I just booked my flights to China for the school holiday! I'm so excited about going! I'm planning to stay with some friends who are studying in Shanghai on their year abroad from Leeds Uni.
I'm going to be there for 12 days in March so I plan to go to Shanghai and Beijing. I can't believe I'm actually going to go!!
I need to get a tourist visa to visit China, so I'll go to the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo in the next week or so and sort that out.
The flights cost £380, which I thought was a bit expensive, but it looks like that price is about the cheapest it gets.
The only reason I can afford this trip is because I'm receiving the JASSO Scholarship from now until March. The first installment should come into my Japanese bank account on 5th February, and that's Y80,000 for January and an Y80,000 "settling-in" payment, which I get despite the fact that I settled in five months ago!
And it's probably the only opportunity I'll ever have to go to China and not to pay for accommodation, so I have to grab it while I can!
I can't wait!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Spring in January!
The last couple of days have been really weird after the consistency of the last month. The cool temperatures of 5C or so have been interrupted by a blast of warm wind, bringing the temperature up to 18C!
It has really felt like Japanese Spring, and some plum blossoms have even started appearing on the ICU campus. The rise in temperature also brought out some insects. A-chan was accosted by the first bee of the year at our Soul Lunch on Tuesday.
The weirdest thing about this warm spell, is that it really, no joke, feels like Summer in Britain. Because the sun is more intense on the more southerly latitude, even if the actual temperature isn't as high as Britain would be in August (although admittedly it's not far off, depressingly), the strength of the sun's rays do make it feel almost exactly the same.
Which is lovely! Because it's like Summer without the crazy Japanese humidity!
But all good things must come to an end I suppose. Tomorrow is forecast to be 8C again. Although even that is not January-weather! I'll never get used to warm climates...
It has really felt like Japanese Spring, and some plum blossoms have even started appearing on the ICU campus. The rise in temperature also brought out some insects. A-chan was accosted by the first bee of the year at our Soul Lunch on Tuesday.
The weirdest thing about this warm spell, is that it really, no joke, feels like Summer in Britain. Because the sun is more intense on the more southerly latitude, even if the actual temperature isn't as high as Britain would be in August (although admittedly it's not far off, depressingly), the strength of the sun's rays do make it feel almost exactly the same.
Which is lovely! Because it's like Summer without the crazy Japanese humidity!
But all good things must come to an end I suppose. Tomorrow is forecast to be 8C again. Although even that is not January-weather! I'll never get used to warm climates...
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Reply From Gaba
Well, it's only a few hours after my interview at Gaba, and I've just received an email from them.
I didn't get the job!!!!
It was actually a very nice email, but due to the problem with my student ID running out a month before my contract with Gaba would finish, and therefore cancelling my work permit at the end of June, they can't hire me.
Just that one month! And if ICU had let me, I would have applied for the work permit as soon I stepped off the plane! Well, maybe not literally... But there's no way I would have waited until December before applying!
Grghh, how annoying! Bureaucracy wins again!
So I'm back to square one with the job front. I'll have a look at the International Student Office noticeboard at ICU, because they often have job vacancies advertised that fit into students' schedules. And I'll also step up the pace in searching for private students.
I'm really lucky that I'm getting the JASSO Scholarship now. If I had no job and no scholarship, I'd probably have to cry! But my student loan installment just came in and we were told in the JASSO meeting earlier that we should get the first Y80,000 transfer to our Japanese bank accounts at the beginning of February.
I'm really annoyed about losing the job because of something that should have been so easily avoidable, but that's life I suppose. You can't win them all!
I didn't get the job!!!!
It was actually a very nice email, but due to the problem with my student ID running out a month before my contract with Gaba would finish, and therefore cancelling my work permit at the end of June, they can't hire me.
Just that one month! And if ICU had let me, I would have applied for the work permit as soon I stepped off the plane! Well, maybe not literally... But there's no way I would have waited until December before applying!
Grghh, how annoying! Bureaucracy wins again!
So I'm back to square one with the job front. I'll have a look at the International Student Office noticeboard at ICU, because they often have job vacancies advertised that fit into students' schedules. And I'll also step up the pace in searching for private students.
I'm really lucky that I'm getting the JASSO Scholarship now. If I had no job and no scholarship, I'd probably have to cry! But my student loan installment just came in and we were told in the JASSO meeting earlier that we should get the first Y80,000 transfer to our Japanese bank accounts at the beginning of February.
I'm really annoyed about losing the job because of something that should have been so easily avoidable, but that's life I suppose. You can't win them all!
Gaba Information Seminar & Interview
This evening I went to my first Gaba interview of this year. I decided to re-apply at my old teaching job because they offer such amazing flexibility that it would work perfectly with my constantly-changing University schedule.
The Headquarters had moved from Ebisu to Motoyoyogi, so I took the Chuo line to Shinjuku, and then used the Odakyu Odawara line (which goes to Hakone) to Yoyogi Hachiman station (代々木八幡駅). It was raining quite heavily and it was already dark so I was there in my suit with my umbrella and a piece of paper with the directions written in quickly smudged ink, probably looking very confused.
The directions weren't as clear as they were for the other HQ, so it took me nearly half an hour to get it right. I didn't realise that you had to go under the elevated four-lane road and go up the stairs on the opposite side to the station, but it made sense once I figured that out.
