Okinawa JET Orientation: A Mission

About a week after arriving in Okinawa, all new JETs were expected to attend a welcome orientation. We received the emails a week before except the email did not explain how to arrive at the orientation, which was located in Okinawa City. What made it worse was that the orientation was scheduled on August 15th - my birthday!

See this date? This shit is sacred!

Okinawa has absolutely no rail system outside of Naha. Therefore, residents must either drive or take the bus. The email contained the address to the orientation, but links were all broken. Seeing that I had no way of knowing which bus to take or to which bus stop, I put my mother's quote to the test, "Preguntando se llega a Roma; Asking will get you to Rome," and I asked someone I thought would know. Unfortunately, no one could seem to be able help me because no on had taken the bus before or they were driving to the orientation. Thanks! So with the lack of information, I did the next best thing I could think of, which was to utilize technology. It's 2013, and if Siri can tell me where I can hide a body then I can definitely figure out how to get to this orientation. 

At least I met a new friend while staying with a friend

I used Google maps's street view until I found the nearest bus stop and zoomed into the sign. From there, I figured out the bus route. I had a veteran Oki JET confirm, and I stayed at his place, which was a lot closer than my apartment. That morning, he dropped me off at the bus stop on his way to work, and I changed buses three separate time to arrive at the orientation. I arrived perfectly on time, but I also arrived drenched in sweat. Absolutely drenched! As I rushed into the bathroom to clean up and the janitor, who was cleaning the bathroom at the time, told me how beautiful I was. As much I wanted to beam over her compliment, I was a total disgrace as my dress, hair, and makeup were a complete mess.

On a lighter note, the orientation as very beneficial, and I enjoyed the time spent with my new JETs. I didn't enjoy some of the passive aggressiveness that I experience from a particular person when a friend announced that it was my birthday. However, during lunch two OkiJETs from Singapore bought me a green tea cake and sung me happy birthday in English and Chinese. There was a get-together after the orientation, but I skipped this to bum a ride from a northern JET. I should have mingled a bit more but I was so exhausted, and I wanted to wash the day and sweat off of me. Later in the night, I Skyped with my parents and boyfriend as they sung me "Happy Birthday."

 According to a quote from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of Four, 27 is "a sweet age, when youth has lost its self-consciousness and become a little sobered by experience." On to a sexy 27! 

So delish!

           

Happy Birthday to me from my parents and boytoy!

           

The JET Orientation: Three Days of Workshops

The three days of orientation should be reworded as the "Three Days of Discussing Culture Shock and How Every Situation is Different Orientation." The workshops that were beneficial were "Driving in Japan" and the teaching workshops that focused on your specific school grades (ex, middle school). I can't say that I remember much, because I mostly just stared into outer space. However, I had one defining moment. My friend Alexis and I attended a "Self Study for Intermediate Japanese." Aside from the handout, the workshop was useless.  However, what made the workshop amusing was the presenters. 

This graph shows how much you'll be hating life in Japan

There were two presenters, but I was only focused on the British girl. In the beginning of the presentation she expressed how difficult it was to learn Japanese (true). However, it wasn't just what she said. It was her body language. If I could paint a mental picture, she was slightly hunched over looking sadly at the powerpoint. This is where I turned to my friend and said, " I think she hides under a table at home and cries (over learning Japanese)." Too bad, I should have kept my damn opinion to myself. Why? Because everything the presenter said after totally supported my "you hide and cry" assumption. She talked about how everyone is better than her at Japanese, how she sets really low goals and, most importantly, how her school won't let her speak Japanese to her kids. 

Every time she brought up another point, I would start to laugh which would only set Alexis into a fit a laughter. At one point, I had held it together up until the "my school doesn't let me speak Japanese" and that's where we both lost it. I had to bend over to pretend I was messing with my bag, while my whole body shook with controlled laughter. I attracted some attention some fellow British JETs behind me, who also thought the workshop was horrendous.

I can't go into more detail about what happened after, but let's just say when you are retelling stories, but sure to look around. Ha!

Be Prepared!

I had my placement and as much I would love to say that I spent the four months until departure preparing for my time in Japan, I did not. Instead, I decided to laze around, shop, hang out with friends, watch all of my shows, and play an endless amount of video games.  I worked with my mother, who is a bookkeeper, to get my finances in order and she did the rest. Thank's mom!

One of the things that kept our minds at ease was that I had great communication with the Ginoza Board of Education. They worked with me to find an apartment and order my inkan (personal seal). They also booked a bed and breakfast until my apartment was ready, and they sent me a photo of the office staff. However, remember the JET motto: Every Situation is Different (ESSID). One of my friends just got one email, and it wasn't even sent to her. The email was sent to one of her professors. Either way, with the open communication and my mothers epic packing, I was ready to attend the Miami JET Orientation, which was scheduled the day before I left to Japan.

The Miami orientation was held at the Consul General official residence in a very posh location in Coral Gables, Miami.  At the orientation, they had a question and answer session for JET parents. My mother, being a loca, read the entire JET Information Handbook from cover to cover. Therefore, she did not feel compelled to go. If I can give anyone advise, have your parents read your information handbook. It's available via PDF on the Official JET website as well. After reading the handbook, and placing various post-its, she could quote the book verbatim. Go Mom!

Either way, the orientation continued with workshops on how to teach classes and a presentation on culture shock. The group was also divided between men and women so that we would ask any particular lady questions. Therefore, if you have any questions on gynos, blood testing, birth controls and Plan B, that would be the time to ask. Afterwards we had a reception (food and alcohol included) where I was able to catch up with my my FIU professors and met some of the other Miami JETs.

(Far Right) Posing like a boss