Finally, I got a job as a substitute teacher!! Last Monday morning, I got a phone call around 7 am. It was the secretary from the elementary school I had been volunteering at. She asked me if I could come in to work that day, I was a bit confused, but she told me that my application had gone through and I could work a half day!! Of course I said I absolutely could work. About an hour later, she called me again to ask if I could work the next day as well and the principal wanted to talk with me about a longer term substituting job. To top my morning off, Brian called me from the field (we hadn't talked in a week since he had been out of cell reception) and said he was coming home a day earlier than expected!!
I went to work that day and had an okay experience. The long term job is subbing for the Japanese culture teacher as the current teacher is leaving and they need time to find another teacher. A native Okinawan has to be the teacher in this class so that the students can learn more about the culture from someone who is from that culture. I was told that I would have to do my own lesson plans and that as of now, I would be working up until Christmas break. I thought about it for a night and the next day I told the principal that I would take the job. I will start that job tomorrow. I am a bit nervous, as well as excited. It will be a different kind of teaching than I am used to, but I am sure I will be able to figure it out and as a bonus, I will learn more about the culture along with the students!
Last week was Thanksgiving. It was a little bitter sweet for both me and Brian. We were really glad to be spending the holiday in each other's company, but we both missed our families. We had another couple over for dinner as well as some single Marines. It was a really good time for everyone, and the food was yummy! :)
On exciting and relatively big news, Brian and I are getting a dog soon! We are getting a husky, he is on his way over from main land Japan. It is exciting for us both to have our own dog.
Things are a lot better now that I have a job. The house was getting pretty boring for me. Life seems a little more normal now that I am working.
I still am not too excited or open to going out in town. It seems like it is more of a hassel than it is worth. It is hard to communicate with the natives out in town and it is always so crowded on the streets. Sometimes it is just more fun (and easy) to sit at home and eat a "home cooked" meal.
The weather here has definitely cooled down and I think it is here to stay. It is nothing like the cold back home, we have been stuck in the 70's and upper 60's for the past few weeks. I definitely am enjoying it though because I was missing the cold weather!
Brian and I also set up our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. We tried to go shopping that night for more decorations and ornaments, but the stores were basically all sold out. We were told this would happen, so we will just wait until next year to get more decoration. We have enough to get us through this Christmas season.
These are all the highlights for now!! Updates again soon!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
November
Since my last post, a few new things have happened. As I left off, we were about to get our second and last shipment of our belongings. This went very smoothly. Unfortunately, Brian wasn't able to get the day off from work so I had to stay at home and direct the movers where the boxes should go and such. Like the first shipment, the movers were very quick and were done in about 45 minutes. Once they left, I spent the better part of the day unpacking and organizing. It is kind of a funny thing to go without a large portion of your belongings for two months, you forget a lot of the things you have. I guess this can also show a person how much they can live without. I got most of the unpacking done and put away, but there was still a significant amount left once I stopped.
The next day was the Marine Corps Birthday Ball. I was extremely excited about this. I went and volunteered for a few hours in the morning at the school and spent a while in the afternoon getting ready. We had to be at the banquet hall at 5:30 in the evening. It took about an hour after that for the festivities to begin. There was a guest speaker and the cake cutting ceremony which were the "main events". After all of that, dinner began to be served. There were appetizers, salads, the main dish as well as dessert. This by far was one of the nicest things I had ever been to. After the eating was done, most people headed for the bar for drinks. There was a dance floor and DJ as well. Me and Brian opted not to crack any moves on the dance floor, but just hung out with friends instead. Over all, it was a really nice night.
On Wednesday, I decided to go to the Human Resources Office for the School System on the bases. I had a few papers to turn in for my teaching application and just wanted to show my face and see what else I needed to get done to finish my application. There wasn't a lot that they could tell me, except that I had one piece of my application to get finished and then I will be selected for an interview at their office. After this, I will be good to get a job in one of the schools when one opens up! While I was in their office, I also asked to speak with someone from the Substitute Teaching office to ask about that application. The only news that I recieved is that I had to keep waiting because the paperwork was between the school and the office still. This was a bit of a discouraging trip, not to mention the fact that it was located in a place I had never been before.