I took the lift to the fourth floor and dialled the number it told me to on the directions on a phone in the main lobby, and let them know I had arrived. It was exactly the same as 2008 - they came out to get us fifteen minutes before the scheduled start of 5.00pm and asked us to fill in personal data sheets. There were only six of us in the conference room, and the woman who rang me last week to offer me the interview was conducting it.
It was exactly the same set-up as last time - there was a 30-minute Powerpoint presentation explaining about the details of the lessons and pay etc. This was followed by us being called up to the 8th floor in pairs for individual interviews, while we completed the post-seminar booklet, which is basically a mini-test.
The presentation made me feel very nostalgic, seeing all the things I used to use nearly every day.
The test was very similar to last time I took it. The first question was very simple, but unfortunately I can't remember what it was!
The second question was the same as in 2008. There was a grammar table, where we had to fill in the past, present, future, and perfect and continuous forms of the verb "to teach". I didn't do very well on the "perfect" bit... Better to look those terms up if you don't know what they mean!
The third was a lesson plan, in which we had to explain how we would tailor a lesson on agreeing and disagreeing to a particular student, whose profile we were given. It was the same fictional student as two years ago, but a different lesson plan.
The next was matching idioms to their meanings, and then writing another idiom and definition.
The last question asked who you would choose to be your foreign language teacher and why. I decided on Stephen Fry, because he would be amazing!
I was in the first pair to be called up to the interview. I wasn't nervous about it once I was in the seminar room, but I had been very nervous during the day.
The interview went fine, and he welcomed me back to Gaba, which I thought was a very good sign. But then it came to looking at my work permit and my student ID validity period. He asked me to read the kanji on my work permit (he wasn't Japanese), and I told him what it said. He said that there might be a problem in that my ICU student ID runs out at the end of June, even though my visa and work permit end in November, as the six-month Gaba contract would last until July.
He said he would have to check with Gaba's administration department, and would then get back to me via email within the next couple of days. I'm not too worried about it, but I really do hope that it's okay and I can work there! I need a job!
Overall, the seminar and interview lasted about an hour and a half, and I was back in the rain by 7pm.
There are blog posts about my experiences with second and third interviews at Gaba further back in my blog. Also Certification (training).
The Headquarters had moved from Ebisu to Motoyoyogi, so I took the Chuo line to Shinjuku, and then used the Odakyu Odawara line (which goes to Hakone) to Yoyogi Hachiman station (代々木八幡駅). It was raining quite heavily and it was already dark so I was there in my suit with my umbrella and a piece of paper with the directions written in quickly smudged ink, probably looking very confused.
The directions weren't as clear as they were for the other HQ, so it took me nearly half an hour to get it right. I didn't realise that you had to go under the elevated four-lane road and go up the stairs on the opposite side to the station, but it made sense once I figured that out.
I took the lift to the fourth floor and dialled the number it told me to on the directions on a phone in the main lobby, and let them know I had arrived. It was exactly the same as 2008 - they came out to get us fifteen minutes before the scheduled start of 5.00pm and asked us to fill in personal data sheets. There were only six of us in the conference room, and the woman who rang me last week to offer me the interview was conducting it.
It was exactly the same set-up as last time - there was a 30-minute Powerpoint presentation explaining about the details of the lessons and pay etc. This was followed by us being called up to the 8th floor in pairs for individual interviews, while we completed the post-seminar booklet, which is basically a mini-test.
The presentation made me feel very nostalgic, seeing all the things I used to use nearly every day.
The test was very similar to last time I took it. The first question was very simple, but unfortunately I can't remember what it was!
The second question was the same as in 2008. There was a grammar table, where we had to fill in the past, present, future, and perfect and continuous forms of the verb "to teach". I didn't do very well on the "perfect" bit... Better to look those terms up if you don't know what they mean!
The third was a lesson plan, in which we had to explain how we would tailor a lesson on agreeing and disagreeing to a particular student, whose profile we were given. It was the same fictional student as two years ago, but a different lesson plan.
The next was matching idioms to their meanings, and then writing another idiom and definition.
The last question asked who you would choose to be your foreign language teacher and why. I decided on Stephen Fry, because he would be amazing!
I was in the first pair to be called up to the interview. I wasn't nervous about it once I was in the seminar room, but I had been very nervous during the day.
The interview went fine, and he welcomed me back to Gaba, which I thought was a very good sign. But then it came to looking at my work permit and my student ID validity period. He asked me to read the kanji on my work permit (he wasn't Japanese), and I told him what it said. He said that there might be a problem in that my ICU student ID runs out at the end of June, even though my visa and work permit end in November, as the six-month Gaba contract would last until July.
He said he would have to check with Gaba's administration department, and would then get back to me via email within the next couple of days. I'm not too worried about it, but I really do hope that it's okay and I can work there! I need a job!
Overall, the seminar and interview lasted about an hour and a half, and I was back in the rain by 7pm.
There are blog posts about my experiences with second and third interviews at Gaba further back in my blog. Also Certification (training).
First Snow of Winter
It snowed this morning! It was about 11.30am, and I was in the second half of my Japanese lesson. It had been raining for most of the morning, typical as I have my Gaba interview this evening and it hasn't rained for almost a month! I love Winter in Tokyo, because it's blue sky virtually every day. Even Kyushu (the southernmost main island) has seen heavy snowfall this year!
