The Conbini Is My Friend

Safe and sound in Yokohama! The JR train was fun to ride, though the last hour was spent fighting off the urge to sleep. It takes about 2 hours to go from Narita Airport to the Yokohama station, where I was lucky enough to ask a woman how to get to my transfer. She ended up asking the middle schooler beside her, probably her own daughter. I can't be sure. You know these asians, they all look alike. lol.

Anywho, got off at the correct stop, but I went through the North Exit instead of the South Exit. That's ok though, because I had enough change (I exchanged a 20 so I could get smaller bills and found out that 1000 yen is the smallest bill they have. It's all coins from there. lol. I need a coin purse.). I made a phone call and Mr. Ueno, who helped me find my apartment, picked me up and walked with me to HQ.

I really regret not bringing my bright pink umbrella, as it was raining, but I get really warm whenever I get anxious, so I wasn't cold at all. I met two teachers, like me, at the office. Both had been teaching for two years, a boy and a girl. The girl had these really cute pins on her sweater that was by this Japanese artist she liked. I walked over to comment on how cute her pins were and we started talking. She's teaching middle school. I really should've asked for her name.

After signing my contract and handing in some paperwork I walked over to the hotel with Mr. Ueno. It's just a scant two blocks away from the office building, so I didn't care that I was only partially covered by Mr. Ueno's umbrella. Besides, I like the rain. And when you're as nervous/anxious/excited as I was, you couldn't give a damn about a little bit of water getting on your clothes.

After getting checked in, I went up to my room and dropped off my bags. Then, it was off to the Conbini (Convenience Store) conveniently located on the first floor. It is my friend. For dinner I got bottled cold green tea fried udon, which the lady behind the counter warmed up for me, and for breakfast I got soba, which I knew could be eaten cold, and orange juice. Might I say that after spending three hours with a rumbling tumbly, I had quite forgotten my hunger until I smelled my fried udon. Goodness, I couldn't get up to my room fast enough. XD I inhaled it while watching a Doctor Who episode.

After using one of those spiffy spray-your-bum-when-finished toilets (It's so weird, but actually feels kinda' nice), I took a wonderful shower and learned very quickly that hot water in Japan, at least in this hotel, comes out hot very quickly. There's a little sign that says Caution: Hot Water. They sincerely mean HOT water. It was damn near scalding. It's amazing! I wonder if my apartment will be like that. Probably not, but who knows?

The room also has a mini fridge, which you're free to use and I used freely, as well as a bag of green tea and a bag of houji-chan (roasted tea) along with a little tea cup. Not to mention a water heater, which you can fill with water from the sink in the bathroom because, omg there's a little sign too, the water from the sink is good enough to drink.

Oh, and who needs written instructions when every instruction has pictures? They seriously make everything idiot proof enough so that people who don't speak the language, or don't speak enough, really don't have much of a problem. Did I mention that the trains have English? At least in Tokyo and Yokohama. Seriously idiot proof. I love it.

And did I mention that the food from Conbinis is really good? Because it is.

Pre-flight Anxiety Sucks

3-22-2010

Location: Honolulu Airport - the Starbucks by my gate.
Weather: slightly overcast.
Feeling: like the weather.
Inhaling: a Venti Caramel Frappucino

If there’s one thing about catching a flight, I’m always nervous while I’m waiting. The drive to the airport is always the worst. Sitting here at the Starbucks has really helped calm my nerves, but my fingers are still shaking a little while I type. Honestly? This is scary. I’m going to, OMG, Japan. JAPAN. This has been my dream since high school. And to think, I’m going there to live for an entire year. Who knows? Maybe even longer?

This is intense. I’m totally afraid of soiling my pants in anticipation. This is ridiculous. Oh, and that Venti Caramel Frap I got? I’m down to the whipped cream and whatever is left of the skimpily added caramel sauce. I feel like I could run a mile. I probably should after all that sugar. Not to mention all the food I ate while I was here. I think I put on ten pounds. Daaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmnnnn.