The next few days were pretty normal and uneventful.
The following week, I volunteered the first two days as school was out for the rest of the week for teacher workdays as well as for the holiday. Brian had a long weekend and we went to a cookout with friends on Thursday. It was nice to get out and socialize with other people for a night. Friday, we went shopping for some things for the apartment. Brian picked out a nice painting and I picked out some candle holders for the wall. Slowly but surely, we are making this place into a home. As we were walking in the parking lot back to the car, we realized that we didn't even get the one thing we really wanted to get at the store. We still haven't purchased a grill over here and were really going to get one at the store, but completely forgot. We practically lived off the grill back in North Carolina, so we are craving some good grilled food now. Soon enough, we will remember to get one.
Last week, Brian and I finally finished a puzzle that was started about a month ago. Once it was finished, we decided it would be cool to frame it and use it as decoration. I bought another puzzle at the store so we can keep doing that to fill up the walls.
Brian also has picked up a new hobby of playing the guitar. He used to take lessons for it, and decided that he wants to learn how to play again. He got a guitar this weekend and so far has really enjoyed learning to play.
It has hard to believe we have been here for two months already! I am getting excited for the holidays coming up soon. It will be fun to spend our first holiday season together as a married couple, while at the same time we will both be missing our families a whole lot.
Hopefully the next time I write, I will have exciting job news!! Fingers crossed...
The next day was the Marine Corps Birthday Ball. I was extremely excited about this. I went and volunteered for a few hours in the morning at the school and spent a while in the afternoon getting ready. We had to be at the banquet hall at 5:30 in the evening. It took about an hour after that for the festivities to begin. There was a guest speaker and the cake cutting ceremony which were the "main events". After all of that, dinner began to be served. There were appetizers, salads, the main dish as well as dessert. This by far was one of the nicest things I had ever been to. After the eating was done, most people headed for the bar for drinks. There was a dance floor and DJ as well. Me and Brian opted not to crack any moves on the dance floor, but just hung out with friends instead. Over all, it was a really nice night.
On Wednesday, I decided to go to the Human Resources Office for the School System on the bases. I had a few papers to turn in for my teaching application and just wanted to show my face and see what else I needed to get done to finish my application. There wasn't a lot that they could tell me, except that I had one piece of my application to get finished and then I will be selected for an interview at their office. After this, I will be good to get a job in one of the schools when one opens up! While I was in their office, I also asked to speak with someone from the Substitute Teaching office to ask about that application. The only news that I recieved is that I had to keep waiting because the paperwork was between the school and the office still. This was a bit of a discouraging trip, not to mention the fact that it was located in a place I had never been before.
The next few days were pretty normal and uneventful.
The following week, I volunteered the first two days as school was out for the rest of the week for teacher workdays as well as for the holiday. Brian had a long weekend and we went to a cookout with friends on Thursday. It was nice to get out and socialize with other people for a night. Friday, we went shopping for some things for the apartment. Brian picked out a nice painting and I picked out some candle holders for the wall. Slowly but surely, we are making this place into a home. As we were walking in the parking lot back to the car, we realized that we didn't even get the one thing we really wanted to get at the store. We still haven't purchased a grill over here and were really going to get one at the store, but completely forgot. We practically lived off the grill back in North Carolina, so we are craving some good grilled food now. Soon enough, we will remember to get one.
Last week, Brian and I finally finished a puzzle that was started about a month ago. Once it was finished, we decided it would be cool to frame it and use it as decoration. I bought another puzzle at the store so we can keep doing that to fill up the walls.
Brian also has picked up a new hobby of playing the guitar. He used to take lessons for it, and decided that he wants to learn how to play again. He got a guitar this weekend and so far has really enjoyed learning to play.
It has hard to believe we have been here for two months already! I am getting excited for the holidays coming up soon. It will be fun to spend our first holiday season together as a married couple, while at the same time we will both be missing our families a whole lot.
Hopefully the next time I write, I will have exciting job news!! Fingers crossed...
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