The first wave of newbies will be arriving in just a little over ONE WEEK. I can hardly believe it! With all of the preparations going on for the various orientations which I'll be helping out at, I'm getting more & more excited. I'm sure you're all way more pumped than I am, but I really am looking forward to meeting all of you.
I'll be seeing all of the Group B folks in Tokyo, & anybody coming with a spouse (or partner) or children is warmly invited to check out the "Life as a JET Bringing Partners or Family" workshop, which I'll be leading. I can't promise all of the information will be relevant, though!
A week later I'll be leading workshops at the Kakegawa Orientation (sadly, only for prefectural JETs; municipal JETs do not attend). Even if you're not in one of my workshops, please feel free to come up to me & chat! I get excited about meeting new people -- & even moreso about answering questions about life in Japan. Hit me with whatever you've got!
Group A folks are probably already mostly packed (at least mentally), & Group B people are probably rounding up all of the loose ends already -- but here's a few last-minute tips:
* If you have a driver's license, get an international drivers permit. They're cheap (US$15, probably about the same elsewhere) & even if you don't think you'll want to drive now, you never know whether you could change your mind. It requires almost no effort to go to your local Auto Club (AAA in the US), fill out the app & shell over the cash & be on your merry way.
* Unless you have sensitive skin or a brand that you're really attached to, don't bring toiletries. (You may want to bring a travel-sized set for your first day or 2 in Shizuoka, until you have time to go to a store, though.) You can buy just about anything you need here.
* DO bring some cool business-casual clothes. Many schools only have air conditioning in the teacher's room -- where you'll be spending most of your time anyway, but you'll probably also be walking around getting tours of the school (& maybe your neighborhood), so you'll want to be dressed comfortably. Remember, ladies: In Japan (as elsewhere), it's not considered acceptable to show your shoulders or cleavage at work. Short-sleeved shirts are okay. If you have more questions on dress code, talk to your predecessor or shoot me an email.
* Take a browse through Ashley Thompson's blog, Surviving in Japan. She's an ex-JET, still living here with her husband (who's a JET). She has a great starter post -- "Moving to Japan? Read this first." -- & lots of useful information (including how-to's) on day-to-day life. If you have other specific questions, she's always happy to take requests & write up a useful guide.
& as with everything, if you've got questions, ask someone! Your predecessor wants to tell you all about his or her life in Japan & give you all of the little tips that s/he's stored up over the past year (or 5), so don't worry about asking questions about the daily minutiae! Your friendly AJET officers are also here for you. I didn't ask nearly enough questions when I started out & found myself floundering until I finally sucked it up & decided I would "bother" the more knowledgeable people, all of whom were more than happy to answer all of my silly questions.
See you in a week (or two)!
--Sally
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