Buzzfeed just posted this list of 22 cult-favorite Asian beauty products, and I had to share! I own or have heard of all of these, so if you wanted a second opinion on these and where to find them, check it out!!
http://www.buzzfeed.com/chanelparks/cult-beauty-products-from-asia-you-didnt-know-existed
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Monday, December 2, 2013
what japan taught me about...FOOD pt 2
Onto the middle-range foods. These would be the better izakayas, restaurants, and cafes. This price range would be around 800-1200円, about $8-12. These are the places you go for dinner or for a nicer lunch, and are typically sit down restaurants.
My staple 'nice meal'? RAMEN!! It's hard to go wrong with a big bowl of ramen. Unlike its college dorm counterpart, ramen in Japan is loaded with flavor and is delicious! Depending on the type of soup base you get the calories can run fairly high, but those calories are from real food that wasn't mass produced or flown in from the other side of the world.
Most ramen will have seaweed, pork belly slices, onions, fish cake, and some variety of cooked egg (variety depends on the chef). Don't let those ingredients fool you, they blend in perfectly with the hearty flavors already present in the broth. And the noodles are nothing short of perfection!! They're the same long wheat noodle that comes in instant ramen, but fresh and chewy.
My favorite, tonkatsu ramen, is made by boiling down pig legs until all of the collagen and fat and nutrients dissolve into the broth. It's about 800-900 calories a bowl, but let me tell you, after walking 3 miles to get back to your apartment those calories are needed! Don't forget to slurp it up!! (It's good manners to slurp!)
There are many European style cafes and restaurants in Japan, especially Italian and French cuisine. The absolute best Italian food I've ever had was a $12 bowl of crab alfredo in Nagano. The Japanese execute everything to such a high degree of quality that no matter where you go, you will not be disappointed, no matter the ethnicity of the food. In addition to European food, there is a plethora of Indian/Middle Eastern food available. And a heaping bowl full of buttery Indian chicken masala with naan is exactly what hits the spot after walking around Tokyo for 7 hours.
Even izakaya food is high quality. They're ordered tapas style, and typically are salty to complement beer (an izakaya is essentially a bar). The ingredients are incredibly fresh and go together in a simple manner that boasts complex flavors. My favorites are cheesy potatoes, fried lotus roots, and karrage (fried chicken). And no izakaya trip would be complete without a big bowl of salted edamame :)
What are your favorite foods in Japan? Let me know in the comments, and check back later for my next food related post!!
My staple 'nice meal'? RAMEN!! It's hard to go wrong with a big bowl of ramen. Unlike its college dorm counterpart, ramen in Japan is loaded with flavor and is delicious! Depending on the type of soup base you get the calories can run fairly high, but those calories are from real food that wasn't mass produced or flown in from the other side of the world.
Most ramen will have seaweed, pork belly slices, onions, fish cake, and some variety of cooked egg (variety depends on the chef). Don't let those ingredients fool you, they blend in perfectly with the hearty flavors already present in the broth. And the noodles are nothing short of perfection!! They're the same long wheat noodle that comes in instant ramen, but fresh and chewy.
My first ever bowl of real ramen!!
My favorite, tonkatsu ramen, is made by boiling down pig legs until all of the collagen and fat and nutrients dissolve into the broth. It's about 800-900 calories a bowl, but let me tell you, after walking 3 miles to get back to your apartment those calories are needed! Don't forget to slurp it up!! (It's good manners to slurp!)
There are many European style cafes and restaurants in Japan, especially Italian and French cuisine. The absolute best Italian food I've ever had was a $12 bowl of crab alfredo in Nagano. The Japanese execute everything to such a high degree of quality that no matter where you go, you will not be disappointed, no matter the ethnicity of the food. In addition to European food, there is a plethora of Indian/Middle Eastern food available. And a heaping bowl full of buttery Indian chicken masala with naan is exactly what hits the spot after walking around Tokyo for 7 hours.
Indian curry in Ikebukuro
Even izakaya food is high quality. They're ordered tapas style, and typically are salty to complement beer (an izakaya is essentially a bar). The ingredients are incredibly fresh and go together in a simple manner that boasts complex flavors. My favorites are cheesy potatoes, fried lotus roots, and karrage (fried chicken). And no izakaya trip would be complete without a big bowl of salted edamame :)
What are your favorite foods in Japan? Let me know in the comments, and check back later for my next food related post!!
Saturday, November 16, 2013
what japan taught me about....FOOD
I apologize in advance for the length of this post. Now that I've returned from my time in Japan I thought it would be a good idea to do some reflective/informative posts. I spent such a long time planning and preparing for my move, and I hate to see all of that go to waste. Thus, my idea for my 'What Japan taught me about...' series that I'll be doing. I hope to combine these posts with a video or two to either expand on ideas or present them in a different way, but we'll see. In addition to my own research and experiences I'll be adding links to helpful sites and other blogs/vlogs. Hope you all like it, and as always feel free to leave your feedback below in the comments!!
I'm going to begin this series with something near and dear to my heart...FOOD. And after I wrote down all of my initial thoughts into one blog post, I decided to break this up into pieces. I had written about 3000 words so I felt that maybe not posting it all at once would be better for everyone.
To be completely honest with you, us Westerners know very little about what good food is nowadays. Almost all of our food is mass produced, flown in from South America, or genetically altered. And the majority of it isn't even that healthy. I grew up with fresh cooking in my home, and for America that's as good as it gets. I know many families who have gardens or visit farmers markets to get truly fresh produce, or buy meat from individual farmers who raise their stock in great conditions. But living in a fairly affluent area, I wouldn't say this is the norm for America. You've all seen the documentaries, so I won't harp on the poor state of our country's health and food. All I'm saying, is that if you want to change your perspective on what food should really be, head on over to Asia. Or Japan..since that's the focus of this blog :)
I'll be exploring the levels of food 'quality', which is a very relative term as you will see.