The rain turned to sleet, and then eventually became proper snow! It was so pretty to see it. One girl from Hawaii in my class had never seen snow falling from the sky, so she was really happy to see it. The lesson basically stopped and most of the class gathered around the window to watch it. It wasn't settling because it wasn't cold enough, but it was nice to see. Unfortunately, it turned back to rain before the lesson ended so we didn't get to go out in it. Ahh well, it will snow again before Spring!
The bad thing about the dry Winter in Tokyo is how extremely dry it gets. I got a rash on my legs last time I lived here, and this time I have sore skin on both my hands. Japan is so extreme! Tokyo's Summer is so hot and sticky, and then the Winter is crazily dry!
I was happy to see snow, but my family and friends at home in Britain are pretty fed up of it now. Britain is the middle of a really cold snap. Apparently it's the coldest winter since the 1960s. I'm not sure whether I'm missing out, or if I've escaped it! But I heard that a part of Northern Scotland was colder than Antarctica last week, at -22C, so maybe I did escape.
Here's a photo taken from space of white Britain.
The rain turned to sleet, and then eventually became proper snow! It was so pretty to see it. One girl from Hawaii in my class had never seen snow falling from the sky, so she was really happy to see it. The lesson basically stopped and most of the class gathered around the window to watch it. It wasn't settling because it wasn't cold enough, but it was nice to see. Unfortunately, it turned back to rain before the lesson ended so we didn't get to go out in it. Ahh well, it will snow again before Spring!
The bad thing about the dry Winter in Tokyo is how extremely dry it gets. I got a rash on my legs last time I lived here, and this time I have sore skin on both my hands. Japan is so extreme! Tokyo's Summer is so hot and sticky, and then the Winter is crazily dry!
I was happy to see snow, but my family and friends at home in Britain are pretty fed up of it now. Britain is the middle of a really cold snap. Apparently it's the coldest winter since the 1960s. I'm not sure whether I'm missing out, or if I've escaped it! But I heard that a part of Northern Scotland was colder than Antarctica last week, at -22C, so maybe I did escape.
Here's a photo taken from space of white Britain.
I'm about to leave for my Gaba interview now. Wish me luck!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Japanese Coming-Of-Age Ceremony
This morning Rob and I went to our Coming-of-Age Ceremony (成人式, seijin-shiki) in Koganei City. The Coming-of-Age Ceremony is a very important step in the lives of Japanese people. It signifies them becoming adults in society. Actually, it's even more important than that, as it translates directly as "becoming people ceremony"! The day is a National Holiday called Seijin no Hi (成人の日) so we didn't have any lessons.
Everyone born in between 2nd April 1989 and 1st April 1990 got a letter about a month and a half before the ceremony. I only just made these dates by one week, so I'm glad I could go. I was very impressed that foreigners got invitations. It really made me feel more integrated into society. Even though Rob and I were the only Westerners there!
Every city or ward in Japan holds a ceremony for the twenty year olds (twenty is the legal adult age in Japan) who are resident in that area.
It's a very important occasion, so Rob and I got up at 9am and changed into our suits, and walked up to the station to catch the bus. We're lucky we live in the centre of Koganei City, Musashi Koganei, so it only took twenty minutes to get to the high school where the Ceremony was held. It was in a large auditorium in Chuo University's High School, which looked like a very prestigious school.
We arrived at about 10.30 for the 11am start. The front gate was already busy with boys in suits and girls in traditional kimono (着物). There were people giving out small cards as we walked in who congratulated us, in both Japanese and English.
Rob and I presented our letters at the front desk, and they gave us a programme of the morning's events. We took our seats and watched the beautifully dressed people file in. As we waited, they were playing a panpipe version of the Titanic theme tune by Celine Dion on repeat. It was so random!
The ceremony started dead on 11am with a traditional dance and music performance.
This was followed by a song, which was possibly the Japanese National Anthem. Either way, Rob and I didn't know it, and lots of other people weren't singing!
Following the song were speeches by important people of Koganei City, like the Mayor. They had a sign language interpreter there too, which I thought was very good.
Everyone born in between 2nd April 1989 and 1st April 1990 got a letter about a month and a half before the ceremony. I only just made these dates by one week, so I'm glad I could go. I was very impressed that foreigners got invitations. It really made me feel more integrated into society. Even though Rob and I were the only Westerners there!
Every city or ward in Japan holds a ceremony for the twenty year olds (twenty is the legal adult age in Japan) who are resident in that area.
It's a very important occasion, so Rob and I got up at 9am and changed into our suits, and walked up to the station to catch the bus. We're lucky we live in the centre of Koganei City, Musashi Koganei, so it only took twenty minutes to get to the high school where the Ceremony was held. It was in a large auditorium in Chuo University's High School, which looked like a very prestigious school.
We arrived at about 10.30 for the 11am start. The front gate was already busy with boys in suits and girls in traditional kimono (着物). There were people giving out small cards as we walked in who congratulated us, in both Japanese and English.
Rob and I presented our letters at the front desk, and they gave us a programme of the morning's events. We took our seats and watched the beautifully dressed people file in. As we waited, they were playing a panpipe version of the Titanic theme tune by Celine Dion on repeat. It was so random!
The ceremony started dead on 11am with a traditional dance and music performance.
This was followed by a song, which was possibly the Japanese National Anthem. Either way, Rob and I didn't know it, and lots of other people weren't singing!
