Finally after weeks of stressing and waiting, we have our placement. Okayama-ken! Okayama was my first choice. It's a larger city than Takamatsu (where I lived in 2006), but still very close so I can visit my friends in Takamatsu.
Okayama is on the southern end of Honshu, Japan's main island. It is approx. halfway between Hiroshima and Kobe, and relatively close to Tottori. I have always wanted to take C to Tottori to see the sand dunes and the ocean. I don't know exactly where in Okayama we will be living yet, but I am encouraged to find many JET families go to Okayama. I am even more excited now that I know there will be other families and we are able to research all the fun things to do and see in Okayama.
I have already started packing, getting the house ready for rent, and switching over my address to my parents house. I also purchased my son's and mothers plane tickets. They are flying over a week after I will get to Okayama, which gives me a chance to get used to the neighborhood, apply for my gaijin card, open a bank account, get a cell phone, and find a grocery store. Plus unpack and start making it feel like home. And while I've never been apart from my son for more than one night, I think this week apart is the best timing, though I will miss him terribly. Plus my mom will stay with us for 2 weeks so that C can adapt to the time zone change and get settled into school a bit before she leaves.
We are still waiting to hear from our BOE (Board of Education) exactly where in Okayama-ken we will be living, but knowing the city is a huge relief. Now I can shift my attention to finishing up all the details on my birthday party/going away party. It is an Alice in Wonderland Tea Party. My un-30th birthday if you will (I am turning 31) ;). Very exciting! Should be a blast, I can't wait to post photos. Party planning is one of my favorite things to do. Busy, busy....
A Single Parent's Journey moving to Japan with the JET Program
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Accepted!!!
Accepted!!! Normally the graphic design rule is never use more than one exclamation point after a word or sentence...it's over used and not gramaticaly correct, however I can't contain my excitement. We're in.
We are moving to Japan. I got my acceptance email April 3rd, and it's been a flurry of activity and list making since then. Finally - a plan in place. I realize it's now May 9th, but with all the paperwork due, the scheduling of appointments and the new job to learn, it's just been all I can do to get these things done. I have met with one property management company and have another scheduled to tour the house this week. I've sold most of baby stuff from storage, packed up the Christmas decorations and things we won't need from the garage anytime soon, compiled a pile of garage sale items and stuff to sell on craigslist, as well as looked into storage options for my stuff.
Whew...we've been going places every weekend...Dallas Zoo, Ft Worth Japanese Garden for a festival, friends and families houses...and this weekend we are just planning on staying home. I'm looking forward to just having the weekend at home. I do have to clean and mow and do yardwork so that the property management company can come look at the house, but I need to do those things anyway. I've also been sewing like mad. I won't be bringing my sewing machine to Japan, so I'm trying to make all of C's school bags beforehand (note: not talking Randoseru here, but all the cloth bags the kids need). I've made him a lunch kit already, but the school bags are proving problematic. There doesn't seem to be a standard size, each school designates their own sizes and each for a very specific purpose...しょうがない.
This week I've been checking my email fanatically because placement results should be sent out soon. Very unproductive. Oh and just as an update, the job I was so excited about is mind-numbingly boring. I keep telling myself I'm almost 1/2 way through it..just hang in there. So much to do to be sitting at a desk all day where nobody talks to me. I think that's the part that gets to me the most...the lack of social interaction. Seriously, most of these people don't even leave their desks for lunch. 12:00 hits and I am out of there, I need some vitamin D, get away from that desk for awhile, and just to move around. I was not meant to work a desk job. All the more reason to put my goals into action...wait...put my plan into action so I can reach my goals. There that makes more sense.
The only thing I haven't found time for yet is a Saturday home-school Japanese Class for C. I really need to work on getting that into our schedule. So many things to do... ;) but so worth it!
