Mary Newton

Nagasaki Lantern Festival

[Don't miss the video at the end of this blog!!]

Happy Chinese New Year! This weekend I had the opportunity to witness and explore the Lantern Festival in Nagasaki, and what a sight to behold! Not only were the lanterns plentiful, but so were the crowds. Luckily most people stayed pretty calm, otherwise the close proximity of everyone could have turned dangerous.

M and I got to Nagasaki a little after 5pm. We walked to Nagasaki's China Town and were immediately thrown into a mob of people walking both directions up and down the narrow strip, surrounded by shops, food stalls, and people waiting in lines to get into restaurants. We found ourselves walking around, ooooing and awwwing for about an hour before we met up with Z&A to go see the happenings at the park. Well, once we got to the park we ran into even MORE people, but somehow we pushed through enough to see the real action, if only by my camera (by putting it up over the crowd and video taping). I finally got to see the dance with the dragons, which was really neat to watch.

After enjoying a couple of street stall foods and eating a scrumptious Indian food dinner at Milan, we braved ourselves for the ride back home. There were so many people on the train and despite our best efforts, we still ended up standing over half the way home. However, this worked in our favor in that there was a tipsy business man who was very eager to talk to us/practice his English with...and share his sake and yakiniku (meat on a stick) with us and others around him. He was harmless and we definitely got a kick out of conversing with him. Not to mention, we met a nice young lady from Tokyo who spoke great English. She also told us that she had ALTs in junior and senior high school and that she thought it was a great opportunity to get to know/speak with foreigners. According to the older man, since Japan is a crowded island country, the opportunity to meet and speak with foreigners is very marginal -- he was happy that he got to talk to us that night. I was glad to hear that, especially with so much criticism about the program going around these days.

And now for a video of all the pictures/clips that I took. Enjoy!! :)

Why My Presence Here is Important

I recently read an article by a man who works as an English professor in a foreign language school who says that it's time to end the JET Program and to can all ALTs. If you are interested, you can read the article here: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/language/20070209TDY14003.htm.

After reading his article I felt a bit disgusted at his harshness towards the ALT community. Being an ALT himself back in the 90s, however, I suppose he was bashing himself as well. I cannot say that I didn't disagree with some of his argument, though. I often find myself with little to work on, even though I am an ALT that is expected to think of, prepare, and give my own lessons (which, technically, isn't my job). However, I firmly believe that there is good found in the JET program, otherwise it would not still be around after 20 years. This good is found on both ends of the spectrum -- mine and theirs.

As for me, the JET program has given me a lot of experiences, firsts, and memories that I can take with me to use and make my life (and hopefully the lives of others) better. (1) Independence -- I am living in a country that is half way around the world by myself. I'm not sure how much more independent you can get. (2) A real, full-time job -- I am making real money for the first time in my life. I have a real apartment and bills to pay. Oh, and I finally have a kitchen of my own! Even though I did come into a furnished apartment with paperwork taken care of (because of the nature of the situation I am in), I still have responsibilities that I am learning from and can apply to my life back in the States. (3) Language -- living in Japan means being around Japanese all the time. If nothing else, my comprehension has improved dramatically and my speaking ability is higher than it was before I came. (4) Teaching experience -- the man writing the article says that most JETs are recent college graduates with little or no teaching experience. This is true. I did have a little ESL teaching experience, although nothing formal, but even still, this program puts you in a position that allows you to discover your potential as a teacher. As an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT), you are only expected to be an assistant to the sensei, not THE sensei. It's a great opportunity for anyone to get real world experience. (5) Cultural Understanding -- although I knew a great deal about Japan and their culture before coming, there is always more to learn. With each passing day, I feel myself becoming more sensitive to the differences, which in turn will allow me to work more efficiently with others (because I am aware that no matter where you look or where you are, you will find differences -- it's the way of life and understanding that that's the way it is is important). I am even becoming more and more familiar with Japanese past times, including sadou (tea ceremony) and yosakoi (the famous dance festivals). I'm loving it! (6) I have the opportunity to meet people from ALL over the world. I know people from other parts of the states, Canada, Ireland, South Africa, India, etc. So actually, ALTs are not only exposed to Japanese culture, but culture from all around the world!

