Sunday, November 8, 2009
♥ My Apartment
3:46 PM
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
♥ The apartment pictures
I promise a legit entry soon, I've just been so busy trying to get everything together that I haven't had the time to just sit down and blabber about everything. On the plus side, this means I've gotten most of the "freak out" out of my system, so you don't have to listen to me whine. Anywho, I will be doing a video soon too... well a few, since I have a lot to catch up on. However I will take this chance to plug a fellow NYC JETs vlog, the lovely Alexis.
In this video she's talking about all the paperwork and such we got. It's pretty much the same, though I didn't get a contract... I assume thye just trust me? Haha.
Anywho, that is not why you're here, you are here to see pictures of my apartment in Nishi Yaizu! (aka West Yaizu... basically Yaizu...) Here I present my adorable Japanese apartment (which is quite large) plus the lovely red bike that shall be mine as well... once I get over my fear of riding said bike. Click on the picture to see a bigger version.
The outside and entrance (I forget the actual name at the moment *shame*) to my apartment. The shoes and bits and pieces you see are my predecessor's naturally. As you see I have two floors, and for Japan that's rather rare, especially for a single occupant apartment. You always point your shoes towards the outside after you take them off.
My kitchen and living room (which is longer and has a TV and such at the other end). I enjoy that couch... a lot... I look forward to that couch. The kitchen is rather typical of Japan, if not a bit bigger. I love cooking Asian food, even if I'm not the best at it, so I hope I can actually sharpen my skills over there and be a fabtastic Asian chef by the ime I get back, whenever that may be. Haha. Here's hoping. The odd flooring you see, if you don't already know, is tatami. Tatamis are rice straw mats that are traditionally used in Japanese homes not only as flooring but as a system of measurement. We may use square footage, but they use tatami... so you could have a four and a half tatami room instead of a fifty square foot room. These obviously aren't equivalent, but you get what I mean. You are supposed to walk barefoot or socks only on tatamis... no slippers or shoes of any kind.
Ah the bathroom. Yes, I have a western toliet... thank god. Most people do nowadays. You can obviously see some differences. For instance, the shower and tub are seperate and you're not supposed to actually bathe in the tub, though since its your home you can. Just make sure Japanese Big Brother is not watching you desecrate their tradition. You're supposed to shower outside of the tub (see the drain in the floor?) and be comptlely clean, and then just soak in the tub. You may notice how it's deeper than ours and not as long. I think this tub is slightly more western, but I can't tell from the picture. Toliet is just eco friendly, makes me giggle... in a good way.
And that is my apartment! Wheee! Exciting no?
I promise to put more stuff up soon!!
12:53 PM
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
♥ Yaizu-Shi and the Life Ahead
How do I keep getting so damn lucky?!
Here is all the information I know thus far, which is quite a great deal.
The Prefecture
Shizuoka-ken! Home of Mt. Fuji!
I'm actually quite excited! Chubu was my #3 choice, so I'm really happy that I actually got something I asked for! Shizuoka, aka "Izu" or "Shiz" (my personal favorite) seems to be a fantastic placement and everyone is saying fabulous things about it. XD apparently all the Izu JETs get together in August to climb Mt. Fuji... aaahhhh, I'm going to do it and try it, but there is a saying "You have to climb it once, but only a fool climbs it twice."
Also seems Shiz JETs are known for being partiers XD, haha, ah well, that could be fun.
Now let's just hope that earthquake doesn't hit.
Oh, you didn't know? The Tokai Earthquake happens every 100-150 years and compeltely decimates Shizuoka and the sorrounding area. The power of this earthquake can cause the otherwise sleepy mt. Fuji to erupt, which could cause a tsunami. Know the fun part? The last quake was in 1854... least it say it's overdue, haha. Yessss. I figure if it does happen, at least I'll go out in style.
The City
YAIZU-SHI!!!! It's right by the Suruga Bay and is a fishing city known for their super awesome sushi! It is only 15 minutes by train from the capital city of Shizuoka-shi as well. I got my wish to be in a city (even if it is small), and I'm on the water so that is also completely fantastic. Here's an English website I found... must learn Japanese...
http://www.city.yaizu.shizuoka.jp/english/
The School
I am teaching at Yaizu Chou High School which is the second best high school in Shizuoka, so I'm gonna get smart kids XD! My pred says I will have a lot of free time since oral lessons are only for the ichi-nensei (first year high school) classes, but that's okay. She says the English department is fantastic and that I will have opportunities to eat lunch with the kids and help with clubs and stuff, so exciting!
A few of the English teachers want to get in touch with me, so sometime this week or next week my pred will be emailing me their letters. I'm so excited that they're excited to talk to me and learn about me. I know that I am going to have a fabulous time there and I'm truly very thankful forthis oppurtunity I've been given.
I'm really excited since it seems the students there speak very good English, so I won't have to worry about communication that much since... I can only order drinks in Japanese thus far. O sake wo kudasai? Arigatou gozaimasu. Granted, very useful, but not with children.
I found their website!
http://www.shizuoka-c.ed.jp/yaizuchuo-h/
The Apartment
I've gotten some pictures of it and it is quite adorbale and quite Japanese, haha. I get a nice bright red bicycle from the school, complete with basket, so that is quite nice. The apartment is old, but not ridiculously old... I at least don't have to crank for my hot water, all that is electronic. I'm quickly learning the Japanese do everything possible electronically, I'm quite curious about this... I want to play.
Anywho, I live in a teacher's complex, though the other teachers there teach in Fujieda, the next city over. As my pred put it, this is good in case I'm a bit rowdy or whatnot, it won't get back to the office. Haha. Anyways, here is some more information for the curious...
Here is the adorable blurb my pred wrote about it; "Nestled in the heart of Nishi-Yaizu, this centrally located two-bedroom apartment sits only a two-minute walk to the nearest train station and is within close walking distance to work, supermarkets, and other stores-- you'll be the envy of every ALT in the area! With magnificent urban views (aka other apartment buildings), the apartment features two bedrooms upstairs and a practical kitchen, living area, bathroom, and toilet downstairs. The apartment comes fully-furnished with arrangements for the purchase of furnishings to be negotiated with the current tenant."
Fuck. yeah.
She's selling me the apartment for around ¥45,000 which is quite fair. It has a couch, and actual BED, four futons, tons of amaneities... she bought it from her pred for nearly double that, so she's giving me a great deal. This way I don't have to deal with buying stuff when I first get there. She's also made it nicer, since boys lived there before and well... sorry boys... you're smelly and messy. I'm pretty sure I'm going to take her up on it. Everything seems in great condition and we've talked a lot so I do trust her, which is always good, some people have terrible predecessors. Once again, I got truly lucky and I canot be thankful enough for that.
And to top this all off, my rent for the month? $183!!!! I live in the city and that is all I pay !!! I am only five minutes by bike from my school or an eight minute walk, and I'm two minutes from the train station, fifteen from the Shinkansen. Fucking awesome. There's another ALT in Yaizu, so that is pretty cool too, he's actually quite sweet and we shall hve fun together I imagine. There's two ALTs in Fujieda that are a couple as well as a few private company teachers around Yaizu and Fujieda (not to mention Shizuoka-shi is right there), so least to say I will have a great support group once I get there.
Least to say I am so stoke... I'm so stoked I'm using the word stoked.
4:13 AM
Please comment! ♥