How I get about....

If i didn't have a car...I would be a Hermit!

My bike looks like something pre-WWII and the busses and ferries servicing Hokudan stop early evening...making it virtually impossible to get off the island during the week...maybe that is their plan??? Also, the busses are the most expensive in Japan....roughly 580 yen for a 15 minute ride!

I am very thankful i can drive and have made countless trips up to Iwaya port and other places on the island to do shopping etc. I normally catch the Taco ferry over to Akashi and then jump on a Super Rapid train for Sannomiya station in Kobe. Round trip takes between　an hour and a half depending upon waiting times etc.

I am hoping to purchase a bike this summer off a departing ALT which will mean I will be able to bike around without feeling like I am dragging my butt on the ground or like I have my brake parmantly on!

I have to get a Japanese licence this year...as my International driving permit runs out early July...this will be interesting...but thankfully should be able to be achieved within a day...or having to do any actual tests!

I am more than grateful for the fact that the Japanese Public transport is pretty good and ultra efficient...things run on time and timetables can be trusted!

Work....school......mmmmm!

So what do I do in Japan?....well I work (I use the term "work" loosely) at Hokudan Junior High School as an assistant language teacher. This year I am working with one Japanese Lnaguage Teacher, teaching the entire school at least once per week. I am scheduled to teach just 8 hours per week but this has been extended to about 11 or more, depending upon teacher requirements. Thus I have a lot of time to plan lessons and do other things. I am required to be at school from 8:15 a.m. till 4 p.m. Monday to Friday and sometimes the odd day or two over the weekend. I work all school holidays but do get to take my own when i wish during the year.

Compared to jobs I have had in the past i am not so busy but i do enjoy putting lessons together and getting alongside and helping my students. A lot of the time i am ignored in the staffroom and left to my own devices...which is cool with me and gives me plenty of time to do things as i wish i.e. check on the progress of Manchester United and the Super 14 results etc.

I am glad i am not a Japanese teacher...whoa! they have to be at work early....and late.....do sports clubs and work on weekends regularly. It seems to me that whole system is inefficient and creates a lot of meaningless man hours for no reason and basically is designed to wear down students and teachers until they become robots of the State.

As for me....I find myself getting a little lazy and braindead so i think I will have to look at a more disciplined approach to my work-day and give myself some goals etc....

Interesting things about my school.....

The whole school practiced for sports day for near on 2 weeks...marching...marching...marching....including a full dress-rehearsal!!!

The whole school....does school cleaning for 15 minutes per day!

Students are expected to attend sports club practice over their own holidays!

There is NO heating or air-conditioning in the classroom!

It is only 2 or so years old.

ooohhhh the Sakura.....

So I was a little dubious about this...do people really go nuts over the Cherry blossom as i had been led to believe???? Leah and I headed to Akashi park this past Saturday...oh my goodness....there were people everywhere...pretty much....everywhere! We were able to get a spot right by the lake and it was fun to see people out and about enjoying themselves and having fun together. Leah is such a great cook and had put together a lovely wee picnic which was Delicipous!!! We then went to Himeji in the evening to see the cherry blossom by the castle at night.....WOW! it was cool...if a little chilly.
On Sunday we went to Kyoto and...this was serious!! The place was abuzz...queues everywhere and people packed around the blossom hot-spots! I even saw tents and caravans! This is serious stuff! We found a spot on a grassy verge right next to a small lake (pretty soon people were following our lead) and had a great time chatting and watching people and eating our cherry blossom dessert! We wandered back by the river and it was a lovely day. Yes people....cherry blossom season...don't miss it....but be prepared to hustle and bustle.

Toyota Visit

So...way back in...mmm...sometime in the last 3 months of 2005...I just happenned upon an add for JET participants to have an all expenses paid visit to Toyota City as guests of the world BEST car manufacturer...Toyota Motor Corporation. I had to write some paragraphs for them and fill in an application form. Well....I got chosen and spent a fantastic two days as a guest of Toyota. I got to see the latest cars and ask questions of managers as well as some hands on training and visiting an actual production plant. It was amazing to see the the production plant in operation and especially to see the fully automated wielding room....all thoses robots...it was surreal and that image will stay with me for a very long time. The staff were ultra friendly and everything was well organised...as you would expect. We also got to test drive a Prius which was very cool! It was good to be able to talk openly with managers and to ask some difficult questions....whilst I admire what Toyotas has achieved over the past 30 years...I am still wary of the term "Corporation" and all the positive and negative connotations that term generates. I think that Toyota is one of the more enlightened Corporations I have researched and wish that other organisations would display the same committment to the environment and employee welfare that this company does. Thank-you Toyota on a great visit and ya never know I may even be driving one....one day......mmmm any reasonably priced Altezzas around?