Back in Japan

Hi friends! So I have been in Japan for...maybe a full week now. 3 days in Tokyo and 4 days in my new home Oshima. This post is basically going to consist of a bunch of random facts/thoughts/observations from my initial arrival, and maybe some pictures(assuming google images will help me out).

Okay, so summer in Japan is hot, like ridiculously hot. Maybe I shouldnt complain too much because I know that the U.S. is currently going through a heatwave where temperatures are getting into the triple digits. I guess if I take that into consideration then Japan is really not so bad. But anyway, the temperature is around 90 degrees everyday with....wait for it... 90 percent humidity!!!!! Ugggghhhh. The humidity is the worst!

Anyway, onto discussing my new home which for me is the most exciting part of this journey thus far (Tokyo orientation-yaaawn- lectures are boring and Tokyo city, been there seen that, still cool mind you). So I live in Suo-oshima which is a small town (more like village) on Oshima Island in Yamaguchi Prefecture on the island of Japan. Wooster people, this entire island is much more rural then wooster ohion. much. And I guess for Hawaii people, I guess imagine it to be the equivalent of maybe Molokai or Lanai. Country Country. Simply put Yamaguchi prefecture (similar to a state) is considered to be the backwoods/sticks/uber-rural of Japan. And of that massive ruralness I live in the most isolated and probably most rural of all. A.K.A I am in the backwoods of the backwoods. But its actually really nice. I cant wait until I have internet at my apartment and post some pictures of this beautiful (rural) island.


The darker shaded region is where Yamaguchi prefecture is located within the general scheme of Japan.



And now here is a close up of Yamaguchi prefecture. The little island (pictured much larger on this map) that is off the cost of Yanai, yup that is my new home for the next year. (I tried resizing this map but it doesnt seem to want to work, so to see my island click on the image and it will take you to a full-size view)

Anyway Oshima is the country (Inaka in Japanese) and to give you an idea this island has roughly 20,000 people on it and is maybe around half the size of Oahu. A fairly decent sized island with very few people on it. And to make things more interesting, the average age of people living on Oshima is about 75. In fact, Oshima was in the world record book for the most people over 80 living in a (i dont remember the exact size ratio)particular area. So yes, I am in the country surrounded by a bunch of obasan and ojisan (grandma and grandpa).


As for work, I started on the 28th, but since school is out I am mostly sitting around the Board (Bored [cheesy wordplay]) of Education (from now on to be referred to as BOE) trying to learn as much as I can about teaching English to kids and also trying to learn a bit more about my new home. As it turns out I will be teaching at 17 different schools (12 elementary and 5 J.H.S)!!!! I will only visit each elementary schools about 5 times during my year here and the highschools about 15 times. This shall be a fun\interesting experience.

And now onto my apartment. Its pretty darn small for American standards. Really small. Tiny itty bitty shower room, itty bitty toilet room, barely there kitchen, a decent sized bedroom, and a small living room. Overall though it really isnt bad at all. It is about the perfect size for me, I just wish there was a little more kitchen space, but it is okay Ive managed to cook meals in it just the same. And there is enough room for a friend or two to sleep on the floor (aka open invitation for you to come visit, assuming I havent scared you off with all this talk about rural~ness and old people, oshima is actually a really nice island so please come!) My car just arrived today, but I think I have to wait until my foreign registration card comes before I can actually drive it, so for now it just sits pretty in the parking lot. This isnt too much of a bother to me because I am not overly eager to begin driving here (for multiple reasons). Im not sure if you all know, but Japan drives on the wrong side of the road (the left, and the steering wheel and everything is on the right side of the car [eww] and likewise the blinker and window wiper knob/things are switched) also the roads here are ridiculously narrow (I will upload a picture soon!) some of them look like a oneway, but they are two way roads....ughhh.

Ok, this hasnt been the most interesting or organized post, but it is a start!
While I have no school visits I will try to post fairly regularly, once school starts...well we shall see.
Keri

p.s. the toilets at my work place are squat toilets!!!! (eeeek)
But thankfully I have a super modern high tech toilet at home. (yay)