Sorry it's been 10 days since the last post. I have one actually mid-draft, but I was pulled away from the computer at school and I've long since stopped taking my computer back and forth between home and school. But guess what? Could you figure out the title of the post? Yes, it's true. I now have internet. My very own home connection. It only took two and a half months of waiting, an entire afternoon of connection and agony and misunderstanding and impatience and near misses and, when all seemed lost, when hope was all but extinguished, victory! Sweet, sweet victory.
Yes, I raced home after lunch because I was late. I was supposed to be home and ready from 1 to 5 in the afternoon. I got home at 1:05, worried that perhaps, as is the cultural norm, the internet guy would have arrived punctually and left. But there were no notes on my door or in my box. So, I didn't miss him. He showed up thankfully (at first at least) within about 15 minutes. He had a little doodad that apparently showed him that my phone jack was now internet capable. That took about 15 minutes. Then, in Japanese that I didn't really understand, he told me that the connection was good and asked if I had a modem. I did not, and he said when I get it, I can connect it right away with no problems. Great! Except I don't remember hearing anything about a modem. I actually had some vague memory that my supervisor asked me if I already had one when he was signing me up online. I thought that I had said I did since my computer has some sort of internal modem and wireless capability and all that. So, I went to the local electronics store and got some cords that said ADSL and bought them and came home to find that they didn't fit. So I went back. Found cords that would fit. Came back. Didn't work. Pondered my situation for a while. Then I decided to grab my dictionary and my set up information packet along with a pen and paper for drawing if it came to it and head to the electronics store where there is a Yahoo BB! (internet service provider) desk. I was literally out my door when I saw a van pulling in and a guy get out. He looked at the mailboxes and seemed a bit confused. Then, I went downstairs and he said, "ごひゃくさん？” And I said, "はい！" and he opened the doors to his van and voila! My very own Yahoo BB! set up modem pack!!!
So I raced upstairs, only vaguely aware of the fact that I might have missed him had I left only a couple minutes earlier which would have necessitated another prolonged wait period for a second delivery time for which I most likely would have had to take more time off of work, to finish my set up process. I took the time to translate the poster that has the pictures of all the wires and outlets and how things go. I just wanted to be sure. So, I got the order of what to plug in when figured out. I did that. Then I had the CD ROM and I put that in... "Not supported on English OS." What!!?!? So, I freaked out a bit. I texted a friend. And as my phone was buzzing this a message from him that said to do so, I was clicking on my firefox icon just to see if internet was flowing, and it was!!! So here I am. Blogging from home for the very first time. Well, from my Japanese home.
Can I get a what what?
Showing posts with label excitement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label excitement. Show all posts
October 15, 2007
June 17, 2007
Information Packet from Mitoyo!!!
I'm soooo excited now. I just got the info pack from the school board this morning. I actually yelled out loud when I realized what it was. It has a letter from the superintendent, a handbook, a general description, a sample contract, a map of the city, and some city information.
I'm about to start going through it. I'll let you know specifics and interesting points once I've gone through it all.
WOOT!
I'm about to start going through it. I'll let you know specifics and interesting points once I've gone through it all.
WOOT!
June 16, 2007
Travel Arrangements
Well I got an email last night from the travel company that will arranging our travel agenda. I'm very excited about that. Looking for flights online really isn't fun when you have certain dates of travel and you want it to be cheap. And then the thought of spending so much money just to get to a place. But JET covers the cost of travel to and from Japan and for the flight there at least, they have a travel company take care of everyone's arrangements. All I have to do is fill out a half-sheet form and email it back in with my name and departure city and that's about it.
One more step that makes it seem even closer!
(I'm not looking forward to the hellishly long flight, though.)
One more step that makes it seem even closer!
(I'm not looking forward to the hellishly long flight, though.)
June 15, 2007
Learning Japanese
So I'm trying to be productive this summer. I've been doing some spring cleaning and working out and such. I've also been focusing on learning some Japanese before I get there. It's not necessary to know Japanese for the program, officially. But I've been told and I've read in several places that it's a good idea to come over with at least some basic sayings and also, if possible, the ability to read the kana. Kana are a certain type of their writing symbols. They have two types of kana and two other types of writing - kanji and romaji.
