Ok, I didn't mean to cut that last post short. Just hit a key that started making the keyboard type in Katakana or Hiragana or whatever it was. Thought I might loose everything so I just hit the "publish" button and figured I'd figure it out without the danger of wiping everything clean. Anyway, you'll be pleased to know that all you have to do is hit the button to the left of the "1" key and all is righted.

So, where was I? Work, apartment....ah yes, I was going to mention my arrival in Kofu. We (all the JETs of group A) spent 3 nights in Shinjuku upon our arrival in Japan. Orientation. Orientation itself was not all that noteworthy. Some good information was passed on to us but some of the information wasn't really all that informative. Lots of seminars (some ok, some not), a few speeches, and many many introductions to each other. That was one good part, you got to meet people from all over the world: England, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, and of course from all over America. I know there were South Africans and Jamaicans there as well but I didn't meet any. And this is only a small cross section of the countries represented, I think I heard there were about 40 countires represented by at least one individual. Pretty damn cool.
Anyway, on the third morning all of us JETs headed for the Yamanashi prefecture met in the lobby and boarded a bus. There were 23 of us and most of us had already met each other so the ride out was quite nice and light. The landscape grew and grew as the buildings of the greater Tokyo area subsided from our view and it actually got to be quite beautiful. So Japan wasn't just a mass of concrete and steel after all. There was actually some green stuff out there. We passed though mountains and as we climbed valleys opened up on both sides giving us some great views of rivers, farm land, and the frequent small towns/villages. This was Japan.
After about an hour and a half we drove into Kofu. The town itself didn't look all that impressive. Some big buildings, some small buildings, and everything in between. In fact, to me it didn't look all that different than Bakersfield. Just some taller buildings, green hills, and clouds.
But then the bus pulled into the International Center and the real fun began. Quite suddenly the JETs all forgot about one another as we looked out the window at a large group of Japanese people. Some were holding signs saying "welcome" and then the name of their new JET. Others were just standing there looking into the windows of the bus. All seemed excited, and some looked very nervous. And I can say that at that moment all of us felt the same.
Amy and I looked outside and said our goodbyes there on the bus. I had no idea what would happen to me as I exited the bus, but she had seen one of the ladies from the video her predecessor sent her standing out there. Amy's ride was there. So we said "goodbye, call you when it's possible" and got off the bus.
As I left the bus it seemed that all my fellow JETs had been found by their new employers/workmates, but no one was approaching me. We had been told that they had our pictures and knew what we looked like. But here I was, standing there wondering things like...did I catch the wrong bus? this is Kofu, right? shit, there's been a big mistake! I ended up standing around for less than 2 minutes, albeit a very LONG two minutes. But finally one of the experienced JETs who had been helping us all the way from Tokyo found me and told me my man was there.
So up walks this average looking, but tall for a Japanese, guy. I think he was more nervous than I was now that I think about it, but we exchanged greetings, me in English, him in Japanese and next thing I know I'm being led to a car. Goodbye JETs, goodbye security, and just like that, I was all alone in Japan.
We drove to the Kencho (aka government building). I knew where we were going cause I asked. And no, I was not excited. Well, that's not entirely true. I was happy to be starting the real thing, but first I wanted a few beers and a nap in my yet to be seen apartment alone. I wanted to do all this at my pace. But that was not to be and we drove into the Kencho complex, parked the car, and I followed him up some stairs and through a hallway.
Then we entered the room. A large room with many desks, and quite a few people. Oh, shit, I thought, here we go. This is all really a blur so bear with me. I remember kind of being ushered to the front of the room where two desks are placed. The rest of the room has four rows of desks lined up with two desks sitting back to back and so on down the row. But at the head of the room are two more desks that face the others. Obviously the two men sitting behind those desks are in charge here, I thought. I wondered if one of them was my supervisor. Anyway, I get ushered the front and then everyone in the room stands. Uh oh! The room boss looks at me, bows his head and says something. Then he hands me a piece of paper with Kanji on it (I am saying Kanji where I mean Japanese writing, which is made up of Katakana, Hiragana, and Kanji). It was obviously a document of some kind, so I took it and bowed saying thank you in Japanese. Then, and I'll always be grateful for this, a man in the room came forth and told me what the paper was and what it meant. In broken, but very good nonetheless, English. Then, and I'll always be the opposite of grateful for this, the pit boss says something to me which when translated came out as, "please, you make small speech now." I'd heard I was supposed to do this part in Japanese and I can only say two things about this. 1) Thank you JET for the one page in your little blue diary on introductions, and 2)?@I really have no idea what I said and I'm not sure the room did either.
I'll continue this later.................