Monday, April 20--Sunday, April 26: My first week at Mito-Shi Dai San Chuu Gakko

I love the route I take to school.  Once I'm off the main street, it's very relaxing and peaceful and I appreciate the view of the canal all the way through the neighborhood.  All the pictures I'm going to upload from here on out are in chronological order, so excuse the lack of visual sense.

I kept hearing all these strange, propaganda-like announcements being made all throughout the week, and for a while I couldn't figure out where they were coming from.  They would appear through neighborhoods, down my street, down major streets, and either be in a male or female voice.  I rapidly figured it out that it must be election time.  Sure enough, it was.  The people inside the vans waved at everyone like they were going to be crowned Miss Universe, so I had to wave back at them.

Some pretty flowers outside someone's house.

I went to Saizeriya for dinner at one point (or two).  It's a Japanese Italian restaurant that has pretty much exactly what Japanese folks would put on Italian food.  Various dishes of seafood-pasta, hamburg dinners (which isn't hamburger in the American sense; it's more like meatloaf), and some mayonnaise-topped entrees (although they do have some delicious little breads). I took a picture of the table bell, which is a standard in many restaurants.  The waiter sometimes will not approach your table until your bell is pressed.  If the tables don't have a bell or a chime, it's perfectly acceptable to call out "Sumimasen!" across the restaurant in order to get a waiter's attention (or so I've heard.  I personally haven't done that yet).

The head teachers at San Chuu liked the Welcome signs I gave them.  They put one on display outside the teacher's room for a while.  Weeks later, I'm STILL finding glitter on the teacher's room floor.

The teachers liked the idea that I could paint names in Disney characters so much that they asked if I could make a certificate for the winners of a Spelling Test that would be happening at the end of the week.  I told them that I no longer had my paints or brushes, but I'd give it a shot with what I had. 

It took a LOT longer than a simple letterbrush painting.  Everyone really liked it, though.  I was even asked to present it to one of the classes that had won by request of their homeroom teacher.  It's now stapled up on their wall, nicely laminated.

I specifically picked characters that I knew were popular in Japan. 

Once in a while I'll remember to take pictures of my school.  No pictures of students, of course.  They're very strict about that.  

The teacher's entrance.  The student entrance is outside to the right.

Facing the student entrance.  Teacher's entrance is behind the flowery tree.

Student bicycle parking structure (with my bike)

In the middle of the week, I left school as usual and was in for a neat surprise.  Giant carp flags had been strung along the canal in honor of the upcoming Children's Day holiday (May 5th).

Kamado Shrine, right along the banks of Bizenbori

While at the station one day, I saw the mascot for Mito City's soccer team, the Hollyhocks.  The mascot, Holly-kun, is pictured on the little blue milk cartons that are an essential part of all Mito City school lunches.  I think he's cute, so I had to snap a picture (and take a selfie with him to send to my sister.  I knew that's what she would have done if she had been with me).

At the end of the week, my school had an enkai, or welcome party, at a local hotel.  It was a great opportunity to meet and chat with my new coworkers outside of the school environment and just see everyone relaxed.  People made speeches (about what, I had no idea, but I was highly entertained anyway), and I was informed that I would have to make one as well.  As soon as I got up to the front, my speech mainly consisted of: "Konbanwa.  Arigato gozaimasu" and then a small bit of English that immediately lost many of my coworkers, but went along the lines of "Thanks for welcoming me to your school and the educational community."  I then ended with the versatile "Yoroshiku onegaishimasu" and was met with a hearty round of applause.  It was great.

Much of the evening was spent socializing with the teachers and pouring drinks for each other.  Pouring drinks is a huge deal at social events.  People will simply go up to the person that they wish to talk to and offer to pour them more of whatever they're drinking.  If the person's drink is completely full, they will quickly gulp some down and then hold out their glass to accept more.  I walked around with both tea and beer in my hands and made a point to pour drinks and chat with every teacher I could.  Even if we couldn't say much beyond our names and such, it was still nice to be officially introduced to everyone.  

The most entertaining part of the evening occurred after much of the drink-pouring and the first few courses of food.  First, all the teachers sang San Chuu's School song (which I got a copy of, but unfortunately still can't read).  I really enjoyed listening to it and wished I could participate. 

Afterwards, there was something that I later found out was a cheer/chant of sorts.  At the time, I had no idea what I was watching.  The Curriculum director took off his suit jacket, put his tie on his head, and basically began screaming at the top of his lungs in Japanese.  It was incredible to watch for the first time with absolutely no context.  At first I thought they were acting out a skit, because even a few of the other teachers got involved in whatever was going on.  It made for a very memorable evening.

