Hey everyone

With mid year seminar and the JLPT out the way, I suddenly find myself with a lot more time on my hands…that means…PA newsletter time! I’m sure you’re all very excited. I know I am. Annnnyway - there were just a few things I wanted to send out to everyone before we all start heading out for winter holidays.

• 1. Travelling abroad – nenkyuu, itinerary, insurance

• 2. Keeping warm over the winter

• 3. Re-contracting

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1. Travelling abroad.

If you’re planning on taking nenkyuu over the winter break then you should have submitted your request to your school/office by now, especially if you are planning to go overseas. If you haven’t done so already please do it in the next week or so! Please remember that you are not guaranteed to have your request granted if it overlaps with term time. You might think its pointless being at the closing ceremony but your school might have a different opinion. All the more reason to submit your request now and start the negotiating process.

If you are leaving Japan, you are also required to submit a form detailing your itinerary. We mentioned this at the regional meetings a while back – it feels a little invasion-of-privacy-y but they’re not going to check up on you or anything sinister like that. All teachers are required to fill them out, and they’re only for use in an emergency. They were invaluable when we were trying to make sure that everyone was safe after the earthquake and tsunami in 2004, so please make sure you fill one out before you go. It’s also a really good idea to make copies of all your important documents and leave them with someone here, should something happen when you’re away.

Travel insurance – as JETs we are covered by the JET accident insurance policy but it’s not the same as having proper travel insurance. If you are planning on travelling abroad there are a variety of companies you can go with, but last year the PA in Tochigi ken did a good guide to buying travel insurance with SOMPO Japan (the people who provide our JET policy) via their website. You can find a link to it here: http://toyamajets.net/boards/index.php?showtopic=1465.

There are options for delayed flights, lost luggage etc so it might be a good idea to get a JTE or Japanese friend to help you go through the site. This is just one option – of course there are lots more companies out there. If you know of any good ones, either in English or Japanese, please share on the messageboards or in the TNB.

2. Keeping warm over the winter

This is pretty much recycled from the email I sent out in January this year. But the advice is still good, and timely this year!

We are paid well as JETs, well enough to account for a little extra money in our heating bills during the winter months. You can afford to keep your apartment (or at least part of it) warm. Beware though as electrical heating (aircon and electric heaters) can chomp through the electricity and leave you with a massive bill. Kerosene heaters are supposed to be the most efficient way to heat your apartment. You can purchase a new heater for around 10,000yen and although kerosene is more expensive this year, you should be able to buy enough kerosene (from most petrol stations/home centres/supermarket carparks!) to last a couple of weeks for about 2-3000yen. There are some safety concerns, such as opening the window to let air in (!) however I think the new heaters are better. Ask at your school. You may also need to check that you are allowed kerosene heaters in your apartment (I'm not).

If your apartment has wooden floors then you might want to think about buying cheap roll-out tatami from a home centre type of store. Tatami is a very effective insulator! Other insulating tips include buying a material called "dannnetsuzai" 断熱材 which is used to cover those big glass doors that your probably have in your apartment. It's special plastic that keeps out some of the cold and keeps in some of the heat. A roll that will cover two large windows should cost about 1000yen. Cheaper, but not quite so stylish is to go for the bubble-wrap option (konpouzai 梱包材).

You might find that your apartment gets a bit damp at this time of year. You could go out and buy a dehumidifier but if you don't want to spend the money then there are a couple of options available to you. Keep your bathroom fan running after you've had a bath or shower - I leave mine on all day to dry it out. Also to stop your clothes going nasty, I recommend buying the tubs/packs of desiccant that can be found in almost all home centres/hyaku en shops. It's usually a translucent plastic tub which has a grille on the top and white stuff in the top half. One brand has an elephant on it and it's called "mizutori" (水とり) I keep them next to my sliding doors and in my wardrobes to prevent mould…

Again, please share any tips you have for staying warm on the message boards. My preferred option is some kind of alcohol, my duvet and some trashy American TV. How about you?

3. Re-contracting

There are now a couple of months left until the re-contracting deadline. If you’re still on the fence, you might find that winter plays a big part in your decision! If you have any questions about the process, about the new 4th and 5th year rule, or need someone to bounce thoughts off, you can contact me at any time. Your regional reps are also available to chat if you want someone a little closer to home. I’ll be emailing again about this sometime during the new year but until then please get in touch if you need to.