We are moving to Japan. I got my acceptance email April 3rd, and it's been a flurry of activity and list making since then. Finally - a plan in place. I realize it's now May 9th, but with all the paperwork due, the scheduling of appointments and the new job to learn, it's just been all I can do to get these things done. I have met with one property management company and have another scheduled to tour the house this week. I've sold most of baby stuff from storage, packed up the Christmas decorations and things we won't need from the garage anytime soon, compiled a pile of garage sale items and stuff to sell on craigslist, as well as looked into storage options for my stuff.
Whew...we've been going places every weekend...Dallas Zoo, Ft Worth Japanese Garden for a festival, friends and families houses...and this weekend we are just planning on staying home. I'm looking forward to just having the weekend at home. I do have to clean and mow and do yardwork so that the property management company can come look at the house, but I need to do those things anyway. I've also been sewing like mad. I won't be bringing my sewing machine to Japan, so I'm trying to make all of C's school bags beforehand (note: not talking Randoseru here, but all the cloth bags the kids need). I've made him a lunch kit already, but the school bags are proving problematic. There doesn't seem to be a standard size, each school designates their own sizes and each for a very specific purpose...しょうがない.
This week I've been checking my email fanatically because placement results should be sent out soon. Very unproductive. Oh and just as an update, the job I was so excited about is mind-numbingly boring. I keep telling myself I'm almost 1/2 way through it..just hang in there. So much to do to be sitting at a desk all day where nobody talks to me. I think that's the part that gets to me the most...the lack of social interaction. Seriously, most of these people don't even leave their desks for lunch. 12:00 hits and I am out of there, I need some vitamin D, get away from that desk for awhile, and just to move around. I was not meant to work a desk job. All the more reason to put my goals into action...wait...put my plan into action so I can reach my goals. There that makes more sense.
The only thing I haven't found time for yet is a Saturday home-school Japanese Class for C. I really need to work on getting that into our schedule. So many things to do... ;) but so worth it!
Preperations
In order to prepare my son and myself for the possibility of moving to Japan, I've outlined the things I've done to help my son transition into life in Japan.
I've been taking weekly Japanese lessons from a fantastic, and very patient native-Japanese teacher. In turn, I am teaching C (my son) as much as I can. During my six weeks of unemployment, I was homeschooling C. We covered all the normal Kindergarten curriculum, but what I loved most of all was being able to incorporate Japanese into a daily lesson. In just a few days, I had him speaking (and retaining), colors, numbers 1-10, a-i-u-e-o, simple shapes, and various vocabulary such as: oishi, oyasumi, onakaga suika, empitsu, taboru, isu, toire, doko, kudasai, ikedakimasu, hoshi, ohashi. It was amazing! Of course the best part was just being able to spend time with him, playing outside, planting our spring garden, and just playing.
I have also talked to him and told him many bedtime stories about life in Japan. For Christmas I gave him a book entitled "The Way We Do It In Japan" by Geneva Cobb Iijima. I highly recommend this book for anyone thinking of going to Japan with a small child. This book is a great introduction to how things may be different from America, but as long as we approach the new experiences with an open mind, things will be okay, even if it is a bit difficult at first. The other book we use a lot is a Children's Japanese Picture Dictionary. There are small pictures of individual objects, people, etc with the word in English, Japanese, and Romanji. There is also a larger image with all the pictures incorporated. Even though the illustrations look a bit outdated, the content is excellent and we make a look and find game out of it. I haven't ever read it to him in English - I only say the word in Japanese, and make him repeat it, and then repeat it again when he finds the word in the larger image. We also listen to Japanese Children's music in the car.
I try to be very open with my son. I have explained to him that the first few months will be a little difficult, and it takes time to transition into a new culture. But I am always careful to end with the positive things we will gain from going - new friends, speaking Japanese, more mommy and C time, travel and adventures, and a broader understanding of how other people live in other parts of the world. That is after all what it's all about, JET is a cultural exchange program and it extends to the family as well. I realize he is only 5, he does not fully comprehend the fact that Grandma and Grandpa will not be 10 minutes down the street, but he does understand that we can talk to them everyday on the computer (skype).