Well, there’s one thing for sure. Watching the people walking by has calmed my nerves a bit. I mean, who can resist awwww-ing the little kids that have toddled by. Not to mention that ever single stewardess that has walked by is ridiculously pretty. The Japanese stewardesses all have these really colorful kerchiefs around their necks.

And I need to stop checking my watch every five minutes. I wonder if anyone sitting beside me or walking past and tell just how much I’m quivering. Maybe it’s the caffeine. PLEASE tell me I’ll be ok on this flight. I’m really regretting not putting those Stargate Atlantis episodes on here. Nothing makes me feel better than watching a Stargate episode. Atlantis helps the most because, well, Jason Momoa has got to be one of the hottest men alive. Not to mention, John Sheppard is really hot too. His eyes are, like, grey. How sexy is that?! Yup, just thinking about them is lifting my spirits. *swoons*

Damn, I just checked my watch again. If I’d thought of it sooner, I would’ve watched a Doctor Who episode instead of rambling on and on about how I felt. Who cares about feelings anyway? Lol.

Ok, let me go over what I need to do when I get to Japan. First, go through customs and all that jazz, and pick up my baggage. Find a courier and tell them I need my huge pieces of luggage sent to the hotel. Find the train I need to catch and buy the tickets. Call the company and tell them which train it is, then get on the train and go. Two whole hours of sitting and reading while anxiously checking my watch and straining to hear the right station I need to get off on. Meet the person who’s going to walk with me to the hotel. Walk to the hotel, check in, and try to relax. I should probably get some yen smaller than a thousand yen. I need some coins. Hopefully I can exchange my ten dollar bill for smaller bills and coins so I can make the phone call.

Hokay. 8:30. Time to use the bathroom one last time, walk the hundred feet to my gate, and hope that my carry on will fit in the overhead bin. If it doesn’t, I’m totally screwed. Not really, but that’s still how I feel. Lol.

Counting Down

Ok, guys. Between packing and pacing anxiously around my room whilst pondering whether or not to bring the yellow shirt of the green shirt, I'm counting down the days until I go. One problem is that I keep staying up late so I keep trying to fix my sleeping schedule. I'm hoping that tonight I go to bed at midnight by the latest. Pch. Like that's really going to happen, right?

One totally awesome thing I found out over the past two days is that Interac goes to my future apartment and gets my keys for me. Then, they're going to kidnap me from the hotel and ditch me at my apartment. XD The guy who helped me find my apartment has a great sense of humor and I hope to meet him when I get to Yokohama because he's so hilarious. And he uses Kaomoji, which is what the Japanese call Emoticons. lol. I always think it's really cute when an adult uses them, but the older I get, the more I become an adult and therefore defeats the purpose of me getting giddy over something as simple as a facial representation in text format.

But I digress.

My parents and I are going out to eat tonight so I'm bringing my camera to take pictures. Ack. I'm starting to get homesick already, and I haven't even left. It was one thing when I was in college, because I was only a train ride away from my parents. Now? Man... I'll be a whole ocean away. And it just had to be the Pacific Ocean. Don't know if you've looked at a globe lately, but it's a BIG ocean.

OH! I just realized I should write this down. Wii Fit Plus has an option to "Weight Your Pet". I'm going to use it to weigh my luggage. It's a lot easier than trying to look down at my feet on a scale. It's also a lot easier to do on my own, because I'm going to have EVERYTHING packed by Friday night. Anything I use after that... well, it'll stay behind. Yikes. That means I have to pack my laptop. TT^TT

I Have an Address!

YAY! I got the apartment I want, which should be bigger than the one on the Youtube video. Not to worry, I'll be posting a video (hopefully) to show all of you all the wonderful tidbits about my apartment. Hopefully I'll have enough room for everything. I started looking through my clothes today to figure out what to and what not to bring. Wish me luck!

As for my address, I'd totally post it on here but I'd be scared of someone stalking me. I will tell you this: I'll be living in Seya. It's a family neighborhood and my apartment will be really close to a train station. I'm really looking forward to seeing it and making it mine! :D

Possible Apartment?