Once the weekend hit, I finally had time to do my laundry!  When in Japan, do like the Japanese do:  buy a bunch of clothespins and let the sun do what it does best.  The laundry detergent smells really good.  Thank you, former AET tenant, for leaving behind good-smelling detergent and an adjuster bar so I didn't have to buy them.  

Getting a Phone and Transportation

Saturday, April 18

Now that I had a school, my next goal was to get my hands on a Japanese phone.  My poor Android was on its last legs, had a sucky battery, and certainly didn't have international coverage.  Since I was already in the market for a new phone, this sort of all worked out.  

AU was the service provider of choice (not really my choice, but what the heck do I know about Japanese service providers anyway).  Taylor and I made our way towards the nearest AU store, straight out the North exit of Mito Station.  

The view from the North exit 

Mito-chan is everywhere!  

When we got there, I was told that we needed my passport.  Like a dope I had brought every needed document BUT that one.  Welp.  After an unexpected trip back to my apartment, we sat down with an AU representative (who spoke excellent English, I might add) and he spent the next three hours helping us figure out a contract.  

Finally, at 5pm and with a shiny new phone and pocket WiFi in my hand (though apparently the WiFi wouldn't have coverage in my apartment for "a few months"), we left AU, exhausted by the exchange.  My bike would have to be bought tomorrow.  

A bunch of the AETs got together in the evening for dinner and karaoke, so I joined along (and in our quest for a burger place we totally crashed a swanky bar by accident).  Unlike my last karaoke session, my voice was absolutely horrible.  I had a fantastic time.

Sunday, April 19

I got my bike today!  Look how adorable it is!

It's called "Amour."  One of the other AETs owns a bike called "Pigeon."

It's a "mama's bike" style, with just one speed and ample room for baskets and carrying space.  Now they say you never really forget how to ride a bike, which I suppose is true.  But man, did I need some practice remembering how to balance and steer.  I have a bad tendency to drift while I'm riding and start grinding against curbs or bumping into trees (I also think it just has subpar steering.  I can't be THAT terrible with keeping my bike straight...right?).  

One cool thing about most Japanese bikes, though, is their kickstand (you can see it on my bike in the picture).  It's a rectangular bar that simply kicks down along the back wheel and pushes the entire back end of the bike up.  The stand keeps the bike resting completely straight, as opposed to tilting it to the side.  I haven't seen a bike fall down yet with this type of kickstand (unless it's pushed).  It's fantastic.  Why don't American bikes have these? (Or, if American bikes DO have these, then how didn't I know about them before this?)

Now that I had my bike, Taylor showed me how to get to my nursery school and Jr. High along various neighborhood roads.  Dai San Chuu is located along a quiet canal called Bizenbori.  It's such a different sight from home.  I'm glad I get to see it every day that I go to and from school.  

We then rode to Mito station and Taylor showed me how to use the bicycle parking structure there.  It's located just outside the South exit and looks like a small parking structure (with a notable bike icon on the side).  It's free to park your bike there for one hour and ¥150 (or roughly a buck and a half) to park there for the entire day.  If buying the one day pass, the older gentlemen manning the front window like to help you out with that.  Once the ticket pops out of the vending machine, they staple it to your bike.  The bike parking racks look like this.  You can park your bike on the first or second level, though I can imagine trying to get your bike up on the second level is a bit harder.

(I actually did this wrong.  I'm not supposed to park my bike in the slots with the others because of my huge rear basket.  I later found out that I'm supposed to park in a designated spot along the wall.)

We had Subway for lunch after a trip to the Daiso (the much beloved ¥100 store).    

Subway has potatoes.  And they pretty much make your
sandwich according to the menu, not really to how you want it.

Musicians like to sing and play music around the station.
This group was pretty good.

The North entrance of Mito Station isn't nearly as attractive as the South entrance.

Going to Mito 3rd Jr. High School

Friday, April 17

Today we were given our official Mito City contracts in a New Personnel Appointment Ceremony presided over by the superintendent of Souken, the superintendent of the building, and other Souken officials.  We practiced for the ceremony and learned the right steps and procedures (it required much respective bowing in the right direction in the right order to the right people).  The ceremony did not take very long, but it was very nice and official and in the end, we got our contracts.  We are now officially civil servants of Mito City.  That means we have to behave as proper adults when moving about the country, but it's not like I'm much of a delinquent anyway.  Just don't drink and ride your bike.  You won't be a civil servant after that.

