Had a marathon session today and yesterday with my friends Steph and Megumu! Woo! [View Full Entry]

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This is the first time I really felt like I was a part of the Cultural Festival preparations. Last year, all I did was watch and I did participate in the teacher's chorus performance and cook tacos with my students, but this year...more work! About a month before the actual cultural festival, one of the teachers asked me if I wanted to try playing the koto. It's a 13 stringed instrument that is played by plucking the strings with a pick-like nail you wear on your thumb, pointer and middle finger. It's a bit hard to describe, if you google or [View Full Entry]

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Lately work has been busy busy busy. I thought things would slow down after the Cultural festival...not so much. Observation classes galore have commenced! Monday was the big observation class for our youngest science teacher. ALL teachers watched his class. The rest of the students in the school were left to do worksheets. Today was the observation class for one of my JTEs who isn't a "real" teacher yet. Quickly....you have to pass two tests to be a "real" teacher. If you pass the first level you become an instructor. If you pass the 2nd level test or if there is [View Full Entry]

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which will be expanded into their own separate entries eventually.... It's been way too long since I've updated! I guess the last big event was the speech contest, but since then, I've definitely been keeping busy. Let's begin with my typical weekly schedule. On Mondays and Thursdays I have play rehearsal with Viva Theatre! Yes, we are back and this time, with a musical. Little Shop of Horrors. For those of you who knew me back in high school, remember when I was Ronnette in this musical? This time, I'm Crystal. I'm excited and of course, worried because this production will [View Full Entry]

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A very busy few weeks have passed. I've been working overtime about two hours a day for the last two weeks helping my students prepare for the speech contest. Since I work at two schools, it was a little bit difficult. I think one school definitely had an advantage because I have been working there longer this year. My students at the small school did not have as much time with me. Also, that school is not as into the speech contest as the other one. Two students from each school participated. There are three different categories: 7th and 8th grade [View Full Entry]

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Last Saturday, Rachel's landlady threw her a little party so us ladies decided to get all dressed up in yukata (summer version of kimono) in the pretense that we would head into town for the matsuri (festival) that night. We stayed at the party a bit late so missed all the festivities but didn't miss the opportunity to walk around Tottori in yukata! Pics will best explain this experience...haha. [View Full Entry]

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Just wanted to introduce you all to one of my favorite past times here in Japan. Purikura - derived from "print club" which in katakana English is pronounced purinto kurabu プリントクラブ so it's the shortened version of that Basically you get into a photo booth with your friends (or by yourself), pay about 400 yen (roughly $4) and you take pics with a HUGE variety of backgrounds! There's also a voice of high pitched Japanese girl guiding you through your photo shoot, which can get annoying at times, but it's pretty quick so you deal with it. Af [View Full Entry]

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Two days of camping on the beach, watching capoeira and dancing the night away with friends. What more can I ask for? It felt like longer than two days actually. Katie and Ryan (aka the Aussies) picked me up Friday afternoon and it was miraculous that we fit all our gear and me and Amy in the car to go to the beach. We did have to sit on the futon, but it worked out. We were one of the first people to get there so we could pick a good spot for our tents, in a more secluded part [View Full Entry]

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Had so much fun, decided to blog about it for a change...haha! Friday night, hit up English cafe with Onika, Megumu, Noriyuki and Rachel. Granted, there were some oddballs there, but we had fun and I got to meet Megumu's cousin and mom so that was really cool!! We went out to dinner after, but I already ate since I made a huge pot of curry the day before and still had leftovers. I just had sweets at Cafe Piace! Saturday, started off early...8:40am I went to Minami Jr. High School which is literally 10 minutes away on foot from my [View Full Entry]

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It's a bit daunting to think about how much time has passed since I've been here. It feels like I've been here for ages, but it hasn't even been a year, yet that kinda sounds like a long time ne? A lot of ALTs are leaving the program this year so I've been hearing about their plans to go back to their home countries and also about how there really are only two months left and then a bunch of new JETs are coming! I'm at a completely different place than them though, because I still have at least another year [View Full Entry]

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