A very different Japan

Ohayou Gozaimasu Minasan!

I finally have some time(and internet from school) to make a post. I am not sure where to start. I guess I can explain my area a little bit.

Takeo is in Saga Prefecture in Kyushu Japan. It is one of the smallest prefectures as well as one of the poorest. Most people laugh when they hear I live in Saga. It is extremely rural, but very beautiful. Mountains surround my city on all sides, and there are plenty of hot springs and hiking trails. I will definitly have a peaceful life here. Luckily, I am in one of the more urban areas of my city. Most people are a bit jealous of my location as it is centrally located near a train station, and has plenty of bars and clubs within walking distance. I still have a LOT of exploration to do. I really want to navigate the mountains and understand more about what my city has to offer. If I ever long to be in a big city, Fukuoka is only and hour away by train.

My apartment is awesome. It is very spacious. I set it up so there is a lot of open floor space. My entertainment area consistes of my desk, large monitor, speakers, laptop, and gaming systems. It is my sanctuary for when I just want to indulge in seclusion. My kitchen has everything I need. I have already used it for making a few dishes, but if I feel lazy, I can go to the rotating sushi place near me, or head to some other tasty places. Another goal is to figure out all the good restaurants in Takeo. I know of a few, but there are so many...I cant wait to try them all.

My life so far has been busy. Not so much actually working, but just trying to figure out how I am going to live, teach, use my time in general has been challenging. I want to make sure I have some good lesson plans to start with.　That way I can begin tweaking my style as I get experience. It takes awhile to do this when you have to come up with most of your own curriculum. I am having a hard time trying to figure out what to teach which grades. I have some leads though.

Outside of school I am having trouble figuring out how to get involved in the community. I want to join some local clubs, but the list I was handed from the City Culture Hall is limited, and nothing really interesting was on there. I may have to venture outside of my city to find a decent club, or I might find something that is not run by the city. I would join clubs at the schools, but the schools I am at are for very young kids and they dont have very solid clubs. I also would do less participating and be more of a ambassador for english. I still plan to join them every once and awhile.

I feel one important thing I must do is travel. Even though I like Takeo, I will need to get out every once and awhile. I have four weeks of vacation per year so I have plenty time off. I want to visit China and Korea, as well as other places throughout Asia. I will go back to Tokyo quite often too.

Well, thats good enough for now. My main goal now is to get used to living here. I`d like to become more confortable with my city, get to know it better, and make some more local connections. Hopefully I can find a good club or two for that.

I`ll update more often from this point on, and with smaller posts :P

Mata ne,
Jonathan