Week 1 Down, 14 more Weeks To Go...

Kobe the Kobaton  checking out oranges.

Did you know that I have a website for my classes?   http://eleung.weebly.com/

Week 1 DONE:

• 13.5 hours of in class teaching
• 4.5 hours of English Lounge
• 1.5 hours of meetings
• About 20 hours of planning and grading (Monday-Friday) *I do planning & grading on the weekend too.
• Lunch is usually about 30 minutes most of the week, but I'm usually going over my lesson plan.
• x hours of Coordinator duties

It's a busy schedule, but I get a good amount of time off in between semesters.

October is just around the corner.  The Fall Season is upon us. In Japan they have seasonal menus along with the usual menu. It's nice to see what fall treats they have available, and you can only get it for the season! 

The leaves haven't quite changed colors here... Maybe in November or so, but the leaves are falling...

Last SEMESTER in Japan!

I am more than excited to announce that today was my last first day of teaching at TIU.  It is a bit sad, but overall I think that it is the right move for me. I am looking for teaching jobs in middle school math back on the West Coast. I would love to be near Seattle with my sisters and nephew. California doesn't seem too bad, because of the nice weather... Who knows where I'll end up... Life in a journey... a continuous journey, and I just can't figure out where I can be in one place for an extended period of time. I go through the motions of life, and that could be good and/ or bad. I had two classes today. One was Communication Basic with my International Relations students, and they make me happy. They make me feel good as a teacher. I don't know what it is... maybe because they do their work, and show up before the bell rings? Maybe because they listen and take notes? I'm grateful to have them in my last semester.  My second class was Advanced Listening, which consists of sophomores and juniors.  I think it'll be an engaging class, and I'm looking forward to all the discussions. It shall be very interesting. Tomorrow I'll have three classes!! First will be Introduction to American Society, next will be Basic Writing, and then third will be Advanced Listening. We'll see how it goes!!!

COUNTDOWN: 112 days until the end of Fall Semester & 186 days until I leave Japan.

Posing with my selfie stick. LOL.

First day of My LAST Semester in Japan!!!

Tomorrow is the beginning of Fall Semester.

I had a nice long summer vacation, and now it's time to focus on work. I'm so lucky to have a long vacation... It made me lazy, and not want to work... That would be crazy to not have to work. hahaha.

I love working with youth and with students. It's an interesting balance to have time off and time focused on work...

I have two classes on Mondays. Three classes on Tuesdays. One class on Wednesdays. Two classes on Thursdays. Two classes on Fridays. I have seven different classes. It will be another challenging semester, but I'm looking forward to it. It will go by fast...

What will I do after? So far I'm thinking about moving somewhere on the West coast, specifically in the Seattle area. We'll see.... Who knows where life goes...

Okinawan Adventure

Naminoue Beach, Naha, Okinawa 

REHAB with my fellow Fellows

Cape Maeda

Aharen Beach, Tokashiki Island

はいさい = Hello in Okinawa! (females word)

One week of beaches, swimming, feasting, relaxing, and sunshine!

Okinawa is truly an amazing place to visit. I love love love beaches and sunshine.

I flew on Vanilla Airlines.  It's a small airline company that flies to about 5 places! Naha is one of those places.  Roundtrip was about 17000¥, which is about 170USD.  Not bad at all!!!

There is not a big railway system on the main island (Okinawa Honto). There is a monorail.

Upon arrival we rode the monorail to Asahibashi and then walked to the hotel.

The hotel was near Naminoue Beach, Kokusai Dori, AND suprisingly the Redlight District. :O

oops!!! It was interesting to be near it, but I didn't see anything too risqué.

On Saturday, Sep. 6 it was a rainy day. We didn't do much, but luckily it wasn't rainy the rest of the trip.  On Sunday we headed north to Cape Maeda. It was a stunning view. It was low tide so we walked around the tide pools. There were plenty of people snorkeling. We wanted a beach to swim at.

So... we walked to a nearby resort and swam on their private beach and ate lunch there as well!!!

Prices were displayed in USD!! That was also surprising... AND the exchange rate wasn't bad either.