We also learned how to introduce ourselves and say which schools we would be working at (we would be reciting this later in the afternoon when meeting our vice principals).  I have two schools:  Mito City 3rd Jr. High (commonly called Dai San Chuu or just San Chuu) and Shiraume Nursery (hoiksho).  The Jr. High will be my main school.  I will only be going to Shiraume on Wednesday mornings (starting mid-May).

Once we had our introductory spiel down, we went through a few of the offices at Souken and introduced ourselves en masse to a bunch of employees who probably had no idea what was even going on or who the heck we all were.  They were good sports about it, though.  I'm sure they were just as relieved as we were to see it end after all 20 of us tramped on through.  

When we went back to the sushi place for lunch, I got a bit daring and finally tried a food I had been hesitant to touch since I first heard about it.  

Natto.  

For people who have never seen or been in the same room as natto before, let me take a moment to describe it.  Natto is made of fermented soybeans.  It's a traditional Japanese food (Mito is famous for it) with an acquired taste.  Its texture and smell can be a bit off-putting to many foreigners (and even some Japanese).  It's very sticky and stringy and hangs from your mouth and chopsticks worse than gooey mozzarella cheese.  It actually reminds me a bit of how you can't seem to get rid of cobwebs or spiderwebs once you walk into them.  I might be describing this food unfairly (again, some people love it), but I could tell as soon as I saw it that natto would not be my favorite food (horrible pun, groan, whatever).

I popped the natto into my mouth.  "Actually, this isn't so bad," I thought for about two seconds.  Then it kinda hit me all at once.  Taste, smell, texture...it tasted like feet.  I really had to force that mouthful down.  Elena asked me if I was crying.  I said no.  I'm a terrible liar.  

Don't let it trick you into believing it's sushi.  It's not.  It's a lie.

Karina's face explains exactly how I feel about natto.

Near the end of the afternoon, we finally made our way to one of the lecture halls in Souken and got ready to introduce ourselves to our future superiors.  After a small orientation and our introductions, the vice principals (or kyoto-sensei) came down to find out which AET they would be taking back to their school.  I met my head English teacher, Ms. Hirotsu and my kyoto-sensei at the same time.  Hirotsu-sensei drove me to San Chuu (which is fairly close to my apartment) and guided me through the school up to the teacher's room.  I saw a few of the students along the way.  As soon as they saw me, their eyes lit up and they exclaimed, "Oh! Kyasarin-sensei!"  It was so exciting!  They actually knew who I was before I even got there!

The previous AET left a beautifully clean and organized desk. 

Dai San Chuu's front gates

A tiny intersection near the school with a park.

A view of the little canal that runs through the school's neighborhood.

When it came time to leave, I told Hirotsu-sensei that I would be able to walk back in the direction of Mito Station since she had given me pretty good directions on how to get to San Chuu in the first place.  I got back there with no trouble and took some time to walk around the station before heading back to my apartment.

Mito is famous for its natto.  Here is a statue to prove it.

Cherry blossom season is officially over.

Mito Station as seen from the other side of the Sakuragawa river.

Adorable turtle melon pan from the bakery in the station!

Souken Training-Part 2

Wednesday, April 15

Today we didn't go to Souken for training.  Instead, we were split up and shadowed other (obviously veteran) AETS at their schools in order to see what an average day on the job looked like.  Elena and I took a taxi to Mito 1st Jr. High and met Laura, whose day didn't quite end up going as she had hoped.  The only class she had ended up being cancelled, so we weren't able to actually observe her in her own class.  She did the next best thing she could, though, and had us crash a few other English classes, so we at least got to see how an AET interacts with a Japanese English teacher.  She gave us plenty of pointers and tips and explained how a typical day goes.  Although her schedule had gotten a little thrown off, it gave me a lot of insight on what to expect of a Jr. High school.  

Now I don't know whether I'm excited or nervous.

Thursday, April 16

Fourth day of Souken training.  I saw my first bento truck, so I thought that was kinda cool.

After a few hours of training, we played a game of Japanese culture Jeopardy.  I only got the Yokai Watch answer (the orange cat character) because Taylor had pointed out how popular it is with elementary school kids these days.  Yokai Watch characters are EVERYWHERE.  They're even more popular than One Piece and Pokemon (which are around 10-15 years old).  

Bradley Collier is our AET representative at Souken.
He coordinates with our boss, Hosoya-san, who is in charge of the AET program. 

Guys, if you see this picture and hate it, I'm sorry.  I think it's great.

