Hello again--I must apologize for the sizable gap between my last post and this one. I tend to want to encapsulate my experiences perfectly (impossible), so I end up avoiding updates. Quite a silly cycle, yes? Ah, well. Today I decided to break it.
Spring sprang here in Nagoya since my last post. Snow feels like a vague memory these days. I rolled through a full month of being a sub teacher while I waited for April, which marks the start of the academic year here. My roommate and I both found it stressful after awhile, since we couldn't know what we'd be called upon to do on any given day. Instead of making lesson plans or getting some sort of rhythm, for the month of March our only consistent work routine was waiting for our cell phones to ring sometime between 11 am and noon with our shift details for the day. That got old pretty quickly, needless to say.
This work schedule had the added bonus that any of the couple dozen schools in the region were possible destinations each day. Generally speaking, I didn't mind the length of any of the commutes, but navigating the trains--oh, the trains! Let's just say I got several cardiovascular workouts against my will thanks to transportation confusion.
In fact, I had written an entire amusing anecdote about running for a train and having the doors shut in my face to my great dismay, but the blog application failed to save it properly, then failed to post when I pushed the button. Cool, Blogger, real cool. I'd love to rewrite it, but now work calls. Time to go get dressed for success! See you next time.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
bonus post: SNOW!
Alright, one more important thing I forgot to include: it SNOWED on the 11th! We happened to have the day off from training, which made it even better. I'm happy to report that the last few days have even been somewhat warm, at around 45F. Unfortunately, it's set to rain tomorrow--at least I've got my pink polka-dotted umbrella ready to go!
a brand new day.
Hello everyone,
This is actually a blog started back in my study-abroad days in Hong Kong, but I have returned to it each time I've returned to Asia, and this time is no different. Feel free to browse below for some of my past Asian adventures if you're so inclined. This post will be a new start.
Today marks three weeks I've been in Japan. It's pretty much flown by, mostly due to my six-days-a-week training schedule. Tomorrow will be the last day of adult class training, followed by one day for discussing and signing contracts on Friday. Training has been quite intensive, with one week devoted to learning about kids' English classes, and this week focused on the how-to of adult English courses. While I know that my first day of teaching on Saturday will bring with it another set of stressors all its own, I'm eager to start interacting with real students after all the theory and practice of these past two weeks.
A few dramatic events have occurred since i got here--most notably revolving around roommates. My roommate has been quite interested in Japanese street fashion and punk bands, so she figured a year job in Japan would be pretty cool. All seemed well--then we started training. On the second full day of training, she cracked, and decided that teaching kids' classes was too much for her. By that evening, she'd made up her mind to return home to Australia instead of completing training. Needless to say, I was quite surprised. Over the next few days, details had to be sorted out, but thankfully I knew they'd be able to find another roomie for me. You see, the academic year starts at the beginning of April here in Japan, meaning they've got tons of trainees coming over in the next few months. As God's providence would have it, another girl in my training group that I get along with quite well was a bit underwhelmed with her tiny single-occupant apartment. I asked the realty guy if she could slide into the slot at my place, letting a new person take her apartment, and he agreed! Things have been great with her--she's a friendly, beautiful, Australian blonde named Jess. She taught in Sydney last year, and is a couple years older than me. We've been having a lovely time together so far.
That sums up interesting living situation stuff 'til now. Training has been harrowing, what with having to prep mock lessons and dress in business clothes (who knew looking good could be so restrictive??), and having to be 5 minutes early everywhere. I have to admit it's a bit more pressure than I'm used to, but I think I'm meeting the challenge. I already miss hip-hop. And pork barbeque. The food here is quite tasty, though. I'm even slowly building up steam on cooking for myself--eating out is easy and delicious to do in Japan, but of course not the most economical of choices. Getting used to timing my laundry in order to account for my lack of a dryer has been a bit of an adventure, too. My balcony turns into a clothing zoo once a week.
That's about all for now. I'll try to update pretty regularly--I hope this will be a good way to stay in touch with all of you in the States, my dear friends!
