So I decided to post the difference between my Christmas In Japan compared to my normal one at home. In Kawauchi I was prepared to be spending it alone. I mean It's a family holiday in the US so I didn't want to intrude on my Boyfriends family..as we had only been together for a few weeks, and my adoptive family hadn't said anything about my coming over. It was a depressing thought, but I was thinking I would have the internet to keep me company. Turns out Christmas in Japan is NOT a family holiday....the way I came to understand they celebrate is with dinner like normal, and then cake...or young people spend the holiday planning dates with their boyfriend/girlfriend. So Masa called to have me pick him up...AGAIN!!..we were back at my apartment for maybe a half hour when Hiroko and Ken my adoptive parents called asking if I wanted to come over for dinner. So Masa and I went over and had dinner and spent several hours just hanging out at their house. It was great, so much better than me pathetically alone watching Drama TV shows at my apartment. I didn't take any picture unfortunately...but I guess it would be pretty normal ones of the 4 of us sitting at the table with food. I missed not being with my actual family, but had a great time! I had my mom keep m presents at home...seemed a waste to have them mailed to me only to have to struggle to fit them in my suitcase when I returned home.
In comparison Christmas in back home...as I said...is a family holiday. My family decided to do Christmas with my Dad's extended family. Which this year gathered first at my cousin's house for appitizers and then my aunt's for dinner and present opening on Christmas Eve. I got out of work in time to make it for appitizers, but waited for my brother-in-law to get out of work in order to drive together. We thought 3 cars was a little excessive...my sister works in the town that my cousin and aunt live....so I didn't end up getting to the party until it had already moved to my aunt's house. This side of my family is quite large, over half of my cousins were missing and we still had over 20 people gathered. By the time dinner was ready everyone had had a fair amount of time to get hungry...and we all practically pounced on the food!! and then chatted and kept eating for a while. Lots of fun and my aunt's ham was DELICIOUS!!
Once it was universally decided that we were done eating my cousin's kids couldn't stop themselves from insisiting on opening presents. So we all caved and gave them theirs....but that wasn't good enough for them..there were still a ton of gifts under the tree they wanted open! So the adults gathered around and played our dispersal game. Basically everyone brings one present for a general girl/guy (whichever you are) and they all go under the tree. Based on a number you order you go and pick a present from under the tree that is your gender and you open it...or if you liked a present someone else opened you can steal their gift...in which case they can get up and open a new present or steal from someone else...repeat procedure until all present are opened! It's a lot of fun. I originally got a set of 10 different clinique eye shadows, but my cousin snatched it from me. I took her sister's blanket instead and she went in the middle and opened the last present..thus ending the game. Worked out ok, I had most of those colors anyways (clinique is my favorite makeup ever!) and I love blankets!
Once the gift exchange was over we basically just chilled on the different chairs and couch drinking and talking for several hours until everyone was getting sleepy. My parents, grandmother and I headed to my grandmothers house and went to bed. Christmas morning started at around 9 for me...most of the fam was up already. we did the close family present exchange and then my grandmother made breakfast. I got a nook for Christmas!! love it. I use it daily. And my sister and brother-in-law gave me a new luggage set. I killed the last set in Tokyo because of how heavy it was. I really needed that, so good job sis~!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Being Brave
So I just pulled a very risky manuver that is scaring the crap out of me right now. Having been hired at PKC for the last couple of weeks has been a sigh of relief about my employment in Japan. I am really starting to hate my life when I wake up and have to go to my job here. Getting into the February training session seemed like a Godsend.
Until of course last week when I got an email from a school I applied for back in October for a Hoikuen (Nursery School) opening they had. By the time they recieved my application they had already filled the post (reason they haven't been mentioned before), but apparently kept my application on file. The email I got last week said they had an opening at their Yochien (Kindergaten) and asked if I was interested in interviewing for the position. Back in October they were my absolute favorite school I had sent my resume to and was devistated when they had already filled the post before I could have even been concidered. Needless to say my heart plummitted when I realized they had yet another opening, but I was already committed to working somewhere else. I did tell them I wanted the interview thou. I mean, come on what were the chances that I would actually get the job against the hundreds that probably applied? Pretty good apparenty. Within a few hours of my Skype interview (which I thought I had bombed) I got an official job offer in my email. Yay for me right?! Not exactly...PKC already has a signed contract and all my paperwork. I also think they have started my Certificate for Eligibility proccessing for my Instructor Visa, which adds a whole new dimention of complications since I want to go with the new school.
After having talked with my new roommate, and friends from Japan I realized I had to tell PKC I couldn't work for them right away. I spent over an hour composing the email to deliver my bad news. I have no idea what kind of chaos this is going to cause. Hopefully I hear back from Donna this weekend and I can tell my "YIPPEEE I WAS HIRED" school that yes I accept their job offer, on Monday. I will have the same teachers and students I will see on a daily basis all year long. I am so excited. Plus it's Yochien...my oldest students are going to be 5!!! So impressionable and full of energy. I can't wait. It only starts 2 weeks after PKC so I can have an extra week of time with my family, and then be able to fit in Taiwan. I was worried with Visa processing taking so long I would have to skip Taiwan until an extended holiday sometime. Now as long as I can re-submit my paperwork fast enough it wont be an issue.