Let's start with the lowest of the low for food quality in Japan. Take one look around any average street in Japan and you will see at least 2 convenience stores. These are a world away from the ones in the States and offer a huge variety of essentials in a small area. Look around a convenience store and you'll notice that the food offered is about 100x better than half the 'fast sit down' restaurants in America. For 400円, or about $4, you can get a bento (lunch box) that looks like this:
What do you notice? Fresh fish. Rice. Protein. Veggies. And a great serving size.
Keep in mind what I said earlier, that THIS is the lowest. And it's still amazing. It's cheap, healthy, and most of all yummy! Now of course there are unhealthy snack foods, we've all seen Pocky sticks, but there are plenty of healthy and yummy options. For the price, the equivalent in America would be a McDonalds value meal.
In addition to pre-made bentos like the one above you can get an insane amount of different pre-made foods at convenience stores or the pre-made section of the grocery. There's everything from pasta to fried chicken and a ton of things in between that are all healthy options at great prices.
My all-time favorite convenience store food was nikuman (肉まん) and all of the good variations of it. Nikuman is a handful sized dumpling typically filled with pork and onions. However, you can also get it with pizza filling or even cheese curry!! They're about 110円, around $1, and fill you up nicely for a quick snack or a small lunch.
That's it for this blog, next time I'll be exploring the mid and high levels. Food is one of my favorite things, so I apologize for the lengthy post, I have so much to share about it!!
Food
To be completely honest with you, us Westerners know very little about what good food is nowadays. Almost all of our food is mass produced, flown in from South America, or genetically altered. And the majority of it isn't even that healthy. I grew up with fresh cooking in my home, and for America that's as good as it gets. I know many families who have gardens or visit farmers markets to get truly fresh produce, or buy meat from individual farmers who raise their stock in great conditions. But living in a fairly affluent area, I wouldn't say this is the norm for America. You've all seen the documentaries, so I won't harp on the poor state of our country's health and food. All I'm saying, is that if you want to change your perspective on what food should really be, head on over to Asia. Or Japan..since that's the focus of this blog :)
I'll be exploring the levels of food 'quality', which is a very relative term as you will see.
Let's start with the lowest of the low for food quality in Japan. Take one look around any average street in Japan and you will see at least 2 convenience stores. These are a world away from the ones in the States and offer a huge variety of essentials in a small area. Look around a convenience store and you'll notice that the food offered is about 100x better than half the 'fast sit down' restaurants in America. For 400円, or about $4, you can get a bento (lunch box) that looks like this:
nomnomnomnom
What do you notice? Fresh fish. Rice. Protein. Veggies. And a great serving size.
Keep in mind what I said earlier, that THIS is the lowest. And it's still amazing. It's cheap, healthy, and most of all yummy! Now of course there are unhealthy snack foods, we've all seen Pocky sticks, but there are plenty of healthy and yummy options. For the price, the equivalent in America would be a McDonalds value meal.
In addition to pre-made bentos like the one above you can get an insane amount of different pre-made foods at convenience stores or the pre-made section of the grocery. There's everything from pasta to fried chicken and a ton of things in between that are all healthy options at great prices.
My all-time favorite convenience store food was nikuman (肉まん) and all of the good variations of it. Nikuman is a handful sized dumpling typically filled with pork and onions. However, you can also get it with pizza filling or even cheese curry!! They're about 110円, around $1, and fill you up nicely for a quick snack or a small lunch.
best lunch/snack around!!
That's it for this blog, next time I'll be exploring the mid and high levels. Food is one of my favorite things, so I apologize for the lengthy post, I have so much to share about it!!
Saturday, October 5, 2013
さようなら
It's with a heavy heart that I write this post.
I am currently in transit back to America. The decision to pack up and leave came very suddenly, but was entirely necessary.
My decision to leave was for personal health reasons. While living in Japan was not easy, I was truly enjoying my time working, making friends, and just being there. However, a terrible experience reopened some past trauma from my life, and I need to return home to take some personal time to recollect myself and heal.
I don't regret this choice, and I doubt that I ever will. I wanted to stay for at least a year, but my health, well-being, and safety must come first.
I was fortunate enough to get a very cheap plane ticket leaving the next day, so I threw everything into my bags, bought some last minute gifts for friends back home, and am now writing this from my layover in Toronto.
I will definitely return to Japan in the future, but they will only be short trips, not to live. Two months sounds like such a short time, but it felt like years and I will always consider Tokyo my second home.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Bento Love
A 'bento' is simply a small portion meal or lunchbox here in Japan. I am sure that many of you have seen how 'kawaii' or cute these can be made, even if you didn't know what they were called. Here are a few examples of the adorable ones:
As you can see...NO ONE HAS TIME FOR THAT. But it's adorable.
A much simpler bento is extremely common here in Japan, in fact finding a bento box was super easy. I got mine at the local 100yen ($1) store along with all of the accessories needed.
As you can see...NO ONE HAS TIME FOR THAT. But it's adorable.
A much simpler bento is extremely common here in Japan, in fact finding a bento box was super easy. I got mine at the local 100yen ($1) store along with all of the accessories needed.
Here is my bento (beige), disposable chopsticks with pink wrappers, and panda elastic
A bento consists of one or two compartments that are easily closed up, just like a Tupperware. You also need an elastic to hold it together, as the pieces don't snap closed. Without the elastic they could pull apart mid-walk to work and your lunch is ruined :(
So with my bento in hand I set off for the grocery to the pre-made food section and got several small tasty looking things to put into my bento for tomorrow's lunch at work. Total food cost was around $6, and not all was used for this one lunch. Photos begin...now!!
The two large compartments, and the small one on top...which is so small I don't know what you can even put in it besides a packet of soy sauce.