Souken Training-Part 1

Monday, April 13

Monday began our first day of training at Souken, the educational government headquarters of the Mito School system.  In the morning, we had to meet first at City Hall, which is out the North exit of Mito Station and by the ruins of Mito Castle.  I actually woke up late (8am), so I had to hustle my professionally-dressed butt all the way there and make it by 8:30.  To my surprise, I covered the distance in 18 minutes (yay me and my short legs).  We applied for our Residence Card, then walked back to Mito Station and took the bus to the Ibaraki Prefectural Building stop to get to Souken.  The cherry blossoms lined the street almost all the way to the Research Center.  

Mito City Educational Research Center (aka Souken)

When we got into the Souken building and walked into the meeting room, we saw that there were books and packets at every table, each with an AET's name on it.  The binders held useful information about school life, life as an AET, how to communicate in basic Japanese, how to get around, various rules, and so on.  The bag with Mito-chan (Mito City's mascot) had a phone book (I couldn't really read it so that's what I assume it is since the pages were yellow) and a set of yellow and blue trash bags.

You might think trash bags are a bit of a strange thing to put in a welcome packet, but there's actually a very good reason for this.

The garbage system in Japan is very meticulous.  Everything is separated into categories:  combustible, non-combustible, PET plastic, and cans and metal.  Depending on where you live, you might even have to break it down even further, but apparently Mito is fairly lax about sorting the garbage.  Regardless, everything is sorted into various trash bags.  Yellow bags are for combustible (food scraps, paper, some plastics), blue bags are for non-combustible (such as glass), and cans and metal simply go into clear plastic bags.  PET bottles (which most vending machine drinks are made of) have to be taken to a specific drop-off site or placed in specified trash cans.  Luckily these can be found next to most vending machines and at convenience stores.  If something is simply too big to be placed in the bags, then you have to put a sticker of the proper color on it.  

As I later discovered, my apartment complex has trash pickup on different days.  Combustible trash is picked up every Tuesday and Thursday.  The others are picked up every other week on a particular day.  Every place is different.  My apartment complex has its own small dumpster for trash collection.  In other areas, it's common for trash to put out near the curb or on a street corner and covered with netting.  It's frowned upon to put trash out too early (sometimes even the night before is considered 'too early') due to the birds and vermin that will tear the bags apart and end up making a huge mess.

The entire system sounds like a bit of a hassle, but since Japan has very little trash floating around (despite the lack of trash cans to be found anywhere; I don't know how they do it), I guess it all works pretty well.

Ms. Haginoya made origami for each of us.

Another thing I found interesting: Umbrella Lockers.
This is a key that goes into a specified slot in an umbrella stand to keep your umbrella secure.
Souken has one at the front entrance.

The umbrella is locked inside the small slot until you put the key in to release it.
Guess umbrella thievery is a common issue.

After the first day of training concluded, Elena and I went back to Mito Station for dinner.  The station is lit up very differently at night and is quite vibrant even when it's not busy.  It makes for a very comforting landmark.

Tuesday, April 14

After arriving at Souken this morning, we went to the Ibaraki Prefectural Building in order to set up bank accounts at Joyo Bank.  While we were completing the process, each one of us was handed our hanko, a personalized seal that is used in place of (or along with) signatures on many major documents.  It would also be used to stamp my attendance book at my Jr. High School.  My name is written on it in Japanese katakana: kya-sa-ri-n.  

In katakana, my name is actually spelled: キャサリン ベルガラ (kya-sa-ri-n be-ru-ga-ra). 

The Prefectural Building also has an observation deck on the top floor.  Naturally, we had to check it out.  It was pretty nice.  You could even see the Mito Art Tower in the distance.

For lunch, we hopped down the street to eat conveyor belt sushi (my first official time this trip).  

I totally assumed the sushi plates were a free-for-all since I had been to this sort of establishment before.  So when I saw some plates rolling on by on these raised red dishes, I grabbed them thinking, "Oh, these are fancy!"  I realized a few minutes later that the raised red dishes were REQUEST orders from another table and that I had just stolen them (oops).  Mental note...if they look fancy, they're probably not for you (unless you ordered them yourself and the little screen starts chiming that your dish is on its way).

I won with the big stack on the right.

One thing I didn't realize about sakura blossoms is the mess they make.  I guess it's a really pretty mess, though.  When Taylor had said that we only had a few days left of cherry blossom season, I didn't know how right he was.  The cherry blossoms disappeared within the week and the trees lost all their shades of pink.