Following the song were speeches by important people of Koganei City, like the Mayor. They had a sign language interpreter there too, which I thought was very good.
They even had the mascot of Koganei City there - Kokin-chan!
Towards the end of the ceremony, they played a video by three of FC Tokyo's football players, who wished everyone good luck for the future. They must have been quite famous, because they caused quite a stir when they came on screen, but Rob and I had no idea who they were!
At the end of the ceremony, they did a raffle. Each programme had a number printed in the front, I was number 019, and Rob was 700 and something. We didn't really want to win anything, because we thought we'd have to go on stage in front of everyone and be quite obviously foreign. But it turned out that the winners collected the prizes afterwards. Some of the prizes were really good. They had 15 in total, including digital photo frames, an iPod, cameras, and the one I wanted - a hot spring hotel break!
But, alas, neither Rob or I won anything! It's probably fairer for permanent Japanese residents to win the prizes anyway!
Overall the ceremony lasted just over an hour, which I thought was really short. But it's good that it didn't drag, as we were just watching the stage and had no physical participation in the events.
I thought the atmosphere of a formal Japanese ceremony would be very strict, but, perhaps because it was young people, it felt very relaxed. People were chatting amongst themselves, and some called things out to the people on stage. At one point when the important people were being introduced and were standing and bowing, two boys near the front stood and turned to face the audience, bowing in time with the actual important person!
We filed out and made our way back home.
It may sound a bit strange, but being part of that ceremony was a bit like validation of living in Japan. As a foreigner, you feel left out and alienated from so many aspects of Japanese culture, it was really nice to feel more accepted. And now I really feel more grown up! I'm very glad I was here to experience the Seijin-shiki, and I recommend it if you ever get the chance to be part of one.
Clubbing in Shibuya
On Saturday night I went out with some friends to a club in Shibuya, which was my celebration for getting the scholarship and a job interview.
It was my first experience of a club in Shibuya, so I was looking forward to seeing what it was like. We went to one that Wynne knew, Atom, and it was only Y1,000 entry, so we couldn't argue with that price!
Most of the clubs in Shibuya are located away from the main station area, but from Hachiko exit, they're only about ten minutes walk up the hill past the 109 building. The prices range from the cheap (around Y1,000 including two drinks) to the more expensive (around Y3,000).
We arrived Atom at about 11.30pm, because it's cheaper before midnight. There was an ID and bag check on the door, and then a long corridor with lockers for our things. The lockers cost Y300, and you don't get the money back, so be careful to take out everything you need, or you'll be paying again!
At the end of the corridor there were two lifts that went up to the 5th floor (Atom is the 4th to the 6th floor of one building). You pay before going into the main dancefloor on the 5th floor, and it was Y1,000 per person, but for women two drinks were included in that. You get a wristband on the door, so you can leave and come back in, although you should be careful that they don't cut it off if you want to re-enter.
The main 5th floor was psychedelic trance, the 4th (that was made to look like a cave) was para para music, and the smaller 6th floor was hip-hop and R&B.
It wasn't too busy when we went in, and Wynne and Fran even got up on one of the small stages and danced for a while. I tried to take a photo but one of the bouncers stopped me and told me to delete it! Apparently you can't take photos.. Or at least not of girls dancing... Hmm, maybe I do understand the logic.
We didn't like the music on the main floor very much, so we went up to the smaller urban floor. The music was much more dance-able and several of my favourite songs were played, some of which I'd never heard in a club before! It was all American stuff, so there were quite a few that I'd never heard before, but most of it had made it over to the UK.
I hit a wall of tiredness and hunger at about 2.30am, but, as it always is with going out in Tokyo, you're stuck until the first train at about 4.30 or 5am. I pushed through and really enjoyed myself.
We left at about 4am and went to get some food from Yoshinoya, and we all really needed water! There were a lot of people smoking in the club, so my throat was really dry. (I didn't want to buy water in the club, as it was Y500, like all the other drinks.) It was a surprise, because smoking is banned in public places in the UK, so the atmosphere wasn't as comfortable in Japan.
We got one of the first trains back at about 4.50am, and I was tucked up in bed at just gone 6am. Once in a while I can handle! But not every night like some people do...
It was my first experience of a club in Shibuya, so I was looking forward to seeing what it was like. We went to one that Wynne knew, Atom, and it was only Y1,000 entry, so we couldn't argue with that price!
Most of the clubs in Shibuya are located away from the main station area, but from Hachiko exit, they're only about ten minutes walk up the hill past the 109 building. The prices range from the cheap (around Y1,000 including two drinks) to the more expensive (around Y3,000).
We arrived Atom at about 11.30pm, because it's cheaper before midnight. There was an ID and bag check on the door, and then a long corridor with lockers for our things. The lockers cost Y300, and you don't get the money back, so be careful to take out everything you need, or you'll be paying again!
At the end of the corridor there were two lifts that went up to the 5th floor (Atom is the 4th to the 6th floor of one building). You pay before going into the main dancefloor on the 5th floor, and it was Y1,000 per person, but for women two drinks were included in that. You get a wristband on the door, so you can leave and come back in, although you should be careful that they don't cut it off if you want to re-enter.
The main 5th floor was psychedelic trance, the 4th (that was made to look like a cave) was para para music, and the smaller 6th floor was hip-hop and R&B.
