JET

After talking to a friend from work, and to my manager (who is the sweetest woman ever, and a blessing to work for, really), I've decided to re-apply to JET. Why? Because I do ALT work once a week and I wish it was every day. Also, because while my students are wonderful, and my managers are also extra wonderful, I'd like to work in the public school system.

So I might be coming back to Toronto around my birthday, but only for a day or two. I can't get too much time off work because we have nobody to supply-teach for us. Sucks that JET does not interview outside of Japan, I have to start saving money for the ticket if I get the interview. Anyways, I still have time to think about this, the application is not out yet... but just thought I'd blog about it. Sorry though but if I really do come I won't be able to see anyone, except maybe have lunch downtown the day of the interview, but in any case I won't know for another few months if I am coming or not.

Crunchyroll

Long time no post eh? :P
I came here today to write a short complaint: Japanese ISPs completely block Crunchyroll (where I go for my Japanese and Korean TV shows). ARGH!!!!!! This is really not fun. Of course, I can always use a proxy server, I will go do that as soon as I finish typing this. Still though, argh. I like Crunchyroll so much so this is quite a pain...

August in Toyohashi: Pictures

Long time no post eh? Yes, I know, I know. I have not written any emails either, not even to my closest friends, and for that I apologize. It's been really busy because basically I am at work all day. I don't actually work for more than 8 hours per day, probably even less, but the thing is, I am in transit a lot, and sometimes I'd start at 9-10 AM, then have a long break and travel to another location, and then finish at 7 or 8 PM. With waiting for the train and stuff, I am basically out of the house on most days from morning until 8-9 PM. I don't mind, but I am just too tired to do anything when I get home.

I am getting better though at organizing my time. I've been writing a lot at the train stations, while waiting, or on the train too. I also bring my Japanese textbook with me and study a little during breaks at work. I am still using my company phone, but once I get my own phone (heh, after the pay day ;)), I will be able to blog and email more, because the phone I want has a really nice text-entry feature. I can't wait, I've been counting days :D. September 25th is when I get payed, so I think I will be able to go to the cell-phone shop on the way from work that day, hehe :D.

Anyways, I wrote a short photo-journal about my first month in Toyohashi. I apologize for the crappy photos, they were taken with my phone camera, hence the quality. I don't usually bring my normal camera, I already have too much stuff with me, so I don't feel like carrying other things around.
Here is the journal. It's a PDF of about 1 MB.

First Kendo Practice in Toyohashi!

Yay, I survived! :D
See the post on the hime blog for details ^ ^.

Blogging

Waaa, sorry for the lack of posting. I finish work late and get really sleepy by the time I get home (9-10PM). I'll try blogging more though, I just need to get a daily routine and get used to my schedule. I was going to blog today but ended up going off to explore instead.

Ocean

As I just wrote, I was planning to go to the ocean last Sunday but didn't end up going. I did, however, find out how to get there by public transit, at least I have an idea. So maybe I'll go to the ocean on Saturday, as long as I wake up early and make it back before kendo practice. It looks like I won't be able to go to kendo on Wednesdays (one of the two practice days in the dojo I went to last week), so Saturday will be the only kendo day for now. I can't go during the week at all in fact, even though there are practices in other places on other weekdays. The way things are right now though, I think one day a week of kendo would be enough. Once things settle down more I'll see if I can practice more than one day (I'll need to find a dojo with a schedule that works for me), but that's later.

Weather

It's really hot here, but surprisingly it doesn't bother me nearly as much as I thought it would. If you bike it's really quite nice, and it's a bit windy so it doesn't get as hot as long as you are moving. I think in terms of temperature, it's around 28-30 most days, but in case you are extra curious, here's the weather forecast.

Schedule, Blogging, Etc.

I have a lot of things to write about but I've just been busy at work. During the weekend (or better to say my one and only day off) I had grand plans to write emails, blog, and go see the ocean. None of it got done though, because for one I have a cold and I decided against traveling (good thing too), and in general, I just felt like resting, so I did. So there you go, that's why I didn't email anyone :P. I did get some studying done, which was really good—I need to study Japanese, I really do, and it's a lot more fun studying here, because I can go to a grocery store or a post office and actually practice what I learned.

My schedule is, well, long... Most days I work 1 PM to 9 PM. It looks like my getting up early in the mornings would be a good idea—this way I'll have time to do lots, and then I can just go to sleep when I get home. We'll see how that goes, I haven't been getting up early for the past few days because I didn't feel like jogging with a cold. Once my cold is gone, maybe tomorrow, I'll start getting up early again.

Small World

Really, it is an unbelievably small world. Sorry I am really exhausted to tell the story right now, so please stay tuned, but I still can't believe my luck yesterday at kendo practice :D.
Aiii, wish I could blog right now, but if I do, I will fall asleep on my keyboard or something... and it's only 11 PM—can you believe it? O_o. I get up at 5-6, but by 9-10 PM I am really starting to fall asleep... K, bed time!

P.S. It's nice to have my internet back. I didn't have it for a day and a half and felt so isolated :P.

Kendo Dojo

After the morning visit to the bogu shop I went to check out one of the dojos. There is no practice today and I knew that but I just wanted to see where it was, etc. I talked to someone who works in the community center and he told me the name of the sensei, and what time the practices are, and a little about the rules. I don't know how much I have to pay yet, but I can find that out after. I will go to watch first, I am a little (ok a lot) nervous to just go and start practicing right away without knowing how the practice is run, etc. They said it is ok to go and watch at first. Now I need to find where the other dojo is.