Another day another several thousand yen.
I’m in a surprisingly good mood at the moment, mainly because I’ve got quite a lot done in the past 24 hours. Yesterday we (me and Ellison) went to get my International Driver’s license (which expires at the end of June) changed into a Japanese license. I won’t bore you with the details suffice to say it took ages and involved hundreds of pointless questions about the British licensing system.
Today my only lesson has been cancelled which is good. I’ve also finally sorted out my GoLloyds application (so I can finally send money home), faxed the previous owner of my car all the updated documentation and completed several sets of exam questions for various people. And it’s not even 10 o’clock yet.
Having a three day week also helps. Had yesterday off and got Friday off due to the wonder that is choseibi. Bliss.
This weekend I’m supposed to be going paragliding off a volcano. Yay? It’s been a while since I’ve done anything unique to Japan and I think the volcano aspect means this probably belongs in that category. It’s only going to be about £45 as well for three actual descents; two from 45ft and a final one from 150ft down in to a valley. Hopefully I’ll be able to conquer my crippling fear of heights to do this. I’m actually really looking forward to it.
Then again, I may be jumping the gun (no pun). The rain recently has been amazing in its intensity. Yesterday, as we were driving to the city to sort the license out, I could hardly see three feet in front of the bonnet so strong was the downpour. And last night we had an incredible lightning storm. I’d gone to bed as soon as we’d got home (about 6pm) as I had a headache so I was wide awake at about 12 when the sky literally lit up like it was the middle of the day. And the thunder…I’ve never heard it that loud before. It was like being in one of those Hammer horror Dracula films; the thunder really did make a cracking sound like a movie sound effect. It was great. I tried to get the lightning on camera but it didn’t pick it up. Needless to say however, if this continues paragliding is off.
No idea what I’m going to do on Friday…I have the whole day to do as I please. I really should get out and about, take a drive somewhere in Kyushu, take a day trip to Fukuoka and do some shopping, but I’ll probably end up saving the money and staying home. Meh, I’ve got at least another 14 months to do the exciting stuff!
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Arresting
Oh, and if any of you (I'm assuming some people do still read this here) get the chance, go and watch/buy/rent Arrested Development. It's the funniest TV show I've seen in years...completely laugh out loud funny in fact.
"Lemme give that oatmeal some brown sugar!"
"Lemme give that oatmeal some brown sugar!"
Rock
I reached a bottom recently, one made from the title of this entry. This last week has possibly been the worst in terms of work since I got here almost a year ago. I haven't been overly busy or boringly underworked, it's just that my schools seemed to have forgotten that I don't speask Japanese.
I was told when I got out here that one of the main problems JETs report is that their schools don't tell them things. I already gave some examples below of what this has meant for me. But after I wrote that entry, it continued. One school (Hikawa again) rang me up at 6pm on Thursday and asked me for a piece of work we'd agreed on Wednesday that I'd present to them the next Tuesday. Seems they had forgotten that, and wanted the next day. Again, when I told them I hadn't done it there was this ominous silence on the other end of the line, like I just told them I'd killed a student. I really had to bite my tongue to stop myself going on a rant.
I also bit the bullet and said I'd try and get it to them tomorrow but I had exams to give all morning in my second school so I'd try and get it to them by lunch. No deal, they needed it by third period. Fine, so I say I'll try and get it in before third. However, it seems over the course of the 2 minute conversation they have changed their minds and need it NOW, not tomorrow but within the next ten minutes. I make several hand gestures that probably would have got me fired had I done it in the staffroom.
Eventualy the teacher on the other end gies me an email and I say I'll get it to them ASAP. Which I do. Or would have done had, you know, the email address they had given me worked. I gave up.
Anyway, other than my schools being arses the weather has been pretty rough recently. It's been raining for the past few days and the humidity has gone through the roof. It's not even that hot, but the air is so thick it's like taking a gulp of milk everytime I breath in. Urgh.
I bought a Nintendo DS Lite while under extreme Peer Pressure. Not that I'm not happy that I did, it's a great little console and very cheap for what it is. There's three of us with them now and I must say Wireless Mario Kart Multiplayer is absolutely fantastic. Reminds me of the Uni when me the rest of 10b Cumberland road would gather for regular bouts on Mario Kart Double Dash.
