I'm writing this three weeks into my journey into Japan as it's been a busy few weeks and I've now had time to reflect on how things have gone so far. Long story short It's been amazing so far, my apartment's in a great location, my schools and students are great (so far) and I've made some good friends.
My journey started with a 6am alarm, followed by breakfast and multiple bag checks to make sure I'd packed everything i needed.
I was then driven to York train station by my dad, met a friend for a coffee and said goodbye as i boarded the 8:23 for Manchester airport. After safely arriving in Manchester Airport i waited for an hour for the Qatar airlines checkin desk to open. A few hours later i boarded the flight which was destined for Doha. I arrived in Doha after a decent flight with a large selection of in flight movies to keep me entertained. I had an hour to change flights, and i managed to get to the boarding gate for my next flight within 25 mins, as the airport is mainly designed for people transferring flights. I then boarded the flight to Shanghai, which was another easy flight. Arriving in Shanghai i went through the routine again and found my checkin desk, went through security and boarded my flight for my final destination, Osaka.
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| My Samsonite suitcase and Minaal backpack. |
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| Doha Airport |
Shanghai Airport
I landed in Osaka at around 9:30pm, I was in a bit of a rush as i knew the subway system in Osaka shut down around 11:30pm and I'd be getting a train into the main station then transferring to another line to get to the hostel where I'd be spending my first night in Japan. I went through immigration and my visa/passport was accepted and i received my Gajin (Foreigner card). I then sped up as it was getting later and i didn't want to miss the last train. After catching my train to Osaka central and dashing about to find my connecting line i made the second to last train to the station where my hostel was located.
Stepping out from the underground station it hit me how hot and humid it was, i was sweating a ridiculous amount after lugging my suitcase about. I found my hostel and checked in and had a well needed shower and change of clothes as I'd set off from home 36 hours before. The next day i got the Shinkansen (Bullet train) to Okayama City. I departed the station into my new city, for at least the next 6 months. I met with the Interac trainers at the meeting point along with another Interac ALT who arrived at the same time. We were taken into the hotel and met up with the other ALTS that were going to be teaching in Okayama.
I won't go into the training into too much detail as i may do a separate post about the training later. The training was essentially a 5 day crash course in teaching English and Japanese culture. It was a good chance to get to know the other ALTS and let friendship groups emerge. Three days into the training i moved into my Leopalace apartment. I was driven to the apartment by one of Interac's English/Japanese speaking employees. Stepping into my apartment was like stepping into a sauna. It was hotter than it was outside i instantly broke into sweat, after putting the air conditioning on for 5 minutes it quickly cooled down, which was a relief. I'd pre ordered a futon so there was one waiting for my in a box ready for me to unpack. There was also a bike ready and waiting for me so i can bike to my schools, and its great for exploring the city.
Sleeping area
Ladder that leads up to sleeping area
Cooking/ Washing machine area/ door to shower
Main room
My bike
When i moved into my apartment there was still two days of training left, so i had to commute into the city for the training. I was amazed when i realised my station was only a 7 minutes walk away from from house and only one stop away from Okayama central, and only takes 3 minutes, i couldn't have wished for a better location. When i got the chance to have a ride about the next night i realised how close i was to the local shops, within 5-10 minutes i was within reach of a huge shopping mall with a supermarket, drug store and a 100 yen store. To get tall the essentials for my apartment i did all my shopping at 100 yen stores, buying everything from school supplies to plates and cutlery.
The next day at training we were given our mobile phones that we'd signed up for and we were also given information about out school schedule, i found I'd be teaching at a junior high school and two Elementary schools. the last day after training we did a summer camp with some first year junior high students, doing a skit and doing some basic games in English.
In my next post I'll be writing about my schools, students and how I've found living in Japan.
Arigatou gozaimasu.
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