Sasebo Living Feb 21-27

Feb 21: No internet. Not being able to communicate with those I care about before making news friends can induce a bit of loneliness. So it was time to find family and friends to rescue me. Internet cafe adventure was the game. Japan is notorious for having internet cafes. The customer is provided with a cubicle and a computer or they can use their own laptop. Some customers like to pretend that this cubicle is their own bedroom, but headphones can remedy any unwanted sounds from the guy next door. They can be a little pricey. For example, mine was a $4 sign up fee, and $11 for 3 hours. Doesn't seem like too much, but it can certainly add up if it's done continuously. It was amazing to skype the family and chat with friends online. I miss my family terribly, but I miss them in a good way, not a homesick kind of way. I know they're all doing well and thinking of me for the best, so it just adds fire to my motivation. Not to mention one of my best buds made an amazing mix that I can't stop listening to every time I sit down at the computer. 

This is my day off and it's time for more Adventure! There are two decent size mountains on either side of my house. So what was the psychology behind this adventure? Choose a peak and hike up any road and path that goes upwards. I followed such a thought (with an ipod and camera in hand) and sooner than later (about 1.5 hours) I ended at my destination. The trees were flourishing at the higher elevations so it was difficult to take a nice picture. As the elevation increased, the houses appeared more farm-like. Some houses were literally built out of what appeared to be tin sheets, and others were actually quite beautiful with a dormant garden for the winter. It was a little strange not to see anyone while I hiked through the woods and walked past so many houses. 

Feb 22: Tuesdays are normally the slower days at Eikaiwa schools, whereas Saturdays are normally the busiest. Tuesdays at my school on the other hand, are probably the most difficult days. I won't go into details, but all I will say is that I have the utmost respect for elementary school teachers, specifically KINDERGARTEN teachers (Mom that's you!). It is truly a gift to be able to control an entire class of 20-30 6 year old students. My class was only 6 children, and I'm already strapped for ideas on controlling them. Until I understand the mindset and traits it takes to be a quality elementary school teacher, I will just have to try my best to get there. Other than that, adult classes are amazing and I feel so comfortable talking with the students. I saw some students from the party on Saturday night and it was great to see them back in the class excited to learn. The key to teaching adults English is to keep instructions simple, don't think outloud or connect thoughts by speaking (a common habit to us native speakers), and assure them of their reason for spending their time and money with you. 

The 12PM-9PM schedule on the wall is more of a penciled schedule. If you have worked in Japan, it's understood that being "on time" is in fact being late. In other words, the schedule says work starts at 12PM, make sure to be there at least 15min earlier, depending on the job. As a new teacher who needs to learn the ropes and understand the fluidity of the day, it's best to come in 45min early, definitely 30min early. At an adult school gathering the materials is relatively easy, but at a school with adults and children there simply is not enough time between classes to think of creative games for the students to play. Of course the lesson plan provides suggestions for games, but what if you have a class of 2 students and the suggested game is for 6 students? Planning and staying a week ahead of schedule is the best way to prevent major setbacks and late nights. The last class ends at 9, sometimes 9:10. Unless there is major planning to do, 9:20 is a typical time to clock out. The wise elder teachers provided wonderful advice for the young teacher. One said, " Don't expect that hour in the timetable that you don't have a class to be lesson prep time. You may come in thinking, 'I'll use this hour slot to think of my games', but next thing you know you have to interview a prospective student and greet current students entering the building and now your class starts in 5 minutes." As for me, being a teacher will indeed teach me effective time management, how to communicate my ideas more clearly, and how to be a strong leader. The first full day is over, thank you for reading. I really, really appreciate everyone taking the time to read my thoughts. 

Feb 23: Good day today. Gradually getting better with the kids lessons. The private lesson with the 3 year old wasn't too bad considering she didn't like to stay in one spot during the whole lesson. The 4th grade student in the private lesson was easy to please because I just made up some games involving soccer and basketball. One adult in the evening class actually asked me a question I didn't have an answer for. "Why don't you use 'foods' when you say ' I have a lot of food to make'?" It's obvious to a native speaker who would never use "foods" in that situation, but to put it into words immediately was a little difficult. After a dragged out poor response, I said, " You know what, that's an excellent question! I'll have the perfect answer next week. It's not the best way to answer a question, but it's better than gasping for air. The can students smell blood when the teacher doesn't have a good answer, especially from a young teacher. Overall the day went very well and this whole organization thing is working out pretty well. 

