Hi all,
When I first started this blog, my idea was to update this daily. However, I just got lazy because there are so many things to share and I figured that uploading photos often on facebook will more than suffice!
But of course, I should really give you more details! But as I said, too many things! So I shall just summarize some for today's post.
Living in Fukuoka
I've settled in pretty well. I can take the public transport without fear as I've gotten all the cards and know the routes that can get me to the major places. I've memorized my home address and I can walk around the neighbourhood without getting lost. I love cooking for myself and I think my cooking skills have improved or mainly soup boiling skills. Lol. I love buying udon/ramen and then putting them into the soup that I cooked. I love making pasta too! I love grocery shopping and 100 yen shops. I get along very well with one of my neighbours - Lori and she's like my the other half these days since we hang out with each other often.
The only negative things are the bugs... I've met a big spider in my bedroom... it cast a shadow on me when I was watching tv and I freaked out when I saw it. Lonely Planet Japan was a good weapon to smash it to bits. I've also seen the dreaded mukade (Japanese centipede) in my shower room. It was lucky I didn't step on it when I enter the shower room. I can still visualise the way it wriggled to hide under my tub. ARGHS! Luckily I sms my only male foreign neighbour Mahendar who's a 3rd year ALT from India and he rushed over with his girlfriend and the mukade died of many slaps from a slipper. (actually the grossest thing was when Mahendar picked it up to throw away, it was still alive!!!!!) There's a cricket living in my ceiling which I do not know how to get rid of because it jumps so fast and I do not want it to land on my face. Met another gross spider while I was showering and it died under endless sprays of hot water. And a gecko(lizard) decided to sneak into my house when I opened my door to enter the apt. I saw a shadow dart into the porch but as it was the same colour as my porch's stone floor, I couldn't really see it until I used my long umbrella to poke the area and out flew the lizard. ARGHZ! I didn't kill this as I figured he will be useful to help me eat up the numerous spiders along the stair well so I took a long time to chase it out of my apt. Oh, there's a dead cockroach on my balcony after it scared me while I was hanging clothes and it died under bubble foam insecticide.
Working in Fukuoka
Work life has been pretty good. Boring sometimes because I have so much free time to play with that I get sleepy and tired often. So by the end of the day when I reach home, I am really tired... strange to say.. from doing nothing much! My working hours is that I muz report by 8.30am and I can go back at 4.15pm.
This is my timetable:
Monday:
10.00-10.50 Class 1-4
15.35-15.40 Supervise cleaning in Language Lab
16.00-17.00 English Speaking Society (CCA)
Tuesday:
No lessons
15.35-15.40 Supervise cleaning in Language Lab
Wednesday:
09.00-09.50 Class 1-1
10.00-10.50 Class 3-4
12.00-12.50 Class 1-6
13.35-14.25 Class 1-2
Thursday
11.00-11.50 Class 1-5
15.35-15.40 Supervise cleaning in Language Lab
Friday
11.00-11.50 Class 1-3
12.50-13.25 Lunch with English Speaking Society members
13.35-14.25 Class 3-4
15.35-15.40 Supervise cleaning in Language Lab
So there's lotsa free time but I spend much time planning lessons because over here, they don't really use IT equipment to teach. Strange for a country with such advanced technology! So for me who's used to using powerpoint, I find myself having to DIY posters/cards/display boards for teaching and having to think of ideas that doesn't require me to use the projector but only the chalk board. Yeah... CHALK board. I hate breathing in the chalk dust. The only projector is a portable one which I have to lug around and set it up in class which takes much time. So.... sigh. Back to basics!
The students are generally ok, I haven't met any scary or horrible kids (hopefully not) since my school is supposed to be a pretty good academic school and since they are 16-18, they are quite mature.
That's all for this post... will try to update more...
Friday, September 25, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
The start of the introductory speech seasons...
My introductory speech to all the teachers in the staff room
Hajimemashite
Yip Siew Min to moushimasu
Singaporu kara kimashita
Singaporu dewa watashi wa chu gakko de chiri o oshiete imashita
Nihon ni kuru no wa hajimete desu
Hetana nihongo de sumimasen
Dozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu
My introductory speech to the whole school
Hajimemashite
Good morning!
My name is Yip Siew Min.
Please call me Siew Min.
I am the new "Anna" but I am not American.
I come from Singapore, a small country in Southeast Asia.
This is my first time in Japan.
