Hi everyone, sorry I haven't been updating this everyday. It's suprising how busy it gets here sometimes. I generally use the computer at my junior high school to do internet work and I'm only here twice a week. Life in japan is as good as always. I am very happy with my situation.
I'm starting to get used to the work I must do here at school although the other day I went to the wrong school by mistake!. It's still difficult to know which grades I will be teaching and when each day and my schedule for the month after the current one is always a mystery. The teachers are generally friendly and nice though its difficult to communicate fully to get to know eachother. In New Zealand its much easier to talk with your colleagues. Here, its a little different but things are fine. the teaching is going well I think. I like it!
My pet hamster is doing well and the turtle is good too. I like my little apartment...
Other interesting things about Japan. Here the school students do the cleaning at school! I think its a great idea. Every day there is a period set aside when all the kids get industrious and clean the school. I join in too and its all good. You often take your shoes off going into a restaurant. The other day I went to a concert of traditional japanese music. It was really amazing. Japan has such a beautiful culture. We just don't know much about it way over in NZ. The people are wonderful and friendly very polite. Its good. Sometimes, I think they could relax a little more as they are often quite formal. But its OK. Respect. Theres a time and a place for everything.
Oh well, I won't spiel too long. Send me an email and tell me what you're up to over there in NZ!.

Japan just keeps getting better and better. I love it here!

Hi everyone,
Japan is an ongoing adventure. Every day is new. The sports festival was rather interesting. Quite an event with lots of interesting games we never had in New Zealand. I took a bunch of photos. Maybe soon I'll upload them to the net for viewing. It's a tricky process to upload the photos at school as technically the internet is for work use but I think its ok (i.e not enforced). Interesting things I've noticed in Japan : the toilets are squat style with a flusher so you don't sit you squat. The thing is the toilets are either old style squat or super flash new sitting toilets with all sorts of strange functions and buttons including a built in seat warmer. Rubbish is separated to the upmost degree here in different bins and bags. (burnable, non-burnable, cans, bottles, paper etc..) It's a mission figuring out what to put out on what day etc... but I'm getting the hang of it now. There is an interesting contrast between the old and the new in Japan. Also school lunches, they're prepared somewhere centrally and distributed daily to schools in the area. Everyone eats together and everyone brushes their teeth immediately after lunch. Little old ladies love to ride their bicycles everywhere and they often carry open umbrellas.
I went to a work party after the sports festival that was fun. After a few drinks we played games like 'throw the mini doughnut across the room into your partners mouth' and 'carry the ping pong ball on a spoon in your mouth, pass to the next person and into the bowl' and build the tallest tower of cans etc.. The japanese love playing games and they are quite creative. The food was classic japanese style with lots of little bowls of strange food I've never seen before. The raw octopus was left aside.. All in all a good night. Still doing lots of socialising on the weekends with other ALTs in the area. I've kind of formed a close network of a about 5-10 people I see on a regular basis. I'm kept quite busy here too. There is always something to do or somewhere to go. Though at school i spend a lot of time waiting for classes with nothing to do... Did I mention I've brought a pet hamster called Harry? he's white with a grey stripe down his back and looks like a mini guinea pig or a fat mouse with a short furry tail. He's my friendly resident hamster and I'm growing quite fond of him. The turtles are doing Ok too. One of them has got quite big already! Autumn equinox is a public holiday here next week, I think thats cool that the solstices and equinoxes are hoildays. Anyway, better go. send me an email!

The elementary school kids are so cute. They're not at that 'Im so cool' phase of young teenagers are are just friendly and like having fun. Though the junior high students are quite good too, they are similar to NZ high school students but a little better behaved I think. The elementary school kids keep giving me little presents. A girl made and gave me an origami crane. A boy made and gave me an origami ninja star! cool huh?. I've also been given natto (fermented soya beans) which I haven't tried yet. They are infamous for foreigners here along with umeboshi (pickled plum) I like umeboshi but I will try the natto tonight. The kids have great pets like little hamsters and strange big beetles. they show me all their japanese toys which are so cute and japanese and quite different from NZ. It makes me want to be a primary school teacher! True!. Today we played games and did skits and had lots of fun. Soon I do to the next elementary school for today then I have an beginners adult english class in the evening. will write again soon.

