Two Days and Counting

Hello to all of those who are interested in following my travels as I work abroad for 2009 in Kobe, Japan teaching English! I will make sure to upload as much as I can and keep everyone updated on what's going on with me at least once, maybe twice a week.

So here is the basic information...

How I landed the best job out of college:

I have always wanted to go to Japan. After graduating college with a degree in English Rhetoric and Global Culture I was looking for something that would not only utilize my degree, but would be an experience before I headed on to get my Master's or PhD. I found this company online and applied after getting the necessary recommendations and completing the essays. I landed a group interview in NYC.

At the interview we had to present 5 minutes of a lesson plan we created for beginning level English students. The lesson plan had to be 15 minutes worth of material, but we only presented 5 to the group. After our information session we all presented and then were asked to wait in the lobby. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the recruiters came out and handed each of us an envelope that said if we would be offered a personal interview the next day and we were told to wait until we left to open it.

As we rode down the elevator the tension was building. I could not wait to see if my future would be changed forever by the contents of this one white envelope. When the elevator doors opened I tore my envelope open and peered inside to my delight! I was asked back to interview the next day for the impromptu lesson plan and personal interview. 

The next day, I was tired. I had been lucky enough to go to see Billy Joel in the Last Play at Shea concert and was worn out. (It was luck that I got to go and was certainly not planned. I would not plan to go to a concert the day before and interview, but my awesome friend Cheryl got tickets from her sister last minute. So amazing). I was told that there were few asked back and that my lesson plan was impressive from the previous day, which certainly made me feel strong. I completed the interview and then was given a page of the actual textbook and told I had 5 minutes to prepare a lesson and my interviewer would act as a student. 

This was interesting and new so I gave it my all. It went well and I was then told it would be at most 14 days before I heard back. I will always remember the day I got that call. I was in the basement of a department store in Boston after getting off the T. I only had cell reception in one spot so I couldn't move around for fear of losing the call. It was the best moment ever! 

After this they took information on when I wanted to leave and where I would ideally like to be placed. They also wanted to know if I wanted to be at a school with children or not. After that it was on to the visa application and contract, which all got me to the point I am at now.

The Details:

I will be teaching in Tarumi-ku, which is one of the nine wards of Kobe City. It is to the west of Kobe and Osaka. My school is a school that consists of 30% Kids under high school level, and the rest range up to senior citizens with the youngest being a 1 year old (which I am pretty pumped about). 

My mailing address is going to be my school, as opposed to my apartment and it is as follows:

AEON TARUMI

Jennifer Dickey

Aoyama Bldg. 1F

3-2 Kanda-cho, Tarumi-ku

Kobe-shi, Hyogo    655-0027

JAPAN

Please just make sure to write personal on it. :) I don't think anyone would open it anyway, but just out of courtesy really. 

Well, that is just about it for now, but there will be much more to follow. I will keep you updated as early as Thursday!! Off to Japan!