Now for the students. (1) The English language -- although many of the JTE's English is probably pretty good, having a native speaker around (although at times intimidating) can be very useful and beneficial to students of English. For example, my friend Yuko used to come and help out with our Japanese classes in high school. Even though she was not a teacher or an exchange student, to have a native speaker (even though our teacher is Japanese) who was our age and in our class was not only a motivator, but a great way to practice Japanese with someone we felt a bit more comfortable with (because she was our age). At least in my case, I am not too much older than my students, which I think makes it easier for them to talk with me; which brings me to my next point. (2) Internationalization -- for many of my students, the ALT is probably the only foreigner that they really have the opportunity to get to know. Japan is still very homogeneous...you'd think they still have their doors closed to gaijin sometimes. But, this is not true for just the students, as I know from experience. It's true for the adults as well. For example, last week at the deaf school, one of the teachers asked me about Valentine's Day in the West. I told her that boys give chocolates/gifts to girls, too (it's not just girls). She was really surprised to hear this and she told me that she thought Valentine's Day was only celebrated in Japan. This is really interesting, especially because one, there are not saints in Japan and two, Valentine's Day has only been around for 50 years or so in Japan -- it's really just an excuse to eat chocolate, I think. Shortly thereafter, I was talking to my JTE and I told her that I say "I love you" to my family daily. She couldn't believe this one either, because in Japan, that phrase is used only for one's lover, never a family member. It's important to educate others on differences, and I feel like I am doing that job, one conversation at a time. And of course, like I said, I am learning, too. (3) Bringing fun into the classroom -- I KNOW that learning a language is not easy. If you make it all work and no play, then what's the fun in that? One tends to lose interest in learning if there isn't something there to keep their interest. The ALT is usually one to bring fun into the classroom, which can help the students stay motivated. Of course, this is dependent on what kind of person the ALT is, but I think that most ALTs do bring some kind of entertainment into language learning. And, because Japan is so intent on studying for entrance exams and that seems to be it, any fun is usually welcomed by the students (versus reciting passages out of the book or memorizing awkward phrases). (4) Population -- Currently, Japan's birth rate is decreasing as the death rate is increasing. Japan is worried about a shortage of labor in the coming years and are trying to figure out how to solve that problem. As of right now, I think that only 1.7% of Japan's population is comprised of foreigners. One solution that some have come up with is having Japan open it's doors a little wider for more immigration to take place. If nothing else, the JET program is allowing foreigners to live in Japan easily (in which they might stay), or in the very  least, help make the foreign population seem more real to the Japanese.

As you can see, I feel that there are positive outcomes for both parties because of the JET program. Indeed, there are problems (such as lack of work for the ALT), but with the right attitude, almost any experience can be a positive one.

Got a JET Interview?

First I want to say congratulations and good luck -- 頑張って下さい！(ganbattekudasai). A friend from college wrote to me today asking for any tips on interviewing with JET. The following is what I sent him -- I will share it with you, also! All of these things are from what I remember while I was interviewing at the Consulate General in Houston, Texas. Let me know if you have any other questions! And, most of all, just try to relax. You'll do great!

I remember getting there about 20 minutes early. I think they were a little late calling me in, but no worries because I was there beforehand anyway. When I walked in, I sat down in front of three stone-cold faced men. It was intimidating, for sure. They asked me questions similar to the ones I had already written about (most likely -- review your essays and application before you go) and then some. They asked me about my current situation with Law School. At that time I had already been accepted to the University of Houston. I told them that JET was my first passion and that if I got it, I would ask for a deferral. Luckily that all worked out for me. They asked me that if my students wanted to know about American history, which part would I tell them about? I answered something stupid like the 60s/70s -- if I did it again I would have said the history I know best -- the part I have lived through. I didn't like that question anyway because really, a conversation will most likely have a meaning and not just a random, out of the blue, question. They asked me about what I would do about teacher (co-worker) relations, team-teaching, students. For example, what would I do if a teacher I am supposed to work with doesn't do their share? How would I confront that? What if the student misbehaves, etc. Our job as an ALT is not to scold or punish the kids, just so you know. Leave that to the teacher. But for those answers, go with your gut and try to think it out before talking. The oddest question I got was, "when are you going to get your braces off?" I told them that I was going to get them off before I left. The guy said that the students look at your mouth when you talk and the metal would be obstructing that. I get his point, but his attitude toward it made me think that having braces would mean not getting the job. That luckily wasn't the case.

