Sapporific

From Sapporo

This week was the Hokkaido JET orientation at Sapporo, the main city around these parts. Around 100 of us convened in Sapporo, a 4.5 hour bus ride from Mombetsu (pictures above). The days were spent learning about things like tiny Japanese cars in winter (they work, apparently) and hot spring etiquette (don't put your head under water and blow bubbles). Our orientation was hosted at the Akarenkan, a 150-year-old governmental building that translates directly to "Red Brick Building".

From Sapporo

After work, of course, came the important work of socializing with our fellow new teachers. Here's Sapporo at night, seen from the top of a ferris wheel on top of a shopping mall:

From Sapporo

And all around good times were had. Right after returning on Wednesday, we had to jump feet-first into our schools and into the Bon dance festival, but that will be covered in another post. In closing, here's a giant spider at a bus station waiting to snare children. Enjoy!

From Sapporo

"This is Tanaka-san. She is crack."

Today, ALT #2 and I got to escape the steam bath of the office to go for a drive (I keep thinkng of this whenever I'm there). We went around town to visit and tour our various schools. For the most part, the English teachers were gone on summer break, with the Principles or Vice-Principles manning the fort. I was offered tea at every school, and had to use the bathroom three times.

Seeing all of the schools was a really good experience, even if all the students and teachers were missing. I was able to set up pre-class meetings with several of the schools, so that I can ascertain what they are looking for from me and what the kids may be expecting. The schools run the gamut from 50+ year old ruins full of ghosts to incongruously new buildings in the middle of rice fields, and students range from 250+ to one school with a whopping total of three. One thing every school had in common was a level of support that was, to an American, shockingly high. Even schools in the middle of nowhere with more staff than students had up-to-date personal computers for the kids and large-size LCD screens for lessons, and music and art rooms were universally well-supplied. One school invited me to use their drumset "Any time," which would be tempting if the school wasn't 35 minutes away.

I am settling well into life here, and next week I'll be heading to Sapporo for Hokkaido orientation. After that, it's time for the kids to come back. I'm looking forward with trepidation and excitement.

Nothing to see here

Welcome to my blog, Every Spider is Deadly. The purpose of this blog is to write about my experiences in Japan on the JET program, primarily so my friends and family can follow my adventures and look at my pictures of funny engrish signs and unusual rocks. I also intend for this blog to be a resource for anyone looking for information or first-hand experiences about JET, a situation that I was in last fall and winter.

Unfortunately, I'm a bit limited at the moment by the fact that I have not actually left for JET yet. I don't even know where I'll be going. Despite this, I've started my blog already, because I am an American and we are known for our can-do spirit and lack of attention to that sort of issue.

To start off, I'd like to talk about what the JET program actually is. If you are a level 70 Japan Expert and already know all about this, feel free to skip this section. If not, read on!

JET stands for Japan Exchange and Teaching. The JET program was started in 1987 by the Japanese government to promote international cultural exchange and cooperation, as well as to bolster foreign-language education in primary schools. What this means in practical terms is that the JET Program hires a number of foreigners every year to live in Japan and assist Japanese teachers in the classroom. The bulk of these teachers are recruited from natively English-speaking nations like the US, Canada, England, and Australia, while a smaller number come from many other countries. This position is referred to as the ALT position, for Assistant Language Teacher; there are also CIRs, or Coordinators for International Relations, who work with local governments to promote international activity and exchange. Since I'm an ALT and not a CIR, and I know little about the CIR program, I won't talk about them here.

Formally, ALTs are hired to teach in one or more schools, ranging from elementary school to high school. The Japanese public education system requires English study from a young age, and ALTs are intended to act as native speakers to assist students in learning. JETs are not simply meant to work in the classroom, however - the JET job extends far beyond this.

The other purpose of JET participants is to act as cultural ambassadors of their nations to Japan. Many Japanese, especially in rural areas, will have little firsthand contact with foreigners; the JET program is meant partially to address this. JET participants are, in this sense, always on the job, as their day-to-day life in Japan is just as important as their work in the classroom.

Now, a little about myself. I've been accepted to participate in the JET program, for which I am honored. I will leave at the end of July for a three-day orientation in Tokyo, after which I will depart for my posting. I haven't received my placement yet, which means I don't know where I'll be going; JET participants can request specific areas or locations, but are at the mercy of the program.

I'm a 25 year old student living in the US, originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. I graduated last fall with a degree in East Asian Studies, and studied Japanese and Chinese. My application to JET in fall of '09 was my first application, and I was accepted in April. I speak some Japanese, and spent a year in Akita Prefecture at school. It was this experience that made me decide to return to Japan to work if possible.

I'm very excited to be participating, and the months until departure are moving by quite slowly indeed (part of the reason for starting this blog early). Until departure, I plan on posting periodically about the application process; it won't be all that long before the 2011 crop of applicants will start that arduous process. Stay tuned here for updates about applications, interviews, and acceptance. Of course, my experiences are my own, and don't necessarily reflect what anyone else has experienced, or what a prospective applicant should expect. I can only speak for myself.

And finally, a word about the title of this blog. A common mantra that aspiring JETs quickly learn is abbreviated as ESID - Every Situation is Different. This is used when answering program questions to reflect the fact that the experiences and conditions of various participants can vary wildly, even within the same town or school. A secondary usage of the acronym, however, was explained by the Chicago coordinator Austin: "Every Spider is Deadly." This truism* about the Japanese experience is something that every applicant should be aware of, and is thus worth remembering along with the ESID mantra. Thanks for the advice, Austin.

I'll be updating this blog about my preparations and application experiences as the departure date approaches, so stay tuned. I look forward to sharing my experiences with anyone who cares to read them.

*Lest I scare anyone needlessly, spiders in Japan actually aren't particularly dangerous. They are, however, thrillingly large and colorful. Later perhaps I'll blog about giant Japanese centipedes, which actually can be dangerous.