One of the best parts of the trip was Aharen Beach.  It's located on Tokashiki Island.  Tokashiki Island is about a 35 minute Marine Liner boat ride.  The ferry is slower and cheaper, but we were doing a day trip and wanted to get there quicker!  We left around 9:00am and spent most of the morning on the beach.  The water at the beach was a crystal blue that I've never seen before, and it was absolutely breath-taking! We were curious about Tokashiku Beach because there are sea turtles there, but there are no buses to that beach! So we attempted to walk, but luckily was offered a ride by a generous man name Hiroki!  He dropped us off at the beach and went on his way.  It was less crowded than Aharen.  No luck with any turtle sightings.  Afterwards we made our trek back to Aharen Beach... an uphill hike... AND once again... we were lucky enough to get a ride from another driver... It was my first time hitch hiking!! AND I'm grateful it was a safe experience on a small island with friendly people.

The last few days were spent at a resort that was isolated on a smaller "island" near the airport.  It had super nice hot springs, buffet breakfast, and 2 saunas.  It was one of the most relaxing hotels I have been in.  Okinawa was a great trip!!!! I would recommend it to anyone.  I think it would be great to stay at other islands around Okinawa as well. There is a lot to see and do throughout the Honto Island, and there are other islands to explore that are not far from it as well. 

This trip was more than I could ask for before I start my last semester at TIU.

Time to get back to WORK!!!! :)

My Miyajima, Hiroshima, & Matsuyama Trip

Itsukushima Shrine and torii in Miyajima [8.28]

Hiroshima Peace Park [8.28]

Matsuyama Castle [8.30]

It was a spur of the moment decision to go down to Shikoku to visit a friend of mine.  She is an ALT on the JET program.  I flew down to Matsuyama on Jetstar Airlines.  Matsuyama is on Shikoku, which is another island that is part of Japan.  It's southwest of Tokyo, and to the right of Kyushu (another island).  It was fascinating to arrive to another part of Japan and see the similarities and differences within its own culture.  At first I was surprised that there were no trains throughout the city.  There was a streetcar/ tram that ran throughout the city.  Fortunately, I had the pleasure of riding the tram once.  The rest of the time I was on my mamachari (beach cruiser bicycle).  The hotel I stayed at was Matsuyama New Grand Hotel.  They had free wifi, free ofuro, & free mamachari.  It was a nice set up, and I'm glad I stayed there.  The wifi was a bit weak though.  It was in a great location. It was not far from Matsuyama Castle and the Dogo Onsen.

I decided to do a day trip to Hiroshima from Matsuyama.  I caught the super jet boat from Matsuyama Kankoko (Sightseeing Port) to Hiroshima Port.  It took about an hour and an half. Then I rode the tram/ streetcar in Hiroshima to Miyajima-guchi Station, and that tooooook forever (2 hours).  If you have the time then no worries, but I was on a day trip and I didn't think it would take that long.  From Miyajima-guchi it's a jump and a skip to the ferry boat that takes you to Miyajima Island.  It was only 180¥ for the ferry and it's about a 10 minute or so ride.  From the ferry I walked to Itsukushima Shrine and floating torii.  I had my selfie stick and everyone was enthralled by it!!! It was quite embarrassing and entertaining at the same time.  I quickly walked through the shops to get to the shrine. Afterwards I decided to eat the famous Hiroshima style okonomiyaki. It was superb. Then I had 2 oysters. My belly was happy.

There is a boat from Miyajima Island to the Peace Memorial Park.  YES, I rode that boat for 40 minutes into Hiroshima.  It was 2000¥ one way, and so worth it.  When we were in the city canal/ river area we got to stand outside and take in the sights from the water.  We approached the A-bomb Dome and docked not far from there. It was a short walk to the Peace Memorial Museum (50¥ entrance fee).  It sure tugged on the heart strings, and it was very informational and educational.  I'm glad I decided to go out for the day to Hiroshima.  It is on my list of places to experience in Japan.  I have been to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, and it is good to get multiple perspectives on anything.  It was heart breaking to see the damage the bomb did to Hiroshima, and how mind blowing to see how it has rebuilt itself after 70 years.

夏休み

こんにちは!

I am officially on summer break!

It is a great feeling to be on vacation. I'm quite ecstatic!!! ☻

Sunday, July 27 - My last Open Campus!!!

Friday, August 1 - My last school-wide Health Check!!!

My grades are turned in, so I don't need to worry about that. There is always work to be done, but now I can complete other tasks that I need to do before my time in Japan is over. Summer break will go by in a blink of an eye, and fall semester will go by in less time than that! 