Fun times.
EDIT: Seems I can't get that video to align properly. Bugger...
I was told when I got out here that one of the main problems JETs report is that their schools don't tell them things. I already gave some examples below of what this has meant for me. But after I wrote that entry, it continued. One school (Hikawa again) rang me up at 6pm on Thursday and asked me for a piece of work we'd agreed on Wednesday that I'd present to them the next Tuesday. Seems they had forgotten that, and wanted the next day. Again, when I told them I hadn't done it there was this ominous silence on the other end of the line, like I just told them I'd killed a student. I really had to bite my tongue to stop myself going on a rant.
I also bit the bullet and said I'd try and get it to them tomorrow but I had exams to give all morning in my second school so I'd try and get it to them by lunch. No deal, they needed it by third period. Fine, so I say I'll try and get it in before third. However, it seems over the course of the 2 minute conversation they have changed their minds and need it NOW, not tomorrow but within the next ten minutes. I make several hand gestures that probably would have got me fired had I done it in the staffroom.
Eventualy the teacher on the other end gies me an email and I say I'll get it to them ASAP. Which I do. Or would have done had, you know, the email address they had given me worked. I gave up.
Anyway, other than my schools being arses the weather has been pretty rough recently. It's been raining for the past few days and the humidity has gone through the roof. It's not even that hot, but the air is so thick it's like taking a gulp of milk everytime I breath in. Urgh.
I bought a Nintendo DS Lite while under extreme Peer Pressure. Not that I'm not happy that I did, it's a great little console and very cheap for what it is. There's three of us with them now and I must say Wireless Mario Kart Multiplayer is absolutely fantastic. Reminds me of the Uni when me the rest of 10b Cumberland road would gather for regular bouts on Mario Kart Double Dash.
Fun times.
EDIT: Seems I can't get that video to align properly. Bugger...
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Confusing
My base school have been messing me around somewhat of late. Nothing serious as yet but still, they’re not being very helpful.
First there’s the extra lessons. I am, according to my schedule supposed to do 6 lessons a week. This week I’ve done at least 8. What’s most annoying is that they ask if I can go to these lessons about 10 minutes before they start. Normally this would just be an imposition but recently I’ve been genuinely busy and these unplanned lesson excursions are really digging into my work time.
Thing is, they do ask. It’s not like I have to go to them. Saying no though sends a clear message, and it’s not a good one. Then again, if they keep calling on me I’m going to have to tell the truth and tell them I’m busy.
Then there’s the exams. At my second school they informed me exactly when the exams will be and what they want me to do about them. At Hikawa though, I haven’t a clue. One of my teachers keeps hinting that she wants me to write the Interview test but doesn’t seem to want to come out and say it. So far I’ve played the innocent and only done exactly what she’s asked of me. Now however the exam times are drawing closer (I think) so I suppose I’d better ask her outright.
Finally there are what I’ve come to called the Amazing Changing Classes. Some days lessons are switched round. Say I have a class in the 3rd period. That class may get switched to 6th period. It gets worse when I have more than one class a day (ie, everyday); the class I was supposed to have in 4th period is now in the 2nd and the class I was to take in the 6th period (“plenty of time to prepare!”) is now in the 1st (“oh bollocks”). This shuffling appears to be completely random and the only predictable aspect is the fact that it will happen regularly.
What’s even worse is that no-one tells me about them. Today for example, I was supposed to have two lessons, one in the 3rd period and one in the 6th. Now the 6th period lesson was done yesterday thanks to that day’s Amazing Changing Lessons so I naturally assume that I will have only the one class today. That was my first mistake. My second mistake came when I popped to the shops at the end of first period/beginning of second. I needed a prize for the 3rd period class so I went to the local supermarket (5 mins away) and got a bag of sweets. I return to find a cryptic note on my desk “Please come to classroom 103”. So I do, ten minutes into second period. I innocently ask the English teacher within what she wants with me and am greeted by a look of absolute confusion.
“You don’t have a class now?”
“No, I only have one class today, in 3rd period.”
