Aspiring US JETs 2012

[teabot]

i haven't read all of the responses regarding omiyage, but i would say it's not a huge thing if you don't bring anything from your home country. i bought some candy, but i didn't bring it with me on the first day. instead i brought omiyage from Tokyo and Kyoto where i had traveled before working. i only got 2 boxes of 16-18 sweets each, but it turns out that my first school was also a ridiculously tiny school, and i had brought enough to give to both all the teachers *and* all the students. hahaha.

i don't think that every school will expect you to give omiyage. it will certainly be appreciated if you do, but don't feel you have to go overboard. at my second school i was pretty good about buying for the 36-some teachers whenever i traveled (and i would individually distribute rather than leaving it in a public place, since it seemed that's what everyone else did). everyone seemed to be surprised rather than "i know you went on a trip, where the hell is my goodie?"

i've also noticed that at least at the school i just left, teachers would often buy omiyage just for their "bu" (teachers tend to sit in groups based on which grade they teach. 1-nenbu, 2-nenbu, etc.) rather than every single teacher in the staffroom. i bought it for everyone anyway because i had JTEs at each bu, and i'd often give to the office staff as well. it's not required, but it definitely helped me get to know the teachers, and many people would thank me for it even after the fact.

yeah the weather was pretty crazy, but it seemed to have died down recently. just rain, i can't hear/feel the wind shaking my apartment anymore. i don't get the impression it was dangerous, more of an inconvenience with stopped/delayed trains. at least where i live.

[Cliodhna]

Apparently it's just thunderstorms over the islands right now, from what I can tell by my one friend talking about it on facebook (no one else seems to care LOL). Japan gets thunderstorms so rarely that whenever it thunders and lightnings people freak out. :B

As for omiyage from the states, at least in the southeast, I think Cracker Barrel would be a fantastic place to get stuff. It's really old school candy that no one's ever seen before, it's cheap, and it usually comes individually wrapped. Plus, you know, you can get your last hurrah of fatty breakfast foods before you go, haha! Just be careful what you get, though- if you get the dots or the wax bottles, assume someone will eat the paper and/or wax, so straightforward things are probably better than the ones you have to work to eat.

Speaking of food that is terrible for you, Happy Fish fingers and Custard day!! 8D

[chomuch]

Well, today is over. Better luck tomorrow, ladies and gents!

Then aaaagain, interview results came out at night didn't it? So we still have a few hours left (though I'm not expecting anything until later this week).

SO who's looking forward to checking their emails the day results come out? C'mon, imagine the moment when someone will post in this forum: "OMG IT'S OUT!". What would you do? Think? I'm sure some people will break their fingers trying to log into their email as quickly as possible. I, on the other hand, will probably go "OH SHEEET" and avoid the internet for a solid 10 minutes while I walk in a daze and try to convince myself that I don't care one way or the other about the result.

It's THAT moment I am not looking forward to..... at all.

[SeaJay]

Oh my goodness! You're a Whovian too, Merky?! So...we're all popping out of the wood work. Fantastic!

All of my friends are crazy into Dr. Who and have been demanding that I watch. Now my fellow JETs, too! I can only conclude that it's a quality show and deserves a try. You've convinced me, so I will see what I can find on Hulu or Netflix.

WOO! Yes, all six seasons of the reboot of Doctor Who are streaming on Netflix! Its fine to start with the 2005 season - you don't have to start all the way back in 1962. And...just give the first season a chance...it doesn't really start off with the greatest material. Remember, Doctor Who is synonymous with camp.

Speaking of food that is terrible for you, Happy Fish fingers and Custard day!! 8D

Because apples are rubbish! I like you guys a lot.

And all this information about omiyage is fantastic! I actually had no clue about this, thank god someone brought it up! It will be so much fun to find little things to bring everyone from the States!

As for omiyage from the states, at least in the southeast, I think Cracker Barrel would be a fantastic place to get stuff. It's really old school candy that no one's ever seen before, it's cheap, and it usually comes individually wrapped. Plus, you know, you can get your last hurrah of fatty breakfast foods before you go, haha! Just be careful what you get, though- if you get the dots or the wax bottles, assume someone will eat the paper and/or wax, so straightforward things are probably better than the ones you have to work to eat.

This. Is. PERFECT. I was just trying to come up with a good place to get little Texas/country/southern themed things. I'm definitely hitting up Cracker Barrel.

[Cliodhna]

^ If fat didn't exist, I would just move into cracker barrel and spend the rest of my life eating baked apples and cheesy hashbrowns while playing checkers by the fire for the rest of my life.

[tashikanakoto]

Cracker Barrel isn't really big where I live... but we did stop there on a road trip through Tennessee. I was shocked to see "mac & cheese" included as a vegetable on the menu!

Other than that, I often dream about the chicken & dumplings I ate there..