I will do everything in my power to make sure that Japan is an exciting adventure for him. Depending on what I am left by my predecessor, I plan on buying C the KURA bed from Ikea that he loves. Everytime we go to Ikea, he wants to play under it. I've showed him different things in the store, and he's picked out his bedding, and a rug. I also purchased those vinyl wall stickers (easily removable) that are so popular right now - he has Transformers for his room and he doesn't know I bought them, it will be a surprise. He LOVES Transformers. I plan on having it all set up when he arrives, 2 weeks after I do. And since we haven't ever been apart for more than a day at a time, I found an awesome little Lego necklace on Etsy.com that I plan on purchasing to make the separation easier. Two Lego bricks snap together to make a heart - perfect for a 5 year old boy!
As for myself, what I have done to prep for Japan is create a bunch of lists and get many things in order that probably should have been done years ago but I have somehow managed to neglect :) I took photographs of everything I own that is going into storage (don't forget to do this during Christmas too - before the decorations are all put away!), not only so I can remember when it comes time to move back, but also in case anything happens, I have an insurance catalog to prove I owned those items. I also have made sure I have an IRA set up as well as a 529 plan for C's college fund (though this has been in place for several years already - I made sure the contributions would be covered for the first few months of living abroad, until I am able to transfer some money home), and most importantly, a living will and trust.
I have researched and found a property management company that I will contact as soon as I know if I have been accepted into the program. They will take care of renting my house out to responsible tenants, take care of any issues or coordinate repairs and really, just make sure I don't have to worry about it while I'm in Japan. Best part is - I don't have to worry about selling the house in less than four months and I can make some extra money off of it while living in Japan.
Lists I've made: (and I guess this is my List of Lists?)
Packing list - by room
Shipping list - mostly foodstuffs that I want to make our transition easier and to give me time to find these items or similar items in Japan.
To do list before I rent out the house (paint, get carpets cleaned, change filters etc)
Ikea shopping list (okay, so this is a dream list)
Don't Forget to Change the Address lists (anything from magazines to Credit card bills - don't forget W-2's from previous employers!) Also, file a forwarding address at the post office.
Places to go in Japan List
Places to go before we leave list
...did I mention I like making lists? It helps me stay organized and not worry about the details ;)
Other things I have gathered or created are:
Budget - one for now to prepare for departure, one for when we are living in Japan, including a max budget for startup (furniture, kitchenwares etc...)to get my apartment feeling like a home.
Phone numbers, addresses, emails of everyone (though FB is always a good backup)
Recipe index - collection of digital recipes that we love along with sources for finding ingredients in Japan.
Digitize DVD collection - for when we are craving some English TV and having a movie night.
Goals - what I want to accomplish while in Japan, both to give and get out of the experience. Also, I've created a plan or goal for what I want to do when I get back to the USA.
Aaannnddd, last but definitely not the least - getting the cat into Japan is probably the most difficult and expensive part of the whole process! I will cover that in its own post because it's extensive. I never said moving halfway across the world would be easy! But it will definitely be worth it.
I've been taking weekly Japanese lessons from a fantastic, and very patient native-Japanese teacher. In turn, I am teaching C (my son) as much as I can. During my six weeks of unemployment, I was homeschooling C. We covered all the normal Kindergarten curriculum, but what I loved most of all was being able to incorporate Japanese into a daily lesson. In just a few days, I had him speaking (and retaining), colors, numbers 1-10, a-i-u-e-o, simple shapes, and various vocabulary such as: oishi, oyasumi, onakaga suika, empitsu, taboru, isu, toire, doko, kudasai, ikedakimasu, hoshi, ohashi. It was amazing! Of course the best part was just being able to spend time with him, playing outside, planting our spring garden, and just playing.