Another angle of the two compartments
What it will look like when closed and ready for transport
Little cupcake holders, which are actually used for bento here! You divide food with these to keep flavors from mixing
My array for this bento making session (not all food was used)
From top to bottom starting at upper right:
Tuna maki roll
Japanese grapes (DELICIOUS)
Yakisoba
Rice onigiri (rice ball)
Steamed veggies
Some sort of fried something (later turned out to be rice wrapped in batter and deep fried)
My bento for tomorrow's lunch!! I had over half of the yakisoba and veggies left over, so that will be dinner. And only 3 grapes, so I can munch on them more tonight and tomorrow night :)
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
The good, the bad, and the impossible
It's been 2 weeks working in Yokohama now so time for an update on how wonderfully and horribly things are going. I don't normally complain, but there will be some complaining...I feel it's worth mentioning though.
THE GOOD:
- I am now in a share house, so I have my own room but share the other common areas with the other apartment residents. It's super close to 2 stations, I have a bed, and AC. If you continue reading you'll understand why those 3 things are so important...
- Teaching is going incredibly well!! I've gotten the hang of it and my lessons go well far more than having poor ones. I've even had one request! I think I'm learning more from my students than they learn from me, but everyone seems happy at the end of the day so we're on the right track.
- I have now mastered the train situation. It seems incredibly daunting at first, but now I can get myself to work and to Tokyo no problem.
- My Japanese is slowly improving. Still can't have a meaningful conversation, but I can get things I need, ask and answer basic questions, etc. Plus my reading is getting much quicker with all the practice!
- I had a straight perm!!! It's been a lifesaver and I'm obsessed with it. Everyone should have one!!
THE BAD:
- The house I was originally living in was hell. The 2 teachers from school who were there were amazing, such sweet girls and so glad to have them as friends. If it wasn't for them I would have probably left the house or Japan within about 3 days. I was living in a small room with no AC or air of any kind, the air mattress I had wouldn't hold air so I was balancing on it every night or essentially on the floor, and it was a 30-45 min walk to the stations and work. In the 95+ heat it was unbearable. Add that to the fact that the landladies ex-husband has video cameras on the front door and has hired private investigators to LITERALLY FOLLOW US TO WORK......I completely broke down and moved out after only 2 weeks. And yes, people not only followed us to work to see who we were, they also came to the door and would ask us who we were and what we were doing there....that was the last straw for me. But I'm gone forever now so yay!!
- My Japanese, while improving, is still super basic. I can't read things that aren't in katakana/hiragana, I can't ask things/answer things...I feel very touristy most of the time.
- I have no way of meeting people/getting out much due to the language barrier. Now that I'm more settled I can ready start studying in earnest.
So that's all I have for now. I am sure there is more but I've only had one nights sleep on a real bed so I'm still completely out of it. More later!
Friday, August 23, 2013
Daiso Haul!!
One of my favorite stores here in Japan so far is Daiso, the 100円 store. It's essentially the Japanese version of the Dollar Store, except the quality is actually pretty decent, they have a HUGE selection, and everything is adorable!
I'm not much of a shopper, in fact I usually only go if I have something specific to get, but wandering in Daiso is a ton of fun and because it's so cheap I always leave with something. So today I have my Daiso haul (small one)!!
I'm not much of a shopper, in fact I usually only go if I have something specific to get, but wandering in Daiso is a ton of fun and because it's so cheap I always leave with something. So today I have my Daiso haul (small one)!!
Ginger Tea - 生姜茶
This has 3 powdered tea packets and you can make it hot or cold - perfect for me because ginger is my favorite thing in the world!!
Kaki no Tane - 柿の種
My new obsession. They're Japanese rice crackers that are soy flavored. I've only had them in little packets with peanuts as well, but I found this huge bag of them at Daiso and NEEDED it!! They're salty, which makes them popular in bars, but also great when you're overheated and need some salt.
Word Cards
My Japanese is terrible. I mean terrible. So in my quest to learn I saw these and knew they would be perfect for studying on the train/work! They're small and have a keyring to keep them together.
Shower Caddy
Not exciting, but I needed to get one for my apartment that I'll be moving into soon. It's a guesthouse style apartment, so the showers are down the hall. And as anyone who knows me will notice...there is green :)
Giant Hair Clip
Girls here in Japan seem to always wear their hair down, but when it's up it's often in one of these cute clips. When I had my hair done last night the guy who did it used one of these and it held up my hair really well. He suggested I try one, as they are supposedly less damaging than a hair tie. Either way, it's cute and again, was only $1
ALL OF THIS came to the total of 525円!! Not bad for a working girl trying to save where she can :)
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Working Girl
I've officially had 2 days of work now so I guess it's time for an update.
Day 1 was overwhelming but seemed fairly simple. Lots of information and lots of people to meet. However it all seemed very straightforward and is a good system for teaching. I observed a couple lessons and tried to orient myself with the materials available. Once I got back to the house I was able to meet the other tenants here, including the other girl who is training with me. Everyone I've met so far as been really kind and I've enjoyed getting to know everyone.
Day 2 (yesterday) was much tougher than the first day and was a roller coaster of 'What am I doing, I should go home' and 'THIS IS AMAZING'. It started out fine, walked to school with my fellow trainee, and had some more training for an hour. Then I had to teach my first lesson....which went about as well as you'd expect...which is terrible. Thankfully the student had excellent English and I was able to keep her entertained and focused during class...but everything else was horrible. Therefore, when it came time for my second lesson alone I completely blanked, went all 'deer in headlights', and even began to cry in front of the head teacher. Not my proudest moment.
Thankfully he was incredibly understanding, and when I apologized to him afterwards we discussed what we could do to help get my confidence up in teaching (I'm an observer, so I'll be observing more lessons to learn). The owner was surprisingly happy with my first (and only) lesson of the day and thought that for having no experience and only day 2 that I did fine. The head teacher thinks some more detailed lesson planning at first will be helpful for us new trainees so we're doing 2 hrs of that for our 2 lessons today. I'm feeling MUCH more confident about these, as I'm extremely prepared and have seen a few more lessons.
After work we were invited out for a drink with some of the other teachers and had a great time getting to know each other, eating new foods (pig intestine is not that bad!!), and encouraging one another. In fact, the girl who evaluated my fail of a first lesson was there and was very encouraging that I can only get better with practice.
