by Jen Ruhl
Many Kanagawa JETs seem to be jetting off somewhere for the holidays (Thailand is a very popular choice!), but for those of you who will be in Kanagawa, here are some survival tips for spending the holidays away from your loved ones.
The most important thing is to stay busy. When final exams begin, there is often very little to do at work. Try not to let the boredom get a firm hold on you and make you unmotivated to be active after school hours!
If you have a little money, this might be a good opportunity to travel around Japan. There are so many things to do that are easily within reach of Kanagawa, especially thanks to Haneda Airport and the Shinkansen stops at Shin-Yokohama and Odawara! If you can't manage a far-away trip, Yokohama and Tokyo have lots of little museums and other things worth exploring! See if you can find the next "Kanagawa Osusume"!
Another idea is to look into doing a home stay. Home stays are a good chance to practice your Japanese, learn more about Japanese culture, and be pampered by a Japanese family who cooks you wonderful food every day!
Try these links: PPF Homestay / Chiba Homestay / Nara Homestay.
Those of you who are traveling - have a safe trip! See you in January!