I am very happy to be placed in Yahata Minami Senior High School.
I am poor in my Japanese but I will try to do my best.
Please talk to me anytime, anywhere.
Over the next year, let's study English and Japanese together.
I hope we will have fun.
Thank you.
Dozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu
Hajimemashite
Yip Siew Min to moushimasu
Singaporu kara kimashita
Singaporu dewa watashi wa chu gakko de chiri o oshiete imashita
Nihon ni kuru no wa hajimete desu
Hetana nihongo de sumimasen
Dozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu
My introductory speech to the whole school
Hajimemashite
Good morning!
My name is Yip Siew Min.
Please call me Siew Min.
I am the new "Anna" but I am not American.
I come from Singapore, a small country in Southeast Asia.
This is my first time in Japan.
I am very happy to be placed in Yahata Minami Senior High School.
I am poor in my Japanese but I will try to do my best.
Please talk to me anytime, anywhere.
Over the next year, let's study English and Japanese together.
I hope we will have fun.
Thank you.
Dozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Finally a new post! (photos to be added later)
Hi everyone!
I finally found some time to type out a blog entry.
I am settling into my new town pretty well.
It’s been kinda crazy from Tokyo to Fukuoka and to KitaQ with so many new things and experiences that I barely had time to sit down to think.
Tokyo was packed with seminars and workshops where basically, I was stuck in the hotel room. The only time to see Tokyo was during dinner time where we walked out to explore interesting areas, with the help of Xianna for the first night where we checked out Kabuki-cho. This was a street famous for its many lady’s shops. Lol. Kinda realized what I have gotten myself into when we were about to order our dinner and I can’t read the menu! Yvonne had to go over to ask Xianna for help. It was funny. And whatever that came, was not what I had in mind but it was still good. Haha…
So then the next day, it was the start of orientation programme where we reported to our respective prefectures etc etc and attended all the briefings and workshops.. Kinda boring but necessary part of the Tokyo Orientation programme. And here’s my Fukuoka prefecture group photo of the participants in Group B orientation. (There are so many JET participants every year that the orientation programme is divided into 2 main groups so that the logistics will not be so crazy!)
At night I was really dead tired from the workshops! So we only walked around Shinjuku area… had dinner at a shop with a vending machine to purchase meal coupons and order our food (their version of fast food).
Walked around a supermarket and jaw dropped at the prices… Eg. 1 box of grapes for S$115. Any takers?
And finally to a nearby electronics department store where I bought the English-Japanese dictionary software for my Nintendo DS. Getting to the section to buy that was another set of challenge itself because the electronics store was so big, it had sooooooo many sections and not within one building but all around the streets! Luckily I had my friends who are more fluent in Japanese to help me! That’s when I realized I am so dependent on my Singaporean friends! =x The Nintendo section was big and filled up with interesting games. That’s when I was thinking that Xiangjun will go crazy in the shop! Lol.. especially with the crowd of guys standing outside the shop playing free game demos on the wifi network!
The 3rd day’s early morning at 5am, I met Shane, Yihua and Anne to check out the famous Tsukijishicho (Tsukiji Market).
Interesting place where we missed the live auction of really huge slabs of tuna by 10 minutes as the market was huge and we were trying to find the place.
We kept taking photos of everything! It was really interesting.
And then, for the first time, I had sashimi at 7am in the morning! But it was realllly yummy. My fav dish will be tuna with egg yolk and sesame oil. Totemo oishi desu ne! (Really very delicious!)
In the late evening, I met Rita & her family for drinks and snacks @ a nearby Krispy Kreme! =) I finally fulfilled my promise to visit them in Tokyo. =p
At night, we attended a dinner hosted by the Singapore embassy where all of us ended up smelling like beef as it was a beef tepanyaki restaurant. Food was good but all of us were choking from the smoke… teary eyed welcome dinner. Lol. Check out the before and after photos.
But it was a good gathering.. last night to see each other before we departed for our respective prefectures! Most of us attended the dinner and it was a good catching up opportunity.
And on the 4th day, I bade farewell to my Singaporean friends and headed for Fukuoka prefecture. Thus, if you ask me what’s my impression of Tokyo… I can’t tell you much because I didn’t get to see much.. other than there are lotsa bright lights and people!