FUN STORY OF THE DAY:
While we were in the little bar having drinks and food the Japanese patrons were very curious about us and were having a good time watching us 'gaijin's. They had our friend relay a message to Denver (fellow trainee) and I that we looked like Barbie's :):) My blog name has been approved!!!
Day 1 was overwhelming but seemed fairly simple. Lots of information and lots of people to meet. However it all seemed very straightforward and is a good system for teaching. I observed a couple lessons and tried to orient myself with the materials available. Once I got back to the house I was able to meet the other tenants here, including the other girl who is training with me. Everyone I've met so far as been really kind and I've enjoyed getting to know everyone.
Day 2 (yesterday) was much tougher than the first day and was a roller coaster of 'What am I doing, I should go home' and 'THIS IS AMAZING'. It started out fine, walked to school with my fellow trainee, and had some more training for an hour. Then I had to teach my first lesson....which went about as well as you'd expect...which is terrible. Thankfully the student had excellent English and I was able to keep her entertained and focused during class...but everything else was horrible. Therefore, when it came time for my second lesson alone I completely blanked, went all 'deer in headlights', and even began to cry in front of the head teacher. Not my proudest moment.
Thankfully he was incredibly understanding, and when I apologized to him afterwards we discussed what we could do to help get my confidence up in teaching (I'm an observer, so I'll be observing more lessons to learn). The owner was surprisingly happy with my first (and only) lesson of the day and thought that for having no experience and only day 2 that I did fine. The head teacher thinks some more detailed lesson planning at first will be helpful for us new trainees so we're doing 2 hrs of that for our 2 lessons today. I'm feeling MUCH more confident about these, as I'm extremely prepared and have seen a few more lessons.
After work we were invited out for a drink with some of the other teachers and had a great time getting to know each other, eating new foods (pig intestine is not that bad!!), and encouraging one another. In fact, the girl who evaluated my fail of a first lesson was there and was very encouraging that I can only get better with practice.
FUN STORY OF THE DAY:
While we were in the little bar having drinks and food the Japanese patrons were very curious about us and were having a good time watching us 'gaijin's. They had our friend relay a message to Denver (fellow trainee) and I that we looked like Barbie's :):) My blog name has been approved!!!
Monday, August 12, 2013
Lets go!!!!!
It's now my first morning, I was too tired to do anything but sleep last night so I'll write about it now.
We landed a bit earlier than I expected into Narita and had no problems getting through immigration and customs. Just like my last time here no one asked questions about anything or checked my bags. I then ran about the airport like a crazy woman, getting money exchanged, forwarding some of my luggage to the house, getting a bus ticket and trying to rent a phone (which I couldn't do). Once my tasks were finished I was right on time for my bus to Yokohama!
The 2 hr long bus ride would have been a great nap but I was too excited and couldn't stop looking out of the window. As it would turn out the station I got off at is in the plaza that one of the two schools I'll be working at is located. The owner was waiting for me there to welcome me to Japan and get some food and tea in me before I collapsed. We sat in a little French bakery and had a brief talk before getting in the car for a brief tour. The school I'll mainly be teaching in is located in Tama Plaza, which is a beautiful open air shopping center. The entire area these schools are in is upper class, BMW and Mercedes dealers everywhere and gorgeous parks. Due to a massive thunderstorm approaching we headed to the house and I was dropped off.
Unfortunately the lady who owns the house was out and everyone was still at work, so the boyfriend of one of the girls who lives here got me oriented and showed me my room. I had been told it was small, but its larger than i expected. plus the bathroom is right in front of my door! The house itself is massive, and very very European, as the owner is Polish. I would be happy to stay longer if my 'bed' wasn't a pullout couch with a semi-deflated air mattress....
Today I begin training, so I'll have more to report then but I think I'll be very happy here :) especially once I get the Internet password and can talk!
On my way!!
I will admit to having quite a bit of fear and anxiety once I got to the airport. As exciting and promising as this endeavor is, it is quite a leap of faith on my part to completely leave like this. Fortunately I've had no troubles so far!
I've been maintaining my composure quite well through all the goodbyes, even when saying goodbye to my parents. But once the plane began to taxi away from the gate in Columbus the emotions hit me hard. That 50 min flight to Chicago was incredibly difficult for me, but a short nap helped recharge me. Once in Chicago I had to file an appeal with Japan that I would be receiving a visa as soon as I could, and I'm hoping that immigration doesn't turn me away once I arrive.
The long flight has been fine, we had an in-flight dinner of CURRY so I was incredibly happy munching away at that. A stroke of luck was that there is no one in the seat next to me and once I woke from my longer nap the man in the aisle seat is gone as well, so I've been able to stretch out back here in Economy. Also, I'm snacking on 'Crunky' biscuits, and no that is not a misspell :)
I believe there is about 4-5 hrs left in the flight, we just flew over Anchorage. It's time for me to start watching movies and zoning out before we get our breakfast.
Fun fact: I've been able to use the Japanese I've learned in the past 6 months while on the plane, much to everyone's amusement and confusion!
Will write more later, not sure when as its going to be a non-stop run once I land in Narita. じゃね！！
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Moving Day
In 3 hours I'll be on the plane heading for Japan. I've said all but my final goodbyes, packed everything I need, and run myself ragged. I'm scared out of my mind and incredibly excited all at once.
I've had months to consider this move, and not once have I felt that it was the wrong decision. Everything has gone smoothly from start to finish, and I've had nothing but support from everyone around me. I know it's going to be amazing, but getting there is tough.
When I went to college I was only 20 minutes away from home. I've never really said goodbye to anyone like this. I've never left home this permanently. This next chapter in my life could take me anywhere, I'm not planning it, and I'm so excited to see what life has in store for me. There is so much heartache and pain here in this town, this state, this country. Having time to relearn how to live, love, and thrive will be just what I need.
I guess it's just the realization of how final this will be, at least for a time, it's got me anxious and worried. But everything is planned out to start out from, I even know where the rental counter for my cell phone is in the Narita terminal I land in. Things will be great, and I know once I'm there my perspective will change. It's just saying goodbye that's hard.
