Japan- an Introduction

Finally- I feel like I can sit down and write my thoughts. I've been here now for over two weeks and I think I may be falling in love. Most of the time I've been has been working- and that's not necessarily a bad thing! I am thoroughly enjoying my new job teaching English here. The children are so interesting, smart and willing to learn. We have a lot of fun playing game and learning! My classes range from playtime- where I go and just hang out with 3/4 year olds for a morning- right up to teaching 10/11 year olds who think they know everything! We also do a program called curriculum where we from classroom to classroom of a particular school and teach a class stuff for only 20 minutes!! It's very fast, fun and extremely energentic! I'm usually pooped by the end!! Right now there is a bit of down time compared to what we'll have in a few weeks. All the schools are slowly getting back from holidays and because we're working mostly in kindergartens- they take their time! (I don't mind!) Here are two picture of my classes!

As far as traveling goes- I haven't gotten too far just yet! I have mainly been exploring Gifu (which apparently is considered the countryside despite the 500,000 people living here!) and Nagoya. Nagoya is the closest big city to Gifu and it takes about 45 minutes on the train to get there. I went to Nagoya last Saturday and it was really cool after I found out where I was going! I tried to take the subway to a big hotspot called the TV Tower and it just didn't work out. I tried to use my Survival Japanese book to ask for help, but nothing worked!!! I was staring at the map, almost in tears, when a lovely woman came up and asked if I needed help in perfect English. THANK GOD!! So I got to where I was going. Once at the TV Tower, I walked around and went on a ferris wheel- which are so prevailent here. It was on a building so it went really high up. After that I basically explored by walking around the city!!

Finally in Japan!!!

Hi everyone! I made it safetly to Japan!! My flight was okay　ｃｏｎｓｉｄｅｒｉｎｇ　Ｕｎｉｔｅｄ　ｉｓ　ｄｅｆｉｎｉｔｅｌｙ　ｔｈｅ　ｗｏｒｓｔ　ｉｎｔｅｒｎａｔｉｏｎａｌ　ｐｒｏｖｉｄｅｒ　Ｉ’ｖｅ　ｔａｋｅｎ－　ＥＶＥＲ！Ｂｕｔ　ｏｔｈｅｒ　ｔｈａｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｌａｃｋ　ｏｆ　ｅｎｔｅｒｔａｉｎｍｅｎｔ，　ｄａｒｋｎｅｓｓ　ｓｏ　Ｉ　ｃｏｕｌｄ　ｓｌｅｅｐ，　ａｎｄ　ｇｏｏｄ　ｆｏｏｄ，　ｍｙ　ｆｌｉｇｈｔ　ｗａｓ　ｅａｓｙ，　ｐｅａｃｅｆｕｌ　ａｎｄ　Ｉ　ｇｏｔ　ｈｅｒｅ．　
As　ｍｏｓｔ　ｏｆ　ｙｏｕ　ｈａｖｅ　ｐｒｏｂａｂｌｙ　ａｌｒｅａｄｙ　ｈｅａｒｄ－　Ｉ　ｇｏｔ　ｐｕｌｌｅｄ　ｏｖｅｒ　ｏｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｗａｙ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ａｉｒｐｏｒｔ　ｉｎ　Ｔｅｘａｓ．　Ｉ　ｈａｄ　ｍｙ　ｈｉｇｈ　ｂｅａｍｓ　ｏｎ　ａｔ　３：３０ＡＭ　ａｎｄ　Ｉ　ｆｏｒｇｏｔ　ｔｏ　turn　ｔｈｅｍ　ｏｆｆ　ｗｈｅｎ　ａ　ｃｏｐ　ｃａｒ　ｗｅｎｔ　ｂｙ．　Ｕｇｈ．　Ａｆｔｅｒ　ｓｉｔｔｉｎｇ　ａｒｏｕｎｄ　ｆｏｒ　１５　ｍｉｎｕｔｅｓ－　ｔｈｅ　ｃｏｐ　ｌｅｔ　ｍｅ　ｏｆｆ　ｗｉｔｈ　ａ　ｗｒｉｔｔｅｎ　ｗａｒｎｉｎｇ　ａｎｄ　ｗｅ　ｃｏｎｔｉｎｕｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ａｉｒｐｏｒｔ　ｃａｒｅｆｕｌｌｙ　ｆｏｌｌｏｗｉｎｇ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｐｅｅｄ　ｌｉｍｉｔ．
Ｏｎｃｅ　Ｉ　ｇｏｔ　ｔｏ　Ｊａｐａｎ　ｍｙ　ｌｕｇｇａｇｅ　ｗａｓ　ｏｕｔ　ｏｆ　ｃｏｎｔｒｏｌ！　Ｂｅａｕｔｉｆｕｌ－　ｂｕｔ　ｖｅｒｙ　ｈｅａｖｙ　ａｎｄ　ｂｕｌｋｙ．　Ｅｖｅｒｙｏｎｅ　ｗａｓ　ｓｏ　ｈｅｌｐｆｕｌ　ｔｈｏｕｇｈ－　ｈｅｌｐｉｎｇ　ｍｅ　ｏｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｔｒａｉｎｓ－　ｏｆｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｔｒａｉｎｓ－　ｇｅｔｔｉｎｇ　ｔｈｅ　ｒｉｇｈｔ　ｔｒａｉｎ－　ｇｅｔｔｉｎｇ　ｍｅ　ｉｎｔｏ　ｔｈｅ ｅｌｅｖａｔｏｒｓ　Ｔｈｅｙ　ａｒｅ　ｖｅｒｙ　ｖｅｒｙ　ｋｉｎｄ．　Ｉ　ｌｏｖｅ　ｉｔ　ａｌｒｅａｄｙ．　
Ｃａｒｌ　ａｎｄ　ｍｙ　ａｐａｒｔｍｅｎｔ　ｉｓ　ｖｅｒｙ　ｌｏｖｅｌｙ　ａｎｄ　ｉｔ　ｗｉｌｌ　ｂｅ　ｖｅｒｙ　ｃｏｍｆｏｒｔａｂｌｅ！　Ｉｔ’ｓ　ｑｕｉｔｅ　ａ　ｂｉｔ　ｌａｒｇｅｒ　ｔｈａｎ　ｅｘｐｅｃｔｅｄ　ｓｏ　ｔｈｅｒｅ　ｉｓ　ｅｎｏｕｇｈ　ｒｏｏｍ　ｆｏｒ　ｖｉｓｉｔｏｒｓ　（ｗｉｎｋ　ｗｉｎｋ）．　Ｔｈｅｒｅ　ｉｓ　ａ　ｗｈｏｌｅ　ｌｉｔｔｌｅ　ｒｏｏｍ　ｄｅｄｉｃａｔｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｈｏｗｅｒ　ａｎｄ　ｂａｔｈｔｕｂ　ｗｈｉｃｈ　ｉｓ　ａｂｏｕｔ　６’　ｂｙ　７’．　Ｖｅｒｙ　ｉｎｔｅｒｅｓｔｉｎｇ．．．　Ｉ　ｗｉｌｌ　ｐｏｓｔ　ｐｉｃｔｕｒｅｓ　ｏｎｃｅ　Ｉ　ｇｅｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｉｎｔｅｒｎｅｔ　ｇｏｉｎｇ　ｉｎ　ｍｙ　ａｐａｒｔｍｅｎｔ　ｗｈｉｃｈ　ｓｈｏｕｌｄ　ｏｎｌｙ　ｔａｋｅ　ａ　ｆｅｗ　ｄａｙｓ．
Ｉ　ｗｉｌｌ　ｗｒｉｔｅ　ｍｏｒｅ　ｔｈｅｎ　ａｓ　ｗｅｌｌ．
Ⅰ　ｄｏ　ｍｉｓｓ　ｔｈｅ　Ｓｔａｔｅｓ　ａｌｒｅａｄｙ，　ｂｕｔ　Ｉ　ｉｍａｇｉｎｅ　Ｉ’ｌｌ　ｇｅｔ　ｏｖｅｒ　ｉｔ　ｆａｓｔ！
Ｔｏｎｓ　ｏｆ　ｌｏｖｅ！
Ｓａｙｏｎａｒａ！！

