The Eve of Departure

Today I went into Toronto for the mandatory farewell pre-departure orientation thingy, which was held in Hart House on the UoT campus.

It ran from about 1pm until 5pm. A representative from the travel agency went over the procedures for tomorrow, our departure day! At this point we also got back our passports with the visas and some other necessary items for the trip. Then we were told to leave the room for about an hour, while the catering company set up for the farewell reception.

I think most of us were starving at this point, so when we were called back into the room, we basically swooped in on the food like a bunch of vultures. There were plates of desserts - including nanaimo bars! On the other side of the room was a huge cheese tray and a bunch of breads and dips. There were servers with all sorts of appetizers as well. The sliders were freaking amazing! There was also chicken satay skewers, crab cakes, samosas, sweet potato and shrimp dumpling things...it was incredible. They really feed us well here!

At the reception we were divided into regions. Since there are only 3 of us going to Chugoku, we were grouped with Shikoku. Still, our table was really empty, which was kind of awkward...especially when we did a cheer competition and ours was by far the worst. I'm really looking forward to meeting the other Tottori JETs in Tokyo!

After we had stuffed our faces, there were a bunch of speeches, mostly what I took away from them is "it will be hot." At the end we all did a big kampai (cheers) with sparkling wine. We took a group photo too, but I'm curious as to how that turned out because there were so many of us I think half of our faces will be missing from the photo.

I wasn't really sure what was going on after that, so I meandered around until I somehow managed to politely barge in on the conversation 2 girls were having. There were also some reporters around, so one lady asked us some questions about how we were feeling and where we were going. Eventually the room became pretty empty, so I decided to say goodbye.

At home we frantically finished up packing. We have a few things left to do in the morning, but otherwise I think we're pretty set. Our flight leaves at 2:05pm, but we have to be at the airport by 10:30am, so its a fairly early morning unfortunately.

We ended up adding another suitcase to our pile, just a small one though. We still are under the baggage limit, so that's fine. We are still going to ship all this stuff from Narita, but I recently discovered that the plane to Tottori is so small that carry-on suitcases don't fit, so we have to check our carry-on bags anyway. Which is kind of annoying, but oh well. Still less to deal with than a big suitcase.

I should be able to get internet at the hotel and I'm planning to post all about Tokyo Orientation. I'm hoping internet will be set up at home in Chizu soon, but I really have no idea how long it will take. I'll post here as soon as I can, and I will probably end up backdating a bunch of posts about our first few days.

Things

It has been a complete whirlwind here trying to get reading to leave. Right now we've got about 2 weeks left before departure. I think its doubly harder with two other people to look after as well as the fact that we live alone in a house. At this point I am really envious of the other recent college grads who just have to pack up their rooms at their parents' house. This has now been months of preparation and we still have so much stuff...like how did this even happen its like things were just copulating and multiplying under the bed or something.

Anyway, aside from that not much has really actually happened. I got some awesome videos from my amazing pred which really delighted me. I had my mom help me order yen so we'll get that when she comes this weekend. I am still really weirded out about carrying so much cash. And I finally got my address so this week is all about phone calls - notifying every place that we're moving.

We also went out and bought a butt-ton of luggage. Thankfully packing has been going great so far. Seems like we should be able to fit all our necessities plus be under the weight limit. I'm taking one big suitcase, a carry-on suitcase, and a large purse. Justin is taking a large suitcase, a carry-on suitcase, and a backpack. Yana is taking a large suitcase, a kids carry-on suitcase, and a backpack. We are also bringing a smaller suitcase to share for various other items (shoes, omiyage, coats, toys, etc.). I think this will be plenty, although in theory we are allowed 2 more large suitcases on the flight from Toronto to Tokyo. The plan is to ship off all our big luggage at the airport and just take our carry-ons and small bags for orientation and the trip to Tottori. I think that's probably cheaper than paying to ship some stuff by surface mail (boots and winter things, etc.). I've been collecting lots of activities for Yana on the flight, so carrying those will be the main purpose of her backpack.

These days Yana is either singing "Let It Go" or asking when we're moving to our new house, so she seems pretty upbeat and excited about it, which is good. She's been a real trooper lately, especially with switching to a new daycare for 1 week, camp for the next, and now stuck at home with us since the local transit is down and we can't bring her back to the daycare.