Be as professional as you can be. Sit up straight. Think about the question and answer it fully. Ask again if you forgot, don't understand, or want to clarify. If you have any experience in anything that you think would be good for this job, make sure to add that in there somewhere. OH! And really make sure you let them know you are open minded and want to try as many things as you can while you are in Japan. Tell them your interests or things that you want to try. This looks really good (if you really mean it) because one of our jobs is to internationalize and expose people to our customs, etc. (and for you to absorb theirs).

After you interview, you will have to wait a while before you get your notice. If you make it, you will be put on what is known as the SHORT LIST. This means that you are hired, but they have not made a contract between you and a school or Board of Education (BoE). They told me that there is a 99% chance of getting contracted, but you still have to wait to find out. I didn't know about this before hand (or, I just forgot), and got a little nervous when I had to put in my deferral and still not know if I had a contract or not. Just a heads up. "

Omura High School

Meg made this AMAZING video using pictures and video from her high school. We know the quality isn't great (for the videos), but really, it's the computer's fault. :)

I think this video is great because it shows how life for senior high schoolers is while they are at school. The video will be showed to junior high school students as an introduction to the school. We hope you enjoy it! :)

A Day in the Life of a JET

Greetings, readers! I have been meaning to do a post on this subject for quite some time, but never got around to it until now. Seeing as though I don't have class until 1:30 because all the 2 year students are in Kyoto this week for their school trip, I have plenty of time to think about what I want to write. Basically I want to give you an outline of what a typical ALT does all day. I hope you enjoy!

The Routine

6:45 am. My alarm goes off for the first time, but I don't get up. It will go off every 5 minutes until I decide it's really time to get up...but getting out from under my warm blankets isn't an easy task. Whatever time I wake up is up to me, so long as I am out of the house by 7:55. Lately I have been turning on the TV before I get up for three reasons. One, it gives me light. Two, it's noise, which helps me not fall back asleep. And three, all stations in the morning have the time plastered onto the screen in the upper left hand corner, so I can always easily tell what time it is. I say plastered because the time stays there even through the commercials. It's a nice public service they do...stations in America should do it too. Once I finally get up, I get ready, eat breakfast, and sometimes check my email. Every morning for breakfast I have a small bowl of corn flakes and a banana -- not a traditional Japanese breakfast, which usually consists of rice, miso soup, and sometimes fish. Japan doesn't know how to do cereal and about 90 percent of the cereal that they do have at the stores is sugar coated anyway. I miss my Shredded Wheat, but I will live.

I have to be at school by 8:15am. This time may differ depending on who you work for...some earlier, some later. I am lucky in that I do not live far from school. In the summer I used to walk (yes, in the heat) and I left by 7:45. Now, in an attempt to get out of the cold as quickly as I can, I always ride my bike. I live on a hill and my school is on a hill, so if I pump all the way up the school hill (which I do), I can get to school in 10 minutes from my house. Not bad! I am one of the lucky ones, for sure. (Not to mention it's good exercise). Leaving by this time allows me to be at school no later than 8:10, so I am here even before I have to be...which is encouraged because in Japan, being late is not really an option. Being on time is even almost considered being late...so the earlier you can be there, the better.

