Star Wars Movies are not Children's Movies

Before you leave for Japan, you're going to want to get your crap in order. My coordinator suggested delegating a power of attorney and procuring a living will. I am doing neither of these things. If I die, I have nothing of value to be given to family or taken by the government. No car, no house, nada. My only possessions are as good as anonymous. If you have important adult-like possessions, you should probably do the aforementioned things. If you're like me, just do what you normally do and stare into space.

I have the glorious task of not only packing for Japan but also packing up everything I will not be taking and shoving it into my mom's garage for an indeterminable amount of time. I don't know how you feel about packing, but I am not a fan. Packing twice kind of makes me want to die.

As far as preparation goes, I have spent the majority of my time shopping for clothes. Aomori prefecture is incredibly far north, and the village I have been placed in might as well be in Hokkaido which might as well be in Russia. Okay, not really. But my point is that I need lots of clothes. So far I've been to two different malls, an outlet mall, and my mom's closet. If you'll be living in a northern prefecture, some things you'll need include:

• long johns/ long underwear/ under layers/ thinner clothes to wear under your heavier clothes (I realize these are all the same thing. I'm doing this for your benefit here.)
• snow jacket (You may not be familiar with snow. It does exist, and yes, it has the potential to be kind of cold. Your snow jacket should be well insulated and have full length sleeves. No cardigans unless you enjoy hypothermia. Hood preferable.)
• boots (Without a heel or with a modest heel, ladies. Snow is made out of water. Thus, it is slippery water. Must I explain further why heels on snow is a bad idea? Pretend you are a little train that needs enough grip to climb a hill. Have you ever seen a train wear high heels? My point exactly.)
• sweaters/ long-sleeved shirts (I shouldn't have to remind you about this, but I'm looking out for you.)
• socks: thick and thin (Don't forget that Japan is full of shoeists. Shoes are not allowed inside a lot of places and also have designated waiting areas. Make sure your socks are neither dirty nor holey.)
• gloves (Snow gloves are different than gloves you wear when it's just chilly. Buy a set of both. Glove liners are also a good idea for extra warmth and sweat-wicking.)
• hats (When I say "hat," I immediately think of Indiana Jones's epic fedora, but that's not going to help you here. Other than getting you awesome points, I mean. Get a warm hat that covers your ears.)
• scarves (Not the fashion scarves, the practical scarves, silly goose.)

So, if you've never lived in snow, there you go-- inside tips! Optional accessories include... earmuffs.

As with most things, every situation is different, but it's still a good idea to dress professionally at your office/schools. You're an ambassador of your country while you're on JET. Don't you want to take the time to look nice? Me either. Damn it.

Black Cat said the dress code was semi-casual (completely casual meaning jeans and t-shirt). She dismissed the option to wear jeans to work. Khakis and polos it is! Actually, I'll probably wear dress pants and a nice top to work on my first day. We'll see how well I can put together an outfit after 13 hours of jet lag.

If you have no clue what to wear to work, dress it up. You can never look too good when making a first impression. When you see what the other teachers are wearing, follow their examples. Of course, you can always continue to dress in your business attire when they're all wearing track suits, but you may look like a douche. Be prepared for that possibility.

I finally bought some omiyage yesterday! If you're not savvy on the whole omiyage issue, here's the rundown: "omiyage" translates as "souvenir". Giving (cheap/edible) omiyage upon returning from a vacation or trip is a standard Japanese custom (a way of thanking everyone else for working while you were off gallivanting like a poof). In a JET's case, it's simply a nice gesture to bring something from his/her hometown to share with his/her superiors. (This means don't bother buying your neighbor something. Unless your neighbor happens to be your vice principal, of course. If you make friend with your neighbor, however, you may want to get them something. They will return the favor! Possibly deliciously.)

Another important thing to know is that your gifts must match the social hierarchy of the school/office. The JTE (Japanese Teacher of English) should get a small gift. I bought glass paperweights that say "Sunshine State" and "Florida" on them. The vice principal must get something better than the JTE. I bought fire-glazed plates that show some kind of beach scene on them that also say Florida. (These were all really cheap in a gift shop in Orlando.) The principal must get something comparable to the vice president's gift but better. I actually forgot to get the omiyage for the principals while I was in Orlando, but I think I'm going to buy them bags of Starbucks's Via instant coffee. There are no Starbucks's in Aomori at all (from what I've read), and the Japanese are into instant coffee, so voila. I'm originally from Seattle, so giving Starbucks coffee is extremely appropriate, and don't you say otherwise.

I know I said the gift should be comparable to the VP's gift, but hey, the coffee is going to be way more expensive and delicious than some painted plates (They were $1.99). At least there's kind of a food theme...? I'm reaching, I know. I've actually yet to find out if I'm allowed to bring coffee into Japan. I hope so

The Japanese also like things that are individually wrapped. Remember that if you ever give them food. They don't want something if there's the possibility that someone else has touched it. Personally, I'm bringing some wrapping materials with me to Japan so I can individually wrap everything when I get there.

Last thing about omiyage: you don't have to give them immediately upon arriving in your placement. Wait it out for a bit, get to know people, and THEN shower them with cheap, foreign gifts they'll never appreciate and likely toss the moment you disappear from sight. (Oh, and don’t forget a gift for your supervisor.) As for the students, I bought Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse stickers that say things like "Fantastic" and "Girl/Boy Power". Yeah, I know. They were cheap, okay? I've heard kids go gaga for stickers, so we'll see.

If you'll be needing to drive in Japan, make sure to get your international driver's permit. If you're American, you win! You are from practically the only country that must obtain an actual Japanese driver's license after your first year in Japan. Don't you feel so lucky?! More to come on that when I actually have to take the test. *indistinct grumbling surely laced with colorful cuss words*

I'm sure there's more I wanted to say here, but I forget. I went to sleep before finishing this blog, and now I'm all confused. As always, direct any questions to this blog or TanukiSunrise@gmail.com.

I think my next entry will be about the vast amount of paperwork you will need to complete upon being accepted to JET that can utterly destroy your sanity piece by piece.