I think that's about it as far as news goes. I just wanted to post a little update as its been nearly a month since I last checked in. Next post will probably be about the mandatory farewell party-thing in Toronto on August 1st!

First Contact From My CO

A few days ago I finally heard from Chizu...by mail! For some reason I was expecting an email, but instead I got this package in the mail.

There was a bunch of stuff inside, but after reading it I felt like it was more a tease than anything! I am really keen for knowledge. But it was great to receive this package and now I am communicating by email with my supervisor.

Anyway, inside the package was:

• a welcome letter
• a letter of appointment in English
• a letter of appointment in Japanese
• a copy of my contract in English
• a copy of my contract in Japanese
• a copy of my statement of agreement with the contract
• a letter about housing options
• copies of housing option floorplans
• a brochure for the local forest kindergarten (since I have a kiddo)

It had already been mentioned to me by my predecessor, but my CO offered me 3 housing options: 

• 1LDK for 23,500円 (where my predecessor currently lives)
• 3LDK for 30,900円
• 4LDK for 45,800円

I get housing subsidy, which depends on the cost of my rent (must be a percentage thing). Subsidy goes up to 27,000円, and that is what I get for the 3LDK, and that is what we chose. Four bedrooms seemed a little crazy. So I emailed my supervisor and asked for the 3LDK. She told me it was on the 5th floor of an apartment building and sent me some photos and a floorplan!

The entranceway.

This is called the "sunroom." Not sure what its purpose is aside from storage.

The living/dining area.

Kitchen.

Alternate view of the kitchen. I believe that door leads to a small kitchen balcony.

Bath room.

Laundry room/bath room.

Toilet room.

Vanity across from the laundry area.

Bedroom 1 (6 tatami mats size).

Bedroom 1 (6 tatami mats size).

Bedroom 2 (4.5 tatami mats size).

Bedroom 2 (4.5 tatami mats size).

Tatami room (6 mats size).

Tatami room (6 mats size).

So I guess this is our home for the next year+! I am really excited about the wood floors. And overall the apartment seems pretty nice. Actually, its bigger than our house now, and for half the rent!

Edit: I skyped with my pred last night and he showed me the view from his front door:

The tallest building in the background is our apartment building! To the left of this view is the hospital.

PDOT 2014: JET Programme Pre Departure Orientation Toronto

As a JET leaving from Toronto, I have an almost absurd number of pre-departure orientations. Some of the orientations include Japanese language lessons and TESOL instruction. Overall, I really appreciated the effort the consulate put into preparing the new JETs. However, due to my location and the fact that I work and have a family, I could only manage to make it to 2 out of 3 days of the big orientation, PDOT (Pre Departure Orientation Toronto). There is also a mandatory farewell orientation on July 31st, which is when we get our passports returned (we turned them in at PDOT for visa purposes).

The beautiful space at @Japanfoundation #toronto filling up for Toronto Pre-departure Orientation for #jetprogramme pic.twitter.com/H39p9Arw2g
— JETAA Toronto (@jetaatoronto) June 21, 2014

PDOT is a 3-day orientation over June 21, 22, and 23. The first two days are mainly about being a JET and the last day is more of a fun time to learn about Japanese culture. The whole thing is a great collaboration between the consulate, JETAA, JAVA, and the JCCC. There are even snacks provided, and although we were told to bring a lunch, I found that for the cheap JET, the snacks are sufficient. 

Here is the schedule for Saturday June 21, 2014:

Making new #JET friends at #pdot2014 in #toronto. #jetprogramme @Japanfoundation pic.twitter.com/0tJrUzmFJ5
— JETAA Toronto (@jetaatoronto) June 21, 2014

8:45 – 9:30 Registration
We all filed in and picked up our name tags. There were also bags with the GIH, insurance policy, OHIP letter, yakkan shoumei letter, and Japanese for JETs book, which was for people who didn't pick it up at the general information session held in May.

9:30 – 9:40 Welcome Speech & Opening Remarks
Marcia from the consulate just spoke a bit about the day and what to expect.

9:40 -9:50 “What is JETAA and What Do We Do? Let’s Keep in Touch!”
Basically just advertising for JETAA, but it was all about the sorts of events and activities they hold in Toronto.

