Living it up!

It has been over a week since I have written a blog post. Sorry for the delay! I have been very busy lately! I have only a week and a half to go before I move to Japan and three days until I move out of my apartment. You may think I've been busy packing but you would be wrong. I have been busy trying to get in a lot of "last" things before I leave. Here's a sample of what I've been up to:
~directed a play
~got my Visa
~Went to my best friends birthday party (maybe my "last time" bowling)
~Got a hair cut

Isn't it cute?!

~Went to a Cubs game

Wrigley Field is the BEST!

~Saw Glee in concert

My friends and I before the concert

~ Saw a comedian in Chicago (Joel McHale)

Outside the Chicago Theater

~Went camping with some of my best friends

Making dinner: camping style

And that's just a sampling of what I've been up to! I really have been living it up lately! Now I just need to pack up everything I own. Yikes! I'll let you know how that goes in my next post.

Packing woes

This weekend was the first time that I stopped and really realized how close this is all coming up on me! I have a ton of things to pack and do before I have to leave! One of the main things that I still have to take care of is shopping. I was told that I have to get a years supply of some basic toiletries. For example, I need deodorant because in Japan they don't really sell antiperspirant. They believe it can give you cancer. SO I have to get a years supply of it. Same with toothpaste. It's not formulated the same so I need it. Also on the list are: make-up, vitamins, and contact solution. I also have some items to get that are not toiletries. These include: socks, nylons, barrettes, outlet converters, and underwear.
On the plus side, I heard back from my school! I got a quick e-mail from the lady who has my job right now. She just basically asked me if I had any questions and I bombarded her! Well, actually, I only had two big questions about what to bring and if I have Western style furniture in the apartment. I did learn that my apartment has a microwave which is a big score since most pre-furnished apartments don't.
My apartment in the states is coming along but I still have a whole bunch of boxes to stuff before I can move some furniture out of here. Expect to hear about nothing but packing for the next couple of posts!

Letter to Japan

I was told that I should send a polite letter to my school about one month before I leave. I sat at my computer for hours wondering what to write and what to say. I had no idea where to start or what to write. Luckily, I had a phone conference with my company later that day. I asked what to write and they told me it should be simple and to the point. I should say, I'm still not satisfied with how it came out BUT I had to get it sent off. By the way, it only cost me 98 cents for me to send a letter to Japan! I didn't know it was that cheap! I can give you my address if you want to send me real mail while in Japan since it is so inexpensive :) Anyway, here's the letter:

Dear Honatsugi Amity Staff,

Hello! My name is Heather Reusz and I will be joining your team as the new native English teacher starting in July. I am very excited to be coming to Japan. It has been a dream of mine to see your beautiful country and experience your unique culture.

I live around Chicago, Illinois in a town called Downers Grove. I am a teacher. I have been teaching 8^th grade (13-14 years old) Public Speaking for two years. I enjoy theater, reading, singing, and learning about history. I love working with kids and especially love teaching them new things. I am very outgoing and energetic. I always like to come prepared with a positive attitude anywhere I go.

                I really look forward to joining your staff and meeting you all. I hope to be an asset to Honatsugi Amity and help reach our goals.

                If you wish to write back to me my e-mail address is hreusz@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

Heather Reusz

I'll let you all know when I get a reply!

One down!

Feels like all that I have been doing lately is packing, packing, packing. However, I have made progress! I have one suitcase all packed and ready to fly to Japan. For my flight, I get two large checked bags and then two check-on bags. My whole life for a year has to be contained in these bags. This is a pretty daunting task when you think about it. It has been pretty hard trying to decide what comes and what stays. Stay tuned for a packing list once I finally figure out what else needs to be packed. The completed suitcase holds all of my winter/fall apparel. Basically, everything that I own that has long sleeves. This (impressively) includes my winter coat and boots!

Looks small!

But everything is in there!

One month!

One month from today I will be landing in Osaka, Japan! Wow, I can't even believe it...I feel like there is so much to do before I leave. My main concern is being able to have the time to pack up and move out of my apartment. I also have a lot of shopping to do! I have to get one or two more suits as well as toiletries. Did you know that in Japan you can't find anti-antiperspirant? They believe it causes cancer. So I have to go out and buy a years supply of deodorant as well as make-up, toothpaste, vitamins, contact solution, etc.