Oh, please try this snack if you have the chance. I cooked up some bacon and mushrooms, seasoned them, and drained as much fat as possible. Then I mixed them in a bowl with white rice and sprinkled in some salt. It's quite good! G'nite everyone, time for xbox and kanji. 

Feb 24: Progression, progression, progression. Perhaps the first day of kids lessons was a fluke, perhaps the students were the issue, but kids lessons were really great today. Yes there was plenty of singing and dancing involved, but for some reason I don't care how silly I look when the kids get really into the lesson. 

Organization has once again come through big for the new teacher. Having all phonemic cards, letter cards, and games preplanned made the lessons flow so smoothly. More importantly, keeping organization at work keeps my mind from clouding itself with worried thoughts at home. 

Feb 25: Woke up, went to work, came home, made some food, went to sleep. 

There appears to be a very popular sport amongst the elder folks in the park behind my apartment. Each player has a club sort of shaped like a putter. They also have a ball that is perhaps lighter than a crochet ball. At a short distance, about 50ft away, is a small pentagon shaped "goal" with a flag sticking out of the middle. Try to imagine the U.S. Pentagon building miniature sized and hollowed out. One of my students said it was called cage golf or something like that. Also flags for out of bounds are set up around this 9 hole course.

The retired folks also partake in a lot of community service activities. I don't think they are paid for it, but most mornings they are out in groups of 5 or 6 raking the leaves and cleaning the dirt off some sidewalks. It's nice to see older folks staying active and staying positive with their health. A group of them was watching me workout the other day which made me feel kind of cool I guess. Maybe someday I will gather the courage to converse with them. Tomorrow is payday so maybe a nice, but cheap restaurant this weekend. It's oyster season here in Sasebo! Might be worth the try. G'nite everyone. 

Feb 26: Typical Saturday at the school. Lots of kids and lots of lessons. After work was fun because two of my coworkers asked me to have dinner with them. We went to an izakaya type place and sat at the bar because the other seating area was occupied. It actually turned out for the better because we were able to spend a lot of time chatting with the chef. We ordered and shared numerous dishes like sashimi, fried chicken pieces, personal sized pizza, crab and rice, fried cheese balls. The chef even let me sample some of his sake and gave us a free bowl of korean-style miso soup. This guy's sake was unique from most places because he actually travels to the breweries himself to see if it is machine made or handmade sake. There is a huge difference in taste with the handmade sake; its much purer and smoother. It was great talking with my coworkers and enjoying each other's company out of the workplace. They're really nice girls and I'm glad we all work together. Now I have a place to go to on Saturday or Sunday nights to socialize and eat great food. 

Feb 27: It's Sunday, aka Adventure Day. After food shopping and dropping some suits off at the cleaners, I decided to hike the other peak of Sasebo. I started walking towards the mountain direction until I spotted what appeared to be a good road to follow up to the top. I meandered through some tight residential areas and somehow came out close to the road I spotted. Unlike last week's hike, this hike was mostly street oriented. This mountain is on the port-side of the city, so it's more inhabited than the other mountain. However, this didn't mean the hike would be easier, because it turned out to be almost twice as long last week's hike. 

As I went off the road path and started to hike through the woods, it started to rain. Since the woods was so quiet, it made the trip very relaxing. Eventually I made it to the peak, which turned out to be Saikai National Park. The view was incredible (pictures posted on FB) and I really can't wait to come back in the Spring. 

Friday I receive my Alien Registration card, which means by the weekend I will have a cell phone, bank account and a gym membership. I will also sign up for internet, but in Japan depending on the area, it may take a week or two for them to come and set it up in the house. Hopefully I will be online sooner than later. I will post again next weekend and I will make sure to explore some more! Thank you for reading!