9:50 – 10:10 Icebreaker: Airplane Game
We had to write 3 things about ourselves on a piece of paper and make it into a paper airplane. We all threw the planes at once and had to pick up the one which landed closest to us. Then, using the 3 things written down, we had to find the person who wrote it. I didn't find my person! 

The new #JET candidates let fly at #pdot2014 @Japanfoundation #toronto pic.twitter.com/fQr7crFn18
— JETAA Toronto (@jetaatoronto) June 21, 2014

10:10 – 10:20 Morning Break

10:20 – 11:00 Office Relationships
A general rundown of office hierarchy in Japanese BOEs and schools. Also a discussion on how to make the most of your relationships with coworkers.

11:40 – 12:20 Life Outside the Classroom – A Successful First Year
A presentation on how to get involved in your community outside of school, with the main message of saying yes to everything.

12:20 – 13:30 Lunch Break with JETAA Special Interest Groups
We had the chance to eat lunch in special interest groups, so I ate with the group for bringing family on JET. Other groups included Asian JETs, vegetarians, travelers, JETs leaving family behind, LGBTQ, etc. That's me sitting second from the left in the photo below!

Breaking out for interest-based discussion at #pdot2014 in #toronto. #jetprogramme @Japanfoundation #JETAA pic.twitter.com/nMjHVfbE3n
— JETAA Toronto (@jetaatoronto) June 21, 2014

13:30 – 14:00 Letter to My Future Self
We did an activity where we wrote a letter to our future self. JETAA collected the letters and will send them to us when we’re in Japan.

14:00 – 14:40 Representing Canada (Ideas for Your Self-Intro Class)
A presentation on how to represent Canada and what sorts of things we can use to portray ourselves and our country, including omiyage.

14:40 – 15:20 Food
Mostly about living in Japan with food allergies/intolerances, but also a chance to showcase Japanese food, especially weird things.

15:20 – 16:00 Money Matters
All about how to budget money in Japan, plus things about ATMs, salary, and taxes.

16:00 – 16:20 Icebreaker: “What Are You Doing?”
We played an icebreaker where we stood in a circle and acted out what another person said they were doing (ex. jumping, dancing, waving, etc.)

16:20 – 16:40 Afternoon Break

16:40 – 17:20 Teaching
This was divided into JHS & Elementary, SHS, and “I don't know!” I was in the JHS and elementary groups, but it mostly focused on elementary. We learned a bit about what to expect from students and played some games that work well with the students.

Chris waking everyone up before his elementary/junior high teaching presentation for #pdot2014 at @Japanfoundation pic.twitter.com/ZJuK4trS5W
— JETAA Toronto (@jetaatoronto) June 21, 2014

17:20 – 17:30 Closing Remarks

Afterwards, there was a pub night at a nearby pub, but I didn't go because I had a raging headache. Plus I felt like I had enough awkward socializing for the day. I also felt a bit awkward being married and having a kid, so it made it a bit more difficult to relate to other people. That said, if you’re not introverted like I am and don’t have a killer headache, I would recommend the pub night. I have no idea what they did, but I kind of regretted not going.

Schedule for Sunday June 22, 2014:

9:30 - 10:00 Registration

Just a time to get settled, pick up our name tags again, and eat snacks.

10:00 - 10:30 Social Etiquette Skit with JAVA

This skit and the skit below were put on by JAVA and focused on portraying Japanese culture and social etiquette, especially for teachers. This included things like honorifics, bowing, removing shoes, riding the train, enkai, and table manners. 

10:30 - 11:00 Cross-Cultural Boot Camp with JAVA

11:00 – 11:20 Morning Break

11:20 – 12:00 Wellness Coping and Culture Shock

A presentation on how to deal with culture shock. We talked about the different symptoms and then talked in small groups about ways we could prevent and cope.

12:00 – 13:00 Lunch with Regional Groups

I ate with the Chugoku regional group, which was a bit sad because there were only 3 of us going and we were each in our own prefecture, but it was still interesting to hear from the 2 JETAA members who had returned from there.

13:10 – 13:15 Icebreaker: Radio Taiso

Fairly self-explanatory. We did radio taiso, the exercises every student in Japan knows and did at school. Very awkward with such cramped space and people wearing skirts and heels.

