Once More, With Feeling

I've been possibly the luckiest JET from my consulate concerning being contacted by my predecessor and supervisor. I don't believe anyone else has yet been given the amount of information on their placement as I've received about my placement in Sai-mura. Because of this, I have had a lot of time to speak with my pred over e-mails and Facebook, positively bombarding her with every question I can think of. I've also corresponded with the woman who is to be my immediate boss, my supervisor, via e-mail (strictly in Japanese since she doesn't not speak any English), and she is incredibly nice. This preliminary correspondence has also included haggling with my pred over the belongings she wishes to sell before she leaves Japan. After three or four e-mails, we've almost got everything covered, and soon I'll have a finalized price. I'm particularly excited about a rattan floor lamp that she bought on a trip to Thailand.

Remember not to feel pressured to buy your pred's belongings. Surprisingly, this was the first thing she told me. (I guess I'm of the certain mentality that pegs everyone as a self-serving, greedy asshole.) She really put me at ease about deciding whether or not to buy her things. I'm really fortunate to have such a great pred. (Let's refer to her as... Black Cat from now on.) So Black Cat sent me a spreadsheet with everything she wished to sell, the prices of each item, freebies included with purchase, and even a list of things she would simply hand over to me without monetary transaction. During this process, I found out that my apartment will have a VHS player. Words cannot describe how completely, totally geeked I am about this development.

So as to not lose the informative vibe I've been trying to construct here, I will make a list of questions that I asked Black Cat and also a list of the things you may want to buy from your pred before/upon arrival at your placement.

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Questions:

How far is the nearest grocery store?

Will I need a car/bike? What kind would be best?

How is the public transportation?

How many schools will I be teaching at?

How many classes will I be responsible for?

What are the operating hours of the schools?

How long will I have to get settled in before classes start?

What are the dress codes for teachers in each school?

What will my obligations to the schools be during summer/spring/winter breaks? (Some schools will expect you to go in for a few hours even when classes aren't technically in session. Some schools are more lax about this. It's good to know what kind of environment to expect before charging in.)

What kinds of activities did you become a part of while there?

Is there a local dialect I should know about before I get there? Am I expected to learn it?

How long did it take to get the internet hooked up? (Yes, there is fast internet in the inaka.)

How much is rent? Will I have to pay any key money/deposits when I arrive?

Are there pets allowed? (Almost never. Ho hum.)

Can you tell me about the layout of the apartment/house?

Is there a futon or a bed? (In my case, I bought Black Cat's mattress so I won't have to sleep on the floor.)

Did you ever travel back home for any holidays? How much did that end up costing you? Was it worth it to go home and be somewhere familiar for a while?

Was there anything you didn't bring to Japan initially that you wished you would have brought?

What kinds of things did you miss from home and how did you compensate?

Did you send money back home? Which method did you use?

Would you recommend investing in a keitai?

What do you do for fun?

Why are you leaving the JET Program? (Something I personally thought was very important to ask. Thankfully, my pred had very good reasons for leaving and wasn't fleeing after a terrible one-year experience. She gave Sai three years of her life and decided it was time to start living life back home instead of observing it in Japan.)

How much Japanese should I know upon arrival? How was yours when you went? How much Japanese do you use per day? How much have you learned in your time there?

What are the age demographics? (For me, this was a valid question since Sai-mura is... well... a mura. If you end up in a city, this is an unnecessary question. You'll find all age groups.)

What kind of certification do I need to be able to...?

Are the teachers open to your ideas for projects/activities in the classrooms?

How are the kids you work with? (Temperament, willingness to learn, etc.)

Is there anywhere in (Your Placement Here) that is a must-visit?

Where are some of the places you traveled to while on JET? (Black Cat traveled to soooo many places in her three years as  JET. If you live in the inaka, be prepared to have a lot of extra cash on you to be able to travel!)

How is the wildlife there? Is there anything I should be cautious about?

Are there lots of bugs? What kinds? Prevention methods?

What is the weather like? How did you deal with extremely hot/cold temperatures? 