I'm pretty excited because I finally have one type of kana memorized now - hiragana. I started way back in November and last week I was able to finally get all of them memorized. Now I can read aloud (and sound like a kindergartner while I'm doing it). I started some classes back in October, but that was just to learn speaking basics, not any of the writing. But on my own, I started to learn the symbols. But then mid-terms came around and the classes ended and I stopped practicing Japanese for a while. Then about 2 months ago I started memorizing the symbols again and managed to keep going through finals time and now I'm done with hiragana.
The other set of kana is called katakana. Now, here's the crazy part - hiragana and katakana are two sets of symbols that represent the SAME sounds!!! The only difference is that hiragana are used to write words of Japanese origin and katakana are used to write words of foreign origin. That's the only difference. They are kind of like an alphabet except with an alphabet, each symbol represent a single sound (for the most part). Kana are called syllabaries because each symbol represents a syllable. So か represents /ka/ and さ represents /sa/. They don't have symbols for /k/ or /s/. (They do have a symbol for /a/, あ, because that's a vowel and a vowel can be a syllable by itself.) Having 5 vowel sounds and about 8 basic consonant sounds, it works out to 46 different symbols. Then they have two small symbols you can add to the regular ones to alter the syllable, usually to make a /ta/ into a /da/ or a /ho/ into a /po/ or /bo/. THEEEENNNN, you can combine some of the syllables with the 3 different 'y' syllables - /ya/ や, /yu/ ゆ, /yo/ よ - to make new syllables. So really, there are like a 100 different possibilities for combinations. Oh and that's just one syllabary. Don't forget there's a whole nother syllabary for the exact same sounds, just different symbols. (カ instead of か and サ instead of さ)
Needless to say it's a daunting task, but I'm taking my time. Like I said, I just finished with hiragana, and now, I'm working on katakana, the one for foreign words (which, now I heard, is actually more important to learn first). Anyway, I have about 10 of the symbols memorized for katakana - only 36 more to go. And you might think, well if they have all that, what the heck are romaji and kanji for, the ones I mentioned before? Well Japanese borrowed its writing largely from Chinese writing. Kanji are symbols that represent ideas rather than sounds. Sort of like hieroglyphics. So when you see kanji, you should just know the word and therefore how to say it - no sounding it out. Why, you might ask, do you have kanji AND kana? Well, I don't know. You can actually write anything you want using only kana. It's just that historically, they've used kanji to represent their ideas. The hiragana are mainly used for small words like prepositions and particles that don't add much meaning. And the katakana are for foreign words. So to read a newspaper, you really have to know all three ways of writing. I read somewhere that it takes Japanese people about 9 years in school to get to where they can read and write proficiently in all three. And then there are romaji. These are roman letters (our alphabet) used to write Japanese words. They aren't used a lot in Japan apparently, but help western foreigners when they start out learning Japanese. So you can see 'sayoonara' and know basically how to say it rather then being asked to read さよおなら right off the bat.
Anyway, departure date is getting closer and I'm getting more and more excited.
I'm pretty excited because I finally have one type of kana memorized now - hiragana. I started way back in November and last week I was able to finally get all of them memorized. Now I can read aloud (and sound like a kindergartner while I'm doing it). I started some classes back in October, but that was just to learn speaking basics, not any of the writing. But on my own, I started to learn the symbols. But then mid-terms came around and the classes ended and I stopped practicing Japanese for a while. Then about 2 months ago I started memorizing the symbols again and managed to keep going through finals time and now I'm done with hiragana.
