JIC Revisited
Two Saturdays ago, I went back to the Japan Information Center, the same location where I had my JET Program interview in February, for a JET Program Team Teaching Workshop and Q&A session. In this entry I will give a detailed report of this session, based on my notes and my memories of it.
I am writing this for several reasons. One I had originally invited my friend Jason, who is considering applying for JET next year to come along as a guest. But about a week or so before the Q&A, I got an e-mail from the Chicago JET Desk asking JET candidates not to bring their guests if at all possible, because so many people RSVPed with guests that if everyone brought guests who said they would, the room would be overflowing! So I regretfully had to inform Jason that he couldn't come with me. Also, several people on the Chicago AJET Yahoo! Group who missed the session have been asking others to post their notes. Another reason is just to give myself a reason to go over my notes and refresh my own memory about what went down. Also, my mom reads this blog, and I think that some of my notes might answer some of her questions.
If you're not really interested in the JET Program or general advice on living in Japan, you might want to take a pass on this entry. Otherwise, feel free to read on. The notes I took were decidedly tailored to my own situation. For example, I think I took fewer notes about CIR-related matters and stuff about working at elementary or high schools. But still, I think this is going to be a particularly meaty entry.
Check-in was from 9:15 to 9:45 am, so I made sure to get to the JIC bright and early. Just to be safe, I got there even earlier than that. Just as when I went there for my interview, I had a hard time finding the JIC. Even though the address of the place is 737 N. Michigan Ave., the entrance is actually on Chicago Ave.! If you stay on North Michigan, and go to number 737, you will be in Neiman Marcus with no way to get to the JIC without going back out the way you came and turning the corner onto Chicago. I don't know why the Olympia Center, where the JIC is located, doesn't have its address on Chicago Ave. Sometimes I jokingly muse that they made it hard to find on purpose to weed out inferior JET Program applicants.
Anyway, upon arriving at the block that the building is on, I realized that contrary to what I had hoped, being there again did not jog my memory about how to find the JIC. Though before long, I found two other JET candidates. It was easy for us to recognize each other as JETs because we were all wearing business casual attire. Between the three of us, we were able to find our way to the JIC.
After signing in, I mingled (as best a socially awkward person such as myself can). I had some small talk with a few people, including some other posters from the JET board, I Think I'm Lost and Big Daikon. I met a few vegetarian CIR candidates who had been in Japan before and gave me a few words of advice on eating in Japan (because I'm a vegetarian too.) They said that when you ask whether something has meat in it, you need to keep in mind that chicken is often not considered to be in the meat category in Japan. Also, while I was mingling, I realized that one of the fellow JETs I met outside was someone who I recognized from my interview day. If anyone I met that day is reading this, word up! E-mail me or post a comment below!
When the time came, we were all guided into the same room where I was interviewed before, but this time it was not partitioned into separate areas.
The first thing on the program was the Team Teaching Workshop, which was lead by a former ALT named Ryan Wilson (whose speech pattern struck me as being reminiscent of South Park's Mr. Mackie, mmkay) and his BEAUTIFUL wife Akiko. When Douglas Bell introduced them and said that they had had done team teaching in Japan, I at first wondered if Akiko was a Japanese American who had worked as an ALT through the JET Program, but as it turned out, she was actually the JTE who Ryan team-taught with, and they got married as a result of working together. They had some interesting stories about that, but first things first.
At the beginning of their presentation (complete with a Power Point slide show), Ryan talked about his expectations of Japan. He said the he expected his town to either be a Tokyo-like metropolis, a small, traditional village, or an anime cartoon. As it turned out, it was neither of these things. It was a little rural, but not too quaint, and modern, but not too high-tech.
Some slides after that broke down the ages that are in different grades in Japanese schools. If I understand my notes correctly (I have a feeling I might be saying that a lot as I write this entry), children spend 6 years in elementary school, 3 years in junior high (which is the kind of school where I would be teaching), 3 years in high school, and 4 years in college/university (There is no distinction between the two, which are both translated as "daigaku.") I also wrote down that the age range of junior high students is 13-15. (Though it seems that if they spend three years there, it should be more than a two year age range, but anyway...)
Classes usually go from 8:40 am to 12:30 pm and then from 1:40 to 3:30. After that, students participate in school cleaning (that's right, the students have to do cleaning around the school!) and club activities until about 6 pm.
I don't remember whether that schedule applies to all grades, or just junior high. Anyway, after that, they talked about the schedule for teachers. Teachers arrive at school at 8 am (man, that's gonna be painful for me, but I think getting to live in Japan will make the hours worth it). At 8:20, there's a teachers' meeting. According to my notes, 3:35 - 6:30 is cleaning/homeroom, and on Mondays, another meeting. Below that, I wrote "clubs" and "prepare the class," whatever that means.
