The Metrics:
x - 11 = The number of anole lizards in the backyard upon our leaving Florida.
11 = The state-lines we've crossed thus far.
3,578 = Miles traveled by car so far (and that's just the "to and from" distances).
61 = Hours spent in the car. (With 19 more to go).
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Hello again, readers! We've been away from the blog for far too long. I blame it on our travels, triathlon training, family visits, sudden illness, and lack of regular Internet. But, forget the excuses. Let's get right down to business!
NEWS! I found out the details of my JET Program placement! I finally know where I'll be living and working while in Japan. My predecessor has been wonderfully kind and helpful so far, and he assures me that it's a stellar placement. And, from what I've seen in my research... it's going to be awesome.
Since I haven't been there yet (obviously), I don't have my own pictures. But here's some maps and photos and such, gathered from the glorious Interwebs. We'll start with the living situation....
Chikushino-shi, Fukuoka-ken, Japan!
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| A basic Google map view of my town. |
I'll be living in a relatively recently renovated apartment on the third floor of a Kyoshokuin Jutaku (or "teacher's housing"), owned by the Fukuoka Board of Education. While living in a board-owned Jutaku usually means that the buildings are decades old and look like a big cement blocks (this fact has been confirmed by my pred), it also means that the rent is incredibly affordable for us teacher-types. Hooray!
Also, the apartment (which is a decent size, I hear) has some traditional Japanese flair. It will have paper sliding doors, tatami mats... but a Western toilet! The best of both worlds, right?
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| A sample photo of sliding doors & tatami (Not my apartment). |
From what I've been told, Chikushino is a pretty modern suburb of about 100,000 people. There are lots of restaurants, two big shopping centers, and reliable transport options, including several bus lines and a couple train stations. To read some basic (though very limited) info, click here to see the Wikipedia entry for Chikushino. And enjoy a few more photos!
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| Chikushino-shi, a general view. And look! A McD's! |
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| A local temple and garden. Beautiful! |
There aren't a ton of pictures of Chikushino available on the Internet (that's partly because I'm searching in English, versus in Japanese...), but I'll be there soon and promise to post ALL SORTS of pictures from around my new hometown.
And with that... on to my work situation (which I am SO EXCITED ABOUT)! I'll be working at....
Hakata Seisho Senior High School,
Hakata-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka-ken, Japan!
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| That's right! Fukuoka City, baby! |
A lot of words, I know. But it breaks down like this: I'll be working in a High School in the Hakata ward (neighborhood / area, called "ku") of Fukuoka City ("shi"), which is in Fukuoka Prefecture (like a state, called "ken"), which is in Japan (duh). I don't know much about my school yet, but working in a city this size (and this nice!) is a truly awesome placement. I'm incredibly fortunate to land it.
Though you've probably never heard of it, Fukuoka City is pretty big. It's the 7th most populous city in all of Japan, with a population of 1.5 million people (not including suburbs or surrounding communities). It has a major international airport, which is great when your husband will be flying over to visit regularly, and it's central location makes it a travel gateway to lots of Asian destinations, including Okinawa, Seoul, Busan, and Shanghai. If you're interested, you can check out the city's website by clicking here.
Since I peppered you with Fukuoka pictures in a previous blog post, I won't inundate you with them this time. Except for this one. Because I'm SUPER excited to see these for myself.
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| Fukuoka's famous "yatai," food stalls. YUM! |
My commute between Chikushino and Fukuoka will involve an approximate 10-15 minute walk (or a shorter bike ride, if I purchase one), a 20-30 minute train ride into the City, and another 10-15 minute walk to my school. Not too bad, really! I'll get to live the car-free life of an modern commuter, AND I'll get to experience both the urban and suburban sides of Japan.
Below is a small area map, showing the relative positions of my work-location and home-location. Fukuoka-shi is in gold, while Chikushino-shi is in a... I don't know... cornflower blue? Anyway, it helps for perspective.
So, that's it! I know where I'll be! And I'm super, super stoked about it. :-)
Tune in next week, loyal readers, for photos, stories, and all the dirty details regarding our participation in the GraniteMan Sprint Triathlon (which is THIS SATURDAY.... Oh God, oh God, oh God...). Wish us luck!
And thanks for reading!
WR
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