Pre-Departure Orientation

Last weekend the Boston Consulate held an optional pre-departure orientation for the new JETs.

Although I live pretty far away from Boston, I decided to go because it would be good for networking and an opportunity to learn some helpful things about living in Japan. I was getting really excited to go... but then I came down with a cold a couple days before the orientation. Boo.

When Saturday finally rolled around I felt awful. I had a slight fever, nasty cough, and some serious congestion. Still, I forced myself out of bed at 7:00 a.m. in order to make it to the Boston Children's Museum for orientation at 10:00 a.m. (Luckily my wonderful boyfriend offered to drive me into the city, otherwise I might've just skipped altogether!)

No program was provided prior to arrival, but the topics covered included money and banking, using a car, emergency preparedness, dress code, teaching strategies, how to study the Japanese language, et cetera. Every single piece of information was frustratingly prefaced with the mantra of the JET Program -- "Every Situation Is Different."

While the presentations were interesting, I didn't find them particularly helpful since I had already lived in Japan for a year. A lot of the information was also geared towards ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers) and dealt with working in Japanese schools.

Although we were there from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. we never had the opportunity to do self-introductions, which was shocking considering their importance to our future jobs! We did get to hand in our work visa applications in-person, which was super-convenient. We were sent home with General Information Handbooks, a Japanese textbook from CLAIR, and a few of us received a CIR Handbook (written totally in Japanese... eep!)

I do have to give the Boston Consulate props for their choice of the Boston Children's Museum as a venue. It was a unique experience to be in the museum, since unaccompanied adults (a.k.a. someone without a child) are NOT usually allowed in the museum. This orientation gave us the opportunity to visit the Japanese house -- Kyo no Machiya -- a full-scale replica of a 100-year-old Japanese house that they used to teach us about what our future apartments may be like. Check out the website here for more info about this unique exhibit!

At the end of the day I felt even more miserable than I did in the morning. One of my coughing fits (embarrassingly) required me to run out of the conference room in the middle of a presentation. I was exhausted and cranky, so I skipped the cocktail hour sponsored by NEJETAA (New England JET Alumni Association) and headed on home.

For future JETs -- I really recommend that you attend any orientation activities offered by your consulate or alumni association... even if they are optional! Although I felt that the information was stuff I already knew, it is an invaluable opportunity to get to know people who you may work closely with over the next few years.

I'm looking forward to our next orientation in August (but without the fever)!