So, the JET interview didn't eat my face as expected.
I drove up to Arlington early on friday, singing really bad songs at the top of my lungs for 2 hours for no particular reason.
Fast-forward to the taxi ride over to the Japanese embassy. I started practicing smiling in the car and I realized that my face muscles were twitching in a fairly insane manner... AND I WASN'T EVEN NERVOUS! But, I took some deep breaths and got my muscles under control and reached the embassy...
...Where I proceeded to go to the wrong entrance and become slightly flustered until I see...
Karen! She was waiting for her ride, but she said her interview went well, but that she was terribly late for it. (BTW, traffic was sucking on Friday)
Anywho, I get to the door with the huge 'JET' sign on it (pshah) and go in. I get lead into a room to sit and wait for about an hour until my panel is ready for me (With water and tea!). I meet a panicky girl who is sure she is not going to get in because she has no Japanese and teaching skills, and proceeds to SAY THIS OUT LOUD AND UNPROVOKED (Keep in mind, interviewers are walking in and out of the waiting room, and the receptionist apparently keeps tabs on us). There was also a girl applying for a CIR position who wouldn't stop talking (although, she said she got accepted last year and had to cancel last minute, so she was just passing on vital knowledge apparently). Some others kids trickle in before 3:20, but they don't do anything out of the ordinary. Then...
Someone from my panel comes to get me and our conversation goes:
Me: Nice to meet you
Her: My name is *blank*.
Me: My name is *blank* -pause- nice to meet you. (Oh crap, did I say 'nice to meet you' twice?)
Good start, ne?
Anywho, my panel is a nice Hungarian ex-JET woman who wouldn't look me in the eye (she would rather look forlornly off to the right than in my direction) a nice African-American Ex-JET lady who was the lead interviewer, and the Japanese male diplomat who was fairly engaged.
I got no tough questions, just stuff about my teaching experience, being a Belizean-American, culture, and my time to Japan. My favorite question was this, from the lead interviewer "Frankly speaking, when a ken gets someone like us, they may think 'Oh crud, we got the defective gaijin.' because we don't represent stereotypes. What would you do if that happened?" I blathered a lot, but I felt like I answered every question correctly and I got many nods. Also, when I mentioned that I had fenced, both ex-JETs mentioned family members who fenced and we had a good laugh (though I may have lost the diplomat there). Oh, there was one point when I realized I wasn't smiling and then burst into a smile... for no reason. And, I kept nodding my head in a slightly insane manner(In a 'I got no neck bones!') style. However, Before I knew it, we were out of time but I was totally relaxed and ready for more. I left the room, asked where to catch a taxi, and told some people good luck... and that was it!
It wasn't a slam dunk interview, but I felt it went very well. If I don't get in this year, then I must have spoken too fast, or natalie voodoo-ed me.
So, just a scant 1-2 months until I find out what's up... whoo.