The other set of kana is called katakana. Now, here's the crazy part - hiragana and katakana are two sets of symbols that represent the SAME sounds!!! The only difference is that hiragana are used to write words of Japanese origin and katakana are used to write words of foreign origin. That's the only difference. They are kind of like an alphabet except with an alphabet, each symbol represent a single sound (for the most part). Kana are called syllabaries because each symbol represents a syllable. So か represents /ka/ and さ represents /sa/. They don't have symbols for /k/ or /s/. (They do have a symbol for /a/, あ, because that's a vowel and a vowel can be a syllable by itself.) Having 5 vowel sounds and about 8 basic consonant sounds, it works out to 46 different symbols. Then they have two small symbols you can add to the regular ones to alter the syllable, usually to make a /ta/ into a /da/ or a /ho/ into a /po/ or /bo/. THEEEENNNN, you can combine some of the syllables with the 3 different 'y' syllables - /ya/ や, /yu/ ゆ, /yo/ よ - to make new syllables. So really, there are like a 100 different possibilities for combinations. Oh and that's just one syllabary. Don't forget there's a whole nother syllabary for the exact same sounds, just different symbols. (カ instead of か and サ instead of さ)
Needless to say it's a daunting task, but I'm taking my time. Like I said, I just finished with hiragana, and now, I'm working on katakana, the one for foreign words (which, now I heard, is actually more important to learn first). Anyway, I have about 10 of the symbols memorized for katakana - only 36 more to go. And you might think, well if they have all that, what the heck are romaji and kanji for, the ones I mentioned before? Well Japanese borrowed its writing largely from Chinese writing. Kanji are symbols that represent ideas rather than sounds. Sort of like hieroglyphics. So when you see kanji, you should just know the word and therefore how to say it - no sounding it out. Why, you might ask, do you have kanji AND kana? Well, I don't know. You can actually write anything you want using only kana. It's just that historically, they've used kanji to represent their ideas. The hiragana are mainly used for small words like prepositions and particles that don't add much meaning. And the katakana are for foreign words. So to read a newspaper, you really have to know all three ways of writing. I read somewhere that it takes Japanese people about 9 years in school to get to where they can read and write proficiently in all three. And then there are romaji. These are roman letters (our alphabet) used to write Japanese words. They aren't used a lot in Japan apparently, but help western foreigners when they start out learning Japanese. So you can see 'sayoonara' and know basically how to say it rather then being asked to read さよおなら right off the bat.
Anyway, departure date is getting closer and I'm getting more and more excited.
June 8, 2007
Getting Connected
I'm starting to get in touch with future and current JETs via various websites and message boards. It's making it more exciting to talk with people who are actually there. I'm feeling a bit less anxious to hear things about the place I'll be going to. It seems like the JETs are pretty active on the island and in the prefecture. They are starting up an ultimate frisbee league and I think some people get together to play soccer occasionally. So in the beginning months when I still can't speak Japanese and the newness factor has worn off, I will have things to do to keep from going crazy or locking myself away in my apartment.
I've actually been in touch with a guy who is one town over from the one I will be in. He has said some very complimentary things about Kagawa. He said the mountains are nice and he and another JET will go off exploring and hiking. Sounds like something I would like to do. When I was out in Arizona to visit my sister, I went hiking on Camelback Mountain. It was pretty amazing. Maybe I'll find some places like that in Japan.
Well, my FBI background check came in - no arrest record (except for the pimpin' charge - who knew the FBI was a playa hater). So I've got to pass that along to the consulate along with a copy of my IRS proof of US residence form (that means I don't have to pay Japanese taxes!). Then, I've got to RSVP for a Q and A session they are having for new JETs in Atlanta. And I think that's it for a little bit.
Supposedly, the school district is going to contact me directly with their information and a contract that I have to sign and send back. Also, the JET who I'm replacing should be getting in touch with me as well to give me the low-down on the situation. Once I know where I'll be, I then have to apply for the work visa. And at some point a travel agent is going to contact me to get the air travel all squared away. The school district will be covering travel costs. And then I'm off to J-Land. I'm getting pumped about this!
(I have to apologize for the playa joke - major cheese. It was for the kids.)
I've actually been in touch with a guy who is one town over from the one I will be in. He has said some very complimentary things about Kagawa. He said the mountains are nice and he and another JET will go off exploring and hiking. Sounds like something I would like to do. When I was out in Arizona to visit my sister, I went hiking on Camelback Mountain. It was pretty amazing. Maybe I'll find some places like that in Japan.
Well, my FBI background check came in - no arrest record (except for the pimpin' charge - who knew the FBI was a playa hater). So I've got to pass that along to the consulate along with a copy of my IRS proof of US residence form (that means I don't have to pay Japanese taxes!). Then, I've got to RSVP for a Q and A session they are having for new JETs in Atlanta. And I think that's it for a little bit.
Supposedly, the school district is going to contact me directly with their information and a contract that I have to sign and send back. Also, the JET who I'm replacing should be getting in touch with me as well to give me the low-down on the situation. Once I know where I'll be, I then have to apply for the work visa. And at some point a travel agent is going to contact me to get the air travel all squared away. The school district will be covering travel costs. And then I'm off to J-Land. I'm getting pumped about this!
(I have to apologize for the playa joke - major cheese. It was for the kids.)
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