Toronto Orientation Information

So this is a bit more of a info thing. Sadly I was unable to get any pictures or videos because we were super busy. A lot of information to take in. We were sitting at this table from 11AM till 2PM, going over rules, what we are expected to do, and all that stuff once we arrive in Japan.

I got to meet 3 other exchange students going with my program, one other girl at two boys, I was the oldest. Since I am in grade 13, they were in grade 11, so I am a good 2 years older then them. It was quite funny when I saw their faces when Wendy said my age (Because we were talking about rules on drinking, and licence/driving abroad) she said "I know your going to be 19 over there Haley, but still no" they looked at me odd at first, quite funny. But anyway, the one boy and girl (cant remember their names) were going for 5 months while myself and the other boy (his name is Josh) are going for 10 months. He is a good 3 hours from Tokyo, North East, and I am REALLY south. I am actually the farthest away from Tokyo! They are all in big cities while I am in a sorta small finishing city... I was so jealous. The closest one to me is the girl who is going to be staying in Hiroshima. Which is cool!

They are all gong to public schools... while I got accepted to a private co ed Catholic high school... THE HECK! XD Found THAT funny at first. But I get A LOT of my stuff provided for me, while everyone else has to buy their own text books and uniforms while mine is provided for me. Which is a bonus!

So, we went over program rules that if anything was done 3 times kinda rule, you will be terminated from the program. All the rules are common things; no drinking, driving, drugs, attending school, obeying host school rules and host family rules. All that stuff. What kind of cultural shock we would have, school. All that stuff.

Let me think... OH We all got to know what the plan was for our orientation! So what happens is that once we get off the plane and meet the LP over in Japan, we have to pack a separate over night bag with 4 days worth of clothes, tooth brush, shampoo, toothpaste, and all that jazz into a over night bag INSIDE our suitcases so we can just take them out, because our suitcases are actually being sent RIGHT TO our host families! Which is nice so we aren't lugging them around for the orientation in Tokyo. So once that happens, we take out stuff and head over to the Tokyo Olympic Sports thing, we will be staying with THOUSANDS of other host students across the world there in the Olympic village there (which is like dorms) for 3 days 4 nights I believe. We go to Japanese lessons, group activities, we get to tour around Tokyo with our groups (cant leave our groups) Which is understandable.

So it will be 3 days 4 nights getting use to the place, and meeting new people! Its going to be super exiting and I hope I get to meet someone living close to me =D

I literally leave 20 days starting tomorrow... I am working my last week at my job (last day is next Tuesday) I am super sad to leave everyone, but its time. I need to start packing my suit case and carry on and over night bag. SO ANYONE GOING WITH YESCANADA OR EIL OR ANY PROGRAM! PACK AN OVER NIGHT BACK IN YOUR SUITCASE! Because you will probably be going other places with your host family and such, so BRING A OVER NIGHT BAG instead of lugging a huge suitcase around xD Smart idea. Put it on your list of things to bring/buy.

Hm... I think that is it for now. I will update again soon with my host family information!

Its so close now guys! Soon I will be a J-VLOGGER and J-BLOGGER in Japan!

Super exiting! =D

じゃあ、またね!

~ Haley

Orientation Tomorrow!

So, Orientation tomorrow in Toronto! I get to meet some other exchange students that are leaving when I do in March, and even meet some past exchange students going to Japan.

I am super exited!

I will probably make a video, and definitely a write blog!

See you all later!

~ Haley

My School

So they have found my school, and I just got my information.

NEW VLOG with more Info.



but I am going to write about it first.

So, I will be attending a Private Co-Ed school in Kushiyama, Sanyo-Onoda, Yamaguchi Prefecture called Xavier High School. Its a Catholic school.... /cringe/ I finally get away from Catholic schools (since I went to one here in Canada) now I am going back to one. Just so everyone knows, I am not Catholic, I just attended a Catholic School. This is going to be fuuuun...

Here is a picture of the school

AND! The uniforms look SUPER adorable! I am a sucker for jackets on a uniform xD

It looks like a great school!

Now all I am waiting for is my host family information.

EDIT:
I found a BETTER picture of the school uniform year round =D
11

Will update again soon!

~ Haley

I have a placement!

ALSO! Check out my VLOGS: www.youtube.com/user/HaleyInJapan for more updates on VLOGS.

ANYWAYS! I got an Email today! and I found out what Prefecture I will be living in for 10 months!

/Drum role please/...................................................................

YAMAGUCHI-KEN!

So yes! I will be living in Yamaguchi Prefecture or Yamaguchi-ken for 10 months! That means they have found a school for me to attend, and a host family will come following =D
I am so exited! I don't know my school's name or host family name yet sadly because she told me they are still doing a bit of paper work on the school but she confirmed that I will be living somewhere in Yamaguchi Prefecture!

