Halcyon days

In the midst of all the hustle and bustle of getting ready to live in Japan, I find myself actually pretty calm and relaxed. The realisation that I'm heading to Japan is really starting to settle in, and I've been in pretty much constant contact with my predecessor, who sounds really cool. It's a real shame that I probably won't get to meet her.

Some more specifics have come my way. Unlike what I had previously thought, Genkai is not an international highschool, but rather a mid-academic school that offers an international course. I'll be teaching about 10 hours per week (10 classes, I think), handling with my co-ALT all the English classes for first years, and doing the international courses for second and third year students. Apparently, most of my students will be girls, and most of the faculty is guys. Go figure.

I'll also be teaching about once a month handicapped elementary school kids, and fortunately for me, it looks like one of the teachers there will be in my apartment block. It will definitely be an interesting experience, as teaching is for the most part a wholy new experience to me, nevermind elementary school kids, handicapped or not.

My day at school will also be long, from 8:35 to 4:45 every day, and if I'm part of a club (I will be), another hour after that. Thank the gods for Crappy Tire and their ridiculous shifts for inuring me to 7:30am- 6:30pm days.

My total rent + utilities is looking to be about 40000 yen (about $400) per month, with some pretty hefty electricity use. My apartment block, 8 units, is occupied mostly by JETs, and is 2 minutes away from the beach, 2 minutes away from the local train station (which of course doesn't actually take me anywhere near my school >_>), and may or may not have an AC, depending on who's unit I take over. Rest assured if I don't, that will be one of the first things I buy.

That's it for now. Stay tuned for more info, and for the love of the gods leave some damned comments.

Oh, last thing. Apparently, this picture (or one like it) is circulating the staff room. These will be end of me one day...