Itchu is the nickname for Murakami Daiichi Chuugakkou which itself means “Murakami First Junior High School.” Itchu is how it sounds when you say ichi and chuu together as a shortened version of the whole name. So, here I am at school, at my desk. Today is my second day here, of what have been [...]

Today I did my last of my preliminary visits to my five schools.  I handed out most of the Alaska gifts that I brought, save the mead and calendars I brought for the principals at my middle school.  It’s going to be interesting working with different people in different settings.  Each school has a different [...]

This shall be a catch-all post.  All of my posts thus far have been on either laptops with dying batteries, or the remaining ten minutes of my daily 30-minute internet allowance at the Murakami City Library.  I am at an internet cafe (well, a Japanese version of one, with free soft drinks, comic books, billiards, darts, [...]

On Monday we had our Prefectural Orientation in Niigata City.  I got to ride some trains, learn more stuff, and meet all the other JETs in the Prefecture, including those right in my town.  There are six of us who live in Murakami, although two work in towns further inland.  The orientation basically covered more [...]

水曜日に村上に着きました。　新潟駅から来たあと、外国人登録に申し込んで、アパートに行きました。　アメリカのサイズに比べて小さいですが、合っています。　木曜日は、いろいろな種類をサインして、市長をお会いして、ほかのALTのクリスティさんと昼食をジャスコで食べに行きました。　金曜日は私が働くことになっている学校へお回りしました。　それから、自転車で町を冒険しました。　海へ見に行ったけど、けしきは変だと思いました。　浜で、たくさんテトラポットがあるから、不自然な気持ちがありました。　今週末ですから、もっと冒険するつもりです。

Well, it is now Friday.  I arrived here in Murakami on Wednesday.  It`s a beautiful town.  I have a modest apartment near the base of Oshiroyama (castle mountain) which is about a 400 foot tall forested lump with some neat castle ruins on it.  I climbed it last night and watched the sun set over the [...]