Hello friends and family! Hola amig@s! Para la gente habla castellano, escribí un mensaje abajo del inglés!
English
I am writing from the hotel in Tokyo after having arrived…this morning? Yesterday afternoon? Tomorrow afternoon – well, and it’s now 6:30am on Tuesday for you. I still haven’t really comprehended the time change, the flight duration was no problem, but it never got dark! This makes going to sleep an awfully tricky business. Now I’m with about a thousand other JETs just like me from all over the world (in full, there are 38 countries represented here) that are feeling my pain. And my excitement – I still have to pinch myself to believe that I’m actually in JAPAN!
I am writing from the hotel in Tokyo after having arrived…this morning? Yesterday afternoon? Tomorrow afternoon – well, and it’s now 6:30am on Tuesday for you. I still haven’t really comprehended the time change, the flight duration was no problem, but it never got dark! This makes going to sleep an awfully tricky business. Now I’m with about a thousand other JETs just like me from all over the world (in full, there are 38 countries represented here) that are feeling my pain. And my excitement – I still have to pinch myself to believe that I’m actually in JAPAN!
For those of you who aren’t informed, I am living in Niigata Ken, a prefecture on the main island of Japan, two hours northwest of Tokyo by bullet train. Within that area, I’m in the region of Aga Machi, in a town of about 4,000 people called Mikawa. Below is my address and telephone number:
ADDRESS
306 Aganoheights 4349-30 Aganominami
Agamachi Higashikanbaragun
Niigata-ken 959-4626
JAPAN
I have no idea what it will be like, and it will be exciting and culture-shocking all at once. I had to fight my instincts to speak Spanish ordering dinner tonight (I haven’t had breakfast in what seems like ages – we were served lunch on the plane, then lunch again 8 hours later, and then dinner). But all is fine and well, the first big and, in some ways, most difficult jump from the Occident to the Orient is over! I leave tomorrow for my new home where I will step off the bullet train to meet my new boss, the principals of all the schools (6) where I will teach, and the mayor of the town, supposedly – and will give a speech in Japanese to all of them. Never in my life would I have thought I’d be introducing myself in Japanese just a few months after graduating with a degree in Latin America!
I hope you are all doing very well, I miss you all dearly, whether I saw you this last week or haven’t seen you for several weeks. I think of you often and would love updates from all of you…I am a user of msn and skype – my email is Caitlin-andrews@hotmail.com for msn and skype is live2ski125 – assuming I will have internet where I will be (TBD) and will certainly check my email regularly. I can’t wait to hear about all of your adventures as well! Sayoonara! さようなら!
Love,
Caitlin
Castellano
Castellano
Hola, amig@s de Argentina!
Espero que todos estén bien – Llegué a Tokyo, Japón hoy (domingo) a la tarde (que sería la madrugada en Argentina) y todavía no puedo creer que estuve en Argentina hace 12 días, y en colorado hace unas 24 horas. Ahora, estoy en un hotel en la capital con mil otras personas que van a enseñar inglés por todas partes de Japón – vienen de 38 países! El hotel es un lugar bien internacional! Estoy nerviosa y emocionada a la vez, y los días de orientación que siguen van a ser una experiencia loca, sin mucho tiempo para descansar.
Mañana, me voy a mudar a mi nueva casa en el pueblito de Mikawa, Aga Machi en la prefectura de Niigata – se ubica 2 horas al noreste de Tokyo en el tren bala. Ahí, en cambio de acá, voy a ser la única persona ajena en todo el pueblo. Abajo les dejo mi dirección y número de teléfono:
DIRECCION
306 Aganoheights 4349-30 Aganominami
Agamachi Higashikanbaragun
Niigata-ken 959-4626
JAPAN
Es una experiencia espantosa e increíblemente especial y emocionante a la vez – hoy cuando cenamos tuve que luchar contra las ganas de hablar en castellano, y me di cuenta de que no sé cómo decir casi nada en japonés! Y mañana voy a dar un discurso de introducción a mi jefa, los profesores y directores de las escuelas donde voy a enseñar, y al alcalde de Mikawa en Japonés. Todo va a progresar con tiempo, pero por ahora es un poco chocante. Voy a tratar de mantener contacto con todos ustedes, y voy a crear un blog que se llamará “Caitlin in Japan” – les mando el link cuando está configurado.
Los extraño muchísimo y espero que todos siguen bien con sus vidas…me encantaría escuchar de ustedes cuando me puedan escribir también! Les escribo de nuevo tan pronto como pueda.
Cariño para todos! Sayōnara! さようなら!
Los quiero mucho,
Caitlin ( :
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