I guess it's about time to start getting ready..for the last time at home. I'm going to go cry some more now...
I've had months to consider this move, and not once have I felt that it was the wrong decision. Everything has gone smoothly from start to finish, and I've had nothing but support from everyone around me. I know it's going to be amazing, but getting there is tough.
When I went to college I was only 20 minutes away from home. I've never really said goodbye to anyone like this. I've never left home this permanently. This next chapter in my life could take me anywhere, I'm not planning it, and I'm so excited to see what life has in store for me. There is so much heartache and pain here in this town, this state, this country. Having time to relearn how to live, love, and thrive will be just what I need.
I guess it's just the realization of how final this will be, at least for a time, it's got me anxious and worried. But everything is planned out to start out from, I even know where the rental counter for my cell phone is in the Narita terminal I land in. Things will be great, and I know once I'm there my perspective will change. It's just saying goodbye that's hard.
I guess it's about time to start getting ready..for the last time at home. I'm going to go cry some more now...
Saturday, August 3, 2013
A REAL update this time
Now that some of the excitement (actually none) has calmed down I needed to provide a real update about how this all came about that I'll be moving in a week with yet another company.
About 2 weeks ago I began interviewing with a private conversation school that is located in Yokohama. They cater to upper class families and the majority of their students have lived in English speaking countries, or are preparing to move. I won't name the school right now, as I don't know their policy on sharing employment info on social media. They only hire teachers who have a minimum of 2 years teaching experience, though typically more. The school is picking up a lot of new students so they were planning to hire 3-4 teachers to start in the next month or so. I literally applied on a whim. I have absolutely no teaching experience, nor do I have a degree in education, nor do I live in Japan. However, they still wanted to interview with me.
The initial Skype interview was with the owner, and he began by putting it right out there, "Why should I hire you when you aren't qualified at all?" I had several good points to make about that, and the interview went incredibly well. I was impressed with how he handles the school, with the ethics of the company, and felt that it would be a great place to work. I then set up an interview with his general manager, who was Japanese. I assume that was mainly to see if I could clearly express myself to a non-native speaker as well as be professional. She was really sweet and we also had a great interview. In addition to this I was asked to write a 1 page paper on why they should hire me regardless of my lack of experience. They literally asked the public relations major to write a paper convincing them of their worth. They were quite impressed by it...so I guess my college education paid off!
That brings us up to last night when I had my 'final interview' with the owner. He was very honest with me that he was incredibly impressed with me. They had received over 100 applicants for these 3-4 positions, and I was the least qualified out of all of them. Others had masters degrees, 5+ years experience in Japan, etc. However, he kept being drawn back to me, and essentially said I had the job (but not officially) and he'd be making his final decisions on Tuesday.
This morning I woke up to an email offering me the position as well as asking if I could arrive by the 13th to train with the head teacher!! I ran downstairs to tell my parents and have a little celebration followed by near heart attack as we discussed all that needed to be done to move me out of the country for good in a week! And to top it all off, they've secured a room for me in a large home to stay in until I can find a place of my own. There is NOTHING that could be better about this position, and I'm so happy to finally be going with a company I have no reservations about :)
I've been to Yokohama before, it's about 30 min from Tokyo by train, and really liked the size of it. Plus the house I'll be living in is gorgeous and out in more of a suburb, so I'll have some quiet out of the city. I CANNOT HANDLE HOW EXCITED I AM.
The plane ticket was bought (one way!!) and extreme shopping/packing/organizing has begun!!
7 days and I'll be in the land of the rising sun sipping on green tea and munching curry :)
About 2 weeks ago I began interviewing with a private conversation school that is located in Yokohama. They cater to upper class families and the majority of their students have lived in English speaking countries, or are preparing to move. I won't name the school right now, as I don't know their policy on sharing employment info on social media. They only hire teachers who have a minimum of 2 years teaching experience, though typically more. The school is picking up a lot of new students so they were planning to hire 3-4 teachers to start in the next month or so. I literally applied on a whim. I have absolutely no teaching experience, nor do I have a degree in education, nor do I live in Japan. However, they still wanted to interview with me.
The initial Skype interview was with the owner, and he began by putting it right out there, "Why should I hire you when you aren't qualified at all?" I had several good points to make about that, and the interview went incredibly well. I was impressed with how he handles the school, with the ethics of the company, and felt that it would be a great place to work. I then set up an interview with his general manager, who was Japanese. I assume that was mainly to see if I could clearly express myself to a non-native speaker as well as be professional. She was really sweet and we also had a great interview. In addition to this I was asked to write a 1 page paper on why they should hire me regardless of my lack of experience. They literally asked the public relations major to write a paper convincing them of their worth. They were quite impressed by it...so I guess my college education paid off!
That brings us up to last night when I had my 'final interview' with the owner. He was very honest with me that he was incredibly impressed with me. They had received over 100 applicants for these 3-4 positions, and I was the least qualified out of all of them. Others had masters degrees, 5+ years experience in Japan, etc. However, he kept being drawn back to me, and essentially said I had the job (but not officially) and he'd be making his final decisions on Tuesday.
This morning I woke up to an email offering me the position as well as asking if I could arrive by the 13th to train with the head teacher!! I ran downstairs to tell my parents and have a little celebration followed by near heart attack as we discussed all that needed to be done to move me out of the country for good in a week! And to top it all off, they've secured a room for me in a large home to stay in until I can find a place of my own. There is NOTHING that could be better about this position, and I'm so happy to finally be going with a company I have no reservations about :)
I've been to Yokohama before, it's about 30 min from Tokyo by train, and really liked the size of it. Plus the house I'll be living in is gorgeous and out in more of a suburb, so I'll have some quiet out of the city. I CANNOT HANDLE HOW EXCITED I AM.
The plane ticket was bought (one way!!) and extreme shopping/packing/organizing has begun!!
7 days and I'll be in the land of the rising sun sipping on green tea and munching curry :)
Goodbye America!!