13:20 – 14:20 Living as a Male/Female

We broke into 2 groups and discussed a variety of topics. We touched on things like clothing, shoes, birth control, long-distance relationships, personal safety, etc.

14:20 – 14:30 Afternoon Break

14:30 – 15:15 Travelling While Working on JET/First Time Teaching/Rural JET Experience

In the afternoon we had 3 seminar time slots and 3 seminars going on at the same time. So for the first slot, I chose travelling while working on JET. It was pretty interesting and there was some good info on places to book flights and hotels.

15:20 – 16:25 Travelling While Working on JET/First Time Teaching/Transportation and Car Ownership

For the second slot I went to first time teaching. The focus was on classroom management and how to communicate with different types of learners. Also, how to work within a Japanese classroom.

16:30 – 17:15 Rural JET Experience/First Time Teaching/Transportation and Car Ownership

For the last slot I went to rural JET experience. It was okay, but I felt like it was a bit just stating the obvious, for example, in the country you are farther away from other JETs but can make meaningful relationships with Japanese locals. My favourite part was hearing about how rural JETs did get involved in their local communities.

17:20 – 17:55 JETAA Presentation

The JETAA members presented a slideshow with photos of their most memorable time in Japan and told their stories to us.

17:55 – 18:00 Closing Remarks

18:00 – 18:30 Take Down and Group Cleaning (Souji) 

We had to clean up the space, which basically meant stacking chairs, since it was fairly clean already.

All of our #jets sending a big thank you to @Japanfoundation #toronto for hosting #jetprogramme #pdot2014 #JETAA pic.twitter.com/PRawHviS24
— JETAA Toronto (@jetaatoronto) June 23, 2014

Although I didn't attend Monday's orientation, for interest, here is the schedule for Monday, June 23, 2014:

9:45 – 10:00 Registration

10:00 – 10:15 Opening Remarks

10:15 – 11:45 Morning Presentation/Kimono, Tea Ceremony

11:45 – 12:30 Iaido, Bon Odori

12:30 – 13:20 Lunch

13:20 – 14:50 Afternoon Presentation/Hands-on Japanese Calligraphy Workshop


Overall, I enjoyed the orientation weekend more than I thought I would. At first I was really put off about forced interaction with people I probably wouldn't see after Tokyo Orientation. In reality, it was nice to talk with people who are in the same situation. The volunteer alumni were super friendly and helpful too, which was awesome. However, I feel I would have gotten a lot more out of the orientation if there had been more people going to my prefecture or even region. I do wish I had been able to go to the Monday orientation, but alas, I had to work.

Since My Placement...

Part of what I want this blog to be is a really detailed report of every thing involved in applying for and being accepted to JET. So, as a small update, here's what's happened since I was told my placement in mid-May:

• I had to reply and accept the placement by email
• I joined the Tottori JET group on Facebook and posted about my placement on ITIL
• Through Facebook I found my predecessor and have been in contact with him
• I was contacted by the JET travel agent to email my travel booking for me and my family. This was for the flight from Toronto to Tokyo, but she offered to go ahead and book flights, bus transport to Keio, and a room with breakfast for my family.
• I was contacted by the Tottori prefectural advisor, as she needed information about my family for visa procedures on their end. She also offered to help book flights for my family from Tokyo to Tottori and assist with finding a school for my daughter
• The Tottori PA also sent out a general email to everyone, giving some general information and also requesting information for hankos (personal seals) 

Pre-departure orientations have also started in Toronto. I was planning to attend the first general information session, but unfortunately I had to back out at the last minute.

JET 2014 Placement

I have received my JET placment! I think this year's placement information came out a bit earlier than usual, but it seems like everything was early this year. I was excepting the info on the 19th, perhaps, as I had heard that Japan was supposed to send off the placement info by Friday the 16th. I was very surprised to get my placement on that Friday. Canadians were the first to know!

Soooooooo...

I have been placed in Tottori prefecture!
I was also given a specific placement, which is Chizu-cho (Chizu town).

Because I was given an exact placement, I knew that I would be teaching in elementary and/or junior high schools. High school ALTs almost always are prefectural employees, while elementary/junior high school ALTs are nearly always city employees.

