A poem written in the cold abode of my Jutaku

The shivering rattle,

Glass panes collide with the thin metal between.

For here we are, a quiet city, disturbed only by

The wind.

The memories of each Teacher woven into Tatami,

Experience laced between,

The path trodden by foreigner alike,

All with different looks but the same outsider skin.

Can we continue? Question we,

The lonely, language crowd,

Colliding with the palpable wall of culture,

That keeps us between paper doors.

The summer brings elation, the winter cold thought,

Though children’s’ smiles sustain,

Are they enough to keep sanity and professionalism

Entangled?

In Japan Update

So the last week or so has been a whirlwind. Tokyo orientation was busy and full of people who were buzzing with both excitement and nerves. It was also the last time I will really see the majority of the UK Jets until we go on trips visiting each other which I hope will happen very soon. I am missing familiar faces but am getting to grips with familiar ones here. Whilst in Tokyo I saw parts of Shinjuku, Akihabara and Harajuku which were full of both lights and convenient things. I didn't do karaoke in Shinjuku but some of the Fukuoka Jets did go to the lockup which was a funny and interesting izakaya - it was so much fun! Weird drinks, 'breakouts' and waiters dressed as convicts:

It was really good to get to know people out of a formal scenario. Then after orientation we flew straight to Fukuoka and at the airport I was met by my lovely predecessor, one of the English teachers and some very sweet members of the ESS Club. They greeted me with signs saying 'Welcome Natasha' and the high schools name. It completely dispelled any worries I might have had, even if I was boiling in my two piece suit.

I was taken to school to meet my supervisor who is a vey kind lady and she spent the best part of her evening taking me out to make my own okonomiyaki!! Which was awesome, and taking me to get some groceries. The next day at school I met the Kocho-Sensei, who took me out for the most beautiful unagi meal (ill upload the picture later).

This week has been another blurry one. On Monday there was Fukuoka orientation in a building with very little aircon. We were seriously sweating it out. We watched a video about Fukuoka and went to some workshops. There was a particularly good one about how to decipher food in Japan which eased my concerns about dietary stuff. We had a meal in the evening too which was another tabehoudai. Fun all around! :)

After all the excitement the rest of this week was a flurry of marking and working with students to practice for a speech contest reciting 'The Wizard of Oz' one of my favourite stories from childhood. I also had a meal last night with the Kamitsumachi Colony at a rakuten sushi place which was really good fun, lots of laughing and silliness . I was especially impressed when a Japanese Waitress came over to speak English to us! But these troublemakers were the main source of fun (and awesomeness)

Throughout all of this I have never had the chance to slow down a little bit, and on my first real day off today, I have has a chance to really look at my surroundings and I've come to realize that Japan really is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to. No where else I've been has dragonflies merrily flitting around so sleepily that you can see their colours. There is intense sunshine and greenery and some beautiful flowers. It's not tall buildings and cityscape even if they have everything around where I'm living. It's actually really calming if you just take the time to look. 

Aside from the telephone wires that is the view down my road. :) I don't know how this year is going to go but I know I'm lucky to be In Japan.