Finally have a bit of time to breathe.
And way too much to say.
Summary:
--Training was stupid (and hellish for most people-mostly stupid, though).
--I moved to a new place full of nice people who want nothing more than to make sure I 1) don't die and 2) find whatever I'm looking for even if it means them walking me a mile to get there.
--My room is a mess.
--I started work.
Let me just focus on the work bit, because I assume no one cares about training as entertaining a story that could make. We had been warned, on multiple occasions about the terror that is the teacher's room in Japan. Especially of the overworked teacher's room in junior high schools. But -and this may come back to bite me- I've found everyone incredibly personable and super accommodating. Perhaps more so than some of the places I've worked in the US. Most of the people have gone out of their way to talk to me likely because I looked like a quivering, terrified mess. Because I was a quivering, terrified mess with a sinus infection. It is very, very hard to be genki when you haven't slept in three days and it hurts to talk and why don't they heat the school, jesus christ!? My kyoto-sensei got in touch with my company to say that she was concerned because I looked tired. This may have been a passive-agressive Japanese thing, but I think she may have just been legitimately concerned. So, I made a doctor's appointment which I later tried (and failed) to cancel. And because arrangements had to be made for me to be picked up after school, the whole teacher's room found out about it. Because they just shout across the room. That, and laryngitis is hard to overlook when it's awkwardly whispering in your face in a sad combination of Japanese and English.
Speaking of my lackluster language ability, they think that it is the greatest thing ever when I speak any Japanese at all. At all. Period. They find me absolutely fucking adorable. Which is weird, because I am not adorable. I suffer with occasional bitchface/derpface. We had to memorize certain greetings before we arrived at our schools so we could awkwardly try to fit in (there is no way an ALT will fit in with the teachers). So, I tried my damnedest to use these phrases. The room all but exploded in to "d'aws". Seriously, guys? I said "good morning". All joking aside, I love this school. One of the teachers tried to talk to me for a good ten minutes. She asked if I was lonely or homesick and all sorts of fun things that I couldn't really make out. Then she gave me a hug. I feel this is somehow monumental, because a Japanese person gave me a hug the day after I met her. We are besties now (note: this is hopeful exaggeration).
Still, Japanese schools are terrifying. Welcome back ceremony and entrance ceremony were like a military procession where you don't understand what's being said and if the kids slouch, someone will come up behind them and hold their head up for a minute. And first years will pass out at their entrance ceremony. It is a thing that will probably happen. I just copied what the teachers around me were doing and tried to hide in the back. And bowed often even though bowing is very, very strange for me. I don't think I'll ever get the hang of it.
This is going to be tough. I like it.
