Orientation - the Good and the Bad
Hannah here with our first blog post from Japan!
To start this thing off I wanted to talk a little about the JET orientation process. We flew into Narita Airport, and the JET staff were with us every step of the way to get us off the plane, through customs and immigration, to baggage claim, and finally out onto a bus where we loaded things up and headed out to the hotel where we would be having orientation. It was still a little stressful, but it was good that the JET support staff were everywhere. The one issue we had was that Ben was there. Because we were all being ushered along, Ben got taken along for the ride, and when I was going to get on the bus, we had to explain that while Ben was with me and a dependent, he wasn't going to the hotel as he was booked at a different hotel. Then he had to make his way back into the airport and to a train to get on his way. It ended up being hard for Ben to find his way to the hotel, and navigate Tokyo with no Japanese knowledge over the next couple days. In the end we wished he had been able to stay with me at the orientation hotel, but we couldn't have afforded it. That's just something to keep in mind for other people bringing spouses. If your spouse isn't staying with you and doesn't know Japanese, they might have a hard time and start off on the wrong foot in Japan.
Anyway, the bus ride to the hotel, in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo, was about an hour, and finally we ended at the Keio Plaza Hotel. It was super fancy but I couldn't really appreciate it because of jetlag. Which continued to haunt me throughout the orientation and into my first couple days of work (5:30am wake up call? Sure, why not. Thanks body)
So, about the orientation. We went from seminar to seminar, learning about being an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) and learning how to become accustomed to Japan. Lots of the information was useful, especially for people like me with no teaching experience, but the main thing I learned was this: Every Situation Is Different, or ESID. This is the motto for JETs, which I've read on the internet, but it wasn't until now that I truly understood it. For example, we had a seminar on manners that told us how conservative the Japanese people are and that they rarely show emotion. I haven't experienced that at all. In fact, most of the people I have met are very expressive, particularly with their facial expressions. This may not be the norm, but that's my situation. Another example is regarding clothes. Lets face it, fashion in America and other Western countries does not line up with the fashion of Japan. Low-cut shirts and sleeveless tops are pretty common in America, but not so in Japan. I was concerned about this and tried to adapt my wardrobe as best I could, but I couldn't avoid some of those potentially problematic items. Thankfully, people in my town know that I'm a foreigner (as if it wasn't obvious just by looking at me!), so they don't expect me to be perfectly in sync with Japanese customs. While everyone else is wearing black and white (or occasionally blue) I'm walking around in a grey, burgundy, green, brown, whatever color I want. And it's not a problem.
Some schools, and some towns, in Japan may be more on the conservative side. Maybe you'll be expected to adapt your wardrobe or other things which seem strange to a foreigner. But the bottom line is don't get freaked out about adapting. Most people, especially in areas that have had JETs or other ALTs for a while, know what to expect from foreigners, and they're ok with it. If you're worried about something, ask a Japanese Teacher of English (JTE) or your supervisor. They've dealt with foreigners, especially those in the position of ALT, before and are happy to help. At least they are in my area.
My next blog will be a little info on the school system of Japan, so look forward to that informative entry in our adventures in Japan!
To start this thing off I wanted to talk a little about the JET orientation process. We flew into Narita Airport, and the JET staff were with us every step of the way to get us off the plane, through customs and immigration, to baggage claim, and finally out onto a bus where we loaded things up and headed out to the hotel where we would be having orientation. It was still a little stressful, but it was good that the JET support staff were everywhere. The one issue we had was that Ben was there. Because we were all being ushered along, Ben got taken along for the ride, and when I was going to get on the bus, we had to explain that while Ben was with me and a dependent, he wasn't going to the hotel as he was booked at a different hotel. Then he had to make his way back into the airport and to a train to get on his way. It ended up being hard for Ben to find his way to the hotel, and navigate Tokyo with no Japanese knowledge over the next couple days. In the end we wished he had been able to stay with me at the orientation hotel, but we couldn't have afforded it. That's just something to keep in mind for other people bringing spouses. If your spouse isn't staying with you and doesn't know Japanese, they might have a hard time and start off on the wrong foot in Japan.
Anyway, the bus ride to the hotel, in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo, was about an hour, and finally we ended at the Keio Plaza Hotel. It was super fancy but I couldn't really appreciate it because of jetlag. Which continued to haunt me throughout the orientation and into my first couple days of work (5:30am wake up call? Sure, why not. Thanks body)
So, about the orientation. We went from seminar to seminar, learning about being an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) and learning how to become accustomed to Japan. Lots of the information was useful, especially for people like me with no teaching experience, but the main thing I learned was this: Every Situation Is Different, or ESID. This is the motto for JETs, which I've read on the internet, but it wasn't until now that I truly understood it. For example, we had a seminar on manners that told us how conservative the Japanese people are and that they rarely show emotion. I haven't experienced that at all. In fact, most of the people I have met are very expressive, particularly with their facial expressions. This may not be the norm, but that's my situation. Another example is regarding clothes. Lets face it, fashion in America and other Western countries does not line up with the fashion of Japan. Low-cut shirts and sleeveless tops are pretty common in America, but not so in Japan. I was concerned about this and tried to adapt my wardrobe as best I could, but I couldn't avoid some of those potentially problematic items. Thankfully, people in my town know that I'm a foreigner (as if it wasn't obvious just by looking at me!), so they don't expect me to be perfectly in sync with Japanese customs. While everyone else is wearing black and white (or occasionally blue) I'm walking around in a grey, burgundy, green, brown, whatever color I want. And it's not a problem.
Some schools, and some towns, in Japan may be more on the conservative side. Maybe you'll be expected to adapt your wardrobe or other things which seem strange to a foreigner. But the bottom line is don't get freaked out about adapting. Most people, especially in areas that have had JETs or other ALTs for a while, know what to expect from foreigners, and they're ok with it. If you're worried about something, ask a Japanese Teacher of English (JTE) or your supervisor. They've dealt with foreigners, especially those in the position of ALT, before and are happy to help. At least they are in my area.
My next blog will be a little info on the school system of Japan, so look forward to that informative entry in our adventures in Japan!
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