Preparing for Year 2

Now that the final weeks of my first contracting year are coming to a close, I'm making preparations for my second year. Normally for JETs, nothing would really change for the second year, but as you all know, my girlfriend Kristin managed to secure a legendary JET Program transfer and will be moving to Aomori within a month. For those who are unaware, you can inform yourself of the situation here. Her presence alone will COMPLETELY change my experience and living situation here. While I believe things will get much better, it will also get a bit more complicated.

First, we're planning on living together. However, since Kristin is supposed to be replacing another ALT, there will suddenly be a vacant apartment. Since the apartment being vacated is bigger than the one I'm in now, I'm planning to move over there and vacate my current residence. It'll be a pain to move all my stuff, and I'll miss being right next to my Tenrikyou neighbors and their kids, but I think the bigger place and the location close to the other JETs will be a positive change.

Since I'm changing residences, I get to go through the hassle of setting up utilities and changing my address on all my billing accounts. This year, at least, I'm planning to have internet set up instead of just tethering off my phone all the time. I also get to inherit a bunch of stuff from the person who is leaving, like her big bed, her oven (a real oven!), more kerosene heaters, and other little things to make life a little easier.

I'm also planning to buy her car, so that will be the biggest change of all. It's more responsibility, but it'll be nice to have the freedom of car ownership again, especially since biking is impossible for a whole half a year in this part of the country. The car means we can do a lot more travel within the prefecture (or even Hokkaido!), buy some bigger things without worrying about how to lug it home, and go skiing and snowboarding during the winter. Honestly, I'm really looking forward to the opportunities this will open up.

Soon-to-be my car: Suzuki Jimny

Only time will tell what kinds of real changes Kristin's move will bring to my life here in Aomori. All I know is that my second year is going to be completely different from my first year, and I welcome the change-up. That's all for now! See you next time!

School Field Trip

Every spring, the most senior year of middle and elementary schools goes on a field trip, called 修学旅行 shugakuryokou. The elementary schools in this area go to Hakodate in Hokkaido. The middle schools go to Tokyo.

Going to the school field trip has always been a dream of mine. On the day the kids were leaving, I pulled up to school on my bike and noticed the convoy of buses in the driveway. I dismounted and walked up to the last few students who hadn't boarded yet. They asked, "Are you coming too?" I could only reply, "I wish, buddy. I want to." The teachers jokingly tried to convince one of the students to trade places with me, but there was no chance that I could tag along with them.

Even though I couldn't go experience the trip with them, I was still there to hear about it when they got back. The went to a whole bunch of places, like Disneyland, Tokyo Sky Tree, Asakusa, Odaiba, and Harajuku. I felt like I missed out a bit, but I had already gone to most of those places during winter break (except Disneyland).

The English textbooks are timed exactly so there is a "reflecting on a past event" lesson right after they get back from the trip, and this was a chance for me to read exactly what they did. This, of course, was also a chance for me to laugh at some of the crazy things they write:

As bad as I felt for being left out of spending time with my third graders, one of the girls (the one that's obsessed with English music) came up to me after class and handed me an omiyage (something like a souvenir) in a plastic bag. I opened it when I got back to the teachers room to find a rubber ducky with my name on it! Not only that, but my name is spelled correctly! Awww how cute is that??

Anyways, that's all for this time! Sorry I haven't posted in a long time. I just figured I'd write something to fill the space between last post and my big exciting upcoming trip to Tokyo and Kansai, which I'll be posting about in August. See you then!