It wasn't too busy when we went in, and Wynne and Fran even got up on one of the small stages and danced for a while. I tried to take a photo but one of the bouncers stopped me and told me to delete it! Apparently you can't take photos.. Or at least not of girls dancing... Hmm, maybe I do understand the logic.
We didn't like the music on the main floor very much, so we went up to the smaller urban floor. The music was much more dance-able and several of my favourite songs were played, some of which I'd never heard in a club before! It was all American stuff, so there were quite a few that I'd never heard before, but most of it had made it over to the UK.
I hit a wall of tiredness and hunger at about 2.30am, but, as it always is with going out in Tokyo, you're stuck until the first train at about 4.30 or 5am. I pushed through and really enjoyed myself.
We left at about 4am and went to get some food from Yoshinoya, and we all really needed water! There were a lot of people smoking in the club, so my throat was really dry. (I didn't want to buy water in the club, as it was Y500, like all the other drinks.) It was a surprise, because smoking is banned in public places in the UK, so the atmosphere wasn't as comfortable in Japan.
We got one of the first trains back at about 4.50am, and I was tucked up in bed at just gone 6am. Once in a while I can handle! But not every night like some people do...
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Japanese Bank Account (Again)
The other day I opened a Japanese bank account because I'm jobhunting and I knew there was a possibility I'll get the JASSO Scholarship for three months.
I went back to the bank I had an account with in 2008, Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ. And it was much easier this time!
I still had a bit of difficulty understanding everything, but I had an inkan stamp (印鑑) and I was over 20, so there was no problem there.
They didn't want to give me an account when they realised that I hadn't got a job yet, but I told them that I'd be getting a scholarship so needed an account for that. (I didn't mention that there was only a possibility I'd get it!)
In under an hour, everything was sorted, which was much much quicker than the three hours it took with my limited Japanese two years ago!
I even got Disney characters on my bank book (通帳, tsuuchou) and cash card (キャッシュカード, kyasshu kaado), instead of the boring red ones. They gave me the choice, and of course there was no contest!
So, now I'm all ready for the scholarship and job money. Fingers crossed!
I went back to the bank I had an account with in 2008, Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ. And it was much easier this time!
I still had a bit of difficulty understanding everything, but I had an inkan stamp (印鑑) and I was over 20, so there was no problem there.
They didn't want to give me an account when they realised that I hadn't got a job yet, but I told them that I'd be getting a scholarship so needed an account for that. (I didn't mention that there was only a possibility I'd get it!)
In under an hour, everything was sorted, which was much much quicker than the three hours it took with my limited Japanese two years ago!
I even got Disney characters on my bank book (通帳, tsuuchou) and cash card (キャッシュカード, kyasshu kaado), instead of the boring red ones. They gave me the choice, and of course there was no contest!
So, now I'm all ready for the scholarship and job money. Fingers crossed!
Two Years Ago Today...
Today is the two year anniversary of my first arrival in Japan. And it's been an incredible two years.
And, actually, it's been an incredible day today! It's been a bit of a turn-around. After things have been going badly for the past couple of months, particularly money-wise, I got two very good pieces of news!
Firstly, I was in the library at ICU doing some work before I met Rei and A-chan because they were going to help me with some Japanese work. I randomly checked my Leeds University email address and I saw that there was an email from ICU about the three-month JASSO scholarship I'd applied for!
I was really expecting it to be "Dear Mr Davies. We are regret to inform you...", but it was the complete opposite! I'm going to get the Y80,000 for the next three months!! And on top of that, there's an Y80,000 settling-in payment, even though I settled in nearly five months ago! That's over £2,000 in total!
I was so overjoyed that I could get that money! And my next loan installment comes in on 11th January so I'll be fine for money for a while!
And then, Rei, A-chan and I were just chatting after they'd helped me, when I got a phone call. And it was Gaba offering me an interview! They had some follow-up questions, like why did I leave Gaba in 2008, and what kind of visa am I on now, and when does it expire etc.
So I'll go for my interview on Tuesday, and hopefully it will be okay! If I'm successful, the contract signing session is on Friday, and then the three days of Certification (teacher training), which I've done before, are Saturday 16th to Monday. So if I get through, I'll have to miss one day of University, but I think it's worth it for a job!
I'm so happy now! It's been an amazing day, where things have done a complete 180 and I'm feeling much better in myself. I think I need a celebration of some kind, so this weekend will be the perfect time for that!
And, actually, it's been an incredible day today! It's been a bit of a turn-around. After things have been going badly for the past couple of months, particularly money-wise, I got two very good pieces of news!
Firstly, I was in the library at ICU doing some work before I met Rei and A-chan because they were going to help me with some Japanese work. I randomly checked my Leeds University email address and I saw that there was an email from ICU about the three-month JASSO scholarship I'd applied for!
I was really expecting it to be "Dear Mr Davies. We are regret to inform you...", but it was the complete opposite! I'm going to get the Y80,000 for the next three months!! And on top of that, there's an Y80,000 settling-in payment, even though I settled in nearly five months ago! That's over £2,000 in total!
I was so overjoyed that I could get that money! And my next loan installment comes in on 11th January so I'll be fine for money for a while!
And then, Rei, A-chan and I were just chatting after they'd helped me, when I got a phone call. And it was Gaba offering me an interview! They had some follow-up questions, like why did I leave Gaba in 2008, and what kind of visa am I on now, and when does it expire etc.