The morning begins with a general staff meeting, which from there breaks into smaller meetings, depending on which year you teach. The teachers that need to announce something will write their name and a heading on the board and will be called on during the meeting by the vice principal (who sits in the middle of the staff room). These meetings can last anywhere from a few minutes to 15, depending on how much there is to be said that day. They will always be done by 8:30 because that's when homeroom starts and the teachers need to get to their homerooms. Unlike in America, teachers do not have their own classroom -- the students have their classroom and the teachers come to them. This being said, that means that there is a lot of time where the students are unsupervised. This isn't really a big deal for high school students (or, I should hope not), but the same practice is done with little kids too (elementary age). The practices here and at home are totally different. I'm glad I am able to experience them from both angles (even though my roles are different).

There are six 55-minute periods in one day, unless it's Tuesday -- and then there are 7 periods. If I am not mistaken, schools will now have one or two days where they have an extra period to make up for not having to go to school on Saturdays anymore. When I was here last (5 years ago), my host sisters had to go to school on Saturday...that has since changed...at least around here. I say they don't go to school on Saturday, but usually they do anyway, but not for regular classes. I see many students during the weekend in their uniforms, which means they had been at school -- probably for extra curricular activities or supplemental classes (studying for their college entrance exams).

The number of classes you teach really depends on where you are placed. I teach an average of 3 classes a day, but my friend only teaches two. I teach 3 classes on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. On Thursday I go to the school for the deaf and teach two classes there. On Friday I teach 4 classes. The work load really isn't that bad at all, but come the end of the week when I am tired of teaching my lesson plan, 4 classes can seem overwhelming.

The way that I am expected to teach also differs from other ALTs. Basically, I plan, prepare for, and teach my classes. Technically, my job is to be the Assistant Language Teacher (hence the name ALT), but I was kind of thrown into a situation where my JTEs (Japanese Teachers of English) expected me to do my own work...or, teach their classes for them. For the most part, I don't really mind this because it allows me to do what I want. They don't really ask me about any of my planning until the day of the class, but by then I have already given them the worksheets and lesson plan. I work with 4 different JTEs and I have 10 classes that I usually fly solo in (except for they are usually there to explain if the students don't understand my directions). Some JTEs appreciate my efforts more than others and for me, those classes are more fun because the JTE will participate, ask questions, and get into the lesson. For the other classes -- ganbaro! I teach all three years here (there are only three years of high school in Japan). The third years, however, are a little different. On Wednesdays I have a third year class that I do not have to prepare for at all. They want me there just in case the students have English related questions. It's like a research class and right now (this being their LAST week of school), they are finishing up their presentations...which are in Japanese, but about something English/Western. On Fridays I teach the International Understanding Class. My lesson plans for this class have to be totally different than the ones I do for my other classes. The idea, at least in my head, was to have them work from giving presentations about their school, to Omura, to Japan, to America and the rest of the world. We got up to Japan and then my JTE informed me that we only had enough classes left for them to use their textbook (which she doesn't like, but wants to use because the students had to buy it). I feel bad because I had them doing presentations on their own country for the longest time, but she let me do that and even approved of the idea a long time ago...I didn't know until very recently that even though the students graduate at the beginning of March, their school year is over at the beginning of February. If I were coming back for a second year, I would definitely know better... Oh well. Maybe I can bring in a movie to celebrate with. The English practice will be good for them.

Schedule Breakdown

As I said before, my school day starts at 8:15am. Homeroom, which I don't have any responsibilities for, starts at 8:30. First period starts at 8:50am and goes for 50 minutes. There are usually 10 minute "passing periods" (really more for the teachers than the students in this case), and one 15 minute passing period between third and fourth period. Lunch is at 12:45pm, which is the end of 4th period. They have 45 minutes for lunch -- the students all eat in their classrooms and can either order lunch or bring their own. Music is played over the intercom at lunch, although I can't hear it in the staff room. Teachers can also order bentos (lunches) from a nearby bento shop. I personally have never done this -- I always bring my own lunch. If I don't have 4th period, I will usually eat my lunch at noon -- when the city siren goes off. (I'm not kidding...the siren goes off at noon to remind people to eat. haha. As if I need to be reminded ;) ). 5th and 6th period follow lunch and classes end at 3:20. Next, from 3:20 until 3:35 is cleaning time, where all the students and some of the teachers clean the school (sweep, clean toilets/sinks, throw at trash, etc). I used to help in the hallway outside the staff room and I got to know a lot of my students pretty well. Then, they started to goof off and the teachers that walked by would ask why I was the only one cleaning. Haha, I stopped helping them and moved into the staff room where I help the diligent girls throw away all the trash. After cleaning time is over, they go to short homeroom for about 10-15 minutes. After that they are free to go, but most students will still be at school until after 6 and sometimes 7 because of their club activities. (They are hard core about them here!) Even though it is already very late at night, some students have long journeys back home because a lot of my students either bike and live on the other side of town, or live in different towns all together and have to ride the train. Tuesdays are extended because of the 7th period and they have to be here until 4:25. My day ends at 4 (even though the other teachers have to stay until 5), so I leave around 4, generally.