Today I volunteered passing out food in 上野公園. There were only males picking up the free food.  I wonder where the females all were.  It was with the organization called Second Harvest.  It was my first time volunteering with them, and it was a nice experience because they were well organized and needed all the help they can get.  I am interested in volunteering with them again.  It was a hot day, and we passed out 263 meals.  Afterwards, I went to the office/ headquarters to help clean the dishes.  It wasn't too long because there were many people helping. When everything was cleaned and put away, there was tea and snacks for us.  It was nice so relax and chat.  I met some really wonderful people today.  I hope I see them again someday...

Many things to look forward to this summer and for fall semester!!! Cheers!!! Keep on keeping on. 

Buddhist "Missionaries"?

It's a warm Sunday afternoon... I just returned home from a short jog/ walk... Shortly after I returned, I was on Skype talking to me sister when my doorbell rang. There were these two gentleman, I assumed salesman, and they were speaking to me in Japanese. I said, "I'm sorry. I don't speak Japanese."  Then they replied, "We know a little English." They take out their smartphones to translate something. And they asked if I was Christian. I said, "Yes," and then they asked me to go to a Buddhist event.  So were they trying to convert me to Buddhism? Are there buddhist missionaries? I apologized and said no, and then closed the door.  Then a few minutes later they came back. One gentleman had a translation on his phone saying something along the lines of wanting someone to practice English with, and if  we could be friends.  I said no, but maybe someone I know would be interested. So now I have their names and their Line IDs.  It was quite strange... Lesson... NEVER never NEVER never OPEN YOUR DOOR. I should've learned from the previous situation. It was an interesting situation though... Who would've known...

Last Week of Spring Semester '14

Well... well... well...

We are in the home stretch of the spring semester.  Next Monday and Tuesday are the last days of the semester.  I had given a final last Friday. This Thursday will be my second final.  Then there'll be five more finals and presentations for next week.

I have been such a scatter-brain this semester!!!  I think seven preps is too much for me. I like variety and change, but my oh my... I am disappointed in how some of my classes went this semester... I was hoping to have some different classes for next semester, but nope!  I allowed myself to be hopeful for something that I knew that couldn't happen... Oh well...

Don't worry... I did get to enjoy some of my classes... I'm optimistic about next semester, but I'm also freaking out about one class that I have to teach!!!

Did I mention that next semester will be my last semester in Japan? I've decided to return to the good ol' U.S. of A. I'm not sure what that entails, but I'm going to look for a middle school math teacher position.  I'm interested in teaching in the public school. I hope I can get a job lined up for Fall 2015, after I return to the States.

Recently, I've been volunteering more. It started off with the kids English Camp back in March.  Then last month I volunteered to play basketball with young athletes with mental disabilities. Then this past weekend I played soccer with kids with down syndrome.  I plan to attend other volunteer activities next month. I hope I can continue other volunteer activities in the fall after summer break.

Just Keep Swimming

Greetings from Japan! May I dare say there is about 4 weeks left in the semester? I know I haven't been updating my blog as much as I would like... no excuses... I just didn't do it...

Today I'm compelled to share my experience going to the swimming pool at the local "sports club" AKA gym.  I finally decided to go, and I decided to only use the pool.  There is the option to use the community bath house and the pool. I opted to use only the pool.  I walked in and there are these tiny lockers, and not a lot of space to change... I thought for a second, am I in the wrong place? Will I end up walking out into the basketball gym instead of the swimming pool?  Luckily, it was the pool, and I looked around, and I'm not sure where to go. I tried to ask one of the staff members for help, and of course he explained everything in Japanese, and I smiled and nodded pretending to understand. I caught a few words like "san" and "co-su," which is three and course.  So there are three lap swimming lanes, a walking course, and a hot tub.  I take my chances of lap swimming with a kick board for about half an hour... Then I decided to swim freestyle. It was great!!! Then I realized, I wanted to leave the pool, but what do I do??  I tried watching people to see what they do as they left the pool.  Most people went upstairs to where the shower rooms were... I made a move and went back to the locker room where I originally started.  As I made the homestretch to the locker room, there were tons of mothers there waiting for their kids. I realized that the swimming class finished just at that same moment. There were naked little kids running around and mothers waiting patiently for the other kid to come out of class... I'm dripping wet ( I guess I should've taken my towel?) and walked in front of this mother and her kid.  I felt so uncomfortable. I quickly grabbed my clothes and towel and go to the only bathroom to change as fast as possible.  Some things I won't be able to understand because I don't know the language... sigh...

It was a refreshing experience to go swimming!!!
Gotta keep at it...

