Shoup's News: 06.2005

New Okazaki Pics

So I went for a little stroll this morning and took a few pics of interest. See below. Follow the smell of donuts.

From my new hotel room.

I found this little walkway up the mountain, with grass and everything!

just a little temple through the trees - nothing special.

walking path up or down the mountain

All of the houses in this neighborhood look like this one - or quite similar. They're really cute.

More of my neighborhood.

The word for the day is J-O-B. So, my room (yes, I have my own classroom) is on the ground floor. You got your train station to the left and a myriad of shops and restaurants to the right.

This view is about 5 minutes from my school and hotel. It's much prettier here than in Nagoya. There are bike/walking paths along each side of the river down below.

From the bridge in my new town.

I found Mr. Donut on my walk through Okazaki this morning. I just had to go inside and investigate!

Dad, this one's for you. The donuts weren't too bad.

Art inside Mr. Donut - a bit intense for your morning donut and coffee?

Okazaki It To Me

So, i'm finally in Okazaki. I think I might have time tomorrow morning to take some pics of my surroundings. I'm not in my apartment yet, but in a pretty nice hotel about 3 minutes from my school. I'll be moving into my apartment on Saturday night, after I finish teaching.

I arrived today at about 12:30 and my head teacher met me at the train station and took me back to the school for a quick orientation. The other foreign teacher, Kit (from Cornwall), came up to the school to welcome me and we all went to lunch at a really good chinese restaurant. I really think I am going to like working with everyone there - it is much more laid back than head office and everyone seems very nice. After lunch we talked about my schedule for this week - not too rigorous. I will be observing classes tomorrow and wednesday and teaching thursday on. I teach about 23 classes a week, so it's not too bad. I have quite a few private lessons, and I will also be traveling out to Tupperware (the company) to teach 4 English classes to the businessmen there. So, that should liven my schedule up a bit.

My hotel has a jacuzzi and sauna but I'm kind of afraid to use it - we'll see. There are all of these small plastic buckets I think I'm suppposed to sit on and wash myself with before entering the jacuzzi. I think I'll ask the front desk about the proper protocol - they speak fluent English.

Okazaki is really pretty - there's some actual nature - like trees and grass and the like. Nagoya is extremely industrial and huge. Okazaki seems a bit more manageable and there is a river running through the center of town with walking paths along each side. It's quaint. Also, it's not too small.

My manager and head teacher informed me that I will get lots of invitations from my students (who are all about 20-30 years of age) to go out drinking and eating, and even on vacations with them. Also, I will have a housewife class on Tuesday afternoons, and they will usually invite me out to lunch afterwards. It sounds like a great place to teach. Kit told me that our school is very laid back and that we don't have to worry about walking around on eggshells or making too many mistakes - that the manager and head teacher are very understanding and forgiving.

Also, Kit, the manager (Midori-sensei) and I are all invited to a Sumo Tournament - quite a treat - because it is very expensive. But, one of the students at our school (I think a rich businessman) likes to treat the teachers very well.

Anyway, I'm glad training is over and I'm on to bigger and better things. I think the no meat thing is going to be difficult and I'm just going to try to be flexible about it. They eat a lot more meat than you'd think. Dad would love it here - they do a lot of fried pork and dumplings.

I'm going to go finish watching Gorillas in the Mist - my English movie for the night. How exciting my life is.