On a side note, because of the interview (I had completely forgotten about it) I didn't go home on Wednesday. My friend I hope will forgive me. Though we already made plans to get together next weekend instead. When I will have time to spend a few days instead of hours at home. I tried going to see Tangled with a guy friend of mine here in Petoskey....it almost worked. We were going to the noon showing since he had to be to work at 2. We pull into the theater parking lot to see a school bus. Ominous music *figuratively* started playing. I optimistically suggested they might be there for Megamind or the latest Harry Potter movie. But of course no such luck...all 40 kids were in Tangled. Which still might have been ok...except we learned they were 40 handicapped students. Now no hate mail for that comment. I applaud them, and have more simpathy for them than the average person, but they are not known to be the quietest people on the planet. With that many in one room we were bound to have at least one screamer. So we nixed that idea and wandered Walmart and a few other stores trying to run down the clock till he had to go to work.
After we parted ways, I went to go run my errands that were an additional part to my cancelling on the drive back to Muskegon. When I got to the bank I realized I had forgotten my check book, it threw me off so bad I drove back to my new house and completely forgot about the rest of my errands until like 7pm...way past the time they all had closed. Ahhh well...most of them involved stuff for PKC so I guess it all turned out ok!
Until of course last week when I got an email from a school I applied for back in October for a Hoikuen (Nursery School) opening they had. By the time they recieved my application they had already filled the post (reason they haven't been mentioned before), but apparently kept my application on file. The email I got last week said they had an opening at their Yochien (Kindergaten) and asked if I was interested in interviewing for the position. Back in October they were my absolute favorite school I had sent my resume to and was devistated when they had already filled the post before I could have even been concidered. Needless to say my heart plummitted when I realized they had yet another opening, but I was already committed to working somewhere else. I did tell them I wanted the interview thou. I mean, come on what were the chances that I would actually get the job against the hundreds that probably applied? Pretty good apparenty. Within a few hours of my Skype interview (which I thought I had bombed) I got an official job offer in my email. Yay for me right?! Not exactly...PKC already has a signed contract and all my paperwork. I also think they have started my Certificate for Eligibility proccessing for my Instructor Visa, which adds a whole new dimention of complications since I want to go with the new school.
After having talked with my new roommate, and friends from Japan I realized I had to tell PKC I couldn't work for them right away. I spent over an hour composing the email to deliver my bad news. I have no idea what kind of chaos this is going to cause. Hopefully I hear back from Donna this weekend and I can tell my "YIPPEEE I WAS HIRED" school that yes I accept their job offer, on Monday. I will have the same teachers and students I will see on a daily basis all year long. I am so excited. Plus it's Yochien...my oldest students are going to be 5!!! So impressionable and full of energy. I can't wait. It only starts 2 weeks after PKC so I can have an extra week of time with my family, and then be able to fit in Taiwan. I was worried with Visa processing taking so long I would have to skip Taiwan until an extended holiday sometime. Now as long as I can re-submit my paperwork fast enough it wont be an issue.
On a side note, because of the interview (I had completely forgotten about it) I didn't go home on Wednesday. My friend I hope will forgive me. Though we already made plans to get together next weekend instead. When I will have time to spend a few days instead of hours at home. I tried going to see Tangled with a guy friend of mine here in Petoskey....it almost worked. We were going to the noon showing since he had to be to work at 2. We pull into the theater parking lot to see a school bus. Ominous music *figuratively* started playing. I optimistically suggested they might be there for Megamind or the latest Harry Potter movie. But of course no such luck...all 40 kids were in Tangled. Which still might have been ok...except we learned they were 40 handicapped students. Now no hate mail for that comment. I applaud them, and have more simpathy for them than the average person, but they are not known to be the quietest people on the planet. With that many in one room we were bound to have at least one screamer. So we nixed that idea and wandered Walmart and a few other stores trying to run down the clock till he had to go to work.
After we parted ways, I went to go run my errands that were an additional part to my cancelling on the drive back to Muskegon. When I got to the bank I realized I had forgotten my check book, it threw me off so bad I drove back to my new house and completely forgot about the rest of my errands until like 7pm...way past the time they all had closed. Ahhh well...most of them involved stuff for PKC so I guess it all turned out ok!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
my life...updating
So not a lot has been happening with me in reguards to Japan so I haven't written anything in a little while. I got word from Donna a while ago that the February session had been filled. She put me at the top of the list, but I wasn't really holding out for it. Thus, my lack of enthusiasm to get on and blog about my life. But YAY! lucky me, Donna just e-mailed me this morning and gave me the news that a spot had opened up! So off I go with the rest of the people I met and interviewed with a few weeks ago!! I informed my boss today also that my last day would now be February 1st, insteady of sometime in April. I get to resign a whole 2 months early ^^ They were a little depressed, but I think they were happy for me. Hope you all are too, it means I get to go on my next adventure in just 2 months! I'm SOOO excited! Can you tell?!? Now all I need to do is go get a background check, and a medical check up. Simple right?!
