Taking the training wheels off...

This is it! My last day of training! Whoo hoo. After work today, which means doing lot's of lesson prep and doing lesson demos (not fun) I'm catching the train to Shimonoseki where I'll be greeted by someone I've never met, nor do I know what they look like! Little worried about that. Apparently they know what I look like and what time I'll be arriving, so I'll just stand around looking like more of an idiot that an obvious foreigner and wait.

But really I'm way excited to finally settle into my new apartment, hopefully wake up tomorrow morning and go running along the Pier! Yay! I'll try to make phone calls tonight when I get in, which will be about 8am for all you back in Oly! I miss everyone to death, I can't believe it's only been 13 days! 10 and a half months to go....

Speak Sweeter....

You have the power to change someone's life,
To give a moment that will be cherished forever.
Deeper than deep, higher than high,
A simple honest act can bring the meaning and depth and poetry
To someone who needs it more than they know.
Your honest words say you care about...
your friend, your family, your lover, your Savior.
Your honest words say you cherish them, that you are better
because of them, and that you would be lesser without them.
So just say it now. Don't wait. You've waited long enough.

Tell a little girl with no front teeth that she is beautiful.
Ask an old man to tell you about "the good old days."
Be a big tipper. It feels good.
Don't fight tears. Let them win.
Just listen to a friend who needs a talk.
Give away something you have held dear.
Tell the little old lady with no front teeth she is beautiful.

Remind
your loved ones that they are loved,
your friends that they are the best,
your family that they are your lifeline,
yourself that you don't stop and say these things enough.

And a lot of times...
DON'T SAY ANYHTHING at all.



~Live like you were dying~

I love and miss all my family and friends! Know that I'm thinking of you and cherish you! You are the best!

Sad day...

So all the other new teachers have gone to their schools but I'm here 2 more days before i get to go to my new apartment. :( No more fun for me until later this week. I hear nothing but good things about my city so that makes me happy! Fukuoka is great for nightlife, which is like a 10 minute bus ride or something through a tunnel in the water! Plus, whenever i want to come back, the bus drops me off right at my front door so all I gotta do is walk up the steps! Haha. I'll tell u all about it in a few days when i get there.

Last night wasn't too exciting. Sunday night...lot's of walking around but ate okonomiyaki once again! So good! Jim Joy and I walked to Joypolis a SEGA game land with bowling and lot's of carnival type games that rip u off! Ha ha. Joy and I also tried pachinko which is another big rip off but just had to try. I only wasted $1 cause I was told it was a waste.

Drunk driving in Japan...

It always makes things much more interesting when you have someone that is 6'10" tall in a society that rarely has anyone over 6'0. So, you can only imagine the looks and comments we get when walking around town. Last night was so much fun. Even though we couldn't really find anything to do, we just walked around and created fun with the observers. Jim, the tall guy, waits until we're way passed, then makes a comment back. Or just freaks out and says yes I'm tall. He gets asked questions like, do you hit your head alot? Come on now people, he's not an idiot!

So last night we witnessed our first drunk driving road block. In Japan, drunk driving is an incredibly serious offense! Right in the middle of town, they set up a huge road block. I mean they have a flood light, make traffic one lane, have lot's of cops and a couple ambulances and they stop random cars (often targeted toward youth!) Then make them take a breathalyzer. Very smart way to catch people! Plus it creates a great scene for people on the streets to watch! Ha ha!

Last night of training!

Last night of training and it was a blast! After a long week and a hard day’s work and a final lesson, we all went out to a traditional style Japanese restaurant with our students! We sat on Tatami mats at a big table in our own room upstairs. We played drinking games… Courtney kara hajimaru izumuni awasete. Starting from Courtney keep the rhythm going. How fun!

Me & Akemi


Naoe, Joy, Yoshie & Me!


Mr. Onishi, the coolest old man ever! Ever played drinking games with a 70 year old man? His joke: Why was 6 scared of 7????? Because 789! (seven ate nine! Haha)


Then us English speakers went out to Karaoke!!!!
Me, Joy, Helen


Rock on!