Ryan talked about how f*cked up some of the stuff in the officially approved English textbooks are. For example, one conversation in the textbook shows an unintentionally rude way to decline invitations:
"Aya, let's play tennis."
"No, let's not."
Ryan commented that if someone replied to him like that, he'd be hurt. But he said that those are the books we have to use, so we've just got to deal with it.
When going over the good and bad things about being an ALT, Ryan said that one of the bad things was that you will asked to do weird, unexpected stuff that seemingly has nothing to do with your job description. For example, he said that he was once asked to dress up as Santa Claus for some school event, and later found out that they didn't just want him to dress the part, but that they also wanted him to do a song and dance routine! Personally, I don't think that sounds so bad, but apparently, Ryan was terrified by the prospect, and asked Akiko to accompany him. This, he said, was their first date.
At some point in their presentation (I didn't write anything about it in my notes, so I can't tell what point in the stuff I did write down it was at), they acted out the wrong way, and then the right way to do team teaching. First, they dramatized the wrong way:
Ryan met with Akiko 5 minutes before class and proposed that they have the students write and direct a movie in English. Akiko shot down the idea and decided to go with her existing plan of using Ryan as a human tape recorder.
In class (where us in the audience go to play the parts of the students), Akiko spoke in Japanese about English grammar and only acknowledged Ryan's existence when it was time to demonstrate pronunciation, after which he sat down doing nothing for the rest of the class.
After that, they demonstrated a better way to team-teach:
They met more than 5 minutes before class, and discussed less ambitious, but still fun ways to teach the textbook material and to teach about American culture.
In class, they both participated equally in the lesson, they made things fun and slightly humorous. After explaining the usage of the phrase "do you...?" and the affirmative and negative responses to the phrase, they had us students survey each other about what we do and don't do. For example, Becky, who was sitting next to me, doesn't like soccer, wants money, eats sushi, likes summer, and doesn't speak Swahili.
After that they acted out a skit in which Ryan was an American customer at a Japanese restaurant, and Akiko was a waitress who happened to speak English. This skit involved some "do you...?" questions and their answers, and it demonstrated some differences between Japanese and American culture. As it is with many Americans, Ryan does not have a taste for natto (fermented bean paste). The waitress did not immediately come to Ryan's table, but rather he needed to get her attention by shouting, "sumimasen!" ("excuse me"), and when he offered her a tip, she refused.
After the skit, they gave us students a quiz with questions about the conversation the characters had, focusing on the "do you...?" stuff they said.
Going back to my notes, I see the word "stickers." Apparently stickers are a good thing. I guess I should get some.
The next thing they talked about was that when you are working for an organization, you must go through the proper channels when you want to discuss your concerns. Ryan and Akiko learned this the hard way. Ryan had made friends with their school's Superintendent (or some other high-up dude, I don't remember exactly), and got in the habit of going directly to him whenever he had some work-related matter to discuss.
When he became engaged to Akiko, they decided that they should no longer keep their relationship a secret, and they went straight to the high-up dude to tell him about it. He said it was cool and everything, but when the Principal found out he blew up at Akiko. When Ryan found out about this, he met with the principal and told him off in Japanese (he said this is one good reason to learn the language).
Everything turned out okay, but the moral of the story was that things would have gone more smoothly if they had gone through the proper channels. Ryan also recommended not getting involved with your JTE, because of how much sneaking around is necessary to keep the relationship a secret. I'll probably follow that advice. Though if I have a young, beautiful JTE such as Akiko-sensei, who knows...
Ryan, who worked at a junior high school, said that JHSs are typically more casual than high schools, and that junior high ALTs can get away with wearing jeans, etc. He also said that facial hair and piercings are a-okay. Though I would imagine that there would also be some ESID (Every Situation Is Different) at work.
The last thing from their presentation (or at least I think it was from their presentation) that I took note of was that it's a good idea to bring two suits to the Tokyo orientation.
After that, we broke for lunch, and I got the e-mail of a guy called Tim. I think he might have been going to Kansai also. I don't remember. I should e-mail him.
On the elevator down to the first floor a girl named Molly (or did she spell it "Molli?") from Indiana said to me, "Excuse me, is your name Aaron?"
I replied that it was, and she said that she recognized me from this blog! We talked some more, and I went with them to Food Life at Water Tower Place for lunch.
Then we returned to the JIC for more presentations. Most of the presenters after this were more former JETs who talked about certain topics and then took questions.
Here are some notes I took during this part of the day:
Do a Google search for "JETAA," which is the JET Alumni Association.
