PLEASE UPDATE YOUR BOOKMARKS. i HAVE CHANGED SERVERS. www.heatherinhokkaido.wordpress.com is my new address. [View Full Entry]

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Wow, so I am looking at pictures on Facebook now from friends back home. SChool has just started and it seems that for everyone still there in Maryville, life is going on as usual. It's so weird to see the same apartments and dorms but not to be in any of the pictures! I'll always miss my college days. I don't think it's homesickness so much as it is just the realization that college is only four years of your life, and it has to come to an end. None of us will ever be in the same place all [View Full Entry]

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OK, so maybe we're not THAT bad... But, the Hokkaido ALTS are by far the coolest, sorry Honshu. You guys may have nice weather, the Shinkansen (bullet train), and all that jazz, but Hokkaido has style. This entry is mostly an excuse to tell you a little about us and post some pictures I have been meaning to post!! ****BY THE WAY**** I have a photobucket site now for posting ONLY pictures (since I can't fit them ALL in here), but I haven't figurd out how to link you to the whole profile instad of just individual albums! But keep [View Full Entry]

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Ok, first things first, sorry I have been so terrible about writing entries!!! I'm just very busy! I'm working, and trying to be involved in the community as much as I can be! I am also trying to get an online photo album going since I rarely post all of my pics here, but it'll take some time, so please be patient! I am usually tired when I come home, so I normally just veg out with a book and read instead of spending time online as I did in college! So, the trip in to Hokkaido... Let me just [View Full Entry]

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Oh wow, so I've been in Japan for about two weeks now, but this is the first time I have had time to write!! I guess there are quite a few things to cover about getting here and my first impressions, so I will do that in this entry and then perhaps later have a few more specific entries about particulars! The flight: First of all, leaving Atlanta was a real pain in the ass... I felt especially bad for one girl in our group.. at the ticket counter, they were calling for e-tickets and she just went up to an [View Full Entry]

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Today I went to change my voter's registration to Alabama and to apply for an absentee ballot. The clerk at the courthouse asked me, "Oh, so where are you moving?" to which I responded, "Hokkaido, Japan." The next question has become all too familiar to me, "OH!!! That's great!! Are you a missionary????". I wanted to take a minute, then, to list all kinds of responses I have gotten to my decision, both in Alabama, and in Tennessee: "Oh, you're studying abroad? My daughter went to Mexico once for spring break." (BTW I'm NOT studying abroad. It's a 'for real ' [View Full Entry]

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First, I want to talk a little about the Jet Q&A in Atlanta. It was AMAZING! First, I was finally able to meet the other Wakkanai jet, Moraya! We had been in contact through the online forum, but didn't have a chance to meet in person til that weekend! I also met a few other Jets, and after the rigorous day in discussions and lessons, Jets were invited to attend an optional cocktail hour. If you want to hear stories about me getting lost in Atlanta, please ask... but I wont waste space here talking about it ;). Those who [View Full Entry]

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Oh wow, I have LOTS to talk about because a lot has happened since my last entry. First, I got some details about my placement! My せんぱい (predecessor), unfortunately, left early, so I haven't had the best of luck getting info!! Usually Jet tells you how to contact this person, about apartment set-up, etc etc, but that didn't apply in my case. (Though, actually, I just heard from him today and he said he HATED Wakkanai, and not much else.) Even so, I am determined! I have been joking with others that I am the 'orphaned jet' - sort of left [View Full Entry]

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Literally. But we're not talking about わかない。 We're talking about 稚内, Wakkanai, which I also don't understand, and where I will soon be living!. What I don't understand is how the consulate & Jet thought they'd take someone from the 90 degree heat + humidity of the Southeastern United States, and put that person in the Northernmost point in Japan (located in Hokkaido, which we already discussed). On a clear day, I'll be able to see Russia. That is also not a joke - it's 30ish miles away (closer than Tokyo!!). I will be surrounded by ocean on thr [View Full Entry]

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So I found out my placement about a week ago, but I haven't had a chance to tell you all because my computer was all, well, dead until recently, plus I was busy graduating college! Good news though, it's back now and all my finals and graduating are out of the way. When I got the e-mail from the Consulate General of Japan entitled, "Placement Information", I must admit, I was afraid to open it!! Jakob insisted on reading it first and then telling me what it said, but I had waited too long for this and had to check [View Full Entry]

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