Happy Sunday.

Sunday morning going into Week #5!

I caught a cold last week... and my body is still fighting it off as best it can do... I've been sick for 6 days so far! I went to work sick and it was difficult to get through, but I did it!  We can't really have a "sick day" because no one can cover our classes. Isn't that crazy?!  Last semester I tried to get a day off because of the cast on my ankle and it was difficult to go to work, but they said NO and I had to go to work anyways.  They let me leave early, but that didn't make any difference because the issue was trying to get to and from work. Oh, well... So I've been home all weekend trying to get better... I think for the most part I am, but I still feel like BLAH.

This semester has been a rough start, but when I look back time is going by quickly!  Soon we'll be in the halfway mark of the semester.  I am already looking forward to summer vacation!!! I was thinking a lot lately that I just want to travel and go to various countries to volunteer as a teacher.  That would be an amazing experience.  How do I do that?? I should look into that. :) I'm a nomad. I can't stay in one place for a long time. I'm always on the move to the next adventure and next place in this life.  I feel content with my students and classes this semester and I am looking forward to my last semester in the fall. It will be difficult to leave Japan, and I am ready for what's next...

Week #2 (Year 2)

We are coming up on the middle of the week for the second week of spring classes.  It's only the beginning and I am feeling apathetic towards my classes. For the most part I enjoy my time with my students, but this year is leaving me feeling unenthusiastic. Why?  Well, I guess compared to last year where everything was new and fresh! This year is less exciting... I actually have more classes to prepare for. I have a total of eight classes that I do separate class planning for... Maybe my approach to students figuring out the answers isn't the best as well. As a student, I bet they just want the answer given.  Is my whole view of classwork, pair-work, and group work a total bore to the students?  Is maybe my lack of interest rubbing off on the students? School can be exhausting, and I do assign homework every class.  I'm exhausted and it's only the eighth day of the spring semester!!!  Well, where do I go from here??  Stay positive ?  Think of the students' perspective ?  Get more rest ? (11 more months to go.)

Never stop exploring!!!

April 1 ~ Opening Ceremony

Global Teaching Fellows at TIU [Kasumigaseki, Japan]

Today marks the beginning of the academic school year.  Japan is quite unique as it follows the spring season as the start of the school year.  There are plenty of opening ceremonies going on across the country to welcome the incoming students to the school.  Our university held it's opening day today, and it was encouraging to see all the freshmen in their regalia.  It was a glimpse into the future of seeing them graduating in the future... :) 

This year we have 10 additional professors!!!  We look like quite the force of English Language teachers! :)  It will be another thrilling semester full of falls and hiccups.  I will be teaching 8 different group of students... 6 different courses... students of various departments.  It will be a nice variety of students. I'm looking forward to this school year after having one year under my belt.  I'm curious to meet the students and to see what this school year has in stored for us!!!

1 YEAR~

March 25, 2013 ~ I arrived with three suitcases to Narita Airport... After a 10 hour flight of not much sleep, the feelings of excitement and panic were running throughout my body.  I was the first to arrive from my team of teachers... I decided to venture on my own and catch a flight before them.  After I went through immigration and customs, there were two familiar faces smiling and greeting me.  At that moment was the beginning of a new adventure of living and working in Japan.

One year later, I survived.  There are many changes with the job, and there are still many changes to come.  That's life... always changing...  We have 10 teachers joining us this semester, and 4 more teachers joining in the fall semester.   We are in the process of deciding to re-contract or not, and in the end they will decide to offer us a contract.  It is quite interesting this whole process... I'm not sure what will happen... I just hope that things will be smoother this semester.  I think that things will be alright... :)

Graduation Ceremony with Jason, Sona, & LeeLee. [3.21]

Graduation Ceremony with Aiko [3.21]

Spring Forward!!!

I was fortunate to have a lot of time off in February and March, and I traveled around Hong Kong, Macao, China & South Korea. I returned shortly back to Japan before heading back to California, Oregon, & Washington to visit my family.

I truly love to push myself to go to places where I am unfamiliar with, and challenge my mind to be in an another culture or even to think differently than I would normally see things... yet I know I have a set way of thinking that I was conditioned to think.

I realized that whether I am abroad or in the States, there are still some things that challenge me... I know that I will always have the "Travel Bug," and as I get ready to start the new school year... I am thinking about my future and where I want to continue to challenge myself.

I am grateful for a full-time job, loving people in my life, and a family who cares about me to the point of annoyance. haha!