I am pretty happy with this placement. Chizu is a small, rural town of about 8,000. The town is in the mountains, but it is near enough to big cities like Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe. And Tottori City (capital of the prefecture) is only about an hour away.

I am already in contact with my predecessor, and he has been extremely helpful so far, which I am very glad of. From what he has showed me, Chizu is gorgeous.

In my placement email, I was told that I will have contact from my BOE sometime after May 30th.

This has really made things real for me, and I am constantly flip-flopping between "OHMYGODICAN'TDOTHIS" and "Japan, weeee!" I know from my exchange in 2008 that this is completely normal, and I also know that I can do it, so that helps.

Applying for the JET Program: The Reply Form and Other Documents

After I was notified that I was a shortlist candidate, I was required to submit MORE documents to JET. I really didn't realize how much paperwork was involved with the whole process.

In my case, I had to submit the reply form, a copy of my passport (valid until 2015), and two passport photos. These were due May 2nd. The three other documents required by JET - the criminal record check, the certificate of health, and proof of graduation - were given a later due date of June 20th, thankfully. 

The information to fill out on the reply form included checking yes or no to accepting the shortlist position, my address, if I had applied for a criminal record check yet, if I had dependents and if they were accompanying me, if I had dual nationality with Japan, choice of departure airport,  passport information, and if I already had a visa for Japan. There was also space to glue on the two passport photos.

My tips for filling out the reply form:

• Do it early! My form had to be in Toronto by May 2nd, NOT postmarked. You never know with mail, so get it done and send it out ASAP. Plus, a lot of people send their paperwork in near the deadline, so sending as early as you can will also relieve the coordinator of some work.
• Make your photos professional. Dress for your photos like you did for the interview. That little bit of extra effort might be the standout factor that causes a CO to pick you.
• Follow directions! Check and double check. If the form asks you to glue the photos, don't tape them or paperclip them. If it wants to you use black ink and all capitals, make sure you're doing it.
• Get tracking when you send your package off. It is worth any extra cost to have that peace of mind that your important documents actually arrived.

Tips for the criminal record check:

• If you can afford it, get the criminal record check and certificate of health done as if you were applying for early departure (even if you're not). Being able to send these off with your reply form will relieve some of your stress and minimize the number of post office visits you need to make.
• Get the ball rolling on your criminal record check ASAP. Right now. I mean it! It can take weeks or even months to get your check returned. In my case, the police only mail them out, so on top of that I had to wait for it to arrive in the mail. 
• In Canada, there is a bit of an issue with criminal record checks. The vulnerable sector check is what is usually required for teachers, however, these are no longer done for jobs outside of Canada. I could only obtain the regular police check, and the consulate was aware of this and accepted my check regardless. However, I have heard that you can get the vulnerable sector check if you tell the police that it is going to the embassy or consulate in Canada, not Japan.

Tips for the certificate of health:

• This is something else you should get started on as soon as you can, as it can be difficult to make appointments in time for busy doctors. In my case, my doctor only did examinations at certain times. I ended up going to my student health center. You can make appointments early on and cancel them without penalty if you need to, as long as you observe the doctor or clinic's policy.
• If you need to get the TB test instead of the x-ray (some doctors won't do x-rays without just cause), keep in mind that this may take several weeks. I opted for the 2-step test, because it makes it easier for any other TB tests I take in the future. This meant that I had to visit my clinic four separate times (I scheduled my examination for the 4th day as well to prevent a 5th visit). 
• Make sure your doctor fills out ALL the sections. Especially make sure that you can get your eyesight and hearing checked.
• Also make sure that you get a copy of the TB test results if you do that instead of the x-ray. They are required to be included with the certificate of health.

Tips for the proof of graduation:

• Somewhat obvious, but important to note: MAKE SURE YOU WILL GRADUATE ON TIME. When I applied in November, I had to get a letter written up by my counselling office which stated that I was expected to graduate in June 2014. This required a graduation check, so I knew exactly what factors my graduation hinged on. 
• Make sure you will get your actual diploma in time. In my case, I get my diploma on the day I graduate and no earlier. 

Turning in these documents on time is incredibly important, as late documents will disqualify you from the JET Programme. Late documents will make one alternate very happy, but you may not share their enthusiasm.