So I'll go for my interview on Tuesday, and hopefully it will be okay! If I'm successful, the contract signing session is on Friday, and then the three days of Certification (teacher training), which I've done before, are Saturday 16th to Monday. So if I get through, I'll have to miss one day of University, but I think it's worth it for a job!
I'm so happy now! It's been an amazing day, where things have done a complete 180 and I'm feeling much better in myself. I think I need a celebration of some kind, so this weekend will be the perfect time for that!
Job Application
Because my dire money situation has been getting me down over the past couple of months, I've been eagerly waiting for a time close enough to when I can pick up my Work Permit from the Tachikawa Immigration Bureau for me to apply for a job.
I decided to apply at my old company, Gaba English conversation school, because they offer amazing flexibility that I really need with my constantly changing University schedule. So I used my old CV on Gaijin Pot.com to apply, after updating it with my past year's experience. Gaijin Pot is a website that allows foreigners to make a CV online and apply for jobs and apartments etc. It's the only way to apply for jobs at Gaba.
When I applied, I didn't actually have my Work Permit, but I can pick it up tomorrow, and Gaba still haven't gotten back to me, so I think I timed it okay.
I really really hope my application is successful, because I am quite far into my student overdraft already. If I didn't have that, I would have to leave Japan and quit University. It's the first time in my life that I've ever been in minus money, and it's a horrible feeling. Every time I buy something, I know I'm spending money I don't really have.
There is a chance I can get the JASSO Scholarship for three months (January to March), which is Y80,000 (£500) a month! ICU sent me an email about it a month ago, but they said that I'd hear back from them by the end of December, once JASSO had screened all of the new applicants. So I don't hold out much hope of getting it now.
So fingers crossed I can get the job!
I decided to apply at my old company, Gaba English conversation school, because they offer amazing flexibility that I really need with my constantly changing University schedule. So I used my old CV on Gaijin Pot.com to apply, after updating it with my past year's experience. Gaijin Pot is a website that allows foreigners to make a CV online and apply for jobs and apartments etc. It's the only way to apply for jobs at Gaba.
When I applied, I didn't actually have my Work Permit, but I can pick it up tomorrow, and Gaba still haven't gotten back to me, so I think I timed it okay.
I really really hope my application is successful, because I am quite far into my student overdraft already. If I didn't have that, I would have to leave Japan and quit University. It's the first time in my life that I've ever been in minus money, and it's a horrible feeling. Every time I buy something, I know I'm spending money I don't really have.
There is a chance I can get the JASSO Scholarship for three months (January to March), which is Y80,000 (£500) a month! ICU sent me an email about it a month ago, but they said that I'd hear back from them by the end of December, once JASSO had screened all of the new applicants. So I don't hold out much hope of getting it now.
So fingers crossed I can get the job!
Back to Lessons
Yesterday we started back at ICU after our Winter holiday (冬休み, fuyu yasumi). It was quite ncie to get back into the regular routine of getting up at 8.30 and having breakfast of granola and orange juice while watching NHK's Seikatsu Hot Morning (生活ホットモーニング) programme, and then leaving at 9.30 for 10.10 lessons.
It's a nice little life. It gives me lots of time to study as well as enjoy Japan. So I'm very glad I can be here to enjoy it!
It's a nice little life. It gives me lots of time to study as well as enjoy Japan. So I'm very glad I can be here to enjoy it!
Miraikan
The other day I went to the Miraikan Museum (未来館) on Odaiba. The English name is "The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation", but the Japanese just means "future building", which is much simpler.
I went with Rob and his parents, because they were in Japan on holiday, and they invited me along for the day.
They had JR rail passes, which really are the most convenient way to travel around Japan if you're here on holiday. But there are no JR (Japan Rail) lines to Odaiba, so unfortunately they had to pay a bit extra when we arrived at Tokyo Teleport station on the Rinkai line.
Originally we had just intended to wander around Odaiba, because one of the receptionists at Rob's parents' hotel had said that the Miraikan would be closed because it was just after New Year.
But we decided to check for ourselves, and very lucky we did, because it was open!
It was a beautiful day, with the usual winter high pressure making it bright and chilly. We passed the Fuji TV headquarters building on the way.
The museum was a big glass building, and as soon as you walk in you can feel how modern the place is.
It cost Y600 per person, but Rob's parents treated me to the ticket, and later lunch, which was extremely kind of them.
We went into one of the exhibitions (I think there are about 7 floors, each with different exhibitions, and you put your tickets in the barriers to get into each individual area, but you can go in more than once.)
Everything was fascinating. There was everything from space to climate to photography, all with a futuristic spin on it. All the signs were in both Japanese and English, so it was very accessible.
We followed the route around the exhibition, and had a go on a lot of the interactive exhibits.
I liked this globe, which changed from displaying climate and weather, to cloud cover, and population information.
This exhibit was very interesting. The white lines that look like cracks in glass are actually streaks of radiation falling through the air. Normally it's invisible, but there was a special gas inside a glass case that made it visible to the naked eye. There was information about how the different types of radiation show up.
I'd heard about this Asimo robot before, because my British housemates from 2008 visited this museum and told me about it. He moved really quickly! It was very impressive.