Right. So I've been apartment shopping with some help from a Mr. Ueno who works with Interac. He's been super helpful and if I ever get to meet him I know I'll have to restrain from hugging him. I don't know how he stands the emails I send him. XD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5e4UB-gOHg&feature=related

Here's a smaller version of what I might possibly live in when I get to Japan. Dinky? Yes. Do I mind? Not really. I just need enough room for a bed, my laptop, and my gear. Thus, this should work. Where would I sleep? Possibly up top on the loft, which is SO like when I had a bunk bed that I think I'll smother it with love. Alas, the model I'm looking at probably doesn't have a drier built into the shower, so I'd probably be hanging my clothes from those silvery bars that double as a side board that prevents me from plummeting to my death should I roll whilst sleeping. Yay!

Is the deal sealed? Nope! But I'm hoping all goes well and I get a similar apartment. I might post a video on YouTube once I move into my apartment to show all of you. My camera has that option. :3 Sadly, no sound. :(

Placement!

Great news, all! Got a call last night about my placement and I'll be living in, drum roll please!
badda badda badda ~~~!!!

YOKOHAMA!

I'll be teaching Elementary school kids and I will probably have to jump around between more than one school. The man I spoke to said that the area I'll be living in has five different elementary schools and that I could very well be working at all five of them. Don't worry. There's one place where they have 21 schools. I'm glad I'm not that person.

All That Jazz

So, it's been a while. Christmas and New Years has rolled by and it's not 2010. Two more years until complete devastation and destruction! WOOHOO!
Just kidding.

Anyway, the Interac interview inter-whatever process:

How to sign up:
Go to the Interac website (https://www.interacnetwork.com/recruit/) and fill out the Application. It takes a while, but it saves and you can go back to it.

Submit it and wait. After a while they'll tell you if you made it to the Interview stage.

Your first interview is done over the phone. It's only about 15 to 30 minutes long and can be really fun so long as you're not nervous. Best advice? Just be yourself. Nobody likes hiring one person they met on the phone and lands up with someone completely different in the workspace. That is lame. And honor's a big thing to me.

Then, if they like you enough, they tell you about a second interview. Right there, on the phone. I mean it. If they don't tell you, they probably didn't like you enough. I hope you're all quite charming. Anyway! So you have another interview. After your first interview, they'll email you some information about your second interview.

Then you pick an Interview location. I lucked out and landed Nashville, TN, which is only about a 2 hour drive away. One of the guys had to drive, like, a whole day to get there. I was the only shmuck who doesn't drive already, so I had to bum a ride from my parents and leave early. Sorry, mom and dad. I love you lots, but I really need to learn how to drive. (And at least they enjoyed their little visit to Nashville! It wasn't a complete loss! AND WE HAD JACK IN A BOX. Why don't they have any Jack in a Boxes here in Alabama?!)

What's the interview like? Well, you get to learn more about the Interac program and what you'll be dealing with in Japan. You should've read through the website before going to the interview because that'll make you look smarter and a better worker. Me? Well, I didn't... but I absorb pretty well and tend not to ask questions because somebody among your peers is going to ask really good questions already. Oops. I'm such a mooch.

After the intro to Interac, you have to teach a 5 minute lesson. They time you and record you. You're emailed with a guideline as to what to teach. It's a three part recording: 1) self introduction in Japanese or in English; 2) short lesson teaching about new material that's simple; 3) short lesson teaching one of a selected type of lesson. These are all really simple, and if you procrastinate a lot like me and don't start planning until the week before, you won't take it too bad. The main thing is that they want to see if you're someone that they can teach and mold into a good teacher. Luckily, they looked beyond my nervousness. The last part is an interview with your recruiter. You just answer some questions and ask questions you may have.

You have to wear business attire. If you're a chick, you wear suit jacket, slacks or pants, and a nice blouse. Conservative is fine because hey, they're pretty conservative in the business world that is Japan. Guys? Well, guys are pretty easy: suit jacket, slacks, collared button down shirt with long sleeves. Big thing in Japan is that if you have a tattoo, you can't let anyone know about it. At all. If you have a tattoo on your hand? Well, you're screwed. Me? No tattoos, so w00t!

And then you wait again until they email you to say you got the position.

And email, which I read in the morning before going to work, totally made my day. <3