When I was back in the States, and had a chance to catch up with some friends & family... people would ask, "So, do you love it there?"  "What do you usually do on the weekend?"  "What are you going to do when you finish?"  "What are your classes like?"  "How are your students?"  The usual questions anyone would ask, and even I would want to ask...  One thing I know for sure is that I love my students, and I want to continue to improve my ideas and techniques so that everyone is learning and enjoying the time together.  I know I'm not perfect, and by no means I think I could be perfect... I just want to continue learning...

I choose not to be limited by my fears & my comforts.

The Great Wall of China - Mutianyu [Feb. 19]

Culture Shock or ... ???

Besides the nice photos that I just posted, some other situations have came up in the past 4 months...

• "Stalker" - ... Yes, oddly enough a young high school boy rang the doorbell of my apartment twice within two weeks.  The first time I thought he had the wrong apartment, and was looking for someone. He did not understand English from what I could gather, and I don't know Japanese... The second time he came to my apartment I was flabbergasted and shocked.  He handed me a DVD, which I assumed was porn. I quickly gave it back to him and told him to go away and shut the door.  He knocked on my door for about 5 minutes until my coworker came and shooed him away... I haven't heard from him since.  

• "Torn Ligament" - It was a chilly morning, and I haven't been getting much sleep since it was the last full week of the semester. I quickly walked up the stairs, and in one swoop step I twisted my left ankle.  I didn't fall, but I collapsed down in the stop that I took the step.  I was in pain, but I thought, "It's just a small sprain. I'll be okay." As I gathered myself and got up and walked, it was painful, but I made it to me office and continued on with my day. Five hours later I was in much more pain.  I couldn't even stand or walk on the ankle... I went to the school nurse and she wrapped it up for me.  I went on with my duties in the English PLAZA, then I decided to go to a clinic to check my ankle... They did an x-ray and the ligament was swollen, so they quickly wrapped it and gave me medicine.  I had work the next day, and I slowly crutched my way to work.  I went back to the clinic and they checked if it was swollen.  It wasn't.  It's not easy to get around with crutches.  So I asked about getting a wheelchair. They said, no... I had another visit last week on Tuesday.  I asked to get a copy of my receipt that was reimbursed, but they said they didn't have a copy machine.  Then I asked if I could take a picture. They said, no. Maybe they thought I was going to do something with the receipt??? Not sure... I had another appointment on Thursday... They said they were going to do an x-ray again... they did, but then right away they put a cast over my leg. I was disturbed because I think that I don't need a cast, but they insisted on it.  The language barrier doesn't help.  I was very upset... and they wanted me to come in the next day.  Like I said, it's not easy to get around on crutches... I complied and went in... It didn't take long, but they checked if the cast was okay.  Then they said to come in on Monday... I complied again. "No remarkable changes." I have another appointment this week.  Hopefully, I get this off my leg by next Thursday. Luckily, I was able to borrow a wheelchair from school yesterday.  Now I can wheel around, but the streets aren't paved well, and there aren't many sidewalks.  You hardly see anyone in a wheelchair or anyone with "disabilities" around... Maybe they stay indoors all day...?

• "Visas" - No, not the credit card visa, but the travel VISA.  I am planning to travel around China next month... I knew I had to pay for the visa since I am a U.S. Citizen, but since I also have a Japanese work visa... I have to pay more than I expected because I am supposed to go through a travel agency to apply for the visa. I don't understand why I need to go through a travel agency... Is it just another step to make money for the travel agency? Is it a security issue since there's "bad blood" between China and Japan?  This left me feeling dejected... because I think there is already some discrimination against "gaijin" (foreigners) in Japan already.  -OR-  it could be totally unrelated. I'm not sure how I feel about this... I tried to look at the other side of the story, and think about how I usually don't have to pay for VISAs to go into some countries like other nationalities do.  I just don't like the feeling of being treated unfairly... I would think no one wants to be treated differently because of their background/ ethnicity/ nationality/ race/ gender/ gender orientation/ etc.  Am I totally off on this topic??? I'm not sure where I stand...

Any comments? suggestions? advice?

Fall Semester... DONE!

Excuse me while I wipe off the dust on this blog... It's been ages!!! So many things have happened. Here's a recap:

• October

Kabuki

JALT Conference in Kobe

Halloween Party

•  November 

Fun in Ikebukuro

• December

Merry Christmas!!!

• January 2014