I'm moving to Japan

I'm moving to Tokyo (actually Saitama; a north sleeper city of Tokyo) the second week in March, three weeks from now.

I had originally applied for this job back in October. I didn't get the job at first, but one of the two people that were hired backed out, and I ended up getting called. The job is at a Lutheran private school in Saitama, Japan. It's quite a good job, as it's at an actual school. There's even a swimming pool. ^_^ I had the opportunity to fly to Tokyo last weekend (they paid for everything), in order to check out the school and have a personal interview. I'll technically be a missionary, although my job will be to teach English. The other new teacher and myself are replacing a married couple who'd been working there for 5 years. So, I might be working there for some time. I'll be making substantially more money than I am now, my apartment is beautiful, and, amongst many other benefits, I'll be chaperoning a group of Japanese students to America for a month every summer (LA and Pheonix). My teaching hours will be about 16 hours a week (maybe a couple more), and I'll be at school between 8am and 5pm. In other words, it's, as my friends here are putting it, an "actual job."

As for my current job, I finally had a chance to talk to my boss, Mr. Lee, today. He'd been busy in the last week, as he'd just got back from Australia, and has attending his son's university graduation ceremonies. So, yesterday, I decided to explain everything to Richard, my direct boss. He was cool with everything. He understood that I had a good job to go to, and he said that he'd tell Mr. Lee when he had a chance, and get him to speak with me.

Today (Friday), during an interview I was having with a couple of students, Mr. Lee came in and told me that everything was alright, and that I could talk to him after the class period was over. So, I sat down and talked to him for a bit. He was very understanding, and actually wished me congratulations and good luck. He said that I could leave when I wanted to, and that I could even have an extra day for packing if I wanted. He told me that I'd be paid everything on the Friday before I left. I was also told that if I were ever to come back to Ulsan, that I could have my job back. He was definetely better than my last boss! So, if anyone wants to come and work in Korea, Mr. Lee is a good guy to work for in my opinion. I'll actually be a bit sad to leave. I'll really miss a lot of the kids. They sure are great sometimes! That is one thing that I've learned over this past year; that I absolutely love children. I even love the older children (I'm referring to high school students, who aren't really children. Some of them are adults, whether their parents realize it or not!). They just might be the greatest thing on Earth, most of the time...


Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
-Matthew 19:14




















Here's a view of Tokyo from my hotel.
















Another view.
















The city feels like it never ends...
















Those cars are on the wrong side of the road!
















Hey, I have a view of Mount Fuji!
















Fuji-san, in zooooom mode.
















Fuji-san at dusk.





















My hotel, at night.
















Hey, it's Family Mart. Just like in Korea!



















I was given a quick tour of the apartment that I'll be moving to. It's about a block, if that, from the largest Bonsai garden in the world (Omiya Bonsai Village). This is a quick blueprint of the place that I drew up on MS Paint. It should give my family an idea of where I'll be living.