Well, It's official!

I got the the letter of acceptance on April 3rd, 2007. I was actually afraid to read it or open it because I was all by myself and none of my suitemates were around! I was so afraid it would say I was an alternate - the WORST possibility! I'd rather know I had the position for sure or did not have it at all - in which case I planned to accept a job with NOVA, which I had already been offered (this is a similar, but less reputable program). But when I opened the letter and saw おめでとう！(Congratulations in Japanese!), I was so excited!

I will leave in late July, but I thought I'd keep everyone informed on the PROCESS if leaving - and it IS a process. Getting a work visa, FBI background check, and all the needed medical forms by April 20th is going to be very stressful, especially since it's Easter weekend as I type and my hands are tied! I guess what you all ought to know first is, what is Jet?

Jet is a competitive program for native English speakers who would like to live and work in Japan for an extended period of time. Jets work in Japanese schools teaching English as part of a program that began twenty years ago by the Japanese government in order to help students by giving them an opportunity to learn English from native speakers. To learn more, please follow this link:

http://www.jetprogramme.org/

Also, beccause I do read and write two of the three Japanese alphabets well, I would like to be able to introduce you all to some of the vocabulary for new things I learn about. I'm going to be learning so many new words and expressions, and even new Kanji (Chinese characters which are not phonetic, like the other two alphabets Hiragana and Katakana). If you would like to be able to view these characters, please go here (it's how I first downloaded the software to view characters on a web browser):

http://docs.yahoo.com/docs/info/bridge.html

If you'd like to know about what is going on in Japan or U.S./Japanese relations while I'm there, please check out these links!

Japanese Embassy in the US: http://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/english/html/

The Asahi Shimbun (A reputable Japanese newspaper available in English): http://www.asahi.com/english/


I'm really unpredictable as far as writing goes, so I can't tell you how often I'll update. When I'm stressed about the work visa process, who knows, maybe hourly, haha! ;). No really, I'll try to keep the complaints about the process to a minimum. I think you can subscribe to my blog, but I'm pretty new to travel blog, so it may be a while 'til I can explain this.

What else to expect: before I depart, I'd like to provide people with new information I learn about the area I'll be living in Japan, experiences with Japanese friends and new things I learn before leaving, and, when I have it, my contact information in Japan before departing! Once I get there, I can't be guarenteed to have internet right away, so it may be a few weeks 'til I update you about my arrival.

Thanks for your interest and support of this new step for me in my career and life!

Heather

---

---