“Oh.” Confused look. “I was told you had this period with me…”
Turns out that because I had a lesson yesterday that I was supposed to have today, they added an extra lesson on to today’s schedule without telling me. Fine, fine, that should mean that I would indeed have the two lessons I was originally supposed to (before I completed one of them yesterday) and this would mean I would have my original schedule of one 3rd period class and one 6th (leaving out the fact that this would mean I would have an extra lesson this week…). But no, it seems that all 6th period classes are being done in 2nd period today for whatever reason, and no-one thought to tell me that a) I actually had two classes today and b) one of my classes had been moved from 6th to 2nd period.
Confused?
First there’s the extra lessons. I am, according to my schedule supposed to do 6 lessons a week. This week I’ve done at least 8. What’s most annoying is that they ask if I can go to these lessons about 10 minutes before they start. Normally this would just be an imposition but recently I’ve been genuinely busy and these unplanned lesson excursions are really digging into my work time.
Thing is, they do ask. It’s not like I have to go to them. Saying no though sends a clear message, and it’s not a good one. Then again, if they keep calling on me I’m going to have to tell the truth and tell them I’m busy.
Then there’s the exams. At my second school they informed me exactly when the exams will be and what they want me to do about them. At Hikawa though, I haven’t a clue. One of my teachers keeps hinting that she wants me to write the Interview test but doesn’t seem to want to come out and say it. So far I’ve played the innocent and only done exactly what she’s asked of me. Now however the exam times are drawing closer (I think) so I suppose I’d better ask her outright.
Finally there are what I’ve come to called the Amazing Changing Classes. Some days lessons are switched round. Say I have a class in the 3rd period. That class may get switched to 6th period. It gets worse when I have more than one class a day (ie, everyday); the class I was supposed to have in 4th period is now in the 2nd and the class I was to take in the 6th period (“plenty of time to prepare!”) is now in the 1st (“oh bollocks”). This shuffling appears to be completely random and the only predictable aspect is the fact that it will happen regularly.
What’s even worse is that no-one tells me about them. Today for example, I was supposed to have two lessons, one in the 3rd period and one in the 6th. Now the 6th period lesson was done yesterday thanks to that day’s Amazing Changing Lessons so I naturally assume that I will have only the one class today. That was my first mistake. My second mistake came when I popped to the shops at the end of first period/beginning of second. I needed a prize for the 3rd period class so I went to the local supermarket (5 mins away) and got a bag of sweets. I return to find a cryptic note on my desk “Please come to classroom 103”. So I do, ten minutes into second period. I innocently ask the English teacher within what she wants with me and am greeted by a look of absolute confusion.
“You don’t have a class now?”
“No, I only have one class today, in 3rd period.”
“Oh.” Confused look. “I was told you had this period with me…”
Turns out that because I had a lesson yesterday that I was supposed to have today, they added an extra lesson on to today’s schedule without telling me. Fine, fine, that should mean that I would indeed have the two lessons I was originally supposed to (before I completed one of them yesterday) and this would mean I would have my original schedule of one 3rd period class and one 6th (leaving out the fact that this would mean I would have an extra lesson this week…). But no, it seems that all 6th period classes are being done in 2nd period today for whatever reason, and no-one thought to tell me that a) I actually had two classes today and b) one of my classes had been moved from 6th to 2nd period.
Confused?
Photos
Quite a lot's happened since last time I wrote, too much to describe in words. As the saying goes, a picture speaksa thousand...
Hannah in Kagoshima during our whirlwind tour of Kyushu.
Mum and Dad in Aso. They look a little too happy.
Some rocks. Somewhere is Aso.
Kyoto. Some sort of temple there.
Me in Kyoto. Another temple there.
Genuine 18th century samurai armour. Price? £15k
Me, in Gion. Where the geisha live.
Dad calls this the "duck train." Bless 'im.
Engrish bollocks.
Bye bye!
Hannah in Kagoshima during our whirlwind tour of Kyushu.
Mum and Dad in Aso. They look a little too happy.
Some rocks. Somewhere is Aso.
Kyoto. Some sort of temple there.
Me in Kyoto. Another temple there.
Genuine 18th century samurai armour. Price? £15k
Me, in Gion. Where the geisha live.
Dad calls this the "duck train." Bless 'im.
Engrish bollocks.
Bye bye!
Commitment
Well, going off Greenham's (http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?go=jonnygreenham) example, though I might try and start this thing up again.
His is much better.
His is much better.
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