I really recommend the Miraikan if you're in Tokyo for a long holiday, or living here for an extended period of time. It's definitely worth the cheap entry fee, and everything there was so interesting. I'm really glad I went along with them.
We didn't do everything there by a long shot, so if you fancy it, you could spend a whole day there doing and seeing everything you want to!
I went with Rob and his parents, because they were in Japan on holiday, and they invited me along for the day.
They had JR rail passes, which really are the most convenient way to travel around Japan if you're here on holiday. But there are no JR (Japan Rail) lines to Odaiba, so unfortunately they had to pay a bit extra when we arrived at Tokyo Teleport station on the Rinkai line.
Originally we had just intended to wander around Odaiba, because one of the receptionists at Rob's parents' hotel had said that the Miraikan would be closed because it was just after New Year.
But we decided to check for ourselves, and very lucky we did, because it was open!
It was a beautiful day, with the usual winter high pressure making it bright and chilly. We passed the Fuji TV headquarters building on the way.
The museum was a big glass building, and as soon as you walk in you can feel how modern the place is.
It cost Y600 per person, but Rob's parents treated me to the ticket, and later lunch, which was extremely kind of them.
We went into one of the exhibitions (I think there are about 7 floors, each with different exhibitions, and you put your tickets in the barriers to get into each individual area, but you can go in more than once.)
Everything was fascinating. There was everything from space to climate to photography, all with a futuristic spin on it. All the signs were in both Japanese and English, so it was very accessible.
We followed the route around the exhibition, and had a go on a lot of the interactive exhibits.
I liked this globe, which changed from displaying climate and weather, to cloud cover, and population information.
This exhibit was very interesting. The white lines that look like cracks in glass are actually streaks of radiation falling through the air. Normally it's invisible, but there was a special gas inside a glass case that made it visible to the naked eye. There was information about how the different types of radiation show up.
This robot is apparently a prototype for a much bigger one, that is at the moment hypothetical, but will eventually transport people over any terrain.
I'd heard about this Asimo robot before, because my British housemates from 2008 visited this museum and told me about it. He moved really quickly! It was very impressive.
I really recommend the Miraikan if you're in Tokyo for a long holiday, or living here for an extended period of time. It's definitely worth the cheap entry fee, and everything there was so interesting. I'm really glad I went along with them.
We didn't do everything there by a long shot, so if you fancy it, you could spend a whole day there doing and seeing everything you want to!
Friday, January 1, 2010
New Year in Tokyo
Happy New Year!
Here I am, in my room in Tokyo, and it's 2010! In a week it will be exactly two years since I first arrived in Japan at the beginning of 2008. And my life is quite different now! A lot changes in two years. But I suppose the years when you first leave home and fly halfway around the world to start a new life for seven months, and then start University, would be a quite life-changing time.
2009 has also been a big year for me, probably not as big as 2008, but it's seen me finish my first year of University in Britain and return to Japan. So I wanted to give the noughties the best send off I could.
I arranged for six of us to go to Kichijoji (吉祥寺), which is probably the biggest centre in Western Tokyo, and is only 10 minutes by train from my guesthouse. I had asked a couple of Japanese friends if there would be Shrines or temples there that had things going on for New Year (お正月, oshougatsu) and they all said that even small places would be doing something.
There was the option to go to Meiji Shrine (明治神宮) in Harajuku, but I knew that it would be ridiculously crowded, being the biggest Shrine in Tokyo. Apparently it's busy on both New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, as people go to pray for good fortune in the coming year.
I took the train to Musashi Sakai to meet Matt. The trains were all so quiet! Tokyo as a whole does get quieter around New Year, when lots of people leave the city to visit their families in the countryside.
I waited for Matt at the ticket gate, as I was there my Mum rang me to wish me a Happy New Year, which was very nice. Matt and I got on the train, which stopped for a while at Mitaka where it waited for a Special Rapid (特快) train to pass. As we were stopped, Rob stepped into our carriage, at the door where we were standing! What a coincidence!
So we carried on together to Kichijoji and met Katy and her friend Nola at the station. We then checked an area map and found a small collection of Shrines and temples about ten minutes walk from the station. Kichijoji was very quiet, but it was only 9pm, so it wasn't going to be very busy yet. I imagined lots of people were going to be watching Kohaku Uta Gassen (紅白歌合戦), a very popular music contest programme broadcast on NHK every New Year's Eve. This time Susan Boyle, a finalist in Britain's Got Talent, which for some reason is very popular in Japan, performed one of her songs live. I saw some of the programme before leaving the house, and it looked like a lot of fun for New Year, but I wanted to do something more traditional.
We followed the festively lit streets to the Shrines.
We found one Shrine that was open to public, but there was no one there! I was expecting a crowd of people eating and keeping warm. (It was the coldest night of the season so far last night, reaching -2C, which is typical!)
We wandered around the Shrine area for a little bit.
I was really worried that the evening was going to be a bust, because there weren't enough people to get a proper celebratory atmosphere going.
But we walked back to the station to meet Kaz, and then got some food and drinks and went to the park. It was very cold, but I think that made the evening feel more authentic, as it hadn't really felt like Christmas as it was still over 5C!
This illumination was outside Kichijoji station.
We stayed in the park for an hour or so, and Katy, Rob and I did Soul Run to keep warm. After getting sufficiently cold, we walked back to the Shrine for midnight. The Shrine we went to was busier, but still very quiet. Kaz asked one of the security guards and he told us that they weren't going to ring the New Year bell there, but they would at the Buddhist temple next door. 
