School has started!!!

Formalities:

Rishi Sidhu, on the JET program, which stands for Japan Exchange and Teaching Program. Assistant English Teacher (AET) at a Junior High School (Choogakko) and Elementary School (Shogakko) in Agematsu-machi, Kiso-gun (gun = county), Nagano-ken (ken= prefecture), Japan!!! Town of 6,000, everybody remarkably kind and welcoming, as well as giving.
Small, lots of hills, I wish I had a car, my apartment is really nice. Pictures coming soon.


Alright, you can tell I'm finally getting into the swing of things because I'm posting on my blog. Soon I'll have internet at home, a phone, all the stuff I need and should have bought in America (an electronic dictionary, a usb min-drive (Why the heck didn't I buy that before!!!), a watch (I know I know...). What I've learned the most so far is how necesary it is to speak the language of the place you are going to before you go there. It's the difference from having a good experience and having no experience.

So far, I gave my elementary school speech yesterday, and my junior high school speech today (only an hour ago). I was nervous for both, but I didn't freeze or anything like that. So I'm still alive. I wonder what they kids are thinking? I expect that I am going to like the elementary school so much better. Young kids are just so much more enthusiastic and earnest, it's just a much more relaxing environment. The teachers are in sweats and what not. In the chugakko, which is junior high school, i.e. grades 7-9, everyone is in a tie. Forget that nonsense, I just want to have fun and teach English. I think I should be an elementary school teacher.

We had a sake party after the elementary school day yesterday. Except there was no sake (except at the very end), it was all Asahi. Just like in the Netherlands, where the Heineken tasted so much better, the Asahi, and oh my God, the Kirin tastes so much better here. I'm starting to like beer, earnestly for the first time. Oh, I forgot, most of you guys don't know. In Japan, people have drinking parties after work. I think they are called enkai. Not all the time, but once in a while. Nothing too crazy, or at least in my small town of 6000 it hasn't been too crazy. So I started to like sake too, which I never thought I'd like. My area is actually famous for it's sake, so I don't think it's only the psychological experience of being in Japan, I think sake is just better here. Did I mention I really liked elementary school?

While I was starting to get drunk, I was thinking of a "You know your Japanese when..." list. You guys probably won't think this is funny, but those on the JET program will. I'm writing in now so I don't forget. Sooo, 1) You know your Japanese when you can't wait to give a speech at an enkai. 2) You know your Japanese when you get ready to refill someone's drink for them even as they are reaching for their first sip. 3) You know your Japanese when...aah man, i was tipsy and don't remember now. I'll write them down at the next party : )

Of course, since I've been here for 2 weeks, there's so much more to write, I wrote stuff on a notepad, so I may post them later. It's actually pretty interesting stuff. In the first couple of weeks which there are just so many first impressions and every experience, from opening the fridge to catching a train, is like the first time. But I should get back to the stuff I need to get done for today. Will update soon! My first real class is on Friday, and next Monday I'm going to Nagoya on a school trip!! The food here's fantastic, I'm loving it, and I actually went to Ehime which is on the island of Shikoku for our Chugakko's soccer tournament. They are really good, all-japan tounrament it was. We lost though : ( They really have been treating me so well, I don't know how much you guys know about Japanese culture, but my impressions so far is that it's one of the best I've ever experienced. For example, yesterday I told my supervisor I was running low on money, but I kind of said "no money" while I made an "X" with my arms (In Japan that means no) since that was the best way around the language barrier and making sure my point got accross. Then it became a big thing, which is usually does, where everybody is concerned for your well being, and she told me that I would get paid tomorrow. Cool, no sweat, it was actually my mistake because I still had dollars and I knew I should have exchanged more when I went to the bank in the beginning. (I was actually asking her to take me to ryokai - to exchange money) But that night, she (Miura-san, my supervisor) rang the bell, and she was their with a bag full of food, since she was worried I might not have any food for tonight (which I did). Its actually the best meal I've had at home so far. Talk to anybody on this program, they all have similar experiences. There's just lots of experiences like that.

To all my friends and family, I miss you guys. I only wish you could share in my experiences. Love,

-Rishi