I'M MOVING IN 1 WEEK!!
I've accepted a position at a private school in YOKOHAMA and they want me there ASAP to begin training with their head teacher!!!
It's going to be a crazy week, and I don't even know where to begin explaining this..so I will later.
AH so happy :):)
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
The gun has been jumped...
Approximately an hour after I accepted placement with Coco I received an interview request from another company, this time a private conversation school. This place is located in Yokohama (score!!), pays more, has higher standards, and no sketchy reputation!
I interviewed with the owner at 1am (yawn) and it went really well. They prefer to hire teachers with teaching degrees or at least 2 yrs experience, however they thought I had potential and seemed well spoken so I'm going to continue with the interview process with them.
Haven't sent anything in to Coco as of yet until I figure out what is happening with the other position. They have 3-4 positions they are hiring for out of their top 10 picks...so I should hear soon! If they go with someone else then I am still able to go with Coco's.
I interviewed with the owner at 1am (yawn) and it went really well. They prefer to hire teachers with teaching degrees or at least 2 yrs experience, however they thought I had potential and seemed well spoken so I'm going to continue with the interview process with them.
Haven't sent anything in to Coco as of yet until I figure out what is happening with the other position. They have 3-4 positions they are hiring for out of their top 10 picks...so I should hear soon! If they go with someone else then I am still able to go with Coco's.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Big news!!
It's official...I've accepted an offer and am moving as soon as the visa is processed!!!!
After much deliberation I decided to accept Coco Juku's offer and go with them. The reviews I've been reading online are a bit scary, but after having a chance to talk to someone who is actually working there right now, I think I can manage. And if things get ugly, I can always leave..it's not like I'm marrying a company!!
So yes. Certificate of Eligibility is filled out, getting visa pictures tomorrow to be express shipped, then wait for them to send the official paperwork. The one bummer is that I have to go to Detroit to apply for my visa..and I really don't like that place. HOWEVER it's absolutely worth what I'll be gaining from it :)
I'm so excited :) Time to go pin lesson plans on pinterest in anticipation!!
じゃね！
After much deliberation I decided to accept Coco Juku's offer and go with them. The reviews I've been reading online are a bit scary, but after having a chance to talk to someone who is actually working there right now, I think I can manage. And if things get ugly, I can always leave..it's not like I'm marrying a company!!
So yes. Certificate of Eligibility is filled out, getting visa pictures tomorrow to be express shipped, then wait for them to send the official paperwork. The one bummer is that I have to go to Detroit to apply for my visa..and I really don't like that place. HOWEVER it's absolutely worth what I'll be gaining from it :)
I'm so excited :) Time to go pin lesson plans on pinterest in anticipation!!
じゃね！
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Teachng Update...Again
Well it's been a very busy week for this job hunt, lots to report!
I am officially not going to begin work for Interac until March '14 if I continue with them. I was really disappointed to not be chosen as an alternate, as I was fully prepared to leave in August. They are my top pick to work for, however I am not sure if I am willing to wait so long. I could always reapply with them again later though, so we'll see.
Also, MIL has chosen another candidate for their September position. My current choice was to go with COCO Juku and stick it out for a year/leave early and then join Interac in March...or apply elsewhere.
With that in mind, I have applied to around 10 other positions in the past day! Have yet to hear back of course, but if I do then I could have plenty more interviews to discuss and hopefully leave for Japan soon! Will keep updating as things change.
じゃね！
I am officially not going to begin work for Interac until March '14 if I continue with them. I was really disappointed to not be chosen as an alternate, as I was fully prepared to leave in August. They are my top pick to work for, however I am not sure if I am willing to wait so long. I could always reapply with them again later though, so we'll see.
Also, MIL has chosen another candidate for their September position. My current choice was to go with COCO Juku and stick it out for a year/leave early and then join Interac in March...or apply elsewhere.
With that in mind, I have applied to around 10 other positions in the past day! Have yet to hear back of course, but if I do then I could have plenty more interviews to discuss and hopefully leave for Japan soon! Will keep updating as things change.
じゃね！
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Teaching in Japan Update
Time to share some news!!
I have been offered employment by 3 companies!
Backing up to share how this all happened, I have started applying to eikaiwa's in hopes of getting a start date sooner than the March '14 date that Interac has set for me. There haven't been any alternate start dates available from them, and waiting 8+ months is going to test my patience a bit too much. They are still my 1st pick and back up, however if I can get a position that starts sooner and possibly only be 6 months then that would be perfect to hope me over until Interac.
About 2 weeks ago I applied to COCO Juku, Jibun Mirai, and MIL Language School. They all accepted my application and I had a Skype interview with them. And thanks to me forgetting the time zone issue (DUH!) I scheduled them all back to back in one night. However, they all went well and I have so far been offered employment by Jibun and COCO's.
I turned down Jibun simply because they didn't have a location for me before signing and would not offer a 6 month contract. Their interview was very simple, mostly a lot of talk about past experience, and did not include a sample lesson. The company seems to have an okay reputation in the online communities, but didn't pay as much as some others. I let them know that I appreciated the offer but was going with something else and would keep them in mind for the future.
COCO's just offered me a position last night and I have 5 days to consider. They are owned by the GABA corporation and do not have the most favorable reputation, however I think I could make it work as a learning experience and filler before Interac in March. They tend to focus on medical terminology for doctors and nurses, so would certainly be fun making lesson plans to demo and learn. I'm thinking playing a game of 'Operation' would be an interesting way to learn:)
Lastly, I haven't heard back from MIL yet. They are my top pick for an eikaiwa for many reasons. The salary is pretty decent compared to others. The 9 locations are all within the same area of Chiba, right on the Keisei line into Tokyo from Narita. That location would be perfect! Also, the apartments that they set their teachers up in are huge for Japanese standards. Their motto is that 'a happy teacher is an effective teacher', and the man I interviewed with said much of the same. They also have a decent online reputation.
