good thing #1:
i passed level 2 of the japanese language placement test (JLPT)! the results were announced in february.
there are four levels, with level 1 being the most difficult and level 4 the most basic, and the test is offered once a year. i passed level 3 last year and i was pretty sure that the gap between it and level 2 would be too difficult to bridge in just one year, but i did it! not only that, but i scored relatively well; a 60% or above is required to pass, and i took 78%.
several people have asked me what i'm going to do now, and i don't really have an answer. i didn't take the test to acquire qualifications for a particular job or graduate program -- though it is possible i will head that direction eventually -- but as a personal challenge and a reason to study. result: i learned a lot of new kanji, vocabulary, and grammar, and strengthened what i knew already. once things settle down around here (i'll explain more below) i'll get myself back on a regular study schedule. i don't expect level 1 is a reachable goal this next time around, but i intend to try.
good thing #2:
i got a new job!
i am changing jobs this coming school year. beginning april 1st, i will be working for a small instructor dispatch company, teaching at private girls' junior high schools in the tokyo area. three days a week i will be in west central tokyo, teaching oral communication to 9th graders and elective english to students who have returned from living overseas. the other two days i will be in east tokyo and saitama respectively, assistant teaching 7th grade english. because private schools have classes on saturdays, my days off will be sundays and wednesdays.
i expect the 9th grade classes, which i will be planning and teaching on my own--and writing tests for--to be a challenge. i'm looking forward to it. aside from wednesdays (elementary school days), my current job involves almost no responsibility, and it's beginning to wear on me. speaking of elementary school, while i will miss the cute little munchkins, i am relieved that i won't be teaching the lower grades anymore. i was teaching as many as ten classes per day there, and summoning the energy required to occupy their young attention spans left me an exhausted mess at the end of the day. from here on out, my youngest student will be twelve, and they will all be girls. i'm interested to see what junior high school girls are like when there aren't any boys in the classroom; my current female students are generally very quiet in class.
moving on, good thing #3:
i'm moving to a new apartment!
the search was long and arduous, and it's finally over.
first i had to determine whether i would live alone or with a housemate. for awhile it seemed like i might live with a friend of mine, but ultimately that didn't work out. i decided rather than bother looking for someone else i'd just remain on my own. i would enjoy having a housemate to chat with and saving money on rent, but i also really enjoy the quiet of living alone.
next i had to decide which area to live in. ultimately i decided to settle a little west of central tokyo in mitaka, because it's quite close to my main school, i have a friend nearby, it's a nice area, it's convenient to a lot of other good areas, and it's not too expensive.
finally, i had to choose an actual apartment. i looked at a lot of apartments and finally found one i liked this last weekend. part of me thinks i should continue the search, because the more choices you have in front of you the better prepared you are to make an educated decision, but i am reasonably confident the place i chose is a good one, and glad the hunt is over so i can move on to other tasks -- like packing.
exciting apartment features:
- windows on two sides: it's a corner unit, so there is a window over the kitchen sink, another on the living/bedroom wall, and a third sliding glass door at the back of the aparment, leading onto a...
- small patio: i mean it when i say small, but still, there is space for a chair, a bike, and hopefully a couple of small planters for herbs and tomatoes. also, there are buildings surrounding my building, so i'll have some privacy and won't have to fear my laundry being stolen by passersby. (overall there is very little crime in japan, but underwear and bike theft seem to be exempt.)
- big, deep closet. (many of the places i looked at didn't have closets, or they were shallow or narrow. this closet is the same size the one at my current place, which is just the right amount of storage.)
- sufficient cabinet space and maneuverability in the kitchen.
- hardwood floors: i like tatami, but it's difficult to clean, and hardwood is much shinier. i like shiny.
- more than enough space in the kitchen for my big pink refrigerator.
- privacy: the unit next to mine is being used for storage, so i won't have too worry much about being loud.
- close to the station: a ten minute walk or four minute bike ride.
- not too expensive -- 63,000 yen per month (about $600).
- "reasonable" move-in fees -- by japanese standards, that is. let me elbaborate: with nearly all apartments, you are required to pay two months' rent in reikin (commonly translated as "key money" or "thank you money") to the landlord upon moving in, and again when renewing your rental contract every two years. an additional one or two months' rent is required as a deposit (shikikin) -- you may or may not get this back when moving out, not necessarily depending on the state of your apartment so much as the honesty of your landlord. furthermore, the apartment agency requires one months' rent as a finder's fee. and finally, there's the actual rent itself, renters' insurance (~$200), and a document fee ($20). my landlord-to-be agreed to reduce the key money to one month if i agreed to move in, and the deposit is also only one month. including april rent and pro-rated march rent, i am getting into this place for under 300,000 yen (around $3000). by american standards, that's ridiculous, but we're not in kansas anymore, toto -- by japanese standards, i've done reasonably well for myself.
i get the keys in a week and a half.