Hello, lots of the usual happenings here in Japan. I've started work at school which so far has consisted of countless self-introductions to every new class. It was nice visiting Hase elementary school. The children welcomed me by lining up in two long rows in the gymnasium and holding bamboo hoops with paper flowers over their heads for me to walk under, all the while singing 'you are my sunshine'. It was very cute. I really like the elementary school kids. They are really cute and adorable. The fact they speak japanese makes them even cuter. There's no shortage of social activities on the weekends. I've befriended most of the ALTs in my area. We have fun together out and about. Yesterday, I went jogging somewhere in the countryside with one of my adult english students. She is part of a jogging club. It was a beautiful area but today my legs are rather sore as we jogged for a long time. I might take it up here in Okawachi. It's hard to point out the many strange things here. So many things are a little different from Nz. I'm getting used to the bowing now, it's done about 50 times a day, even just the slight head nod which is most common. The japanese are very polite and have set ways of doing things. At the beginning of every class the students stand up and bow together while saying 'onegaishimasu' which is a very polite 'please' . I Saw a little snake outside my apartment this morning. The beetles here are out of this world, big and far out. Three of the elementary school students in a class I visited showed me their little hamsters they keep in a little covered basket, they are so cute. I might have to get one soon. My scooter is behaving wonderfully. I love having the freedom to travel around my area. I did 180km on one tank of petrol and it only costs 450yen to fill up (about $7). The board of education gave me 18,000yen for travel expenses. I think it's a monthly allowance so that's pretty generous. I bought a new japanese cellphone (keitai) pronounced - kay-tai. They are so far out. About 5 years ahead of new zealand I think. It's slinky and light and I can surf the internet, send emails and many other things like a calculator, calendar planner, high resolution camera etc... It even has a built in flashlight! Looks like something off a UFO and works perfectly. Only cost me 5000yen (about $80!!) It's far out. In Japan there is a real contrast between the old and the new. The new high-tech japan and the old traditional country style japanese culture. It's quite interesting really. There is quite a mix. I've made friends with some japanese people which is cool. They're two guys kazuki and kozo I met through a 3rd year ALT. It's good to meet the 'real' japanese people my age too. The school I'm at has a sports festival on in the weekend and all the students are out practicing on the field in the 30 degree heat. I've been invited to go and watch if I like but it's so hot, I think I'll go near the end as I'd roast otherwise. I've taught 3 classes today and that's it. There is often a lot of spare time but it's ok as I can study japanese and prepare for classes etc...

First day of term today at school. Went to an opening ceremony. Still trying to work out exactly what I'm meant to do (it's a mystery) the schedule and timetable are all in kanji (of course). The japanese english teacher is helpful though, deciphering the hieroglyphics for me. I imagine the first few lessons will be 'testing the water' and getting a feel for things. Once I get the hand of it it will be easy, I'm sure. Today is basically sports club day. I've started playing table tennis. Thought about basketball but I might have an unfair advantage with my height. Baseball is the most popular game in Japan. On TV it's on 3 channels all the time. I've taken to watching a little as it's easier to follow than the japanese dialog programmes and often has a bilingual mode. I've figured out the news times when there's a bilingual option which is a good way to catch up on current events. There's a bit of tension here with the N.Korea thing and the six nation talks etc... New Zealand is paradise, don't you forget it!. Japan is beautiful. I don't like the political/economic tension of war. I wish war didn't exist. War is hell and the ugliest thing in this world. 'imagine all the people - living life as one'. Sharing and caring is where its at. I think alot of tension arises from the implicit assumption that ones one views are correct and the best. People automatically assume that their understanding is the correct one. In my opinion (excuse the irony) it is important to respect the many perspectives and opinions that people share in order to live together harmoniously. I guess that's what the JET programme is about - internationalisation - an awareness and respect for others cultures. It would benefit everyone.
I keep getting this 'wow this is real life' feeling here in Japan. It's kind of surreal, living here, but this is how these people live all the time - in this corner of the world. I feel like a pilgrim or a settler in a foreign land, starting a new life. The poeple are friendly and kind and I've made friends with lots of other ALTs. It's still really hot here. I sweat more everyday than I ever did in NZ!. I drink water all the time too. They have an endless range of sports-style drinks for re-hydrating ones person.
I feel kind of detached too, in a bhuddist / krishna conscious way. I do my best without being attached to the result. It's very much a 'go with the flow' scenario here. I never know what to expect - aside from the unexpected. Everyday is new. I do my best and remain centred, polite and courteous. It's interesting how people here are so similar to NZ. the similarities amaze me. Even though its a different language and writing. The japanese still talk about the same things and write about the same things! strange. We're all human beings and that's important coz we share a common brotherhood/sisterhood as people living on this planet. Even if we say things differently, underneath we're the same and I love the divine ground within which we all exist.