Sasebo Arrival Feb 16-20

Feb 16: Sasebo-bound. Finally got out of the hotel and into my real apartment. The bus ride was about 2 hrs, but it went by pretty quick. Sasebo has a bit of unique history to it. It was one of the first settling points for Westerners when Japan opened their doors to the world in the late 1800s. At that time contact was mostly limited to Dutch and Portugeuse travelers/missionaries. There is actually a Dutch "amusement park" here in Sasebo. It's more of a mini Dutch town with Windmills, flowers, and old fashioned houses. I haven't been there yet, but I will definitely make a visit in the Spring. Sasebo is also home to an American naval base that I believe takes port every 6 months. The naval base was established in the 1950s, so there are more hints of American culture than the average Japanese town. For example, there are some burger shops and American looking pubs. But since the war, the American influence has dwindled off. In other words, whereas in Fukuoka I maybe saw 1 American guy every 2 weekdays, in Sasebo I see 4 Americans every 2 weekdays. 

Sasebo also has a funny geography to it. Houses flow through the valley between two mountains then once you reach the ocean, the houses start to curl back around one of the mountains. Just off the coast are the kyujukyu islands, or 99 islands. Only about 4 islands are actually inhabited by people, which is one reason people love to sea kayak to them and camp out. If one has the opportunity to hike up one of the mountains surrounding Sasebo, I'm sure it's a wonderful view. Not to mention there are a few volcanoes near Sasebo that give rise to many hot springs as well.

Feb 17: The past two days of training have been crazy. Between meeting new students, parents of students, new staff, getting alien registration done, searching the town for stores, unpacking, going food shopping, etc… it's been pretty hectic. But I suppose that's how it is when anyone makes a transition into a new location and job. I managed to steal my neighbor's internet connection tonight just so I can try to contact some people. Unfortunately, I am not able to buy internet, a cell phone, or sign up to the gym until I receive my alien registration card. When I originally came to Japan I was issued a work visa which allowed me to work in Japan for 3 years. The visa gets me into the country legally, and now that I have an actual address, I am required to sign up for a "permit" to live in Sasebo. In other words, the work visa made me eligible for federal tax on my checks and the alien registration card makes me eligible for local tax on my checks. Pretty standard for any country with an organized government, but it's not exactly convenient because you are restricted to do anything that requires a contract until the actual card arrives, which in some areas can take up to 2 months. Since Sasebo isn't a large city my card will be ready on March 4th.

As mentioned I officially checked in to Sasebo school. The hierarchy of the school goes as follows: 

The school is run by the manager (let's say King). The King delegates land (classroom time) to the peasants (students) for a small sum of rupees (contract). The Duke (head teacher) works under the law of the King, but may create her own local laws (lesson plans) which are to be enforced by the Barons (myself, and three other teachers). We are to control the peasants in an orderly manner and instruct them how to properly function in our society of English speakers. 

We each teach about 5-6 lessons a day and in the extra time we have business meetings, lesson prep, student counseling, prospective student interviews, and student review sheets. It's a pretty busy job, but like any teaching job the big payment is the twinkle in the students' eyes when they learn something new (wow that was cheesy). Today I taught one class under observation and observed the other classes. I've already been reprimanded by my manager for talking in Japanese with the mothers and some students. It was all in good nature to make them feel comfortable with me, but then again it lets the students know they can always fall back on Japanese if they struggle with their English. The rest of the week should be full of unwanted stress, but after that everything should look up. I'll check back tomorrow if I have internet again, and I hope everyone is doing well.

Feb18: Yet another training day. Today was a 12-9 schedule and I taught 2 lessons under observation. My trainer has been an amazing help and has really put in his time to help me become a good teacher. I have my utmost respect for this guy. You never know the kind of people you will meet on the other side of the world. For example, the teacher who I am replacing is a 35 year old Australian fellow who is a qualified math, science and english teacher who made his way to Japan after teaching in Tibet for a year. My trainer is a 43 year old Filipino man who worked as a pizza boy, casino dealer and IT Tech manager before coming to Japan 9 years ago. Everyone has their own story, and everyone understands how you are perceiving things as a newcomer. Chris, the teacher I'm replacing, provided me with notes on Sasebo, games he designed for the kids, insightful input on the students, and introduced me to some locals he is familiar with. 