Jim getting into it!


Helen & Tim!


Apparently room surfing is a ton of fun at Karaoke. So, these are some Japanese business men that joined us. They work for Fuji and I spoke tons of Japanese to them…my head hurt! It’s so hard to think in one language and speak in another







Then, walked back home. But first made a phone call and I was all sad, missing home. But to top it all off…. A bird pooped on my arm! Gross!

My first lesson!

Today I visited office headquarters and met the President of AEON West Japan! Kind of ironic, very few people in the office speak very good english! Haha. Then it was back to the training center for more lesson prep. My first lesson with real students. Of course they were volunteers, but real and a real lesson! After 50 minutes of teaching and being put on the spot with questions you'd never even think of... it went well. They liked me! Yay! Most all commented on my smile and how it made them feel friendly! So, after an 11-9 workday, us teachers went out for some Okonomiyake...my new fav! I think I've said before it can be called a Japanese pizza. But tastes nothing like, it's delicious! I tried pork this time and it's mixed with cabbage, onion, veggies and batter. Mmmmm!
Then we stopped at the convenience store for water and supplies and just had to take a picture...
The cutest little beer cans, 135ml


I dont think those would sell in the U.S. Now I'm off to bed, another long day of training tomorrow and I'm teaching a brand new lesson. Wish me luck!
Oh yes, and Helen is going to be viewing my students tomorrow at Shimonoseki so I'm anxious to hear what she has to say about them and the town! Whoo hoo!

Karaoke!

Karaoke in Okayama

A room with a table, chairs, TV, Mics and song guide!!!

Training

Today was my first full day of training. 10-6pm, with an hour lunch. Not too bad but it gets a little boring. I've began preparing my lesson plan that I will first teach on Wednesday! Ahhhh! But then I'll have my prep done for like 2 weeks! Yay! I'm getting more and more excited to go to my new home. I hear lot's of good things about the town and my apartment. Apparently my apartment is quite nice and in the trendy part of town! Japanese lessons are incredibly cheap... like $2-5 for a semester! I dunno how they make money. I'm excited to try blowfish, Shimonoseki's famous for it. But a little scared as well, due to the fact that if the chef cuts it wrong, and i eat it, it can be deadly, i think like 1 in 70 or something. We'll see.

Pictures of Okayama Japan

Okayama Japan


My first day in a business suit

A parking garage...wierd

Swan boat at the river by the garden and temple

Huge bug! Eew!

Okayama Temple

Japanese public toilet. You squat!

Machya and Dango-Tea and cake thing

Foot soak at the garden



The view of the Garden

Rice field at the garden

Me Helen and Joy- English teachers

Here in Japan...

So I'm here in Japan, I arrived 2 days ago. It's been fun so far but I miss home already too. The first night I went to get something to eat with 2 of the girls and had this thing called okonomiyaki. Which I guess Japanese call a Japanese pizza but it's nothing like that. I had bacon, mixed with cabbage and other veggies mixed in a batter and they make it right at your table... kind of like a pancake but doesn't taste like one. It's delicious tho. I'm staying in a dorm room right by our training center in Okayama. Yesterday was a day of training and then we went to a Japanese restaraunt where I had Tempura...yum! Then we walked to a castle and a Japanese garden. Absolutely beautiful! It's so friggin hot and humid tho. It's very uncomfortable. Then last night after some shopping, us girls went to a beer garden. They have them on top of most all department stores and for women you pay $30 for 2 hours of all you can eat and drink. Crazy i know! Ooh, and here i tried Octopus. I was a little worried at first, but it actually was good. A little chewy, but good. So after that we lost one of the girls and we took a taxi but the driver dropped us off no where near where we told him, so we caught another and I went back to the dorm and they went out for another drink. Today I was recovering most the day and then walked around to try and find wireless internet and here I am at the International Center only a few blocks from my place. I have lot's of studying to do for tomorrow. Write more soon!