Upon arrival in Fukuoka Airport, all of us were bundled off in various cars by our supervisors. My supervisor, Yasuki sensei seems very nice! We spent an hour to drive to my school in KitaQ City and I was introduced to the vice principal etc. Then my supervisor brought me around the neighborhood so that I will memorize the route home and where to buy groceries and we had dinner at a Chinese restaurant which was opened… by Chinese. =)
Then back to my new apartment. Frankly speaking, it looks really old and spooky from the outside. Especially the rusty playground with the lonely tree and the building opp which is due to be torn down and really looks like it’s been abandoned for a long long time. View of the playground from my apartment.
In my building, there’s space for 16 families but to date, we only have around 10 apartments that are used. I do not dare to imagine what lurks in the empty apartments. Yikes!
But on the inside, my apartment is great… comfy bed and air con! That’s enough for me! =p
My apartment is on top of a hill. So it is quite a challenge going up and down the hills which are nicknamed “death hills” by the current ALTs staying in the building. They are all really very steep!! The photos look deceptive!
My school is just beside my apartment… 5 mins down one of the steep death hills and I can reach it pretty fast. This is a view of my school from my balcony.
But it is now summer holidays in Japan and many of the teachers are on leave. Thus, I’ve been just sitting in the staff room and doing reading and typing this. All the teachers will be back by next Monday for extra lessons. Hopefully I can help out more next week!
My neighbors are pretty nice. Just watched Harry Potter 1 again with Lori & Cecilia since we have nothing much to do anyway. Quite funny. I’ve been meeting people and going out for dinner every night since I reached KitaQ. And I have taken express buses, “baby trains”, subways, JR etc… learning in progress but it was all fun and I will need to take some time before I can figure out the complicated train system!
I’ll type more next time… a little tired already. Counting down… 30 more minutes left to stay in the staff room… Can’t wait to get home to meet the internet man who will get my internet up and ready!
I finally found some time to type out a blog entry.
I am settling into my new town pretty well.
It’s been kinda crazy from Tokyo to Fukuoka and to KitaQ with so many new things and experiences that I barely had time to sit down to think.
Tokyo was packed with seminars and workshops where basically, I was stuck in the hotel room. The only time to see Tokyo was during dinner time where we walked out to explore interesting areas, with the help of Xianna for the first night where we checked out Kabuki-cho. This was a street famous for its many lady’s shops. Lol. Kinda realized what I have gotten myself into when we were about to order our dinner and I can’t read the menu! Yvonne had to go over to ask Xianna for help. It was funny. And whatever that came, was not what I had in mind but it was still good. Haha…
So then the next day, it was the start of orientation programme where we reported to our respective prefectures etc etc and attended all the briefings and workshops.. Kinda boring but necessary part of the Tokyo Orientation programme. And here’s my Fukuoka prefecture group photo of the participants in Group B orientation. (There are so many JET participants every year that the orientation programme is divided into 2 main groups so that the logistics will not be so crazy!)
At night I was really dead tired from the workshops! So we only walked around Shinjuku area… had dinner at a shop with a vending machine to purchase meal coupons and order our food (their version of fast food).
Walked around a supermarket and jaw dropped at the prices… Eg. 1 box of grapes for S$115. Any takers?
And finally to a nearby electronics department store where I bought the English-Japanese dictionary software for my Nintendo DS. Getting to the section to buy that was another set of challenge itself because the electronics store was so big, it had sooooooo many sections and not within one building but all around the streets! Luckily I had my friends who are more fluent in Japanese to help me! That’s when I realized I am so dependent on my Singaporean friends! =x The Nintendo section was big and filled up with interesting games. That’s when I was thinking that Xiangjun will go crazy in the shop! Lol.. especially with the crowd of guys standing outside the shop playing free game demos on the wifi network!
The 3rd day’s early morning at 5am, I met Shane, Yihua and Anne to check out the famous Tsukijishicho (Tsukiji Market).
Interesting place where we missed the live auction of really huge slabs of tuna by 10 minutes as the market was huge and we were trying to find the place.
We kept taking photos of everything! It was really interesting.
And then, for the first time, I had sashimi at 7am in the morning! But it was realllly yummy. My fav dish will be tuna with egg yolk and sesame oil. Totemo oishi desu ne! (Really very delicious!)
In the late evening, I met Rita & her family for drinks and snacks @ a nearby Krispy Kreme! =) I finally fulfilled my promise to visit them in Tokyo. =p
At night, we attended a dinner hosted by the Singapore embassy where all of us ended up smelling like beef as it was a beef tepanyaki restaurant. Food was good but all of us were choking from the smoke… teary eyed welcome dinner. Lol. Check out the before and after photos.