After School

I usually go home everyday after school, unless I have errands to run or if it is Wednesdays. On Wednesdays, I participate in the Sadou Club, or Tea Ceremony Club. Before starting this club, I had done tea ceremony several times and quite frankly did not enjoy it. But, I decided to try it again and have really come to love it. The preparation of the tea is so delicate and intricate. It's nice to watch and I just find myself lost in the tea...it's good reflection time. I also enjoy the sweets and the tea is really good -- my students are fabulous at making it! Luckily, there are only two girls in the club (one of which I teach), because otherwise it would go on forever. Sitting seiza style hurts after a while and although I am getting much better at it, I still have a long way to go before I can sit perfectly still for an hour. On Tuesdays, I have joined the local Yosakoi dance team with Zara, Ana, and Meg. Yosakoi is a dance festival held every year in October in Sasebo (for Nagasaki-ken). Our group's dance style is more like jazzercise/aerobics, which is a blast! The dance moves are fun and energetic. I have only been going for two weeks, but I definitely enjoy it and look forward to it. I hope I can get a jacket and t-shirt before I leave! On Thursdays, Meg and I always go out to eat and we try to find a new restaurant to try every time. It's fun to explore and find new restaurants. I always wanted to do this in Austin, but I didn't succeed very well. I'm doing a good job here, though! If I'm not doing those other things, chances are I am warm under my kotatsu. Once it gets warm again, I am sure I will have more motivation to go out and do more stuff outside. It'll be a nice change, I'm sure...gotta get rid of the cabin fever!

Daily Living

My apartment here is my first apartment...and I think I'm doing well. I like to cook for myself, but I haven't been doing as much experimenting I would like. That will change this year, though, as I am determined to cook more for myself. I  have one burner that works...which is in a very small space, but somehow I make it work. Luckily it's usually just me or me and Meg, so it's not a big deal.

Most people in Japan do not have dryers, and I am not an exception. Generally I like to do my laundry on Saturday or Sunday morning so that I can let it dry on the line outside all day in the sun. If it is raining, I leave my clothes inside to dry, but this takes twice as long. Luckily the detergent I use is for drying clothes inside so that they don't take on nasty smells. It works well, too. There ARE dryers in Japan and actually an American family that I know told me that they bought one yesterday. It's about a 5kg tank and it cost them 50,000yen (400 something dollars). Although it would be nice to have soft, dry clothes again, I really don't mind hang drying my clothes -- that and I don't mind NOT paying for the energy it would take to run a dryer.

I'm grateful that I can take a hot shower every night. =)

Ok, I think that's enough for now. Hopefully I answered any questions out there that haven't been asked yet. If there is still something on your mind, please feel free to ask!

More JET Q&A

Here are some more questions and answers concerning JET -- hope they help for anyone who is interested!!

Like last time, the best answer to most questions is "everyone's situation is different." The following answers are based on my experiences, but that doesn't mean they will be the same or even similar to anyone else's experience.

1. How well-behaved are the students? For me, it really depends on the class. Some classes are very responsive and excited that I am there. Some are very energetic, but they don't pay attention in class and I spend a lot of time just trying to get them to be quiet. Still other classes could care less that I am there...not me as a person, but because they are not interested in learning English. It's really a balancing act sometimes, and needless to say, I enjoy the classes that have students that are enthusiastic, but that's not always the case.