So now that I am back I should go and appraise you all of what has been happening in my life recently. Thanksgiving was fantastic, I did only have Thursday off so I couldn't go too far. I ended up driving down to my Aunt's house had had dinner with my Stepfather, Grandmother, Aunt and Uncle, 2 cousins (their daughter's) a cousin-in-law and then their 2 kids. Dinner was delicious, I am a good cook, but they kept booting me out of the kitchen. Made me sad, so I kept my little cousins busy by letting them use my drawing pencils and we made lots of drawings together. Wasn't my best work, but as I was working with a 4 and 6 year old I think I can handle that. They have time to get better!! Speaking of drawing, I am getting really close to finishing my latest drawing. Thanks to them I was working on it for hours. I'm making it my mission to have it done before I leave.
I moved in with a nice older lady till I go to Japan yesterday. She smokes and has 5 cats, it's kind of a bother, but nothing I can't handle for 2 months. I had to move out of my sister's house last week Monday. It's been about a year and a half since I started living with her and her fiance (now husband), over the last couple of months they'v been treating me weird...it's been making me feel they didn't want me around anymore. I completely understand, but wish they would have just came out and told me. We ended up getting in a huge fight and I stayed at my friends for the week. On top of that this past weekend was the downtown open house for Petoskey. Basically on big party in the entire town. Caroling, bonfires, drinking, and big shopping discounts! Tons of fun, my bosses throw a HUGE pre and post downtown openhouse party. Since they own a hotel most of their friends stayed the night....it went on past 3am this year. All day Thursday I was helping them prepare for it.....
I had the weekend off finally, I went home to visit my parents with the sister fight and crashing at my friend's grandparent's house for a week I really needed it. That was the first time I went home since my best friend's wedding back in Septemeber...which kept me extremely busy and hardly even saw them. Going home was wonderful. I tried meeting up with tmy friend on Saturday night for her birthday..she ended up having to work LITTERALLY all day, so I'm going back down tomorrow night and spending Thursday with her. It's my day off this week. 3 hours each way is going to be a pain, but should be worth it. We are planning on going to see the Repunzel movie: Tangled. It looks awesome, her husband wont see it with her. Then it's back to Petoskey Thursday night for work Friday morning.
So now that I am back I should go and appraise you all of what has been happening in my life recently. Thanksgiving was fantastic, I did only have Thursday off so I couldn't go too far. I ended up driving down to my Aunt's house had had dinner with my Stepfather, Grandmother, Aunt and Uncle, 2 cousins (their daughter's) a cousin-in-law and then their 2 kids. Dinner was delicious, I am a good cook, but they kept booting me out of the kitchen. Made me sad, so I kept my little cousins busy by letting them use my drawing pencils and we made lots of drawings together. Wasn't my best work, but as I was working with a 4 and 6 year old I think I can handle that. They have time to get better!! Speaking of drawing, I am getting really close to finishing my latest drawing. Thanks to them I was working on it for hours. I'm making it my mission to have it done before I leave.
I moved in with a nice older lady till I go to Japan yesterday. She smokes and has 5 cats, it's kind of a bother, but nothing I can't handle for 2 months. I had to move out of my sister's house last week Monday. It's been about a year and a half since I started living with her and her fiance (now husband), over the last couple of months they'v been treating me weird...it's been making me feel they didn't want me around anymore. I completely understand, but wish they would have just came out and told me. We ended up getting in a huge fight and I stayed at my friends for the week. On top of that this past weekend was the downtown open house for Petoskey. Basically on big party in the entire town. Caroling, bonfires, drinking, and big shopping discounts! Tons of fun, my bosses throw a HUGE pre and post downtown openhouse party. Since they own a hotel most of their friends stayed the night....it went on past 3am this year. All day Thursday I was helping them prepare for it.....
Look what I got paid to do for 3 hours!! Make cookies!!
I had the weekend off finally, I went home to visit my parents with the sister fight and crashing at my friend's grandparent's house for a week I really needed it. That was the first time I went home since my best friend's wedding back in Septemeber...which kept me extremely busy and hardly even saw them. Going home was wonderful. I tried meeting up with tmy friend on Saturday night for her birthday..she ended up having to work LITTERALLY all day, so I'm going back down tomorrow night and spending Thursday with her. It's my day off this week. 3 hours each way is going to be a pain, but should be worth it. We are planning on going to see the Repunzel movie: Tangled. It looks awesome, her husband wont see it with her. Then it's back to Petoskey Thursday night for work Friday morning.
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