Today, I was determined to get something done so I hopped a train to Chicago and took a visit to the Japanese Consulate to get my work visa! I can't send them my passport so I had to visit it myself. They said it will be ready by Friday although I may have to wait until sometime next week to pick it up. I made a whole day out of it and hung out in Chicago with one of my brothers and sister. We stopped at my Aunts house and had a blast! Hopefully this next month won't fly by too fast!

The First Goodbye

I feel overwhelmed with the amount of packing up and moving that I am going to have to do in the next couple of weeks. I have to move out of my apartment, unpack and then repack for Japan, and clean everything out of my classroom. The last of these is what I have been working on ALL week last week. It is amazing the amount of stuff that I accumulated over just two years being at my school.

This is my desk looking CLEAN

This is, in essence, the very first goodbye that I'm going to have to say before I leave on July 8th. It was so bittersweet packing up everything in my classroom. On the one hand, I am VERY ready for summer and of course I am beyond excited to be following my dreams to live in Japan. On the other hand, this school is the first place I had a job. There are so many memories that I hold here and so many bonds that I have created with other teachers and students. I learned here, grew here, became a better person here. So, I leave with fondness in my heart for my school. Through all the good times and bad, I appreciate what the people and school have done for me.
Goodbye YMS. Know that you will be missed.
P.S.-My kids are "Promoted" (graduation basically) tomorrow night. I'm going to try really hard not to cry but I can't promise anything :p

I teach Communications (Public Speaking) so I made the kids come up with ways they can use their words to affect others

My epic Read posters. Signed by Alex Ross.

Bulletin Boards!

The class expectations as interpreted by my students

All the students who receive one of the top four grades in their class for a speech get to put their names on the Great Speeches Board.

How to get a job teaching in Japan

This is a combined story of how I found, well rather stumbled upon my job, as well as helpful advice for those who want to find a job of their own!

Step 1: Google it!
 Seriously, this is how it all began for me. I knew I wanted to do this so I googled teaching English in Japan. You will see LOTS of options. YOU DO NOT NEED A TEFL. IGNORE THOSE LINKS.

Step 2: Research, research, research.
Explore all your options. I would recommend going through the JET program, an English conversation school, or a reliable publication like Ohayo Sensei which lists teaching jobs. Search out reputations of schools and areas. BE WARNED: Every school and program has some haters. Look for the one with the least. I chose a conversation school.

Step 3: Build a good resume and cover letter
Make sure you state clearly and concisely why you want to go to Japan and what qualifies you. Don't have teaching experience?  Doesn't matter. Find the qualities in your past jobs that make you a good candidate like flexibility, patience, and team work. Also, be honest. If you want to go to Japan because you like anime, that's fine just put it in a mature way. My cover letter stated that my interest in Japanese culture started with anime but grew.

Step 4: Apply in a timely manner!
Time is very important in Japan. Sometimes they do not even look at your application if you apply even 3-4 days before the deadline. Get it in at least a week before the deadline if not sooner!

Interview Process:
1. Smile!
First impressions matter and they want to know that you are friendly.

2. Brush up on your grammar and spelling.
There WILL be a quiz. I'm not kidding. I had to take two quizzes at my interview. I thought I failed. Apparently I didn't but I stressed about it all day.

3. Find something that makes you stand out...
but not too much! I learned this the hard way. I wore a red suit jacket thinking it was striking but still professional and memorable. The recruiters made about 5 comments about how my suit jacket was too bright and colorful by Japanese standards...Find something like an elegant piece of jewelry or tie that is unique but not loud. Remember: the Japanese are very keen on hygiene so look your absolute best.

4. Sample lesson? Act like a fool.
They want the lesson to be interactive and fun so go ahead and have a silly hat or make the students stand up and move, dance, sing, whatever! I did a lesson on the words "right, left, forward, backward" and had my whole group moving as I told them the direction and then dance.

5. Be active.
Take notes to show your interest. In a group interview setting, participate in other candidates lessons'.

6. Be open.
Show them that you are willing to try anything!

That's the best advice I can give you. Good luck!