A Fact for You

So- I've been trying to learn a lot about Japan before I go and it's quite overwhelming! Their culture is just so different from ours! I'm getting more and more excited the more I learn. I thought it would be fun to share some of the interesting facts with you.
I really liked reading about is the Japanese' obsession with gift giving. If you give someone a gift for whatever reason- the receiving person is expected to give a gift back. Doesn't sound that strange right? Well- It goes much further. It is not expected to see the person open the gift they receive. A lot of times they will wait to open the gift after the giver has left as to not show any disappointment or reaction at all. Gift giving is so common and prevalent that its not uncommon for the receiver to not even open the gift! They will already know what it is and instead of keeping it- they may keep it to re-give to someone else! Sometimes the wrapping of the gift is more important than the gift itself! There are particular colors that represent different things and its almost a sin to give a wrongly-wrapped gift; but they would never tell you this!! I'm looking forward to seeing this in action!
Pretty interesting huh?
I'll write a few more facts before I leave too.

UPDATE!
I bought my plane ticket to Japan today! I am officially leaving the US on March 30th, 2009. I will be leaving from Houston Texas after a weekend of hanging out with my family and honoring my grandparents. I will fly through San Fransisco then straight to Osaka, Japan. I will get there about 2:30pm on March 31st! At least I don't miss a whole day like going to New Zealand!
I can't wait!

Before I go

Kon'nichi wa everyone-
Carl and I are off on another adventure! At the end of March I'll be heading off to Japan to meet up with Carl and teach some English. I will be living in Gifu City which is the geographical centre of Japan. I am very excited! From what I have read, Gifu City is a lovely city of 400,000 people that are spread out over a very large area! I hear you can go from highrises in the centre to strawberry patches on the outskirts- I'll let ou know about those strawberries (YUM!).
I am looking forward to the numerous festivals that are held in the city throughout the year. The beginning of April just happens to be a GREAT time to get there. The cherry blossoms begin to bloom and the Tejikara Fire Festival is on the first Saturday. Not to mention the Dōsan Festival and the Gifu Festival which also occur the first two weekends I'm there!
So far Carl and I are in the process of getting our visas which are A LOT simpler to get than the South Korean visas were! Hopefully we won't have any more mishaps! I am also trying to learn a bit of Japanese before I go. Kon'nichi wa! means hello. Ohayoo Gozaimasu! means Good morning. Watashi wa Williams Rachael desu! means I am Rachael Williams. Don't even ask if I know the Japanese symbols for these yet!
Anyway- I'll keep you updated on how things are going and when I'll be officially leaving.
Thanks for all the support I've already gotten!