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Those are pretty much everything I've asked thus far. I'm sure I'll have tons more. Black Cat has been awesome about it. I seriously couldn't have asked for a better pred. As for buying her belongings, she informed me that she discounted everything 50% off of what she paid for it. I found that acceptable for pretty much everything she had to sell. The only things I can't buy from her are her snowboarding boots and bindings, because we don't wear the same size shoe! Blast!

Things she had to sell:

1 year-old mattress (Preferable to the BoE putting the old one back in that Black Cat says smells moldy. ::shudder::)

Zabuton (Cushions for guests)

Kotatsu set (Table with built in heater with a blanket on top and a reflective pad underneath. Essential for cold climates!)

Towels

Rattan floor lamp from Thailand (Pictured above!)

Sleeping bag (There can often be JET activities such as camp-outs.)

Snowboard (With boots and bindings that I cannot buy.)

Long wooden table to put out for guests

Double-sized futon set

Ironing board and iron

Brita container with filters

Nabe bowl and lighter (Nabe is a meal that many people share out of one bowl. It's considered the closest and most sociable way to eat together.)

Fan

Router and modem

Digital scale

Electric kettle

Things she's leaving for me for free:

Shower curtain and rod, pots, pans, silverware, chopsticks, glasses, garbage can, umbrellas, electric air scenter, toilet paper, laundry rod, travel maps, plastic bags, ECO shopping bags, hangars, desk lamp, cell phone charger, road map of Aomori, power bar and foot switch, SV cord so I can hook my laptop up to the TV, shampoo, conditioner, spices, cleaning supplies, canned/dried food, laundry detergent, tissue boxes, hand soap. 

As you can see, she's not leaving me a Ferrari, but as I told her, I would be grateful if she left everything she could there. When I get there, I'll probably be so flustered and in awe that I'll forget something as simple as hand soap or toilet paper. It would be nice to have a few things at the apartment in case I temporarily lose my mind. If you're a germaphobe, ask your pred to throw everything away. As for me, I don't see anything wrong with using Black Cat's leftover shampoo and conditioner.

I do recommend, if you're living in a cold climate, to buy your pred's kotatsu. You've been warned. Dishes are also an expense that you can save on here. Hangars, spices, cleaning supplies, pots, pans... these can easily add up if you purchase them yourself when you get to Japan. I'm in the position where my pred decided to give me these things for free, but you may not be. In an e-mail from my contracting organization, the representative explained what comes with my apartment:

"It comes equipped with a washing machine, satellite TV, telephone, refrigerator, bed, desk, kerosene heater, gas stove, broiler, microwave, rice cooker, table, chairs and a vacuum cleaner."

Other than this, you decide what else goes in your apartment, so keep in mind that the little things for the kitchen that most of us consider necessary can add up considerably. If it helps, make a list of the things you use every day in your home country. That way you'll know exactly what you use and what you'll be needing in Japan. If your pred is bullying you into buying his/her stuff, don't fall victim. In that case, just go buy your own dishes. On the flip side, be nice to your pred. They're spending time answering your questions and also trying to make a fair return on the things they've purchased. The least you can do is have a little respect and common decency.

When all is said and done, I'll probably be paying Black Cat about $500 US dollars for all of her stuff, or around 46,000 yen. It may be more if I decide to buy her snowboard. Usually, dropping that amount of money would make me balk; however, as the Sai-mura JET, I will be receiving a 300,000 yen bonus upon arrival so I'll be able to buy things for my apartment and live until my first paycheck. Keep in mind, not every JET gets a bonus like this. I actually have no idea why I'm getting such a bonus. Before you hear from your contracting organization, make plans to bring at least $2000 US dollar equivalent with you to Japan for living expenses. If you're like me and discover that you'll be positively all right without saving up the extra money, all the better. Personally, I breathed a great sigh of relief when I heard the news. Now I don't have to get a loan, and I'll actually have money to buy clothes and luggage. Imagine that!

I hope this blog entry was helpful! I know how hard it can be to search for all the JET information one wants in a single place. Hopefully my blog has simplified things a bit for you. :) Again, I'm really grateful for Black Cat. When the time comes for me to be someone's lucky pred, I'll definitely make it as easy for them as Black Cat did for me.