When I got here, things didn't seem as strange as I thought they would be. My flight into Tokyo took place on July 25th. Steven came with me and we spent the day before walking around NYC and the night before this at his sister's apartment in Brooklyn. I had an extremely teary goodbye from JFK Airport in NYC and passed out on the plane. There was a lovely woman who quickly became my friend, also in the JET Program and also leaving her lover behind. Her name was Daria Moore. Her man was a former JET and was going to try to find a job in Japan so he could join Daria. This was also the plan for Steven, but it has been a very very difficult task for us, since I live in bumfuck nowhere. The flight seemed quick enough, but I guess it would after traveling to China and Australia. When we got off the plane, our hands were held almost constantly until orientation was over. We stayed at the Keio Plaza Hotel, one of Tokyo's finest. We had strange Japan-ified foods for every meal, including salad for breakfast, which they assume is part of an everyday western breakfast. I wonder who tells them these things? Orientation was fun enough, but I really just wanted to move into my new place.
My roommates from Tokyo Orientation
First meal in Japan. Don't remember what it was, except delicious.
First breakfast in Japan - western style: salad, mashed potato-type eggs, slightly cooked sausages, toast, cereal, yogurt, fruit, and buns. It was great (especially the eggs)!
The busy area across the road.
A completely different place at night.
2010 First-year JETs of Kochi!!!
A view from Keio Plaza Hotel, 43rd floor, I believe.
Bye Bye, Tokyo!
The flight from Tokyo to Kochi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku was short, maybe an hour, and we were greeted by our supervisors and predecessors at the little Ryoma Airport. It was pretty funny for me to see my giant pred, David, and tiny supervisor, Tomoko. Most of the contracting organizations had giant welcome signs for the new arrivals, but mine did not. I think they felt bad about it, but whatever. It was pouring rain and David bought an umbrella so Tomoko could get to the car without getting drenched. They took me out to lunch and I was praised for knowing some Japanese and being 'ojouzu' with my chopsticks. They brought me into town and I immediately met a few students. For whatever reason, there was a haunted house going on at the Bunka Center (Culture Center), where I am stationed when I don't have class. It was quite adorable and a little strange to meet them. Not all of them understood what David meant by 'new teacher'. He had been here for 4 years and some of the kids never knew any other teacher but Davido-sensei. I hope I make as good of an impression on them .
My supervisor, Tomoko. She rocks.
Seriously, though, bumfuck nowhere Kochi. . . there are about 3,000 people in my town and maybe just under 800,000 in the entire prefecture, which is like a US State. I do admit I am enjoying it, though. It's nice to be one of the few once in a while!
It's incredible how the students react to a new foreigner. Even an old foreigner that they are familiar with gets so much attention no matter what. Your name is shouted from across the road, down the mountain, wherever they might see you, almost like a warning that the foreign person is coming! I feel like we understood that everyone was different when we were children. In America, at least much of it, we don't usually stare someone down with our mouths agape while they walk past unless their tits are out of their crazy clothes or their face is tattooed or something. Anyone who does not have an Asian face here is automatically dubbed a "gaijin," a foreigner. You can hear whispers of children and elderly as you get closer. Sometimes even from far away, they notice you and let it be known.
They have no idea that we can speak any other language. If you understand anything, they are surprised. If you speak, they praise you with being "ojouzu," talented at Japanese (Nihon-go). The same goes for having the ability to do things they consider to be very Japanese. For example, using chopsticks. Why would anyone but a Japanese person know how to use chopsticks? "How talented you are, did you pick that skill up while in Japan?" Why would you have heard of or tried anything that is Japanese before you came to Japan? "Do you know Japanese 'sushi'? Do you know Japanese 'sake'?" I never knew if I should react with feigned ignorance or with slight annoyance or what, since they got so excited to be the first one to show you what Japanese sushi was. It's impossible to get across to most of these people the fact that America is full of ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE and that we know about other cultures, too.
Around here, we are all ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers) and they know that. Before I stepped foot in this town, they already knew my name． I was told by my predecessor that some of the members of the Board of Education already knew my face, too, since he went onto Facebook to show them what I looked like! You can imagine my quick panic of what they might have seen when he told me that. . . some drunken photo from my college days? Some miserable face from my last job? Hmmm. . . No matter, now there are plenty of new thoughts of me as I live and work here.
David and some of the students I will have this year.
My first night here, I had no idea what to do for dinner, so my predecessor took me and the new Aki ALT, Ingrid, out to a place in Aki. Brittany, another ALT who has been in Aki for a year already, came too. She was lovely. It will be nice to get to know her! Too bad David has to leave. He seems really cool. . .
David and Brittany took us out for dinner in Aki.
Enough for now, time to get out of this workplace and into my tiny tiny abode. . .
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