Also, make sure you get copies of everything you send to JET! It is important to keep copies for your own reference, just in case.

Lastly, I will quickly touch on another document you may be required to submit, which is registration for orientations. This is for both shortlisters and alternates. My consulate offered 8 orientations (2 were the same information) plus Japanese classes. I am required to submit my registration by May 16th. It is important to send this on time because the consulate needs to know how many people are attending which events.

Shortlist Reply Form is Sent!

Well, I stopped in at the post office on the 19th to finally mail my reply form! I also included my police check and certificate of health, since I had them done for my attempt at early departure. Hopefully they're acceptable..I tried to ask, but got no response, so...

I will have to mail out my proof of graduation after convocation in June. My package was successfully delivered yesterday (the 23rd)! Things are starting to feel more real...

I've been busy at home cleaning the house (for rental photos) and putting stuff we don't want to keep in the garage. I feel like I've already gotten rid of TONS of stuff but there is still SO MUCH MORE. So much stuff...

Finding out JET Interview Results from Toronto

I was shocked and ridiculously excited when I heard the first interview results went out on March 31. I had gotten my notification of interview the day after those in the US had, so I was hopeful for hearing my results on April 1st. Alas, it was not so. Despite checking my email every hour, the inbox remained empty. After April 2nd came and passed with no email, despite the constant checking, I resigned myself to waiting until Friday. On April 3rd I checked my email twice in the morning, then left at 9:17am to take Yana to daycare and go to work. On my way to the daycare, I got a text from Justin (whom I had instructed to check my email every now and then). I had an email! Actually, two! I suddenly felt like I was going to have a heart attack and pee my pants at the same time. I can check my email on my phone, but I had to wait until I got to school to check it. However, I was suspicious about the two emails, as they did that last time when I got my notification of interview (one had attachments for documents). I figured this meant I was either an alternate or shortlisted!
I got to school around 10:10 and sat down to check my email:

"It is our great pleasure to inform you that you have successfully passed the second stage of the screening process for the 2014 JET Programme year, and you have been offered a Short-list position as an Assistant Language Teacher."


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I couldn't believe the words I was reading. I was actually betting on an alternate position, because I have bad luck like that. I was also increasingly more and more embarrassed about my performance at the interview the more I thought about it. I was sure I did very poorly.

Now, the funniest part about this is that when I got home from work I read the email properly and saw the timestamp for the first time. It turns out that 9:17 was EXACTLY when I was leaving the house with Yana. On top of that, Justin had checked earlier THAT EXACT SAME MINUTE and there had been no email! I had actually been home when it was sent, but we didn't hear the new mail ding because we were busy saying goodbyes. The only reason Justin realized, in fact, was because he heard the ding from the second email, which was sent at 9:25. Uncanny timing...

My Toronto JET Interview

I had my interview on February 20th. I think I was the last one of the day, at least for my interviewers. Overall, there were things that I both expected and was surprised by. I'll give a run-down below as best I can remember.

Interviews in Toronto are in an old (amazingly beautiful!) building on the UoT campus. There is a room (a classroom) on the first floor where applicants wait. Here is also where I turned over my interview voucher and candidate card - both of which I had to hold onto and give to my interviewers later on. There were 2 former JETs in the room, and only 2 other applicants, which I assume was due to the fact that it was the last day of interviews and also probably the last ones of the day. There was a video playing, but no one was watching it. I couldn't tell you a thing about it. When I walked in everyone was already chatting, so it was a nice atmosphere and I had the chance to ask one question (which age group did you like teaching the most?) before it was time to go to my interview room, which was upstairs. I walked up with one of the applicants and we sat in our respective chairs, which were placed beside the closed interview room doors. We sat there for a few minutes before being let in.

I was surprised that my interview panel consisted of only two interviewers - and both were Japanese men! One could speak fluent English and had more western mannerisms, while the other seemed to know nearly no English at all and was very Japanese. They did both shake my hand as I entered, but they bowed too, so I found myself kind of mimicking their body language. The general consensus seems to be to not bow, but since they were already doing it, I felt awkward about standing straight while shaking a bowing person's hand.

