2nd Day in Tokyo

Today is the second day of Tokyo orientation. I went out and had drinks and sang karaoke with the "young 'uns" last night and am a bit dull today as a result. I'm looking forward to being done with the orientation as a lot of the information is redundant for me. Plus, it'll be nice to be in my own apartment and to decompress a little bit.

Seattle

Got into Seattle on time, although the downtown airporter left almost 40 minutes late from the airport to the hotel. Other than the guest speaker, the orientation went well, and the reception at the Consulate General's home was absolutely wonderful: sushi, yakisoba, tempura. Not the kind of stuff I'd normally get in Montana. It was also nice meeting many of the 40 or so other JETs headed to Japan. Lots of talent and plenty of enthusiasm amongst the group. I enjoyed being around the fresh college grads as their energy is contagious.

Taking Off

It's up at 4:00 in the morning and out the door to catch a plane to Denver, then Seattle, for orientation. Although I've been back to Japan several times since leaving in 2001, I haven't taught there for ten years. So, there's lots to think about during all of the trainings and travel time over the next week or so.