But it was a good gathering.. last night to see each other before we departed for our respective prefectures! Most of us attended the dinner and it was a good catching up opportunity.
And on the 4th day, I bade farewell to my Singaporean friends and headed for Fukuoka prefecture. Thus, if you ask me what’s my impression of Tokyo… I can’t tell you much because I didn’t get to see much.. other than there are lotsa bright lights and people!
Upon arrival in Fukuoka Airport, all of us were bundled off in various cars by our supervisors. My supervisor, Yasuki sensei seems very nice! We spent an hour to drive to my school in KitaQ City and I was introduced to the vice principal etc. Then my supervisor brought me around the neighborhood so that I will memorize the route home and where to buy groceries and we had dinner at a Chinese restaurant which was opened… by Chinese. =)
Then back to my new apartment. Frankly speaking, it looks really old and spooky from the outside. Especially the rusty playground with the lonely tree and the building opp which is due to be torn down and really looks like it’s been abandoned for a long long time. View of the playground from my apartment.
In my building, there’s space for 16 families but to date, we only have around 10 apartments that are used. I do not dare to imagine what lurks in the empty apartments. Yikes!
But on the inside, my apartment is great… comfy bed and air con! That’s enough for me! =p
My apartment is on top of a hill. So it is quite a challenge going up and down the hills which are nicknamed “death hills” by the current ALTs staying in the building. They are all really very steep!! The photos look deceptive!
My school is just beside my apartment… 5 mins down one of the steep death hills and I can reach it pretty fast. This is a view of my school from my balcony.
But it is now summer holidays in Japan and many of the teachers are on leave. Thus, I’ve been just sitting in the staff room and doing reading and typing this. All the teachers will be back by next Monday for extra lessons. Hopefully I can help out more next week!
My neighbors are pretty nice. Just watched Harry Potter 1 again with Lori & Cecilia since we have nothing much to do anyway. Quite funny. I’ve been meeting people and going out for dinner every night since I reached KitaQ. And I have taken express buses, “baby trains”, subways, JR etc… learning in progress but it was all fun and I will need to take some time before I can figure out the complicated train system!
I’ll type more next time… a little tired already. Counting down… 30 more minutes left to stay in the staff room… Can’t wait to get home to meet the internet man who will get my internet up and ready!
Friday, July 24, 2009
H1N1
Well, it seems like h1n1 is going to hang over for quite a while! Just got an email telling us that we will be on semi-quarantine till 19th August. -_-'' But I can also understand their rationale. Oh well, I better bring lotsa stuff to entertain myself!!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Some introduction...
Now that I have given most of my friends and students this blog address, I better highlight some of the acronyms that I will be using often in the blog in case you get confused.
My position is known as ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) and sometimes we are also referred to the JETs (teachers on the Japan Exchange & Teaching Programme). My pred is referring to my predecessor, the very nice and friendly American (Anna) that I am taking over. I am posted to kitakyushu city but people generally just refer to the area as KitaQ (that's the short form).
Hum, can't think of what else to explain for now.
Last Friday I attended the Singapore JETs pre-departure orientation at Japan Embassy and there are altogether 22 of us. 20 ALTs and 2 CIR (coordinators of international relations who do more translation and other jobs that require a high proficiency in the Japanese lanugage). It was interesting to hear from the ex Singapore JETs who shared with us their experiences etc. However, we didn't much chance to interact and Carie-anne, one of the girls has organised a informal gathering next week. Hopefully we will get a chance to interact more since having a network of fellow Singaporean JETs is good for travelling within Japan! On Kyushu island itself, there's 8 new ALTs and according to Weili, one of the JETs currently stationed in Kumamoto, there are also other existing JETs in Kyushu and he's going to organise a reunion gathering during New Year. Looking forward to that!
There's much coincidences for me that really show that the world is very small.
1. I got to know a new ALT, Yvonne wayyy before the interview through the JET forums and turns out she was my VP's ex student.
2. After meeting up with a few ALTs, discover Adrielle and Nicholas just live like, a few streets away for me.
3. I had actually seen Nicholas's car often because he used to pick up my neighbour and friend Liyong for work every morning and they are colleagues in YJC. LOL.
4. Adrielle who heard our conversation about Liyong realised that we know the same Liyong as Liyong is her senior in her secondary school's cca - band.