2. Japanese skills -- Well, I've studied Japanese since I was in high school and I majored in it in college. I am not satisfied with the level that I am at (compared to where I am supposed to be), but I can get around Japan easily enough, no problem. That said, I don't have any suggestions on books or tapes because I have only relied on my classes throughout the years. There are websites online that can help you with basic stuff for free...I recommend googling for some :) Most of the people I met coming over here had no Japanese ability at all -- they are learning now, but for the most part, given the situation JETs are put in, you can get through everything with only knowing the very basics. One lady told us she was here for several years and didn't learn any Japanese...it's up to you how much effort you want to put into it. Once you get here, CLAIR has a correspondence course that every ALT can take -- I recommend doing this, in that it's free.

3. Internet and Living Expenses -- I got Internet in my apartment within the first 2 weeks. I had to get help from my supervisor though because the process was quite complicated for me to understand. The kind of Internet access you can get depends on where you are located, though. Also, the living expenses really depends on what you end up with...I have a HUGE apartment and literally pay half of what my friends with tiny apartments pay. I am truly one of the lucky ones when it comes to that. However, no matter where you end up living, remember that you are being paid a salary, so you will be able to pay for your rent and other expenses that come with living -- just some have to pay more than others.

Q&A on JET

One of my loyal readers sent me an email today asking several questions concerning the JET program (working as an ALT). I did my best to answer, but the first answer is really the only thing you can count on. These are good questions and tips, so if you are thinking about doing JET, please read:

Ultimate Answer:

"Every Situation is Different." aka, ESD... You will hear this SO many times it's not funny. But, it's so true. There is no way to ever know exactly what to expect, even when you do know where you are stationed.

1. What is the dress code like? It really depends on what school (or Board of Education - BOE) you work for. As for me, I wear the same thing basically everyday. Nice gray or black slacks and a smart top to go along with it. Now that it's cold I wear a plain black or blue fleece sweater. My dress code is pretty lax and I feel comfortable in my clothes. However, I know some ALTs are expected to be in business attire daily. Again, it depends on the school. Thank God I don't have to! I only own one suit... As for the shoes, though, it's a bit different. You might already know, but I'll tell you just in case. Once you arrive at school, you will have to change into indoor shoes. Some teachers wear somewhat nicer shoes, but some of them just wear sandals. This allows me to wear my sneakers to work, which is nice for the bike ride here and back home. Also, you will need gym shoes because outdoor shoes are never allowed inside the gym.

2. Will I be around other ALTs/JETs/English speakers? I am very fortunate that I have other people around me that I can easily talk to and hang out with. That's not to say that I wouldn't be able to do that with Japanese people (because I do sometimes), but ALTs just kinda have a special bond =) However, I do know cases where ALTs are the only fluent English speaking person for miles and miles....sometimes on an island away from everyone else. My friends that are "out in the sticks," so to speak, are doing just fine, though =) It's really dependent on your attitude toward the situation. One thing that you gotta come into this job is with an open mind -- it's probably one of the most important things in my opinion.

3. I don't have the best sense of direction. Will I be able to get around without too much problem? Don't worry about getting around. Everyone has a supervisor and he or she will (hopefully) be more than willing to help you out, especially once you arrive. If you know you have to be at a certain place, make sure to learn the kanji (characters) for it, find out how much the tickets cost, etc. Ask around...there is always someone willing to help. Even if they don't speak English, it is almost always the case that they will be willing to help you! =)

4. How accessible are hair salons in Japan? I was just noticing the other day that there is a hair salon on almost corner around here. That and the Cleaners! Hahaha.. you shouldn't have a problem. As you know, the Japanese like to do things to their hair (dye, straighten, perm, etc) -- they keep themselves well groomed, especially the women. Perms (pa-ma) are all the rage! Then again, that is also dependent on where you are placed.

5. I like it that you show and explain the food you eat. Mmmmm mmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmm Japanese food. I can't get enough of it!! =)

Hope this helped!!

