Tuesday 4th August – First Day of School

This is the town of Maruyama where my school is - it's pretty nice actually and has a massive park that were gonna go to to play frisbee and football.

You can't tell here but I was dissolving in sweat having to wear a full suit for my first day!

Today was my first day of school, I took the train there – the train here is like the subway it's very quick, easy and convenient BUT expensive. You buy your wee ticket at a machine at the station (and I really mean wee it’s about the size of 2 postage stamps) you then pop it into a turn style type thing and hop on.

20 mins later I hop off and I’m a 5 minute walk from my school.

Today I had to call the school and Takarada Sensei (my Japanese Teacher of English; JTE) walked down to meet me and show me the way. I was introduced to the Head and Depute Head, the Depute runs the school while the Head sits in an air conditioned office on his own dealing with other stuff. Takarada Senseni stopped me outside and said;

“Please, when you introduce yourself, please say; Hello, my name is Jack Bowers, you can call me Jack”... !

Here is the funny man himself - Takarada Sensei (He's a dude)

Apparently they either love "24" or think I look like Keifer Sutherland!? Anyway luckily Moriyasu Sensei (Vice Principle) found it funny. He seems like a pretty cool customer so that’s good; he’s the guy who approves my time off and stuff like that.

I had a look round the school and was introduced to the members of staff, after that I was shown my desk in the staffroom. In Japan the staffroom is very different. It’s where all the teachers sit when they’re not in the class teaching, it is where all the work is done. Each teacher has a desk, a computer and filing cabinet, there is also a photocopier and mini kitchen, it’s quite sociable actually.

In Japan the kids stay in the same room and the teachers change around. In my school there are 3 years and three staffrooms so I’m with all the second year teachers. I got shown around by a young female English teacher who, at first look, I thought was a pupil. She was really nice and took me to the music department where I had a go on a drum kit, but forgot to take my shoes off when I stepped in the room so all the kids laughed at me. Another wee boy went on the kit after me and was MENTAL like the drummer from Battles – it was pretty cool, they’re so committed to their instruments and play them everyday, as such they’re all really good musicians.

The kids officially start back at school on 1st September - because of the Swine Flu outbreak a week of school was missed last term so I won't be teaching till the second week as the kids catch up and do tests etc.