Halfway Point!

So I have now officially reached the halfway point in this journey ^^ I’ve been in Japan for over 6 months now, and have 6 months left to go! I can’t believe it’s been so long, but at the same time, I feel like I’ve lived here forever!

I’ve been focusing a lot on my social life recently, but in this post I want to focus more on school and everyday things.

For those of you who want to teach in Japan, it’s good to know that the school terms are different from in the UK. School finishes at the end of March, and then we have Golden Week, the first week of April, when most Japanese have holidays and travel.

March is a busy time, whether you are working in a public or private school. For ALTs, it’s usually the end of their contract, so they can either try and renew, or move on. I’ve heard that in this area, the government is cutting the number of ALTs- not sure if it’s economical or what. My contract is different- like most private schools, I was hired for a year, so my term is August to August. If you want to come to Japan to teach in public schools, Feb/March is the time to look.

If you work in an Eikaiwa like me, you will see a big turnover of students. There can be many reasons for this- financial, students moving to International schools, their workload being too heavy, etc. March is a busy time because as we lose students, we have to try and replace them. My role in this is to usually have parents watch my classes so they can determine if they want their child to enroll. This can be stressful and intimidating for some teachers. I’ve found the best method is to plan your lesson fully so there are no gaps, then ignore the adult in the room. It will distract the students however, so you have to be engaging and keep bring their attention back to the lesson in hand.

I’m going to make a youtube vid about lesson planning and games for ESL, so keep an eye out for that on my channel, KawaiiKekeChan07!

In terms of everyday Japan, there is a lot happening after New Year. Valentine’s Day is big here, though slightly different from the Western version. The 14th of February is reserved for women giving to men only. For work colleagues, there is “obligatory chocolate”. Many women spend lots of money on this tradition. Luckily foreigners are not expected to! As I’m the only teacher in my school, I didn’t have to worry about this.

Then there is the chocolate you give to boyfriends, crushes etc. Handmade chocolate is a big deal, and is usually what girlfriends give. Unlike back home, Valentine’s day focuses mainly on chocolate- stores here make most of their profit on confectionery on this one day! You literally can’t move in the supermarket for boxes of the stuff.

Then, one month later- March the 14th- is White Day. Again, this is a uniquely Asian concept. This is when the men who received chocolate must return the favour. Apparently it’s a popular day for confessions, too. White Day is not just limited to chocolate however- other gifts can be given. The left over chocolate from V day is re-marketed for White Day so commercially it’s quite clever!

Another day to note is Girl’s Day- Hinamatsuri- or Doll’s Day on the 3rd of March. I knew of this day, however I didn’t realise it was such a big deal. Beautiful dolls are put out on display- unfortunately I didn’t see any in real life but I saw the pictures. It’s also traditional to give small gifts to girls, something I wasn’t aware of and took me by surprise! I received a lot of candy from friends and students. My favourite was my seven year old T presenting me with freshly baked croissants from a local shop- they were delicious!

Cute candy for girl’s day! Wish I could say it tasted as good as it looked!

The weather has changed drastically in the last few days. We’ve went from freezing cold to high in the 20’s over the weekend. I was helping my friend to make a short movie, and was wearing Lolita. The weather was incredible- like the hottest day we would get in a Scottish summer. Needless to say I was overheating in my layers! I will post links when the film is completed!

Then on Sunday the famous Gunma wind whipped up. They were gale force and it was a task just to try and get my food shopping! Tokyo turned brown due to dust/pollution (still being debated) so I’m glad I wasn’t there that weekend!

There’s been a lot of cold and flu bugs circulating recently. Despite taking vitamin drinks and constantly sanitizing my hands, I caught a bad one. I experienced my first Japanese fever which was not fun! Luckily I had brought lots of medicine from back home. Stock up on paracetamol and cough medicine before you come to Japan- the medicines here are much weaker than what we are used to!

In Japan you will be constantly asked if you want to go to the doctors or hospital when you have even a basic cold. My boss kept asking me, but I didn’t want the hassle. I also couldn’t take a day off, being the only teacher, so my sickness dragged on longer than usual!

I’ve been busy most weekends, spending a lot of time in Izakaya, traditional Japanese bars with cheap food and alcohol. These are a must when you visit Japan- I’ve spent many a good night in these places!

As well as Oden, a staple Japanese hot pot eaten in the winter, Nabe is also another popular food for this time of the year. Some people have Nabe parties, a gathering usually around the kotatsu (a low table with a built in heater). Nabe is essentially a big pot with a bit of everything- tofu, cabbage, meat, mushrooms etc. I got to go to my first Nabe party this weekend, and it was a lot of fun, very authentically Japanese!

Nabe party!

We’ve finally entered Spring, the only Japanese season I’ve yet to experience, and the one I’m most excited about! The Ume (plum blossoms) have already made an appearance. Although these white flowers are beautiful, they are no match for the pink Sakura (cherry blossoms). Soon it will be the start of Hanami- literally cherry blossom viewing parties. People head to parks with picnics and sit under the trees. It’s something I’m really excited for- I can’t wait to wear a yukata again!

White Ume (plum) blossoms

The other cool thing about Japan is all the seasonal food and drink. Ice cream, candy, soda, alcohol, crisps- you name it, when the season changes, a new variation will pop up. My favourite has been all the fruit flavoured alcohols. Only about 150 Yen a can, they are sweet tasting and fun! My favourite is the strawberry and cream ^^

Strawberry, cherry and peach alcohol!

I’ve still not cemented my plans for Golden Week, but I’m really looking forward to the break! I’m hoping to visit some of the famous hot springs of Gunma, and maybe go to Disneyland. The International Anime Expo is on the 23rd and 24th so I’ll be staying in Tokyo that weekend. I’m excited to properly cosplay in Japan and attend my first con here! There will be many pics and vids to follow! ^^