I may just bring saltwater taffy as an omiyage (if I am accepted of course). Not that I particularly like it, or even eat it (ever), but it just screams New Jersey.

[Cliodhna]

Cracker Barrel isn't really big where I live... but we did stop there on a road trip through Tennessee. I was shocked to see "mac & cheese" included as a vegetable on the menu!

You can see what our priorities are in this state LOL. But yeah, CB is most popular in the south, and I think the majority of them might be here in TN. Fun place to go to on occasion (usually for breakfast since it's served all day), but never on sundays- sundays are when the elderly people flock en masse to every cracker barrel. Two hour waits. This is probably why a very large and fascinating store is attached to it.

Other than that, I often dream about the chicken & dumplings I ate there..

Hahaha that used to be the only thing my parents would let me get there when I was little. I won't touch the stuff now.

[nb117]

Cracker Barrel isn't really big where I live... but we did stop there on a road trip through Tennessee. I was shocked to see "mac & cheese" included as a vegetable on the menu!

Other than that, I often dream about the chicken & dumplings I ate there..

I may just bring saltwater taffy as an omiyage (if I am accepted of course). Not that I particularly like it, or even eat it (ever), but it just screams New Jersey.

You're from NJ as well? Cracker Barrel needs to GET big here.. there's one about 30 minutes away from where I live in NJ and personally I think the trip out to it is worth every second. I've never eaten a bad meal there, and more than once have been offered free desserts because they "ran out of meatloaf :C".

There's a rumor there's one opening a lot closer to me.. (I live in central NJ)..I really hope it's true.

Sorry, Cracker Barrel enthusiast here, haha.

(And yes, taffy is very NJ )

[tashikanakoto]

CB was great as a cultural experience, wouldn't go there everyday, though.

Also, I'm pretty sure I've seen signs for a Cracker Barrel on the Turnpike, south of exit 9..

Ugh I'm supposed to be doing my senior thesis. Have no class today but all I've been doing is hitting the refresh button on my e-mail and the refresh button for the forums. #aspiringjetproblems

[kuroguma]

I told myself I wouldn't post on this forum until I got my results but now that I'm refreshing every hour I might as well join in. Especially if there are some fellow NJ peeps on here!

Cracker Barrel is fine and good and all (I know for a fact there's one along the Turnpike by Burlington if you're near there) but you people in South Jersey should consider yourselves lucky you have Wawa's! They finally opened one up here and it's still a 25 minute drive from my house!

Totally worth it on weekends though... =P

[tashikanakoto]

South Jersey people and their Wawa....

[SeaJay]

Haha, I love all this enthusiasm about Cracker Barrel! Just proves how delicious southern food is.

Also! Another good idea for any Texans (and I suppose Sothwesterners and Califorians as well) is to go to one of those speciality Mexican food stores and pick up some Mexican candy! It's super cheap. If I get in I want to do maybe one or two lessons that incorporate Tex-Mex culture since its such a huge part of Texan culture. I think they would find it interesting how the cultures of two countries have melded together so much. And if omiyage is all about region specficalitity then it would be perfect! Especially since Mexican cuisine is rare over there.

Oh! Also, for any fellow Austinites, Toy Joy would be perfect too! Give 'em a little dose of that Austin weirdness. For all those who don't know Toy Joy it's this great shop that carries rare, weird and old school toys. Along with bins of tons of little toys that would be perfect for elementary class prizes.

[Cliodhna]

^ Reminds me of possibly going to the dollar store and buying a bag of those cheap annoying grasshopper things that tear your fingers up, and those inside out plastic flippy things- drive all their teachers nuts! 8D

PS: Welcome to the madness, Kurogumo!

[tashikanakoto]

Another good New Jersey idea is blueberry wine or cranberry wine. (For other teachers/supervisors etc, obviously, not for students!) It's definitely a product that would be impossible to find in Japan, and it highlights the lesser-appreciated (yet considerable) agricultural side of New Jersey.

Anyone else notice that Ottawa and Miami coordinators haven't posted for several days? They are probably very busy....

SOON AND VERY SOON.

Goodness, having no classes on Tuesdays has made me a JET-induced emotional wreck.

[Cliodhna]

Another good New Jersey idea is blueberry wine or cranberry wine. (For other teachers/supervisors etc, obviously, not for students!) It's definitely a product that would be impossible to find in Japan, and it highlights the lesser-appreciated (yet considerable) agricultural side of New Jersey.

Unfortunately I'm pretty sure you can't bring alcohol that isn't purchased at the duty free shop with you onto the plane and into japan, I don't think. :/ I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure you can't. If NJ's international airport (newark?) has a duty free shop past security, see if they have it there because it seems like a good idea for omiyage.


edit: To the Current JETs lurking in the thread- what are you guys wearing to work everyday?