Consider Me Fully Oriented.

After long last, I have finally gotten around to my blog! I suppose I'll recap what I've been doing so far in Japan, starting at the beginning.
After I left STL, I went to Chicago for the Chicago JET 2010 Orientation. It was fun, actually, and we learned a little bit more of what to expect in the big Tokyo Orientation. They had a lovely dinner for us afterward. The next morning, we packed up our bags and headed for Japan! ^_^ We, as a group of about 180 (I think), managed to clog up the baggage check and security lines pretty sufficiently. It took us a long time to get through, and we waited an even longer time to take off. Our plane left late, but we still got to Tokyo on time. Apparently, we had a good wind to our backs, or so said the pilot.
After a night of rest in the lovely and luxurious Keio Plaza Hotel we had two days of orientation. More and more orientation. It was little overwhelming, to say the least. In the mornings, they served us breakfast buffet style, and they tried to accommodate all the countries present at orientation (Ireland, Australia, U.S., Jamaica, France) by serving Western breakfast. Which surprisingly include french fries. I think that was aimed towards America. hahaha :)
I was severely jet lagged, so instead of going out on the town during the nights, I tried to go to bed early. I have already been to Tokyo (for 4 whole months) so while I did love it and it did make me feel nostalgic, I thought I should try to rest. I kept waking up at like 3 in the morning, though, and felt tired in the afternoons. I hate jet lag. :(

Some friends and me at Chicago Orientation

So after all that orientation, we each went to our respective prefectures. A week later we had....MORE ORIENTATION. Hahahaha Okay, by now I think I get it: Fukuoka is in the south, Japan uses different outlets, junior high school students will ask you weird questions, and culture shock is real and I have support if I need it. Whew, consider me oriented!
But in all honesty, those orientations were wonderful, and I really enjoyed getting some clarity about what to expect this fall when I actually start teaching. And it was fun to meet other JETs, especially ones in my area.

There have been some questions about what it is that I do all day, since I do actually have to go to work, even though it is summer vacation in Japan. I am a Prefectural JET, meaning that the prefecture of Fukuoka has hired me. That means that they can put in any school in the region, not just in Kurume, where I live. It also means that I go to the Board of Education office every day. I am an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT), and there are 2 other ALTs in my office, Jamie and Chris. We have nothing to really do in the summer, so mostly we chat or read. We go out to lunch a lot, which is nice. Jamie and Chris have been soooo nice to me, teaching me stuff and helping me out. I would be lost without them! Just so happens that the ALTs in Kurume live in a jutaku, which is teacher housing. We all live in the same building, which is so wonderfully convenient and nice. There are other ALTs besides the ones my office living here, too. Praju and her fiance Shri live here, as well as Jason. I have yet to meet Gage, but he's here, too. Everyone has been so nice me. Praju and Shri took me around the area, showed me the grocery stores, and helped me buy a bike. I am so grateful to all the kind and helpful people that have been making my life easier. :)
I don't have much to do at the office, so I have read two books already: Life of Pi, and Big Fish. Actually I read big fish in a few hours, it's really short and fast. I am also currently rereading Memoirs of a Geisha because my predecessor left a copy in my apartment.

Well, there will be more to come, but now it's bedtime for me. <3