This is actually a blog started back in my study-abroad days in Hong Kong, but I have returned to it each time I've returned to Asia, and this time is no different. Feel free to browse below for some of my past Asian adventures if you're so inclined. This post will be a new start.
Today marks three weeks I've been in Japan. It's pretty much flown by, mostly due to my six-days-a-week training schedule. Tomorrow will be the last day of adult class training, followed by one day for discussing and signing contracts on Friday. Training has been quite intensive, with one week devoted to learning about kids' English classes, and this week focused on the how-to of adult English courses. While I know that my first day of teaching on Saturday will bring with it another set of stressors all its own, I'm eager to start interacting with real students after all the theory and practice of these past two weeks.
A few dramatic events have occurred since i got here--most notably revolving around roommates. My roommate has been quite interested in Japanese street fashion and punk bands, so she figured a year job in Japan would be pretty cool. All seemed well--then we started training. On the second full day of training, she cracked, and decided that teaching kids' classes was too much for her. By that evening, she'd made up her mind to return home to Australia instead of completing training. Needless to say, I was quite surprised. Over the next few days, details had to be sorted out, but thankfully I knew they'd be able to find another roomie for me. You see, the academic year starts at the beginning of April here in Japan, meaning they've got tons of trainees coming over in the next few months. As God's providence would have it, another girl in my training group that I get along with quite well was a bit underwhelmed with her tiny single-occupant apartment. I asked the realty guy if she could slide into the slot at my place, letting a new person take her apartment, and he agreed! Things have been great with her--she's a friendly, beautiful, Australian blonde named Jess. She taught in Sydney last year, and is a couple years older than me. We've been having a lovely time together so far.
That sums up interesting living situation stuff 'til now. Training has been harrowing, what with having to prep mock lessons and dress in business clothes (who knew looking good could be so restrictive??), and having to be 5 minutes early everywhere. I have to admit it's a bit more pressure than I'm used to, but I think I'm meeting the challenge. I already miss hip-hop. And pork barbeque. The food here is quite tasty, though. I'm even slowly building up steam on cooking for myself--eating out is easy and delicious to do in Japan, but of course not the most economical of choices. Getting used to timing my laundry in order to account for my lack of a dryer has been a bit of an adventure, too. My balcony turns into a clothing zoo once a week.
That's about all for now. I'll try to update pretty regularly--I hope this will be a good way to stay in touch with all of you in the States, my dear friends!
Monday, June 15, 2009
大学生とカラオケ [college students and karaoke]
Hello again, everyone! Sorry my second entry has been so long in coming--I've definitely been busy getting settled here. Let's see... so much has happened since my first entry! Well, let's just dive right in, shall we?
My first week was a little uneventful, the first half of it being dedicated to getting orientated and shaking off jetlag. I did help with a few things here and there, though, and I began going to a Friday lunch that the local Campus Crusade team leads at Gai Dai University near our church. It was great to meet and begin getting acquainted with the students there. Some of the Crusade team invited me to go to karaoke as a social ministry outing that night, as well, so I talked with various students throughout the afternoon until it was time to go yowl out some pop songs. Interesting karaoke fact--the whole idea of singing to instrumental versions of popular songs as entertainment actually orignated in Japan, and the word "karaoke" itself is Japanese. It literally means "empty orchestra," with "oke" being short for "orchestra." :)
The karaoke place we went to was nice--with two stories of rooms to sing in, a full food menu, and dramatic decoration, it was pretty much a karaoke palace. I wish I'd taken pictures! Ah, well, perhaps I'll have another chance before I leave. We met several medical students from a nearby university there, in addition to some Gai Dai students. As I'd come to expect from past experience, it was a blast--everyone sang their hearts out, and there was lots of laughter. Amidst all the fun, I even got to invite one girl to English classes at the church. As we were leaving, two other students asked me about a button on my jean jacket that shows an Eastern Orthodox icon. I found myself very naturally telling them about what the picture meant and relating its story of Jesus and the woman at the well, explaining to them the concept of Christ as the Living Water. Thinking about this afterwards, I was shocked by the natural flow of it all. Praises be to God for using this little decoration from my friend Kerry as a gateway to genuine sharing!
