August 3 - Wednesday. Travelled to Mie-ken from Tokyo by train. The train ride was spent mostly talking to a Canadian girl called Gloria. She said she liked the Singaporean accent cos it is so interesting. LOL. Tsu, the main city of Mie, is a lovely place. Met Tanimoto-sensei (guy) and Sanba-sensei at the Prefectural Board of Education, and Tanimoto-sensei drove us the 50+ km to Nabari city where I will live, God Willing, for the next year or so. Got my hanko! An official chop/stamp with my first name, Eunice, in katakana. lol. They pronounce Eunice like this: Yoo-i-ni-su. Tanimoto-sensei and Sanba-sensei are very nice people. Tanimoto-sensei is about 40 years old, is married and has 2 kids. He's a rather good-looking fellow, and Sanba-sensei is young, just out of university, and very pleasant. She has been taking care of me these past few days.
Went to Nabari City Hall to get my foreign talent card lol. Then went to school where I met the Vice-Principal, Kisawa-sensei, who used to teach English. He has a really kingly sounding voice. Deep, formal and well-modulated. I could listen to him talk for ages. After that, we went to my apartment where Tanimoto-sensei tried to fix my Internet, but to no avail.
Tanimoto-sensei treated Sanba-sensei and I to dinner. I ate COLD mentaiko soba - delicious!!!
The next day, on Thursday, 4 August, the staff of Nabari High had to go for a medical checkup. Met so many sensei, had to remember their names, in addition to getting your blood drawn, and peeing in a cup. It was such a strange and rather awkward way to get to know people. Then we went back to school, and I toured the school and talked to teachers while Sanba-sensei had to teach a class. After that, Sanba-sensei and Rika-sensei took me out to lunch at a fantastic little restaurant.. My tempura set cost only 882 yen! And it had dessert, sides, and tea at the end of it all. Loads of rice. Apparently the Japanese eat so much rice because they walk a lot. Which is bad for me cos I don't eat a lot of rice.
Milk pudding for dessert! Yummiest pudding I ever tasted.
The green outside the restaurant.
Left: Sanba-sensei, then Rika-sensei
After lunch Sanba-sensei took me to the Hyakugo (105) Bank to make a bank account, then to the supermarket where I bought some things. Headed home where she helped me to put together a fan I bought. Ate Maggi Mee for dinner. Curry flavor... mmmmmm
On Friday, it was a full work day. Went to school, talked to teachers, did up my self-introduction powerpoint, talked to more teachers... haha, you get the drift.
My hanko stamp. Read from left to right, then down to the second row, left to right again.Yoo - i - ni - su.
Finally discovered whatsapp. I have my life back now. LOL. Ja ne!
Jia you Eunice! : )
ReplyDeleteJust curious if you ever met one of the elementary school ALT's in Nabari. I was one before you got there. I think it was an utterly different situation than the jr. or sr. high ALT positions.
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