I have also talked to him and told him many bedtime stories about life in Japan. For Christmas I gave him a book entitled "The Way We Do It In Japan" by Geneva Cobb Iijima. I highly recommend this book for anyone thinking of going to Japan with a small child. This book is a great introduction to how things may be different from America, but as long as we approach the new experiences with an open mind, things will be okay, even if it is a bit difficult at first. The other book we use a lot is a Children's Japanese Picture Dictionary. There are small pictures of individual objects, people, etc with the word in English, Japanese, and Romanji. There is also a larger image with all the pictures incorporated. Even though the illustrations look a bit outdated, the content is excellent and we make a look and find game out of it. I haven't ever read it to him in English - I only say the word in Japanese, and make him repeat it, and then repeat it again when he finds the word in the larger image. We also listen to Japanese Children's music in the car.
I try to be very open with my son. I have explained to him that the first few months will be a little difficult, and it takes time to transition into a new culture. But I am always careful to end with the positive things we will gain from going - new friends, speaking Japanese, more mommy and C time, travel and adventures, and a broader understanding of how other people live in other parts of the world. That is after all what it's all about, JET is a cultural exchange program and it extends to the family as well. I realize he is only 5, he does not fully comprehend the fact that Grandma and Grandpa will not be 10 minutes down the street, but he does understand that we can talk to them everyday on the computer (skype).
I will do everything in my power to make sure that Japan is an exciting adventure for him. Depending on what I am left by my predecessor, I plan on buying C the KURA bed from Ikea that he loves. Everytime we go to Ikea, he wants to play under it. I've showed him different things in the store, and he's picked out his bedding, and a rug. I also purchased those vinyl wall stickers (easily removable) that are so popular right now - he has Transformers for his room and he doesn't know I bought them, it will be a surprise. He LOVES Transformers. I plan on having it all set up when he arrives, 2 weeks after I do. And since we haven't ever been apart for more than a day at a time, I found an awesome little Lego necklace on Etsy.com that I plan on purchasing to make the separation easier. Two Lego bricks snap together to make a heart - perfect for a 5 year old boy!
As for myself, what I have done to prep for Japan is create a bunch of lists and get many things in order that probably should have been done years ago but I have somehow managed to neglect :) I took photographs of everything I own that is going into storage (don't forget to do this during Christmas too - before the decorations are all put away!), not only so I can remember when it comes time to move back, but also in case anything happens, I have an insurance catalog to prove I owned those items. I also have made sure I have an IRA set up as well as a 529 plan for C's college fund (though this has been in place for several years already - I made sure the contributions would be covered for the first few months of living abroad, until I am able to transfer some money home), and most importantly, a living will and trust.
I have researched and found a property management company that I will contact as soon as I know if I have been accepted into the program. They will take care of renting my house out to responsible tenants, take care of any issues or coordinate repairs and really, just make sure I don't have to worry about it while I'm in Japan. Best part is - I don't have to worry about selling the house in less than four months and I can make some extra money off of it while living in Japan.
Lists I've made: (and I guess this is my List of Lists?)
Packing list - by room
Shipping list - mostly foodstuffs that I want to make our transition easier and to give me time to find these items or similar items in Japan.
To do list before I rent out the house (paint, get carpets cleaned, change filters etc)
Ikea shopping list (okay, so this is a dream list)
Don't Forget to Change the Address lists (anything from magazines to Credit card bills - don't forget W-2's from previous employers!) Also, file a forwarding address at the post office.
Places to go in Japan List
Places to go before we leave list
...did I mention I like making lists? It helps me stay organized and not worry about the details ;)
Other things I have gathered or created are:
Budget - one for now to prepare for departure, one for when we are living in Japan, including a max budget for startup (furniture, kitchenwares etc...)to get my apartment feeling like a home.
Phone numbers, addresses, emails of everyone (though FB is always a good backup)
Recipe index - collection of digital recipes that we love along with sources for finding ingredients in Japan.
Digitize DVD collection - for when we are craving some English TV and having a movie night.
Goals - what I want to accomplish while in Japan, both to give and get out of the experience. Also, I've created a plan or goal for what I want to do when I get back to the USA.
Aaannnddd, last but definitely not the least - getting the cat into Japan is probably the most difficult and expensive part of the whole process! I will cover that in its own post because it's extensive. I never said moving halfway across the world would be easy! But it will definitely be worth it.
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