Mr. I, is one of the chaperons and because I can’t teach a class by myself (liability and all), I get a week at the Board of Education.
What does this mean for you? Updates!!! Which I hope you’re excited about. I feel horrible neglecting to keep everyone up-to-date.
Anywho, this will be a skimmer of things that have happened. But, let’s start off with a list!
1) There are a lot of Jehovah Witnesses around here. I don’t ever remember one knocking on our door back in Ohio, but I`ve already had two here!
2) Strangers know my name… kind of makes me feel like a movie star.
3) I found a curry house!
4) Always pack extra sunscreen and a hat. Never know when the kids will beg to play jumprope. And, if I don’t go out protected, the teachers fret that I will burn/tan.
5) Cleaning the house is fun! <-- Maybe not, but not finding cockroaches on a daily basis sure is!
6) I have become buddies with the Laundromat ladies. Because I don’t have a dryer and it’s so humid here, I bring my washed clothes to the Coin Laundry to dry them. There’s always an Obaachan (old lady) sitting outside wanting to strike up a conversation. Only thing… I can’t understand the Obaachans at all! They speak the island dialect which is NOTHING like Japanese. I end up smiling and nodding and getting my cheeks pinched.
7) The students thought I was from Europe because I have brown eyes. Obviously, there are only blue-eyed, blonde-haired Americans ;)
8) Always arrive to the ferry port extra early. The ferry can and will leave without you (happened to me).
9) Also, the women are ALWAYS amazed that I can cook. Soon, I will be apparently hosting a pasta-making party at a restaurant.
10) Students are not talkative in class, but won’t stop talking outside of class. Interesting paradox…
11) If I am seen and or talk about a friend that is a man, he is obviously my fiance/boyfriend/husband… obviously.
12) Always have an extra game up your sleeve. Never know when a teacher will announce that you are teaching their class/going to teach at the elementary school/teaching 40 kindergartners. Always be EXTRA prepared and EXTRA genki (happy/excited).
13) Students believe that high-fiving me gives them super English powers. I won’t tell them it doesn’t if you wont!
14) At Sports Day (kind of like Track and Field Day in the States) be prepared to be asked to run/dance/bowl.
15) Make friends with the office ladies. They’ll bring snacks and invitations to go to concerts!
16) Vice-Principals are also the groundskeepers.
17) If your muffler happens to fall off while at a visit school, every male teacher will come out to inspect your car. Then, decide that attaching your muffler back up with wire is the best option.
18) Also, an American family recently moved to my island. The mother is originally from the island, but has lived in the States with her family for 20 years. They are absolutely lovely and often invite me over for pasta dinner. Plus, the dad is an Elvis impersonator. And apparently, not just any impersonator, but like number five in the nation. Pretty cool stuff eh? To top it off, they just bought the cutest puppy!
19) And, breathing underwater is a weird feeling. I began my scuba diving lessons this past weekend and loved it. Just a weird feeling to get over at first!
20) Best way to meet people: go to restaurants by yourself. Apparently I seem more approachable… or just really pitiful. But, I’m always making friends, getting recipes, and free fish!
Hope you enjoy that list! I swear, a day doesn’t go by without something interesting happening. Oh, like today. A building near my BOE caught on fire. Do you know that if you are in the nearby area where the fire is happening a pre-recorded voice will come over the loud speaker to explain that the building near you is on fire, but to please not panic, nor evacuate. Very interesting.
Also, as you may have guessed in #17 my muffler fell off (well, partially fell off) at my visit elementary school about two weeks ago. And, I’m getting a new muffler today. Very exciting!
Okay, so now… a quick relapse of the past month. I-Se-No-De (Ready, Set, Go!):
So, at the beginning of September I planned to visit some fellow JETs on the island north of me for a weekend. But, two weekends in a row, I couldn’t either because of a typhoon (cool excuse, eh?) or my welcome party.
The second weekend in September, my favorite visit school, Shiragoake Junior High School (from here on, SJHS) had my welcome party. I love this school the most. I visit every Thursday and the students are all amazing. It’s a pretty tiny school with only 60 students and 7 teachers, but I think that’s what makes this school the best. Everyone’s so close!