Like I stated in my video above, Yamaguchi wasn't really the place I wanted to get placed the most... I really wanted to go to Osaka or Kyoto... but you know, I have to look on the positive side! Yamaguchi will still be a lot of fun! They seem to be big on Sakura Viewing Festivals, in Inukuwi they have that bridge, white snakes (which is SO cool!), Blow fish sushi (want to try that!), Gold fish festival, and gosh I am just so exited! I wan't to see my school uniform and my host family already!

I will update again soon guys with more info!

So stay tuned! =D

~ Haley

So THAT'S the reason why its taking so long...

So, not only is this blog documenting my time in Japan, but also the work I need to do to GO to Japan. Its really stressful, and honestly if you can't handle stress, better learn! Because I just got "slapped in the face" today by reality... that I am going to another country, with a different way of life then ours (North American). So, today, I received an email from my LP. Saying that I need to re submit a part of my application. Why? Because I had a photo of my boyfriend and I (I didn't state that he was my boyfriend, that he was one of my best friends, which he is.)

WELL! The schools that my program have been trying to get me into all said NO. The reason? In quotation from the email that she received from them it said; "the school was concerned about inviting inappropriate behaviour between boys and girls into the school."  Because I had a picture of my boyfriend and I... It wasn't anything risqué or something! It was just a picture taken at prom, us standing beside each other! And school's didn't like that.
So I had to re submit a new picture and description of another friend of mine. That was a girl. That is why its taking so long to find a host family and school... because I had a picture of me and my boyfriend. They NEVER said that would have wavered my acceptance into schools/host families! So I was shocked!

At first I was like "WTF! Thats SO STUPID!" Then I remembered... "Right... different culture and a different way of doing things..." It was just a pain, but it is all working out. The thing that bugs me though is because I don't have a school yet, I can't get my COE, and because I can't get my COE, I can't get my VISA.... ARRRG! And I leave in a month! So much to do! D= my LP did say though she has had worse experiences with exchange students and their schools over in Japan when it came to getting accepted. But it's just scary... I keep thinking the worst... like they would take back my acceptance or no one wants to host me because I have a boyfriend or my age... its really scary and stressful. But I have to injure it for now.

Will update again soon darlings!

~ Haley

Departure Dates / Orientation / COE / VISA's / Questions

So this is just a bit of a more organized blog about my last one. With YESCanada, we have to book out own flights. So that was a bit exiting! With my program, I have to arrive in Japan on March 21st (which is the official date that my exchange starts). So here is a little list of my journey,

I leave from Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Ontario. March 20th at 1PM

I arrive in Narita Airport in Japan on March 21st at 3PM 

I dont know who I am supposed to meet at the airport, I believe it is a YESCanada rep, they said they would be going over all this at our orientation. Which has not been set yet. My rep from Canada said she should have the information to me by next week when orientation is. Which is going to be exiting! I get to meet other exchange students! 

Now, if no one knows what a COE is, it is a Certificate of Eligibility. The COE is really important, without that, you can't get your VISA to study abroad. My program gets information from me, sends it to Japan, and they get a COE back. With this they give it to me, and I can go to the Japanese Embassy here in Toronto. After 5 days, I will receive my Student VISA which, obviously, means I am aloud to go to Japan as a student and be taught in schools there. I have not rcieved my COE yet, I sent in all my information on December 28th, and its been a month and a bit now. Buying things for my exchange and my VISA are the last things I need to do before I leave.

Also, I have been asked many times "How can you go on an Exchange? Your 18, graduated from high school and now your going BACK To high school in another country?! Why?"

Alright so here it is. There are two major things you need to go on an exchange for me at my age. One, you need to be between the ages of 14 (some programs are different) and 18 to go on a High School exchange, and two you MUST be registered in High school AT THE TIME OF YOUR DEPARTURE! (Which is a big thing!) So I was already re registered into high school  for a repeat year because I didn't know what I wanted to do yet, so I didn't register into college. So I was already back in high school for another year. 

In August, my boyfriends mom hosted a Japanese exchange student. She talked about Japan, and we would speak a bit of Japanese together. It was so much fun! And that really did it for me. I finally had the push, that I wanted to be an exchange student in Japan. It was something I wanted to do since I was in Grade 10. But didn't have the time or money. I brought up the idea to my mom, she said we can try. That's all I asked, because I knew that my age would be a big factor. I emailed a couple programs (AFS and YFU included) and both said my age... Then I came across YESCanada, I remember talking to them while they were at my school, talking about exchanges. So I emailed them. And I got a response from a woman named Wendy (who is my rep, and the woman I owe this whole exchange to!) She emailed me saying my age was a big factor, but she would try and see what she could do. So I got all my forms together, sent them off. That was in October.

November roles around, I was at my boyfriends house when I got the email! She told me that it was a hard run trying to convince them, but they finally said yes! They were going to say no because I was a graduated student and 18. And the fact my birthday is April 18 (my departure is the 20th of March) they were saying it was to close. But it all worked out!  The best thing is, when I go abroad I don't have to worry about my grades (not as much) because I have already graduated, and I can really focus on the culture and the language more! Which I am really happy about!

So I would really love to thank my Mom for helping me with my exchange, Wendy from YESCanada. And just everyone who has supported me!

Haley