Saturday, October 22, 2011

Training is over

Training is over, and I'll be heading to my school on Monday!  For now I've got the weekend free before starting up work proper.  Went out last night with a bunch of my fellow trainees to all night karaoke here in Omiya, and am now recovering before heading into Tokyo this evening.  This has been a really thorough and fun training!  They are really clear about expectations and the workload, and there's been a ton of practice in preparing lesson plans and actually teaching.  We got to teach mini lessons to actual Japanese students as well, which was awesome.  I'm looking forward to meeting everyone at my school;  apparently the other native English teacher is really cool, so I'm hoping he'll be up for going out and about in Shimokita after work.  A lot of the other trainees here are going to be working in the Tokyo area, so we should be able to still hang out.  A few of the guys are going up north, so I'm definitely thinking that a winter vacation up in Niigata or Yamagata might be in order.
Me and a few of the other trainees at the seminar house

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

In Omiya

At the training center in Omiya!  I got my schedule for when I get to my branch school, but I still don't know where my apartment is because I'm getting a new one, not the one that the teacher I'm replacing is in now.  Crossing my fingers that it's a bit closer than the 30 min the old teacher's apt was from the school!
Took a walk down to Omiya station with some of the other trainees, it's a pretty far walk but there's a bunch of stuff by the station, lots of karaoke and restaurants and even a couple department stores.
I was doing pretty well this afternoon, but the jet lag is definitely hitting right about now.  I've got some stuff to do beforehand but it's gonna be another early night tonight I think!

Sunday, October 9, 2011

In LA

Hanging out at my hotel in LA, about to take a nap I think.  My flights from Jax to here went quite smoothly, no delays or anything!  It's so much better to have a suitcase with four wheels, I can push it around instead of having to drag it behind me and the difference is amazing.  When I have some spare cash I think I'll go ahead and get a small one with four wheels as well, it's really worth it to upgrade.
I'm going to have to leave super early tomorrow morning to catch the airport shuttle and make my flight to Japan!  Hopefully the neck pillow will make sleeping on the plane easier.  I'm so tired already from getting up at seven this morning in order to finish packing and make my flight here, I'm going to be dead on my feet if I can't get any sleep on the plane!  Then training starts the very next day... wish me luck!

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Wait, it came!

Okaaaay so the COE actually arrived today!  I had totally written it off as a lost cause and was all set to switch everything over to leave on the 31st instead, but now all of a sudden the 10th might be back on.  I rushed over to the post office after getting all my documents together and overnighted it all to Miami, complete with overnight return envelope.  Cost a ton, so they better come through and get it to me in time!!  I'm going to call the embassy on Monday and explain my situation and hope they can expedite the visa process for me.  I'll also have to call my recruiter and tell him that the COE arrived after all, because things were already in motion for me to switch everything over to the 31st.  Everyone wish me luck!!