My welcome party was a blast! We had a delicious dinner at a sushi restaurant. But before I could enter the restaurant two of the oldest teachers taught me an opening ceremony Island dance. And they asked for me to dance into the sushi restaurant. ((Luckily, we had rented the place out, so I only embarrassed myself in front of the people I’d be working with for the next year or so!)) After that, we had a quick welcome speech by the principal and I got to meet the English teacher I would be working with at SJHS. I’ll call him Mr. N and he is by far the coolest person I’ve ever met. He’s probably 65-70, but super genki (happy/excited/healthy). He actually attended SJHS back when it first opened. Isn’t that amazing! So, during the welcome party he sang their alma mater! Everyone was amazed that he remembered it. Also, his English is super amazing. He studied at Berkley way back when and the London School of Economics. Why he’s teaching English on Erabu, I have no idea, but I’m sure glad he is.
Anyways, after the welcome speech, the other teachers had created a quiz for us. If we passed, then we would be welcomed into the teachers room. It was an adorable quiz with questions like, what is the art teacher’s name, and what’s the best island in Japan. But, I loved it. Luckily, I passed! ;) About a week later, they gave me a certificate for passing. Which was too cute. Can you see why this is my favorite school. After the welcome party was over, the other women teachers and I went off in search of some sweets and ended up chatting for like three hours at a parfait shop. Too much fun!
The weekend after that, I finally went to the island north of me, Tokunoshima, for the Party in Paradise. I had amazing time and unluckily/luckily missed my return ferry so I had to stay another day. Luckily, my office was completely cool with it. I actually didn’t have English classes the day I missed, so it all worked out. I have pictures of the trip up on Facebook. It consisted of lots of snorkeling and fun!
That week after I only had one day of work. Monday was a holiday, I missed the ferry so had to stay on Tokunoshima until mid-afternoon Tuesday. So, I only worked Wednesday. Thursday was a holiday, and Thursday I headed off to Okinawa to visit a friend.
Okinawa is interesting. It’s a huge island and I only explored the most southern tip with Em (remember her, the JET on Yoron!). It’s waaaaay Americanized. With starbucks and McDonalds on every corner. While, I will say it was nice to read Marie Claire Magazine in English at Starbucks, it was surreal! I spent two nights and one day on Okinawa and I definitely plan to go back. While the cities are like any other Japanese city (except with a lot of American influence) the beaches and ocean are absolutely stunning!
I returned on Saturday, the 25th, and on the 26th both of JHSs had their Sports Day. For more information on Sports Day, check out this link!
In Sports Day, I danced a native island dance, bowled with the BOE, and ran a relay race. All-in-all, it was loads of fun. Though, I felt sorry for the kids under the sun for the whole day. ((the teachers got to stay under the tent)).
Last week, I also began tutoring a high school student for English Examinations into college. They are really hard and so we are studying a lot! I hope she will learn a lot under me.
This past weekend, I began my scuba diving lessons and if all goes well and I pass. Then in two weeks time I will have my diving certificate!
And, last night, I went to an amazing and free piano concert held by the culture center in China-Cho, the other city on the island. One of the office ladies at SJHS (my fave school!) invited me. We had a blast!
As you can tell, I’m loving it here and really trying to throw myself into everything headfirst. I feel like my Japanese is increasing in bounds and leaps! Also, I feel like the students are really enjoying my lessons. When I first applied for the JET Program, I tried not to imagine where I would be placed (since I knew it could be ANYWHERE in Japan), but I never imagined I’d be on a sub-tropical island. I feel ridiculously thankful and lucky. Everyday is an adventure. People are ridiculously kind and generous! Once in a while, I feel homesick: I’d love to turn on the TV and hear an English commercial or hang out in the kitchen chatting with my mom or down in the media watching CSI/Trueblood/or the newest show with my dad. But, I’m learning a lot and trying tons of different things. I’m also growing as a person – I actually enjoy living by myself now… I just wish I didn’t have to do all the laundry.
As well, if you see me on skype, feel free to send a quick message. I may not be able to respond, but I usually have one to two break periods at school and love the chance to chat!
As always, I love and miss you all!
Steph
P.S. buying a plane ticket for South Korea over the winter holidays! Hello Laur and Justin, and Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow~~~