I'm hopeful that I'll be shipping out much earlier than March, so fingers crossed! I should hear back from Interac about the November alternate positions sometime this week, and will most likely send them an email practically begging for a position..can't hurt since they've already offered me employment, worst they can say is 'no'. And I'll keep applying as jobs pop up!
So for now、じゃね！
I have been offered employment by 3 companies!
Backing up to share how this all happened, I have started applying to eikaiwa's in hopes of getting a start date sooner than the March '14 date that Interac has set for me. There haven't been any alternate start dates available from them, and waiting 8+ months is going to test my patience a bit too much. They are still my 1st pick and back up, however if I can get a position that starts sooner and possibly only be 6 months then that would be perfect to hope me over until Interac.
About 2 weeks ago I applied to COCO Juku, Jibun Mirai, and MIL Language School. They all accepted my application and I had a Skype interview with them. And thanks to me forgetting the time zone issue (DUH!) I scheduled them all back to back in one night. However, they all went well and I have so far been offered employment by Jibun and COCO's.
I turned down Jibun simply because they didn't have a location for me before signing and would not offer a 6 month contract. Their interview was very simple, mostly a lot of talk about past experience, and did not include a sample lesson. The company seems to have an okay reputation in the online communities, but didn't pay as much as some others. I let them know that I appreciated the offer but was going with something else and would keep them in mind for the future.
COCO's just offered me a position last night and I have 5 days to consider. They are owned by the GABA corporation and do not have the most favorable reputation, however I think I could make it work as a learning experience and filler before Interac in March. They tend to focus on medical terminology for doctors and nurses, so would certainly be fun making lesson plans to demo and learn. I'm thinking playing a game of 'Operation' would be an interesting way to learn:)
Lastly, I haven't heard back from MIL yet. They are my top pick for an eikaiwa for many reasons. The salary is pretty decent compared to others. The 9 locations are all within the same area of Chiba, right on the Keisei line into Tokyo from Narita. That location would be perfect! Also, the apartments that they set their teachers up in are huge for Japanese standards. Their motto is that 'a happy teacher is an effective teacher', and the man I interviewed with said much of the same. They also have a decent online reputation.
I'm hopeful that I'll be shipping out much earlier than March, so fingers crossed! I should hear back from Interac about the November alternate positions sometime this week, and will most likely send them an email practically begging for a position..can't hurt since they've already offered me employment, worst they can say is 'no'. And I'll keep applying as jobs pop up!
So for now、じゃね！
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
When a window closes...
I GOT THE JOB!!!!
Ok, I just needed to really get that out there before continuing. I've been uncontainable since I found out this morning that I passed the interviews and will be going to teach!It took just over a week since my documents were sent to the Tokyo office for them to get back to me. I received the offer of employment this morning by email. So far everyone I stayed in contact with from the interview has also been accepted, and having seen everyones demo lessons I'm confident that the rest will hear back once their packets reach the main office.
Currently my start date is in mid March of 2014, however I am also on the alternate list. If someone were to drop out, another station come up, etc, during the second semester from Oct-Feb then I will possibly be leaving then instead of March. Regardless of when I leave, I am thrilled to have been accepted and am incredibly anxious to get started :)
It's funny how life works sometimes. A year ago this was something I had never even considered, or really even known about. I've spent all 21 years of my life planning that my life would be just like my parents, I would get married right out of college and start working toward my future family. God closed that window for me. But he opened the door to an entire country and new way of life!
As my mom said, if he didn't want me to be in Japan then he would set up road-blocks to let me know. Yet everything has progressed smoothly. I fell in love with the country during my visit, am having a remarkably easy time learning the language, and this job process has been very simple with no problems. And to make it even better, the people that I know there and the ones I will be doing my training in Tokyo with are incredibly nice and wonderful! Cannot wait for this group of midwestern gaijin to take on Tokyo together before we head to our assignments!!
However, now I have about 9 months to wait....so hopefully I'll be doing some more travelling and taking a real Japanese course to supplement my self-teaching!
Still full of energy and excitement :) it's a day for celebration!!!
Friday, May 10, 2013
Interac Interview Pt. 2
Well, tomorrow is the big day of my final interview with Interac!!
I've been waiting somewhat patiently this past month getting things
together, I can't believe the day is finally here!
The final interview consists of several parts. First we will have an information session that will cover everything we need to know about moving to Japan, getting paperwork together, info about the company, and of course more info about the job. After that we have one-on-one interviews with our recruiter. My recruiter is a woman, she seemed very kind and outgoing on the phone when I talked with her. Having a bubbly person doing the interview will definitely help push away any shyness that I have!
After that we begin the part that I've been preparing the most for, the video-taped interview. I will be introducing myself in both English and Japanese, reading from a script to record my pronunciation, providing an Elementary level warm-up, and finally a high school lesson on directions!! Whew!
Thankfully I had a friend look over my introduction and correct my poor attempt at grammar (not my thing in any language) so I've had several weeks to practice it. I'm confident that everything will be said correctly! I've been reciting it to myself a lot at work, so I'm sure my co-workers think I am mildly insane by this point. Essentially I am sharing my name, college education, a few things I like to do, and thanking them for their time.
For the warm-up I plan to do the fantastic song 'Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes'. I had wanted to do the penguin dance from marching band just for fun, but figured that the words would be more than a 3rd grader could handle.
Then there is my demo high school lesson on directions. Here is my poster-board representing the worksheets I will have handed out to the imaginary students.
Essentially I will be walking my students through a practice game and having them demonstrate for me. And no, there will be no actual students. Just me, the interviewer, and the video camera. As one person so perfectly put it... "If you don't leave the video taped lessons feeling like you made a complete fool of yourself, then you did something wrong".
I'm completely prepared for tomorrow. Visa paperwork has been in for a few weeks, references have been contacted, business suit was bought and steamed, nails are done, hair will be done soon....now I just have to anxiously wait until tomorrow!!