It was about 12.30am when we got to the front of the line and all got to ring the bell and pray for good luck in 2010. Unfortunately, half of us didn't know we had to stand on the left side of the hammer that you swing to hit the bell, so we ended up looking like typical foreigners, doing it the wrong way! But never mind, we'll know for next time.
After the temple, we walked around for a bit and found a restaurant where we could eat soba noodles, as is traditional at New Year. We left at about 2am and headed for the station. Over New Year lots of main JR train lines run all through the night so we didn't have to worry about missing the last train.
When we got to the station, we saw that the illumination had changed from 2009 to 2010!
Here I am, in my room in Tokyo, and it's 2010! In a week it will be exactly two years since I first arrived in Japan at the beginning of 2008. And my life is quite different now! A lot changes in two years. But I suppose the years when you first leave home and fly halfway around the world to start a new life for seven months, and then start University, would be a quite life-changing time.
2009 has also been a big year for me, probably not as big as 2008, but it's seen me finish my first year of University in Britain and return to Japan. So I wanted to give the noughties the best send off I could.
I arranged for six of us to go to Kichijoji (吉祥寺), which is probably the biggest centre in Western Tokyo, and is only 10 minutes by train from my guesthouse. I had asked a couple of Japanese friends if there would be Shrines or temples there that had things going on for New Year (お正月, oshougatsu) and they all said that even small places would be doing something.
There was the option to go to Meiji Shrine (明治神宮) in Harajuku, but I knew that it would be ridiculously crowded, being the biggest Shrine in Tokyo. Apparently it's busy on both New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, as people go to pray for good fortune in the coming year.
I took the train to Musashi Sakai to meet Matt. The trains were all so quiet! Tokyo as a whole does get quieter around New Year, when lots of people leave the city to visit their families in the countryside.
I waited for Matt at the ticket gate, as I was there my Mum rang me to wish me a Happy New Year, which was very nice. Matt and I got on the train, which stopped for a while at Mitaka where it waited for a Special Rapid (特快) train to pass. As we were stopped, Rob stepped into our carriage, at the door where we were standing! What a coincidence!
So we carried on together to Kichijoji and met Katy and her friend Nola at the station. We then checked an area map and found a small collection of Shrines and temples about ten minutes walk from the station. Kichijoji was very quiet, but it was only 9pm, so it wasn't going to be very busy yet. I imagined lots of people were going to be watching Kohaku Uta Gassen (紅白歌合戦), a very popular music contest programme broadcast on NHK every New Year's Eve. This time Susan Boyle, a finalist in Britain's Got Talent, which for some reason is very popular in Japan, performed one of her songs live. I saw some of the programme before leaving the house, and it looked like a lot of fun for New Year, but I wanted to do something more traditional.
We followed the festively lit streets to the Shrines.
We found one Shrine that was open to public, but there was no one there! I was expecting a crowd of people eating and keeping warm. (It was the coldest night of the season so far last night, reaching -2C, which is typical!)We prayed for good luck in the coming year by throwing coins into the box and clapping twice, and then bowing to finish.
We wandered around the Shrine area for a little bit.
I was really worried that the evening was going to be a bust, because there weren't enough people to get a proper celebratory atmosphere going.But we walked back to the station to meet Kaz, and then got some food and drinks and went to the park. It was very cold, but I think that made the evening feel more authentic, as it hadn't really felt like Christmas as it was still over 5C!
This illumination was outside Kichijoji station.
We stayed in the park for an hour or so, and Katy, Rob and I did Soul Run to keep warm. After getting sufficiently cold, we walked back to the Shrine for midnight. The Shrine we went to was busier, but still very quiet. Kaz asked one of the security guards and he told us that they weren't going to ring the New Year bell there, but they would at the Buddhist temple next door.
We walked round and joined the queue for the temple, and the atmosphere became increasingly energetic.
They opened the gate at 11.45pm and everyone poured in, most people lining up to ring the bell. We did the same.
They opened the gate at 11.45pm and everyone poured in, most people lining up to ring the bell. We did the same.
As people, starting with the monks, began to ring the bell at 11.50pm, some of us left the queue to see it closer up. I was taking this video, when halfway through lots of people cheered. I thought it was because someone important had just rung the bell, but then we realised that it was midnight! It was 2010!
We all cheered too, albeit a couple of seconds late, but it was New Year!
We all cheered too, albeit a couple of seconds late, but it was New Year!
We joined the others in the line and continued to wait for our turn to ring the bell.
It was about 12.30am when we got to the front of the line and all got to ring the bell and pray for good luck in 2010. Unfortunately, half of us didn't know we had to stand on the left side of the hammer that you swing to hit the bell, so we ended up looking like typical foreigners, doing it the wrong way! But never mind, we'll know for next time.
After the temple, we walked around for a bit and found a restaurant where we could eat soba noodles, as is traditional at New Year. We left at about 2am and headed for the station. Over New Year lots of main JR train lines run all through the night so we didn't have to worry about missing the last train.
When we got to the station, we saw that the illumination had changed from 2009 to 2010!
And that was New Year the traditional Japanese way! It was definitely one I'll never forget, saying goodbye to the noughties, and saying hello to the teens with style. Let's hope that 2010 is a successful year!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