I have much more to share, but my other stories will have to wait for a day or two--for now I have to take care of a few errands before dinner. Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. じゃあ、またね！I'll see you later!
My first week was a little uneventful, the first half of it being dedicated to getting orientated and shaking off jetlag. I did help with a few things here and there, though, and I began going to a Friday lunch that the local Campus Crusade team leads at Gai Dai University near our church. It was great to meet and begin getting acquainted with the students there. Some of the Crusade team invited me to go to karaoke as a social ministry outing that night, as well, so I talked with various students throughout the afternoon until it was time to go yowl out some pop songs. Interesting karaoke fact--the whole idea of singing to instrumental versions of popular songs as entertainment actually orignated in Japan, and the word "karaoke" itself is Japanese. It literally means "empty orchestra," with "oke" being short for "orchestra." :)
The karaoke place we went to was nice--with two stories of rooms to sing in, a full food menu, and dramatic decoration, it was pretty much a karaoke palace. I wish I'd taken pictures! Ah, well, perhaps I'll have another chance before I leave. We met several medical students from a nearby university there, in addition to some Gai Dai students. As I'd come to expect from past experience, it was a blast--everyone sang their hearts out, and there was lots of laughter. Amidst all the fun, I even got to invite one girl to English classes at the church. As we were leaving, two other students asked me about a button on my jean jacket that shows an Eastern Orthodox icon. I found myself very naturally telling them about what the picture meant and relating its story of Jesus and the woman at the well, explaining to them the concept of Christ as the Living Water. Thinking about this afterwards, I was shocked by the natural flow of it all. Praises be to God for using this little decoration from my friend Kerry as a gateway to genuine sharing!
I have much more to share, but my other stories will have to wait for a day or two--for now I have to take care of a few errands before dinner. Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. じゃあ、またね！I'll see you later!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
名古屋へようこそ！--Welcome to Nagoya!
Hello, everyone!
Welcome to my Nagoya blog, where I'll keep you up-to-date on my latest adventures as a summer missionary in the land of cherry blossoms and tiny cars.
As of today, I have been in Japan for 3 days. I have spent them getting acclimated to the time change and familiarizing myself with the city. I also attended church my first morning here, since I arrived on Saturday night. Meeting people in the church community and sharing a meal with them after the service was lovely. On Monday I got to enjoy a few sights in Nagoya with the help of Linda, the missionary whose apartment I am currently sharing. She didn't let me off easy, though--we drove big circles around the neighborhood and I had to tell her how to get home. Eek! It was hard, but I appreciate the orientation of the area that it gave me. I snagged a few pictures later in the day, which I'll include soon in a photo post.
Tomorrow I will sit in on my first English class and meet its members, as I'll soon begin helping with the teaching. I have to admit that I'm a little nervous, but it will be fun to actually jump into the swing of things, so to speak.
For now, I'm tired, so I'm off to bed. 読みのをありがとう。Thank you for reading. おやすみなさい。Good night!
[A small note: If you notice the posts below, just know that they are from my study abroad in Hong Kong a few years ago. They have nothing to do with my current exploits, but feel free to read them if you'd like.]
Welcome to my Nagoya blog, where I'll keep you up-to-date on my latest adventures as a summer missionary in the land of cherry blossoms and tiny cars.
As of today, I have been in Japan for 3 days. I have spent them getting acclimated to the time change and familiarizing myself with the city. I also attended church my first morning here, since I arrived on Saturday night. Meeting people in the church community and sharing a meal with them after the service was lovely. On Monday I got to enjoy a few sights in Nagoya with the help of Linda, the missionary whose apartment I am currently sharing. She didn't let me off easy, though--we drove big circles around the neighborhood and I had to tell her how to get home. Eek! It was hard, but I appreciate the orientation of the area that it gave me. I snagged a few pictures later in the day, which I'll include soon in a photo post.
Tomorrow I will sit in on my first English class and meet its members, as I'll soon begin helping with the teaching. I have to admit that I'm a little nervous, but it will be fun to actually jump into the swing of things, so to speak.
