Orientation

The JET Programme requires you to do a couple orientations with a few optional ones. Yes, they are useful but oh so boring! The only ones that are remotely fun are the ones that aren't required…of course. The first orientation thing I went to was over a weekend in Chicago. There, we had a teaching workshop and Q&A sessions. It was the first time I got to meet other JETs. The workshops were very useful. I suggest that if you go to these, write down and bring all of you questions because they will probably be answered which helps you a lot. It was nice to arrive to the hotel the day before leaving and actually know a good amount of people. Also, after the workshops, we went out for Japanese food and drinks.

The required pre-departure orientation at the Holiday Inn was very boring. The plus side was that my friend from college who is also a new JET (Anna) and I requested to share a room. So after all of the boring orientation stuff about how to take a plane to Japan, we got to hang out and go swimming in the pool.

The next day after that, you fly to Japan! It’s exciting, but the 14 hour plane ride is not. I didn't sleep (I can never sleep much on planes). I would suggest trying to sleep if you can. That way, when you actually arrive at the hotel in Japan, you can go out and do something fun rather than have a sleep deprivation head-ache and the feeling of being drugged when you actually aren't. The plus sides of my plane ride are that I got to sit by my friend because I traded places with someone else, The Avengers was showing on the plane, and I requested all vegetarian meals lol.

At O'hare airport before departure.

On the plane.

Gingerale fun.

We made it!

The following two days after arriving in Japan you have to do more orientation stuff. Like I said, they are useful, but mind-numbing. First of all, you have to wear business attire which is uncomfortable, attend many workshops with little time to yourself, and mingle awkwardly with a bunch of strangers. All the while in your head you are thinking, “OMG I’M IN JAPAN! I WANT TO GO OUT AND EXPLORE!” You eventually do get a little time to go out after all the meetings, but you are generally pretty jet-lagged and can’t stay up that late. I did learn that I would for sure be based in a junior high school and that I would be making elementary school visits and possibly doing conversation classes (which I don’t think will actually happen according to my predecessors). I also got to meet one of my predecessors at the orientation which was exciting for me.

Tokyo orientation.

The first night I went out, I got to meet up with a friend from college who was just finishing up with the JET Programme. So we, and two other friends (Anna and another new JET) went out and did プリクラ (Purikura: Japanese photo booths), ate donuts, explored, and so on. My friend who is finishing JET and I did karaoke after the other girls called it a night. We were planning on it being just the two of us, but when we were in line, a Swedish couple asked if we wanted to do it together. It was kind of awkward but fun and spontaneous. We sang a Japanese rock version of Pocahontas >_< …we thought it was going to be the original haha!

College friends reunited.

Purikura explanation.

Random karaoke.

The second night I went out. It was just Anna and I. We ate konbini (convenience store) food and shopped a little. I bought a couple gifts/postcards and a shirt for work. It was really fun! The Marui Young mall/store was particularly interesting because of all the crazy Japanese clothes. The strange thing about Tokyo orientation is that you never really feel like you are in Japan. Perhaps it’s because you are in a fancy western style hotel surrounded by a bunch of English speaking people. Even when I went out into the city, though, it still didn't seem like I was in Japan. If I've learned anything from my last trip, it’s that it never actually sinks in until you’re gone.

After orientation, you leave for your new home. The other Osaka JETs and I took the shinkansen (bullet train) to Shin-Osaka Station where we met our supervisors and then went to our Boards of Education from there. There were only eight Osaka JETs in Group A, but I've heard there are more in Groups B and C. The other new JET who will be living in my town (and same apartment building) is in Group B. I’m excited to meet her.

Riding on the shinkansen.

I was so nervous to meet my supervisor! I was in a full-on suit and everything. It turned out that it was less formal than I thought it’d be. My supervisor is nice and my predecessor Kris (who is doing a second year who also lives in the same apartment building as me) was there to greet me as well. He was the one I got to meet at orientation so it was nice to see a familiar face. The only difficult part was speaking to my supervisor. He can speak pretty good English, but he obviously prefers to speak in Japanese and encouraged me to speak in Japanese as much as possible. So it was pretty awkward and hard for me, and I found myself trying not to say anything. When we got to my BOE (Board of Education) we had to do all sorts of paperwork and housekeeping stuff. I had to introduce myself in Japanese to several people. I always feel so dumb when I try to speak in Japanese…I hope that changes.

After taking care of business at the BOE, I finally got to go to my new apartment and meet my actual predecessor. This is what I had been looking forward to the most. My predecessor was super nice and awesome! I’m lucky to have her (seeing as many people aren't so lucky). My immediate first impression about the apartment, which I will go into detail later, was that it was nice, clean, and had the smallest bathroom I have ever seen. I also felt overwhelmed a bit by all of the stuff I had to learn like how to use the microwave/grill/oven machine…yes, one machine does all three…leave it to Japan. I was surprised that my washing machine was outside on the balcony. I feel stupid now for not knowing that it would be at the time because it seems like I should have. Washing machines outside seems pretty normal in Japan seeing as you dry you laundry on the balcony anyway (people rarely have dryers in Japan).

To sum up the order of events following moving in to my apartment: I waited for the gas company to come and turn on my gas (water and electric were already good to go), I waited for the mailman to deliver the packages I had sent to myself (we arranged to have them delivered that night), Kris showed me around a bit and took me to get some groceries (my first meal in my apartment was some soba (buckwheat noodles) I picked up from the store), and then I unpacked for a really long time…pretty much until everything was organized and put away. I didn't have any mental breakdowns or anything like they say can usually happen on your first night. To be honest, I felt (and maybe still do) a strange numbness like I’m not really here in Japan doing the JET Programme.

The following few days after I moved in consisted of me buying stuff for the apartment, going to the BOE to do more paperwork, setting up a bank account and other stuff like that, getting my second suitcase and unpacking that, going to a furniture store with my supervisor and buying a bed (which by the way, as I’m writing this now, I still don’t have my bed yet. It will be delivered tomorrow, and I’m so excited!!), having Kris show me how to take the train, exploring the town on my own by bike, and basically just getting settled in.