Training week (Feb 4-6)

Hey guys,

Feb 4: I just arrived in Fukuoka city (6th largest city in Japan) for my training. I am working as an English teacher and I will be trained in Fukuoka for about 10 days. Fukuoka is very lively city, with many things to do at night. The pictures of Fukuoka are posted on my Facebook "Mike Fiore" account. Fukuoka is on the island of Kyushu and tends to have relatively moderate winters and very hot summers. It is a little more than an hour away from the town I will be working and living in, named Sasebo.

Teaching English in Japan is a growing business, especially now that Japan made a new law requiring English language teaching in all public schools at a younger age. There are tons of ways to get into the English teaching community. Some examples are working for Japanese gov't programs, going to Japan and advertising yourself as a private tutor, and working for an English Tutor Company like I did. My approach came with a guaranteed contract and I was able to request the location I preferred to live in. Not all companies work the same, but I'd say finding a job under a contract before you actually go to Japan is probably the most cost efficient and the safest approach. Regardless, all that matters is that you're 6700 miles away in Japan and you're happy!

Feb 5: My first day of training was pretty basic. We walked around Fukuoka, grabbed some lunch, and then sat and discussed mine and the company's goals for the next year. Everyone is really friendly and it's nice to know that although you're on the other side of the world, you share a common goal with the people you work with. We all came here for personal fulfillments, but we also came here because we want to help people learn English. So far, I'm very happy with my decision to come and work in Japan.

Now the living part: Independence and adventurous are required. Just like any place you go to, the more knowledge you have about it, the easier it will be to assimilate. I was fortunate enough to come to Japan 2 years ago, so there was not much culture shock coming back a second time. Knowing the language is not a must, but makes everyday tasks (buying food, asking for directions, etc) incredibly easier. However, I'd say having a pretty good knowledge of Japanese culture is a must if you plan to live here. Japanese people don't expect you to know any Japanese, so when they do hear it from you its bonus points. To be honest, I could have went the entire day not saying a word of Japanese and I still would have done everything I needed to, but that's no fun now is it? Asking for directions even though you know the answer, or asking the employee in the supermarket where the chopsticks are although you already know where they are located is the fun part about living in a foreign society! However, there is a little more expectation of how to act in public. Politeness is key, and the more humble you are, the better off you will be. Just relax, go with the flow, and know everyone is willing to help you if you really need it.

Feb 6: Today I had the day off, so I decided to do some exploring. With a map and camera in hand, I was prepared for a new adventure. I walked east of my hotel because I heard there were some really nice shrines and temples on that part of the city. Shrines are really common in Japan because they're an essential part of the Shinto beliefs in Japanese culture. Within each shrine is usually kept the spirit of the Shinto kami, or god(s). Shrines are relatively small structures (compared to buildings) and they're not places of worship like churches. A really cool shrine in Fukuoka is the kamikaze shrine, which is the origin of the kamikaze god, or god of wind, who warded off the invading Mongolians in about 1200AD. It's nice to stop by a shrine, make a quick prayer for the good will of something, and continue on your way.

Temples on the other hand, are Buddhist. They are sacred places of worship, and they are home to most of the cemeteries in Japan. I found two special temples today: the temple that held the largest statue of Buddha sitting tall at 16.1m, and the temple where green tea originated from.

As I made my way westward through the city I tried to stay off the main roads and meander through the side streets because I wanted to get a feel for real life in Japan as a city dweller. The houses we'll call them are all connected on each street and appear small (to American standards), but comfortable. It also seems that most people own a car as well as a bicycle. I found many city-type parks on my westward journey. Of course since it was a Sunday, the only day most people have off from work, the parks were packed with families. Fukuoka is an interesting place compared to Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto (3 largest cities in Japan) that I went to on my first trip to Japan 2 years ago. Whereas Tokyo seems like a city for single young adults, Fukuoka seems like a city for raising a family. It's very safe, quiet and a little more spread out than the other cities mentioned. Back in New York it's not exactly common to see a 7 year old riding her bike around the city alone (at least not without her mom worried sick). In Fukuoka it's of the norm to see something like this.

As I reached as far west as necessary, I began to work my way into the southern part of the city. I found a really interesting park that was completely different from the others I had been to so far. The terrain in the southern part of Fukuoka becomes much more vertical than the other three parts. This park (Minami Park) I found was filled with trees, dirt paths, hidden trails, and secret shrines. It was much less crowded than the other parks; I probably saw only 3 people the entire time. Also some interesting places just outside Minami Park were a zoo, mini amusement park, and a botanic garden.

The best part of the entire day came when I found the Yamanoue lookout tower, or the tower on top of the mountain. I had walked for about 6 hours straight at that point so it was quite the reward to climb the flights of stairs and gaze out onto the city I had voyaged by foot. It is indeed a beautiful city. One filled with natural water ways, tricky terrain, unique looking parks, and mountains in the background.

Monday Starts my serious training, so I'd better get some sleep. I'll check back in on Thursday evening. Remember, updates will come every Sunday and Thursday of each week!