For now, I'm tired, so I'm off to bed. 読みのをありがとう。Thank you for reading. おやすみなさい。Good night!
[A small note: If you notice the posts below, just know that they are from my study abroad in Hong Kong a few years ago. They have nothing to do with my current exploits, but feel free to read them if you'd like.]
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
shock and awe.
I'm done...? Oh my gosh, I'm done!! NO MORE TESTS. YAY.
Thankfully, my Chinese test was much less intimidating that I expected. If things go as well as I think they did, I probably even have a good shot at an A in that class. Yesssss. I'm aiming for all A's this semester--we'll see if art breaks that goal, but that's so subjective, who knows?
I'm quite happy with being my level of productivity today, too. I made sure my time for dorm checkout is okay, sent in some paperwork to my professor, turned in a library book, and emailed my academic adviser at Peppertown about opening an advanced Japanese class for me. Those things didn't even take that long, but they'd been hanging over my head all the same. The satisfaction of checking things off is delicious.
Hm... speaking of checking things off the list, I need to do more Christmas shopping soon. I seriously have no idea how I'm gonna get all my stuff plus my presents back to the USA. Part of the problem is the length of my list, but I just love all these people! Probably I should give a bunch of my clothes to the Salvation Army, since they have a donation box on campus. I could also buy a small suitcase.
And yes, I am completely stoked to come back to the States. One of my buds here hooked me up with Nat 'King' Cole's Christmas album, and I'm listening to it right now, feeling pretty much as sappy and nostalgic as is humanly possible. AHHH! I am so looking forward to listening to this properly in my living room with Grandma Clara humming along while Mom cooks in the kitchen as Dad and I work on a crossword. I know there'll be reverse culture shock and jetlag, but I'll still probably explode with happiness to be back in such a familiar place. All I want for Christmas is mytwo front teeth living room! (with family included, of course. :])
Merry Christmas, everybody! :D
Thankfully, my Chinese test was much less intimidating that I expected. If things go as well as I think they did, I probably even have a good shot at an A in that class. Yesssss. I'm aiming for all A's this semester--we'll see if art breaks that goal, but that's so subjective, who knows?
I'm quite happy with being my level of productivity today, too. I made sure my time for dorm checkout is okay, sent in some paperwork to my professor, turned in a library book, and emailed my academic adviser at Peppertown about opening an advanced Japanese class for me. Those things didn't even take that long, but they'd been hanging over my head all the same. The satisfaction of checking things off is delicious.
Hm... speaking of checking things off the list, I need to do more Christmas shopping soon. I seriously have no idea how I'm gonna get all my stuff plus my presents back to the USA. Part of the problem is the length of my list, but I just love all these people! Probably I should give a bunch of my clothes to the Salvation Army, since they have a donation box on campus. I could also buy a small suitcase.
And yes, I am completely stoked to come back to the States. One of my buds here hooked me up with Nat 'King' Cole's Christmas album, and I'm listening to it right now, feeling pretty much as sappy and nostalgic as is humanly possible. AHHH! I am so looking forward to listening to this properly in my living room with Grandma Clara humming along while Mom cooks in the kitchen as Dad and I work on a crossword. I know there'll be reverse culture shock and jetlag, but I'll still probably explode with happiness to be back in such a familiar place. All I want for Christmas is my
Merry Christmas, everybody! :D
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Forgive me, Bloggod, for I have sinned. It has been 1 month since my last entry.
Oops. I've let this slide for too long, haven't I? Well, my computer hard drive bit the dust shortly after my last post, and then was in the shop for 2 or 3 weeks. I feel I have much to write about, but I have an exam to study for at the moment. Here's a blogging to-do list. As each one of them is crossed off, you'll get another blog:
study for/finish Chinese exam
talk about my trip to Malaysia
talk about leaving HK
talk about experiencing HK
Have a lovely evening, everyone! I must finish my Chinese oral presentation.
talk about my trip to Malaysia
talk about leaving HK
talk about experiencing HK
Have a lovely evening, everyone! I must finish my Chinese oral presentation.
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