I've changed the name of this blog twice since that time. It started off as "How I Got Into JET." I'm not sure if that was a premature or an ironic name, seeing as I didn't get into JET. Anyhow, I changed the name soon after that. After sending her an email, Team Red's Most Dedicated Canvasser sent me an email with "Leavin' on a JET Plane" as the subject line. I couldn't resist.
Seeing as I never got to leave on JET plane, it turns out that name was a little premature, too. I had to come up with (or rip off) another catchy phrase to expain my situation. I ended up with "Livin' la Vida Takaoka." I kind of like it.
It explains our predicament. We're two clueless Americans living life in Takaoka, but now a new chapter in our lives is about to begin.
I'm starting a new job this week.
I wrote about this job last week. It is at an English school that teaches kids aged 0-14 years. I'm going to be teaching in Kanazawa, Takaoka, and Toyama. So I get to travel AND the school reimburses all of my travel costs. It is a similar set up to JET. I'm going to be an ALT; they just don't call it an ALT. For those of you who don't know what that means, I'm going to be the native speaker that assists the Japanese Teacher of English in a classroom setting.
I'm pretty stoked. I'm going to get to do a lot of new and exciting things...beginning tomorrow night, when I attend my first honest to goodness enkai. Woot!
I'm filling out all of the paperwork for my working visa on Wednesday. Then as soon as it is approved, I get to start teaching the kids. Double Woot!
The process of getting this job involved the following: I found a sign in a department store, called the number, scheduled an interview for the following week, went to the interview (which was within walking distance of my apartment), and was offered a job that evening. If I had the foresight to obtain a working visa before coming to Japan, which I don't think is actually possible, I could have started work the following day.
Seeing as I never got to leave on JET plane, it turns out that name was a little premature, too. I had to come up with (or rip off) another catchy phrase to expain my situation. I ended up with "Livin' la Vida Takaoka." I kind of like it.
It explains our predicament. We're two clueless Americans living life in Takaoka, but now a new chapter in our lives is about to begin.
I'm starting a new job this week.
I wrote about this job last week. It is at an English school that teaches kids aged 0-14 years. I'm going to be teaching in Kanazawa, Takaoka, and Toyama. So I get to travel AND the school reimburses all of my travel costs. It is a similar set up to JET. I'm going to be an ALT; they just don't call it an ALT. For those of you who don't know what that means, I'm going to be the native speaker that assists the Japanese Teacher of English in a classroom setting.
I'm pretty stoked. I'm going to get to do a lot of new and exciting things...beginning tomorrow night, when I attend my first honest to goodness enkai. Woot!
I'm filling out all of the paperwork for my working visa on Wednesday. Then as soon as it is approved, I get to start teaching the kids. Double Woot!
The process of getting this job involved the following: I found a sign in a department store, called the number, scheduled an interview for the following week, went to the interview (which was within walking distance of my apartment), and was offered a job that evening. If I had the foresight to obtain a working visa before coming to Japan, which I don't think is actually possible, I could have started work the following day.