So the room I was in was basically a university seminar room. There was one table in the corner by the door, where I was told I could leave my bag. Two tables were pushed together - the interviewers sat together on one side and I sat across in a chair. They explained how the interview would go - there would be about 20 minutes of questions, including a 1 minute mock lesson and a brief Japanese test.

The first question I got was "Where did you hear about the JET program?", which I found a bit surprising, but it was a simple and easy question, so I just answered honestly (I heard about it at my language school as a teenager). After that there were a TON of other questions. Most of them I had prepared for in some way, but a few were ones I hadn't thought of. I was shocked that I got NO questions about my family coming along, and nothing about placement (i.e. "How would you handle living in a rural area?"). Also nothing about harassment or having to make tea for male teachers.

Some questions I was asked (paraphrased, as I have terrible memory):

• What qualities do you have that would make you a good ALT?
• What do you like about the JET program?
• How did you become interested in Japan?
• JET is a grassroots program. What are some ways you would get involved outside of the classroom?
• How did you handle an instance of culture shock in the past and how did you overcome it?
• How would you deal with having to be away for longer periods of time for work (ex. orientations)?
• Name a famous Japanese person.
• How would you teach about Canadian culture in the classroom?
• What famous Canadian would you use to teach about your culture?
• What is something that you are very excited to experience in Japan?
• How do you continue to learn a language outside the classroom?
• What do you think you would gain from an experience as a JET?
• What age level would you like to teach?

Only one of the interviewers asked the questions, and because of that I was only looking at him, however, when I realized that I made an effort to make eye contact with the other guy, which I think was really important. I got a few laughs, which I was pleased about. The man asking the questions seemed content enough with my answers. I noticed that he seemed to be taking the questions from a booklet, and both interviewers were making lots of notes as I talked.

For the mock lesson I was given a pretty detailed situation - I was told I was giving a lesson to junior high students ("10 year olds") who didn't know any English. One note: I think this was directly related to the last question I was asked, about what age level I wanted to teach. My suggestion would be that if you get that question, use it to your advantage by picking the level you feel comfortable mock teaching to. So yeah, it was supposed to be the second or third class, so they knew who I was. The topic was food. It was probably one of the best topics I could have gotten, since I'm big on the culture of food, but I panicked a bit and overall the lesson was a bit of a flop. I think that if I had practiced mock lessons more it would have been helpful. It doesn't matter what you practice, but knowing how to speak slowly and clearly, move around the room, and involve the "students" is key here, I think. Anyway, I went on some tangent about french fries, poutine, coffee, and donuts. I tried to relate it to Japanese food so they might understand, by mentioning McDonald's and Mister Donut.

After the mock lesson I did the Japanese test. This had two parts. The first was a series of scenes drawn out with speech bubbles, and I had to say what would be in the bubbles. It was pretty simple and I think I got them all right (ex. Hajimemashite, Arigatou gozaimasu, Sayounara). The second part was answering oral questions asked in Japanese. I think I did about 2 or 3 out of five. A few were simple, but others were a bit complicated, as I hadn't studied Japanese in a while. For example, "What do you eat a lot of at breakfast?" and "Where do you live?" were the easiest questions. There was also one that I think was about who my role model Canadian was or something like that, and another about what time do I eat breakfast, maybe. I did pass on one and fumbled horribly on another, but they had said beforehand that it was okay. I said that I thought I understood most of the question, but didn't feel comfortable answering. I put down my Japanese as basic/elementary on the application, so I wasn't too worried about that, but of course doing perfect is always a better feeling.

At this time I noticed what seemed to be grading sheets on the table, and it looked like I got marked a C- on Japanese and lots of Cs and one D for what I think was the mock lesson. I was really discouraged by this, but I feel that my answers to the questions were alright, so hopefully that carries me through.

They asked me a few more questions before finishing up. They both stood up and shook my hand/bowed again. I thanked them and blurted out some verbal diarrhea (something like "I hope your long day is almost over!" and that was the end! I realized afterward that I didn't ask them any questions! I had some prepared, but they didn't inquire if I had any, so it completely slipped my mind (I was probably too busy thinking about how badly my mock lesson went).

Overall I was there until 3:45, so the whole thing took about 30 - 40 minutes. Afterwards I was discouraged, thinking about all the things I could've done differently, but I think that's normal. And the whole thing is over and done with and out of my hands now. The wait until April will be long, but I'm going to try and keep myself busy with other things.

