Newness

Happy New Year!

明けましておめでとうございます！

The winter break is almost over, with another two days of relaxation before I need to head off to the Board of Education on Monday. I won't do much there, probably just sit at the desk I usually use when I go and read or study.

Tuesday marks the beginning of the third term of the Japanese school year. The morning will likely consist of a few periods of class, with the ceremony taking place around noon. The Vice Principal will start the whole thing simply by saying something like, "And now we start the opening ceremony" (he closes it in the same fashion). Some students will give speeches, usually outlining one or two challenges they've decided to focus on, like doing better in math, or working harder during sports practice. Aftwards, its lunch.

The afternoon is better, probably much more so for the regular teachers, in terms of free time. I'm not sure if they've been at work at all over the break, so this time on Tuesday is a nice way for them to gear up for the week.

To give you an idea of what lies ahead for me, the deadline for re-contracting is approaching. February 6 is the day I must decide to either stay on JET for another year (until July, 2010) or not (sending me home this July). This is a much harder decision that it seems. I used to be so sure of staying three years; now, it's a little more up in the air. Over the next month, I'll be sitting down and writing out all the positives and negatives about my life as an ALT and about what kinds of things I would do after JET should I leave.