Having supportive coworkers is one important thing that can really keep a foreign teacher mentally in their job even if they don't like the work they're doing (and a functioning xbox, of course). The staff at Sasebo are indeed five lovely young ladies and myself. They are extremely kind and the Duke (head teacher) has already expressed her intent to work with me on anything I need. At any AEON school, the foreign teacher is the face of the school. There are fliers, little posters, and other advertisements with my picture and the staff's picture. A great responsibility comes along with the face. Japanese society is very conservative, which means if someone does something out of line, the news will make appoint to tell you who they are, how old they are, what school they go to, and probably what they ate for breakfast. It's very much a society that believes in conformity. May not be something I agree with on some levels, but that's their culture and I respect it. 

One quick anecdote to end the night. A foreign teacher went to a "high priced" bar and decided to have an enjoyable time. However, at the end of the night he ran out of money. So he dropped off his business card (with his school's phone number on it) and said to call him for the money. What do you think happened next? 

Feb 19: Last day of training! The kid's head trainer came all the way from Fukuoka just to observe two of my lessons today. Fridays and Saturdays are normally the most busy days a week at an Eikaiwa (English Conversation) school. The obvious explanation for that is because everyone works or has school during the week. Friday evening usually consist of adults and Saturdays usually consist of kids classes. Today I taught 3 lessons, two adult and one kids and I observed 3 classes. Teaching kids is much more strenuous than teaching adults and I'm sure if you ask any kindergarten teacher they will agree. Adults come to Eikaiwa for many reasons.  Most older folks say they are studying English to exercise their brains or for travel purposes. Most younger adults says they are studying English for high school, job opportunities, travel purposes, or perhaps studying abroad. The kids are at the school because their parents are making them go. What does that mean? That means the Eikaiwai teacher better make their valuable playtime with friends entertaining. The foreign teacher I'm replacing had a talent for that. He was the master of creative games. I was fortunate enough to inherit his game list, paper money, and Hyaku En store goodies. Once again as an empathetic person who knows how it feels to be a newcomer, he did everything he could facilitate my accommodations. 

After a successful day of teaching, it was time to celebrate my arrival, but more importantly Chris's departure. The staff organized a little party to take place at a local Izakaya (popular place for Japanese people to go with friends to eat, drink and enjoy). Roughly 30 students attended. If you've ever been to an authentic Japanese restaurant, it's common to take your shoes off before entering your "dining area". Depending on the amount of people, the table can be anywhere up to 15 people long per side. The table is only about 2-3ft elevated from the floor, but below the table is sort of like a bunker cut out for your feet. So you sit down on the pillow and slide your feet under the table into the nice open space below. 

Japan is in fact a drinking culture. It's very common for businessmen to go out with buddies twice a week to drink and socialize. It is believed to help create a bond between coworkers which will carry over into the success of the team in the workplace. Housewives will actually worry about their husband's jobs at times if he is coming home on time every night. This party was no different from other businesses. Many drinks and types of food were served. It was an amazing opportunity to meet my students on a personal level and laugh and talk about common interests. All of my students are extremely kind people, and are more than willing to bring me into their circle. They understand as an English teacher, you are here to help them better their lives. I noticed this most significantly when the students were around Chris. Some students made him gifts by hand or bought him gifts. The look in their eyes was genuine and they were truly touched by his kindness. I have big shoes to fill and not just because Chris is a tall guy. At the end of the night Chris and I made a little thank you speech. Spending time with the students outside of the classroom made me even more motivated to help them. 

Afterwards we stopped by a bar that is normally inhabited by American sailors. Since the naval base is in Sasebo, sailors will either stay local or go to Fukuoka on the weekends.

Feb 20: The first real weekend is upon me. Japan is in the process of digitalizing their TV's so the cable guy stopped by my apartment today to install the system. Sasebo is a relatively large place and in the center of town (where my work is located) there is a really long mall-like strip with tons of shops and restaurants. 

I spent most of the day going food shopping, doing laundry, and making food. I managed to find some time to climb halfway up on of the mountains near my house, but it was getting late. The winter in Sasebo is nice because it's around 55 degrees and dry during the day. The summer on the other hand should be a nightmare 85 with humidity stronger than New York's. Japan does exhibit all 4 seasons. In general it has a very humid summer, dry winter, and a beautiful spring and fall.

Still no internet in the house which appears to be not for at least another 3 weeks. I really miss everyone and it's going to be a pain not contacting anyone as often as I'd like. I am posting this from the local internet cafe and I will definitely check my messages every weekend, if not once during the week. Until then thank you for reading and I hope everyone is working hard!