I leave for Seattle on the 22nd of July. Then I leave for Japan on the 24th.
These are facts that I have committed to memory, but facts that I have yet to actively wrap my head around.
A more accurate assessment would be:
I will be saying goodbye to my family, lifting at least one large and heavy suitcase and some backpacks onto a train, having the awkward "we're going to be apart for a little while" chat with my partner on said train (again), training with many other JETs, checking into a flight, and waiting on a plane for 14 hours before training in Tokyo.
Before then, I need to unpack. Yes, unpack. From college. Then I need to pack. My goal: one suitcase. This will be accomplished with a lot of ebooks and not a lot of clothing. Luckily, Komatsu is not Minneapolis/ St. Paul, so I don't have to worry about a lot of bulky items. I've heard that my future apartment is itty bitty, and I want to try living with a minimum of clutter. (Stop laughing!) My European housemates in Cape Town had it down: just a few pairs of pants, a nice variety of shirts--enough that they could go a week without wearing the same outfit twice, but no longer. I want to bring minimum essentials and then have a big box of yarn and knitted/winter items ready to be shipped. Right now, whittling down the books is the hardest!
Also, omiyage. OMG omiyage. Oregon does delicious regional treats really well, but it also does green very well--none of the treats are individually wrapped like Japanese omiyage. The searching continues for a tasty オレゴンから treat! For students and prizes, I'm going to buy a massive pile of postcards. That way, students can collect them and learn something about my hometown in the process. I need to find a few nice things for the people who I'm sure I will be really indebted to...principal, whoever sets me up with bank/cell/etc. Chocolates? Too bad there's a limit on wine!
The whole teaching bit is weird. I know I'm going to be at the front of a classroom, but I still can't picture myself there. I've been a student for too long.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Getting Here
So, right. I'm an ALT with the JET Program, one of many young, Japan-bound college grads cluttering up the blogosphere. In three weeks, I leave for Komatsu, the second-largest city in Ishikawa Prefecture for what I'm hoping will be the Best Job Ever. I get to help teach high school students my mother tongue!
Getting accepted into the JET Program was a suprise for me. I wasn't a Japanese major in college--I majored in Political Science and International Studies and studied away in South Africa-- and I've never been one of the better communicators in my Japanese classes. I do, however, love teaching. I worked as a peer writing tutor at my college for three years, acting as the informal ESL specialist. JET actually appealed to me because I liked this job so much!
The application process should start in early October of one's senior year in college/university. There's a whole slew of application questions, transcripts, medical forms, letters of recommendation, and a personal statement involved at this stage. I remember setting aside an afternoon to get everywhere for copies, recs, the physical, transcripts, etc was very helpful. I also recall that the sheer amount of office juggling was a little enfuriating. Anyway, in January you hear back whether or not you got an interview. Most of the people from my college who applied (10) got an interview. The interview itself (mid February) made me very nervous. With the help of my partner's internet findings, I convinced myself that the interviewers would ask only the most offensive personal questions and the most random ones about American culture. They didn't, and I actually had a fun, professional conversation with my interviewers. I found out in early April that I made the shortlist and in May that I would be placed in Ishikawa-ken. I've been scurrying about filling out more forms ever since!
Getting accepted into the JET Program was a suprise for me. I wasn't a Japanese major in college--I majored in Political Science and International Studies and studied away in South Africa-- and I've never been one of the better communicators in my Japanese classes. I do, however, love teaching. I worked as a peer writing tutor at my college for three years, acting as the informal ESL specialist. JET actually appealed to me because I liked this job so much!
The application process should start in early October of one's senior year in college/university. There's a whole slew of application questions, transcripts, medical forms, letters of recommendation, and a personal statement involved at this stage. I remember setting aside an afternoon to get everywhere for copies, recs, the physical, transcripts, etc was very helpful. I also recall that the sheer amount of office juggling was a little enfuriating. Anyway, in January you hear back whether or not you got an interview. Most of the people from my college who applied (10) got an interview. The interview itself (mid February) made me very nervous. With the help of my partner's internet findings, I convinced myself that the interviewers would ask only the most offensive personal questions and the most random ones about American culture. They didn't, and I actually had a fun, professional conversation with my interviewers. I found out in early April that I made the shortlist and in May that I would be placed in Ishikawa-ken. I've been scurrying about filling out more forms ever since!
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