First day in IBRK

It's now 12.10am Tokyo time and I am sitting in my new apartment trying to hunt for a mosquito. Yesterday has been terribly scary for me!

I first checked out of the hotel at 7.45am and boarded a chartered bus to my prefecture. It was really amazing by the way when we left TK and headed into Ibaraki - the scenery really changed drastically! Instead of tall skyscrapers that are characteristic of TK, the buildings melted away to rich green fields of rice. I was really amazed! Amongst these green fields are little quaint houses that tuck nicely between. Amazing!

Anyway after a 2 hour ride, we finally reached the prefecture of Ibaraki, Mito. While it was a simple ceremony we had to run through, I was totally freaked out and I kept a stern face which my supervisor UD subsequently commented that I looked too nervous when I need not be. Anyway the ceremony in retrospect was simple - first we stood in a row and as our names get called out one by one, our supervisors step out and fetch us to their seats. I felt panicky because I was trying really hard to point out who UD was. Anyway he's like this portly-looking person who is nice and genial! After we got 'collected' by our supervisors, we then had a few speeches, such as the Director of International Affairs and the Teachers' Consultant, our ultimate boss. Then we get called up one by one again to collect this letter of appointment that looks like a certificate. I'll post a picture up when I have the chance.

It was soon the end - just 30 minutes. I was totally freaked out. After that, we collected our luggage from the chartered bus which UD was so nice to help me carry. That was when I realised I did the first mistake, when I insisted that he should help me carry the lighter one. I thought it was so as the other participants had their supervisors carry the heavier, if not all, of their luggages and mine ended with a manageable one. Oh well!

UD was so kind to me. Subsequently, he brought me to this really mega mall which is as big as the Mid-Vally mall in KL I think. After walking around for a while, we (or I - he never makes decisions!) finally settled on a tonkatsu place which once again had my mouth dry (suspect it contains tons of MSG) which is still the case till now. We then continue to bum around the shopping mall for another 30 minutes, and he was right when we bumped into a third year student in KTT. He introduced me to the student who was very nice and bowed and I answered in Japanese. Sigh! I should have done that in English!

After that shopping episode, he brought me next to the city hall where I did my alien (aka foreigner) registration. That was a Japanese point there. After he told me I need Japanese portrait-size photographs, I thought I would be nice to offer the ones I took in SG. The bad thing was I made him wait under the sweltering hot sun while I opened up all my luggage at the car park of the city hall, ending with an embarrassing 'oh no I have misplaced it!'. He was rather casual about it, and suggested we drive around to hunt for a photograph booth. He even commented he already had that factored in! Anyway finally I took the photographs and did the processing. While it will take a few weeks to process and for the card to arrive at my doorstep, UD bought 2 temporary passes which he said were for the keitai and bank account set up. We didn't get to do them in the end because there was no time. That will be tomorrow's business.

Meanwhile he brought me to KTT where I was even more freaked out as I did not have my tie on (I took it off when UD took his off in the car after the ceremony at the city hall). The buildings were rather nice, just as in the pictures on the web site. In the end I met the kocho-sensei (vice-principal) and some people from other departments who following some third year students on a trip to Singapore last year. This year they are going to TP, which I commented is a great place to go for food. After a couple of "yoroshiku onegaishimasu"s and awkward pushing of spectacles as they were slipping off so easily due to the sweat thanks to the summer heat, UD showed me the school library which is under his purview and the school librarian as well. That went alright, though I was not really sure what I should be doing. Browse his collection? He told me it was a place I can go to during breaks so oh well!

After that we went to the English Communications Rooms which he said would be where I would be involved in - Oral Communication classes for second years. Alright. Oh he also showed me my desk which I will try to take a picture soon. I guess when I go tomorrow I should be more prepared and to ask him for a sitting arrangement of the office. Most of the teachers were not around due to school activities outside the campus, according to UD.

Finally we went to the new apartment, where there were some nice moments and yet some let downs in expectations. I think I must really learn how to manage them! The apartment is actually small, so on that count I was a little upset as it seemed rather big (or wide, according to UD), considering I was paying so much for it!

Anyway I thought I would try sleeping without the air-conditioner on as it is rather cooling, though I had 2 issues which really scared my wits out now and I am hence blogging instead of sleeping. Firstly is all my worldly possessions are with me and I did not know whether it is safe to leave my window wide open when I am staing on the first floor. Secondly is the onslaught of mosquitoes which I am trying to fight one right now and I was so shocked when one buzzed around my ear when I was trying to sleep. I think I am being very paranoid about it and I am starting to miss home and how comfortable it is to be able to sleep in a place where there are no such threats. I really want to hit myself for not insisting on a 2nd level!

Anyway before UD left, he passed me an old keitai of his which he has really prepared. Firstly the keitai does not contain a memory card. Secondly it only has one contact on the list - his number! I really marvel at his planning and I am really apologetic now whenever I think back and wonder about the hijacks in his plans whenever I tried to inject my own thoughts. He just goes "it's alright" when I apologise and I really am confused about what he means.

Sigh.

He is coming to pick me up at 10am tomorrow to head to the school to meet the rest of the staff and he told me he would tell kyoto-sensei that we had some things to settle. He thought I needed the rest after a whole day and I agree with him totally - look at me now at 12.43am! Sigh I am so going to be gone tomorrow.

I have yet to catch the mosquito, and I guess I will pull out my sleeping bag and snuggle in there to reduce surface area of the skin. I have also resigned to switching on the air-conditioner though it might be expensive!

Sigh.

Really paranoid!