Enkais

When you arrive in Japan and join any group or organization you will definitely have several enkais to attend. Now an enkai is a drinking party normally held at the start and end of work period. Basically it's a party as a pat on the back for a job well done or a here's to the season ahead kind of gathering.

An enkai is highly anticipated by everyone as a chance to unwind after a long and perhaps stressful work period and just relax and have a good time with workmates. For me I really love them not just because I get to see people red in the face drunk but the event really helps people to loosen up and have a really good time. I love it especially when the quiet teachers let loose and have a great time.

It's definitely not an event to be missed.

Bye bye tropical warmth. Hello Japanese cold.

One thing that any caribbean person moving here will have no choice to deal with is the cold. Like many of the caribbean alts that arrived with me this will be out first winter experience.

For some their winter experience will drastically differ from others. Many of my counterparts have strategically opted more southern locations not just for what can be found there but the milder winter season as well. I however opted to go north and with that choice comes the bitter cold.

I have to admit I was lured here by he snowboarding and other winter activities. The way I see it, if you're going to be cold, might as well get the most out of it. From the beginning of autumn the temperature drastically from a comfy temp of 22 C to l0 C with lows of 2 degrees. I guess I'm a little strange but I went from dreading the temperature to absolutely loving it.

Maybe I'm just a big kid at christmas but I'm excited by every new experience. Seeing snow on the mountains, seeing my breath in the air still makes me giggle and I love winter wear. Everything is still so new to me. I wonder if I'll get winter blues? Hmmmm

My School

On the JET Programme, Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) are assigned to a school or in my case four schools to assist Japanese Teachers of English (JTEs) with the instruction of English lessons. Three of my schools are Senior High Schools (ages 16- 18) and my fourth school is a special education school. As important as my role is to teach English, it is equally important to teach my culture to students in as many ways as possible. Being a Barbadian and the first Caribbean person ever placed in my schools and in my particular area a great emphasis is placed on teaching my national and regional culture.

My life so far in Fukushima!

First of all let me apologies for the huge gap better my last posting. A lot has been going on since arriving in my new prefecture. Getting the internet was a major problem for me which literally took months to get but there was nothing I could do about that. So now I'm back and ready to resume blogging.

Tokyo Orientation

The following day we started orientation, two days of seminars welcoming us to Japan and preparing us for the task ahead. This was comprised of the official welcome, presentations for ALTs on teaching foreign language in Japan and CIR (Coordinators of International Relations) daily life of a CIR in Japan. Later it broke into various workshops dealing with:

·         Elementary Education

·         Teaching multiple schools

·         Budgeting

·         pop culture in the classroom

·         teaching students with special needs

·         life in rural Japan & driving in Japan

·         Japanese etiquette and Japanese study

·          troubleshooting in the classroom

·         Team teaching

·         Adult language classes

·         Self introductions

·         Food, cooking and eating

·         Technology and other tools in the classroom

·         Effective lesson planning

·         ETC.

Konnichiwa Japan!!!!

I FINALLY MADE IT!!!  My crazy and insanely long trip to Japan has finally come to an end. I can safely say I don’t want to see another airplane for a long long time. Upon arriving at the Narita Airport the 60 or so new ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers) and I went through customs relatively quickly in comparison to the nightmare that was the Miami Airport. After customs we were met by a team of TOAs (Tokyo Orientation Assistants) made up of current JETs who ushered us through the remainder of the airport to the awaiting designated buses to the Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Everything was moved smoothly until we reached the airport exit and we received a huge shock to find out that a Caribbean Airlines plane had crashed in Guyana while watching the news on a big screen TV. We didn’t get the details of the crash at that time but for Tanya and I it was even more shocking because it was that Airline and the type of aircraft we took to Trinidad only a few days earlier.

Up, Up and Away.

I must apologise for the late posting of this blog I've been doing a great deal of traveling and the internet wasn't always available to me but I've spent the time wisely observing and documenting as much as i can.

DALLAS LEG

For me I found the Dallas leg of the trip to be the most difficult leg of them all. So continuing on my journey to Japan the Caribbean group and I had a 3 hour flight from Miami to Dallas. I have to admit I really liked the fact that it was the shortest route during the journey and it allowed us to see the American terrain as we crossed over several states. This leg allowed us to link up with many other Americans also coming to Japan from the Miami and Dallas connection. The other participants came in all shapes and sizes and from several walks of life. It was really good to see the enthusiasm and nervousness on the faces of the other participants and it was really refreshing to see that it wasn't just my small group going through that.

Patience is a virtue

Let me just say to anyone looking to do this program, if you're an impatient person this may not be the program for you. Don't get me wrong it is an incredible opportunity to see another world but you need nerves of steel going through this process. After you get over the three months waiting to find out about the interview, and the three to four month wait to find out acceptance or rejection is (if your coming from the Caribbean) the long long journey to Japan. I have to tell you this process will seriously test you, even the most genki new JET would get pretty peeved with the craziness that comes with airport process .

Let the journey begin

OK, bags are packed, instructions are my tortoise left, family and friends kissed and hugged then kissed and hugged again and a third time for good measure now LET'S DO THIS!!! Travel itinerary is Trinidad from July 27th to 29th, and overnight stay in Miami on the 29th, Dallas on the 30th and TOKYO on the 31st. I'm looking forward to soaking in everything but being hyperactive I'm dreading being in an confined space for the long haul flight from Dallas to Tokyo, I might need to be sedated. Whatever, BRING IT ON!!! IKIMASHO!!!!

Things I'll miss

As my time winds down I find myself clinging to my culture. It still amazes me how much I find myself doing things, going places and eating things I hardly used to pay attention to before. I guess as time goes by I've started to realise how much I will be leaving behind. I mean even the little things like the smell of the sea or local biscuit factory nearby baking all sort of goodies makes me pause and take it all it. Normally I'm always on the go not having time to waste with things I see everyday anyway but now every smell, every taste, every glimpse of things takes me back to my childhood or a fond moment in time and it's amazing and very sad at the same time.

AROUND THE WORLD IN 13 DAYS!

Before taking this journey through Japan and beyond with me, here's a bit about me. Hi my name's Carlene, I'm 24 and I'm from the beautiful island of Barbados. Many people not familiar with my country always ask what part of Jamaica or Africa is that. No, no, no, my country is located in the beautiful tropical Caribbean and it's the easternmost island in the island chain.