At City Hall, of in the Board of Education, there is "caregiver." I don't know if that's the person's official title or not. Anyway, you should get to know this person, because they can help you with a lot of day-to-day stuff.
After the Tokyo orientation, and before you start your job, you will probably have about 3 weeks to do whatever. The presenter suggested that we use this time to learn the train and bus systems (which you can ask your coworkers about), go to the gym, and find where the foreign restaurants are.
Schools often have a winter vacation (but ESID). If you plan to take a vacation in the winter, ask your school in September or October to make sure it's cool and book your tickets early. Apparently, there will be more info about winter vacations and such at the Tokyo orientation.
This topic was particularly relevant to me, because my friend Alison invited me to visit her in Hong Kong this December, and I intend to take her up on that offer if at all possible.
You can get an International Driver's License from AAA for $10. It's good for either one or two years. I don't remember which. I didn't pay much attention to that topic because I don't even have an American Driver's License, which I would need in order to get an international one.
There are no ovens in Japan, but there are gas ranges and microwaves.
Air out and beat your futon often, or else lots of moisture from your body will accumulate in it and make it almost too heavy to lift. (Perhaps that's an exaggeration, but that's what they said...)
Take care of your tatami mats, or else you'll get bugs.
Bring a map and/or flag from your home country. (I guess for teaching purposes. I don't remember exactly why I wrote that down.)
There is a foreign buyers' club (or perhaps multiple clubs of that nature) where foreigners in Japan can buy stuff from their home countries, such as foods that they miss.
Some schools have internet, but ESID. Ask your predecessor.
Get a cell phone. Everyone has them, and they do lots of cool stuff.
"Global IME" NJStar.com. I forgot what that was about, but apparently that is software for installing asian fonts on your computer.
One presenter said that even though JETs are typically recommended to bring a thousand or two dollars worth of money with them to live off of until their first pay day, as little as $500 can also be fine. But of course, ESID.
Another presenter talked about money stuff. He or she said that Japan is not an "ATM society." Plan ahead and keep cash in your apartment, because many ATMs are not open 24 hours.
Citibank is the most common bank which exists in both the U.S. and Japan.
Ask your predecessor when payday is. If you get paid at the end of August, your pay should be about $1,500 that month, but ESID.
There is something called a JET Diary, which you get at orientation. Supposedly, it's really cool or something.
You can pay bills at convenience stores.
Cashier's checks cost $20 up to $5,000.
Lloyds of London is a good way to send money home, but nothing is instantaneous.
Americans working in Japan don't have to pay Japanese income tax until their 3rd year there.
While you're working, you have to pay into Japan's pension program, but you can apply to have that refunded after your JET work is done. The refund will be about as much as one month's salary. I could have sworn I heard the person say that it could be anywhere from $2,500 to $30,000, but I think they might have meant to say $3,000 for that second amount.
There is also something called an Inhabitant's Tax, which is sometimes deducted from your pay.
"Key money" is really expensive, buy most JETs don't have to pay it. The only ones who do are ones who move into a new apartment.
Get yen from the bank before you leave. About $200 worth.
Japanese health insurance lasts for 180 days when you leave the country, and starts 2 days before you get to Japan.
One presenter (the same one?) said that she was able to save $4,500 during her stay with JET, and that was without cutting corners. She didn't use the Shinkansen (Japan's bullet train line) though. That is really expensive.
Do not underestimate 100 yen shops (The Japanese equivalent of a dollar store). They have lots of great stuff for cheap.
You don't have to pay U.S. taxes for 2 years either, but you still have to file. You take something called a "Foreign Exemption."
Traveler's checks are secure and have a good exchange rate. (Though I have heard from other sources that they are not universally accepted in Japan, and it's better to have cash)
There is a Citibank in Tokyo.
Tutoring on the side can be a good way to meet people and make extra money. But don't take a second job, such as working at a coffee shop, because that would be spreading yourself too thin.
CIRs are often ALTs in disguise.
Any other work you do will reflect on your school and other groups you are a member of.
Have fun while you're in Japan, because time flies.
In small towns, visit retirement homes.
Adopt a Japanese grandma.
Try to resist the temptation to only hang out with other foreigners.
If you're not so good at Japanese, don't use that as an excuse not to get involved in the community. The presenter brought up the example of a JET who was only fluent in "nampago" (The language of picking up chicks), but was still one of the most active members of the community.
The Tokyo hotel where the orientation is "nice and cool," so you won't be too hot wearing a suit there, even though it's in the summer.
You will impress people if you wear a Blue suit. If you are a CIR or a high school ALT, you should probably wear suits to work.