5. One of the new ALT, Shane, is my sec sch's classmate's husband and he's bringing Eileen along to Japan
6. A friendly guy in Facebook gave me much useful advice as he read that I was posted to Fukuoka and he's there. When I got my exact placement, he was shocked because he never expected to be staying in the same city as him and after I got my exact address, he's even more surprised because I am only staying 20-30 mins away from his apartment. Haha.
7. I chatted with a asian girl in the JET forums and we just found out the day before, that we are going to be neighbours in our new apartment block! She's taking over Dan, my pred's fiancee. It's really amazing!
Anymore surprises? =)
My position is known as ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) and sometimes we are also referred to the JETs (teachers on the Japan Exchange & Teaching Programme). My pred is referring to my predecessor, the very nice and friendly American (Anna) that I am taking over. I am posted to kitakyushu city but people generally just refer to the area as KitaQ (that's the short form).
Hum, can't think of what else to explain for now.
Last Friday I attended the Singapore JETs pre-departure orientation at Japan Embassy and there are altogether 22 of us. 20 ALTs and 2 CIR (coordinators of international relations who do more translation and other jobs that require a high proficiency in the Japanese lanugage). It was interesting to hear from the ex Singapore JETs who shared with us their experiences etc. However, we didn't much chance to interact and Carie-anne, one of the girls has organised a informal gathering next week. Hopefully we will get a chance to interact more since having a network of fellow Singaporean JETs is good for travelling within Japan! On Kyushu island itself, there's 8 new ALTs and according to Weili, one of the JETs currently stationed in Kumamoto, there are also other existing JETs in Kyushu and he's going to organise a reunion gathering during New Year. Looking forward to that!
There's much coincidences for me that really show that the world is very small.
1. I got to know a new ALT, Yvonne wayyy before the interview through the JET forums and turns out she was my VP's ex student.
2. After meeting up with a few ALTs, discover Adrielle and Nicholas just live like, a few streets away for me.
3. I had actually seen Nicholas's car often because he used to pick up my neighbour and friend Liyong for work every morning and they are colleagues in YJC. LOL.
4. Adrielle who heard our conversation about Liyong realised that we know the same Liyong as Liyong is her senior in her secondary school's cca - band.
5. One of the new ALT, Shane, is my sec sch's classmate's husband and he's bringing Eileen along to Japan
6. A friendly guy in Facebook gave me much useful advice as he read that I was posted to Fukuoka and he's there. When I got my exact placement, he was shocked because he never expected to be staying in the same city as him and after I got my exact address, he's even more surprised because I am only staying 20-30 mins away from his apartment. Haha.
7. I chatted with a asian girl in the JET forums and we just found out the day before, that we are going to be neighbours in our new apartment block! She's taking over Dan, my pred's fiancee. It's really amazing!
Anymore surprises? =)
Monday, July 13, 2009
=)
I have gotten my finalised address... seems like it's a pretty good location because it's near my school so there's no need for me to cycle!!! According to Anna, it's juz a 5min walk from my apartment to the school! So we shall see. =) And it's in the middle of 2 train stations and near a big park. =)
Saturday, July 11, 2009
I am a lucky gal!
My predecessor Anna, is a really friendly and nice person! She just told me that since I am taking over her apartment, she's leaving everything for me for free! I have told her to charge me a nominal sum or I will feel bad for taking all her stuff for free!
an extract from Anna's email..
"OK - having said that, here's a list of what is in the apartment:
Twin bed set with bedding (very cute and so comfy!!)
Two tall book shelves
Three small book shelves
Small chest of drawers
Kitchen Table
Kitchen accessories (dishes, pots, pans, etc.)
TV
VCR
DVD player
Small couch and matching chair (with cute covers)
Kotatsu (Table with heater under it)
Toyo heater
Laundry accessories
Microwave and stove"
All these for free! Wow! =)
an extract from Anna's email..
"OK - having said that, here's a list of what is in the apartment:
Twin bed set with bedding (very cute and so comfy!!)
Two tall book shelves
Three small book shelves
Small chest of drawers
Kitchen Table
Kitchen accessories (dishes, pots, pans, etc.)
TV
VCR
DVD player
Small couch and matching chair (with cute covers)
Kotatsu (Table with heater under it)
Toyo heater
Laundry accessories
Microwave and stove"
All these for free! Wow! =)
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