Notification of Interview!

i have been following the posts on ITIL and seeing that some people had already gotten interview notifications. the uk seemed to have theirs very early on, and this morning I saw that a bunch of people from the US had notifications as well. i figured canada couldn't be too far behind, and lo! an email appeared from JET. the email sent me to my JET Inbox, where i was greeted by this message:

The JET Desk is pleased to inform you that you have been selected to proceed to the interview stage for the 2014 JET Programme.

first response: YES YES YES

second response: oh shit. i am so unprepared.

so i am absolutely thrilled that i got an interview! i passed the first test! 

interviews are apparently taking place in toronto on february 18, 19, and 20. so I have about a month to prepare. i have lots of things to sort out, like how I'll get to toronto, where i'll stay, and if i'll bring the family along. i also need to get a suit! and of course practice for my interview. i think I'll take the moderate approach. here's what i'm thinking:

- go over my application and know whats on it (especially statement of purpose)

- know some basic facts and current events in canada and japan

- prepare for sample lessons

- practice basic questions, ex. why JET? why japan?

- practice speaking loudly, clearly, and keeping composure

and that's pretty much it! i don't want to over-prepare, but i still want to feel confident that i can answer any question.

I sent my JET Application!

I wasn't actually planning on applying this year. I mean, I was, but then I changed my mind. I thought it might be better to spend the next year boosting my resume and experience; give myself a better chance. And I thought maybe the timing was wrong. But a friend convinced me to just go for it. After all, the application is more or less free, so why not?! And that was how I got myself into a huge rush to send in my application in the midst of final exams - woohoo!

So that's done. And now I wait (crossing my fingers).

When You Have 2 Years to Wait Before You Can Apply

unfortunately, while my friends are graduating, i feel somewhat like i'm just sitting here twiddling my thumbs. because of my high school exchange and having a baby while in university, i'm about 2 years behind everyone else my age. i know that i want to apply to JET, but i can't even begin to do that for another 2 years! anyway, i thought, "wait a minute, why DO i have to sit here doing nothing?!" so here is a list of things to do while i wait, which is for your benefit as much as it is for mine (i tend to be forgetful if i don't write things down).

1. get a job or volunteer, especially one that involved teaching, culture, or children. not only will this give you experience for your resume and JET application, but it will also give you an idea of if you really want to do this kind of job or not.

2. save, save, save! do research on cutting costs and saving money. you will want/need money for application documents, an interview outfit, transportation costs to the interview, getting set up in japan, and taking trips or making purchases in japan. in the worst case that you don't get accepted, now you've got a nice stockpile of cash!

3. study japanese! this doesn't need to be formal training. watching doramas and listening to japanese music counts too. one thing i did before i went on my high school exchange was tape index cards to every object in the house. the cards had the english word, kanji, hiragana/katakana, and romanji.

4. start preparing yourself for writing your application and answering interview questions. knowing motivations, information about your country, practicing answering questions, writing your letter of intent, etc. but the most important thing is to know about yourself.

5. start decluttering your life. you have probably accumulated a lot of crap over the years, so just think of how long it's going to take you to get rid of it. plus a garage sale or reselling online can get you money!

How it All Started...

perhaps this is a little premature, but after all my purpose here is to document my entire journey before, during, and after the JET program.
when i was 18 years old, i went to osaka as a high school exchange student. although i went home early, i started looking into other ways of returning to japan. as one of the most well-known programs, JET was easy to find. when i was 19 i started university, with the idea of applying to JET once i had finished my degree lingering somewhere in the back of my mind. however, that same year i got pregnant and when i was 20 i had my daughter, yana. i felt that having a child had ruined any option of returning to japan, especially on a cultural exchange progam like JET.
a few years later, when i was 22, a high school friend of mine applied and was accepted to the JET program. my old interests were rekindled. i spent the next few days immersing myself in websites and blogs, trying to scrounge up information. i discovered that perhaps my dreams could come true and maybe, just maybe i could become a JET. but i would have to work hard. i still had 2 years left in my degree and it certainly wouldn't be easy to get my family to japan, let alone go through the application and interview process. but i was determined.
i may have years to go, but this here marks the beginning of my journey as a JET mama.