Wish me luck! I'll be sure to post an update once I am home from the interview. If things go smoothly then I'll be full of confidence and waiting on the call to tell me when I'm leaving for Japan :)
The final interview consists of several parts. First we will have an information session that will cover everything we need to know about moving to Japan, getting paperwork together, info about the company, and of course more info about the job. After that we have one-on-one interviews with our recruiter. My recruiter is a woman, she seemed very kind and outgoing on the phone when I talked with her. Having a bubbly person doing the interview will definitely help push away any shyness that I have!
After that we begin the part that I've been preparing the most for, the video-taped interview. I will be introducing myself in both English and Japanese, reading from a script to record my pronunciation, providing an Elementary level warm-up, and finally a high school lesson on directions!! Whew!
Thankfully I had a friend look over my introduction and correct my poor attempt at grammar (not my thing in any language) so I've had several weeks to practice it. I'm confident that everything will be said correctly! I've been reciting it to myself a lot at work, so I'm sure my co-workers think I am mildly insane by this point. Essentially I am sharing my name, college education, a few things I like to do, and thanking them for their time.
For the warm-up I plan to do the fantastic song 'Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes'. I had wanted to do the penguin dance from marching band just for fun, but figured that the words would be more than a 3rd grader could handle.
Then there is my demo high school lesson on directions. Here is my poster-board representing the worksheets I will have handed out to the imaginary students.
Essentially I will be walking my students through a practice game and having them demonstrate for me. And no, there will be no actual students. Just me, the interviewer, and the video camera. As one person so perfectly put it... "If you don't leave the video taped lessons feeling like you made a complete fool of yourself, then you did something wrong".
I'm completely prepared for tomorrow. Visa paperwork has been in for a few weeks, references have been contacted, business suit was bought and steamed, nails are done, hair will be done soon....now I just have to anxiously wait until tomorrow!!
Wish me luck! I'll be sure to post an update once I am home from the interview. If things go smoothly then I'll be full of confidence and waiting on the call to tell me when I'm leaving for Japan :)
-- UPDATE --
Just
got home from the interview, and I am so relieved!!! It was an all day
even running from 9am until 6pm, however now the real waiting game
begins.
I
will find out if I've been accepted in around 3-4 weeks. However, the
interviewer let me know that I was one of the few who would be ready and
willing to leave ASAP, and that there are positions opening up here in
June/July instead of August or later. Also, she was asking me
specifically if I would be comfortable working with special needs
students. I wasn't able to ask the others who were there for interviews
as well if they received that question, however they didn't mention it
when they came out, so I'm wondering if she seems me as a fit for
something along those lines...
My
demo lesson went really smoothly, and thankfully we were able to help
each other out by being each others 'classroom' so we weren't talking to
imaginary people. It was so nice to be able to talk to others who are
going through this process. We were able to go get lunch together
before the one-on-one interviews and share our Japan stories with each
other. Had such a fun and rewarding day!
I
will keep everyone updated on whether or not I get offered the
position, but I am certainly happy with how things went today so chances
are looking good!!
じゃね！！！
Monday, April 8, 2013
Interac Interview Pt. 1
I just under an hour I have the first part of my interview with
Interac. It's a phone interview, that supposedly isn't tough, but I'm
still incredibly nervous and excited!
For a long time I've considered going into teaching, and have playing around with the idea of getting my masters so that I could teach. However, I ultimately decided that that wasn't for me, and settled into the idea of finding a different type of position. When I started more in depth research on Japan for my recent trip I began reading blogs and watching vlogs of people who have gone to Japan to teach english. And they DIDN'T need a teaching degree to do this! I instantly felt so drawn towards the opportunity to go abroad and teach, that I sent out an application. That application was more of a whim than anything, but the next day I got the call that they were interested in me.....that was sign #1.
After my whirlwind trip around Japan I was even more set on landing a teaching position. Having talked with a former english teacher from the company I am interviewing with (Interac), I knew I was qualified and had the right mindset. The company called me once I was back in the states to set up the first part of the interview, and now here I am!
This part is over the phone, they draw candidates from all over America, so this is the best way to weed out a few people. If I make it through this stage then I'll go on to the in person interviews. Most companies that hire teachers like this do their in person interviews in major cities (Chicago, New York, Toronto) so that they can have all of the interviewees come in at one time. However, they for some reason chose Columbus, OH as a city this year......that is sign #2.
I've been a complete mess of nerves and excitement all weekend waiting for this call! Haven't really eaten anything from the nerves! I'll post an update on this as soon as the call is over :) Wish me luck!!
For a long time I've considered going into teaching, and have playing around with the idea of getting my masters so that I could teach. However, I ultimately decided that that wasn't for me, and settled into the idea of finding a different type of position. When I started more in depth research on Japan for my recent trip I began reading blogs and watching vlogs of people who have gone to Japan to teach english. And they DIDN'T need a teaching degree to do this! I instantly felt so drawn towards the opportunity to go abroad and teach, that I sent out an application. That application was more of a whim than anything, but the next day I got the call that they were interested in me.....that was sign #1.
After my whirlwind trip around Japan I was even more set on landing a teaching position. Having talked with a former english teacher from the company I am interviewing with (Interac), I knew I was qualified and had the right mindset. The company called me once I was back in the states to set up the first part of the interview, and now here I am!
This part is over the phone, they draw candidates from all over America, so this is the best way to weed out a few people. If I make it through this stage then I'll go on to the in person interviews. Most companies that hire teachers like this do their in person interviews in major cities (Chicago, New York, Toronto) so that they can have all of the interviewees come in at one time. However, they for some reason chose Columbus, OH as a city this year......that is sign #2.
I've been a complete mess of nerves and excitement all weekend waiting for this call! Haven't really eaten anything from the nerves! I'll post an update on this as soon as the call is over :) Wish me luck!!
-- UPDATE --
Finished
up my phone interview!! I think it went well, had all of the answers I
could prepare for ready to go. The guy doing my interview seemed happy
with my responses and went ahead and gave me the date and time for the
big in person interview, but I won't know if I'm selected until later
this week.
So......anywhere
from 1-5 days to find that out. Now I have to wait. This will be
torture, but so worth it!! I'm confident I made it to the next step :)
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