Don't wear a red tie on your first day of work, because red is associated with evil and death. That doesn't mean you should never wear one. After all, you're a crazy foreigner, and as such there is a lot you can get away with, but dress conservatively on your first day in order to make a good first impression (which is really important in Japan) and feel things out from there.
Green suits are associated with mobsters.
If you live in a small enough town, you will have no privacy. People will be watching your every move, and word spreads fast. If you buy tofu at the store one day, people might ask you the next day, "How was the tofu?"
If you have a 10+ shoe size, so they can get the right size of slippers for you ahead of time. (At school, you have to put on a certain kind of slippers, as I understand it.)
After that, there was a coffee break. I don't drink coffee, so I just used the time to stretch out, walk around, and talk to a few people. One person I talked to was an Australian girl named Sasha who might very well be one of my future co-workers, because she said that she will also be working in Kanan-cho. She said that she hadn't gotten to see her information packet yet, so she didn't know the exact details yet. It was a pretty big coincidence that we met. As I just mentioned, she is from Australia. She just happened to be in this area at the time, so she came to the Chicago Q&A. Talking with her, I found out that she had also read this blog before. As soon as she found out she was working in Kanan, she did a websearch for the town and found one of my blog entries.
After the coffee break, there were more panelists, and here are some things they had to say:
Don't stress about forgetting shoes or clothes, because you can buy them at 100 yet shops.
While it can be a healthy release of tension to get together with other foreigners and having bitching-about-Japan sessions, you shouldn't fall into the trap of only having foreign friends and shunning Japanese people and their culture. Making Japanese friends takes work, but you'll have a much more well-rounded view of Japan and a more enjoyable time there if you put the necessary work into maintaining friendships with Japanese people.
If you're overworked, tell someone.
If you're underworked, be creative about finding things to do.
As a token foreigner, you will get lots of invitations and opportunities, but if you take too many of them, you will have no "me time." It's okay to say "no."
Book recommendations:
Culture Shock! Japan (out of print)
Hokkaido Highway Blues
Traveler's Tales: Japan (I can't find that one on Amazon.)
Think about what you want to do after JET.
"Everything that has a beginning has an ending. Make your peace with that and all will be well."
- Buddha(?)
"What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us."
- I don't remember who said this. I Googled it, and found it attributed to several different people.
Use your vacation time. Look up festivals
Get a hepatitis shot. (I haven't heard anyone else say that, though.)
You can travel and still save money.
Work to learn Japanese. Don't put it off! Look for language schools or tutors. Tell people in your office or school you want to learn Japanese.
If/when culture shock sets in in the Winter, don't use the cold weather as an excuse to stay home and mope. Get out there and do stuff!
If people come to visit you, have them get a Japan Rail pass before they come to Japan. This is a special ticket available to foreigners while gives them unlimited use of trains (I don't know if that includes Shinkansen, though) for a certain time period.
JET's support system kicks private schools' ass.
People you can go to when you need help are:
Other JETs
Your supervisor
Local CIR
Prefectural advisor
CLAIR JET Line (during working hours) (It is confidential, and they have a good database of mental health professionals.)
AJET Helpline
"Club" (I don't remember what this refers to)
Japan Help Line (24 hours, confidential)
You need a return visa if you're going to make a trip outside the country and then come back. You can get a special one for multiple returns.
At this point in the orientation, the orientation, the long succession of former participants was broken by a presentation by some people from Hankyu express, a shipping company which JETs can use to ship unaccompanied baggage in excess of the two suitcases play carry-on that they are allowed on their flight.
By then, we were all pretty tired and our butts were hurting, so it was hard to pay attention to what they were saying. But here are some things I wrote down:
You can take 1 suitcase to the Tokyo orientation.
The deadline for getting baggage to Hankyu is July 3rd.
"Commercial Invoice - put "used" or else there might be a duty."
Each bag (on the flight) - 70 lbs
Then Doug Bell said some stuff. Again, it was hard to pay attention:
You'll need three days worth of stuff for the orientation.
Using Hankyu is optional.
Your flight/hotel preferences must be mailed to Transorbit by July 2nd.
After that, all of the former JET panelists who were still there did a group Q&A panel. Here are some things they said:
A few of them had joint U.S. bank accounts with their mothers.
Usually, your salary is deposited into your bank account. You are paid by the month, usually on the 21st. (ESID.)
When people send you stuff, have them send it to your work address. If it's sent to your home address when you're not there to sign for it, it might get returned to sender.
And that's the end of my notes! I hope you've found that reading them was almost as much fun as riding a roller coaster! Or at least a Tilt-A-Whirl!
I'm sure there are some grammar mistakes and awkward wordings in this entry, but after sitting here for the past several hours typing this up, I really don't feel like proofreading right now.
Peace.
