My Apartment
My apartment looks 100x better than when I first arrived in August of 2009, but there is still plenty that could be done to make it cleaner and more comfortable. I never forgot what one JET alumni said at orientation in San Francisco last year when asked what the most difficult part of living in Japan was: figuring out the trash system. At the time, I had no idea what he meant, but now I completely understand. See the chart below? I understand about as much of it as you do…and I’ve been here for 10 months.
In Japan, you can’t just throw something away whenever you want. For example, recycle day for paper and plastic products happens only once a month. You can imagine how annoyed I am when I miss that day, which actually happens a lot! And there’s a similar day for other items (light bulbs, pots and pans…), which I have yet to figure out. No wonder why there are trash bags and random odds and ends piled in the corners on the porches of most apartments here. There are even special bags you have to buy for your garbage. The bags I have are blue (for burnable trash), green (not sure what for because I never use these bags), and orange (again not sure what for). On top of that, you can’t just throw a water bottle into your recycle bag. First you have to remove the wrapper on the outside and put that in with the burnable stuff, and then toss the cap into a different bag. I’m still not sure where the caps go, so I have an old blue garbage can filled with them in my kitchen. I could go on forever about the complexity of the garbage situation here, but I feel like the picture says enough. Other than the excess garbage I have lying around my apartment (which also includes old musty futons in my closets, probably from predecessors long, long ago), things look pretty good! I’ve managed to cover up some of the bad spots on the walls with nice Japanese cloths, a world map, and photos. I’ve learned to get past the fact that my apartment is really old (over 30 years) and will never be as clean as I want it to be.
I’ve come to appreciate my apartment for what it is. I’m usually a perfectionist and I need everything to be clean and in good condition, but now I realize it’s not the quality of where you live that matters, it’s what you make of your situation that really counts.
Japanese Culture
I think Japan is as foreign as it gets for someone like me, who grew up and spent her whole life in California. Before coming here, I thought that one year would be plenty of time for me to become acquainted with the culture and learn the language. But having lived in Japan for 10 months now, I realize that that’s not the case.
I can get around pretty easily now, meaning I know how to ride the bus and the train (and I even have a bus card and a train card!) And my Japanese is good enough to order a pizza over the phone, eat at restaurants, go shopping, etc. So for now, I’m satisfied!
Side note: I find it interesting how seasonal everything is in Japan. There’s even a special time (“Koromogae Day”) when Japanese people put away their winter clothes and take out their summer clothes. On June 1st, students all around Japan begin wearing their summer uniforms to school, which are different from their winter ones. For example, at one of my high schools the girls’ uniform changes from navy blue and brown plaid skirts, white blouses, and red ties to a lighter gray skirt and vest with white blouses. My wardrobe has also changed because of how drastic the temperature change is during each of the seasons.
School life
School has been going really well lately. I’m finally starting to understand what’s expected of me and I definitely feel more comfortable in my role than when I first arrived. That’s not to say that everything’s perfect at school, because it’s not. There’s still a lot I don’t know about how the teachers’ room operates and I’m sure there is something that I should be doing that I haven’t caught onto yet.
But 10 months later, I feel as though I can read the teachers better and understand what they want me to do, even when they don’t directly ask me to do it. I think that’s one of the most important skills to have when living and working in Japan because so much goes unsaid. I’ve come to find that teachers appreciate it when I take initiative in any situation.
(1) COMMUNICATION IS KEY. I can’t stress this enough, and even though it’s true no matter what your situation is in life, it is especially important as an ALT in Japan. Many things go unsaid in the office and a lot of times you won't know what's going on unless you ask. Also, be open with your JTE’s (Japanese English teachers) and offer worksheets and different ideas for class even when you think you might be bothering them. Even if you are, I’ve come to find that JTE’s always appreciate ALT’s who take initiative as opposed to those that don’t!
(2) Don’t sweat the small stuff! It can be easy to feel overwhelmed and frustrated during the first few months at school because you’re not entirely sure what is expected of you and how people in the office feel about you. Realize that it will take time for you to really fit into your school. Just work your hardest at everything you do and make an effort to make friends in the office and you'll be fine. If something doesn’t go as planned, just move on and tell yourself that next time you’ll do it better!