International Day Thank You Letters

The other day I received an email with an attachment that had a thank you letter from every student that I presented to at Nagasaki Minami High School International Day (see entry here). Some of the letters were so thoughtful, so I want to share some of them with you. These kids really do have amazing English (I was shocked at how well they spoke and expressed themselves). I'm glad I put some Texas spirit into some of them. TEXAS TEXAS YEEHAW!!!

(NOTE: Typepad doesn't like word documents being copied/pasted into it, so the formatting may look a little strange.)

Dear Mary,

Thank you very much for coming to International Day . I enjoyed your
Presentation about America. I am interested in your country .
I want to visit your country .
Did you enjoy our present abut festival ? Come here again !!
Thank you again !

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear : Mary         November 15 ,2006

Thank you so much for coming to International Day.
I enjoyed leaned about Halloween very much.
Did you  enjoy it, too?
I most impressed by drawing pictures and receiving a candy from you.
It was delicious!!! Thank you very much!!
I want to go to USA someday.
Thanks again!!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear★☆　Mary   November , 2006

Thank you so much for coming International Day. Your presentation was very fun,
so I became loving USA. Do you remenber my group’s presentation ?
It was Momotaro’ s song！ I hope that you enjoyed our presentation, too.
I had good time with you. Thank you！

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(I am particulary fond of this one! heeheee! :D )
Dear Mary，　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　November　１５，２００６
Thank you for coming to international day！I enjoyed
learning about Texas very much．You were quite interesting 
and so beautiful．　So I was very exciting and 
I thought I want to go Texas someday．
What‘ｓ　more，you taught us about American football．
I found it very fan．
Thanks again！

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Mary Newton ,
Thank you very much for coming to International Day!!

I enjoyed learning about Halloween , and thank you for give me an American sweet. I hope that you like our wrote for a “Momotato’s song”.
I like how you said words “Texas Texas,,yo-ho!!”. I want to visit
AmericaBecause I thought learning more American custom .

Thank you again!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Mary Nvenber12, 2006

Thank you  so  much for coming  to  INTER NATIONAL DAY. I enjoyed
larning about
TEXAS and Halloween very much. How about MOMOTARO song? It is said that MOMOTARO is the bravest boy. But song is terrible! (>u<!!) I hope that INTER NATIONAL DAY was fun for you, too. I want to
TEXAS, America someday!

Thanks again!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ＤＥＡＲ　Ｍａｒｙ：）

Ｔｈａｎｋ　ｙｏｕ　ｓｏ　ｍｕｃｈ　ｆｏｒ　ｌｉｓｔｅｎｉｎｇ　ｏｕｒ

ｓｐｅｅｃｈ！

Ｗｅ　ｓｐｏｋｅ　ａｂｏｕｔ　Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ　ｆｅｓｔｉｖａｌ．

Ｄｏ　ｙｏｕ　ｒｅｍｅｍｂｅｒ　ｏｕｒ　ｐｒｅｓｅｎｔａｔｉｏｎ？

Ｉ　ｅｎｊｏｙｅｄ　ｓｅｅｉｎｇ　ｔｈｅ　ｍｏｖｉｅ　ａｂｏｕｔ

Ｈａｌｌｏｗｅｅｎ　ｉｎ　ＵＳＡ．

Ｉ　ｗａｓ　ｉｎｔｅｒｅｓｔｅｄ　ｉｎ　Ｈａｌｌｏｗｅｅｎ．

Ｓｏ　Ｉ　ｗａｎｔ　ｔｏ　ｖｉｓｉｔ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ＵＳＡ！

Ａｎｄ　Ｉ　ｗａｎｔ　ｔｏ　ｐｕｔ　ｏｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｃｏｓｔｕｍｅ．

Ｔｈｅｎ　ｔｈａｎｋ　ｙｏｕ　ｆｏｒ　ｃａｎｄｙ！

Ｉｔ　ｔａｓｔｅ　ｖｅｒｙ　ｓｗｅｅｔ！！

Ｉ　ｈａｄ　ｖｅｒｙ　ｇｏｏｄ　ｔｉｍｅ！

Ｉ　ｄｏ　ｗａｎｔ　ｔｏ　ｓｅｅ　ｙｏｕ　ａｇａｉｎ！

Ｙｏｕ　ｍｕｓｔ　ｃｏｍｅ　ａｎｄ　ｓｅｅ　ｍｅ　ａｎｙｔｉｍｅ　

ｙｏｕ　ｌｉｋｅ！

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ｔｈａｎｋ　ｙｏｕ　ｓｏ　ｍｕｃｈ！！

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Dear Mary Newton  November 15，2006

Thank you very much for coming to International day. I enjoyed learning about country
very much .
Halloween candy is very delicious. I want to eat it again and I want to go to
USA.
I will remember you

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Mary

Thank you so much for coming to International Day.
I was happy that I can’t usually hear such the various talks.
Thank you for gave me a candy. I didn’t eat American candy, but it was sweet and very nice. Next I want to eat Japanese sweet. It is very nice, too.
Your presentations were very good. I want to talk more with you. And I want to tell the other American culture.
It is winter soon. Stay healthy a body. Thank you again. (I definitely intend to stay healthy a body...that is so sweet!! :) awww!!!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear☆Mary Newton

Thank you very much for coming to International Day!
International Day was super. I loved your presentation about Texas and Halloween.
I was impressed by a word of “Texas texas yoo yhoo!!!”. It became one of my favorite words. (YABAI!!! YAY!)And thank you for giving American sweets. It was so sweet and nice. I want to eat again. I hope that International Day was fun for you too. I would love to see you again and I would love to go to Texas someday.

Thank you again!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's good to know that I can make a difference!!! =) I love my job! :D

Conference: Over

So today is my first day back at work in a WEEK! Last Friday was a holiday (Culture day), Monday and Tuesday was the conference in Nagasaki (which I will talk about next), and yesterday (Wednesday) I didn't have school because this weekend I have to work for the school festival -- which means I will be working this weekend, but there will be an enkai that follows (yipee!) and no work on Monday. My supervisor said that I will get to try WHALE on Sunday at the enkai. Ooooo new experiences!

The conference was really good this week, but I think I enjoyed the company more so than the conference itself. Monday morning Meg and I got on the train to go to Nagasaki and ran into several other JETs that we knew -- who actually knew where we were going, so that turned out well. I got to know my supervisor a lot more this week -- which is great because she is a cool person. We were passing notes to each other instead of listening. Haha! But the theme was better communication between supervisor and ALT; and that's exactly what we were doing. So it all balances out (somehow). I also bought a ticket to go to Sumo next weekend in Fukuoka. Yay! Exciting! This will be my first time to actually see sumo :)

Monday night a lot of us went out to dinner at this really cute Italian place. It was super good -- I got eggplant and meat sauce spaghetti. Mm mmm! Then we went to play taiko drums AND do karaoke (which, by the way, means "empty orchestra"). This was actually my first time to do karaoke since I've been back to Japan. It was a blast! I even sang some Japanese songs =) Afterword, Emily was kind enough to have me and two others stay over. The four of us stayed up way to late talking and having fun. Good times =)

On Tuesday on the way back, I was super tired (didn't get much sleep the night before) and so I got on the wrong train without paying attention. Luckily I was able to ask and find my way back. After I got home I quickly got dressed to go to AEROBICS class! It was so much fun...I am definitely going back next week. I will decide if I want to continue going after that because (1) it's 2,000 yen a month (20 bucks) and (2) the class is pretty much the same thing over and over again. I am the youngest one there, the rest are middle aged women. It was fun for me because it was all in Japanese and I could actually keep up and understand what was going on. It will help my Japanese, no doubt. Good times.

Hope yall are all having a great week! It's Thursday already! Ahh!

Apparently we got the (black shirt and grey pants) memo. Way to go US! (Larisa, me, Emily) -- please ignore my shoes. I had pumps with me...I wasn't about to walk 25 minutes to get to the place in them though :)

We`re Famous!

Sort of...

Check out this link to the Consulate General`s web page to read about my departing *class* if you will. Exciting!