The Gotemba Minami ALT: A New ALT in Town

Hi!!! My name is Michelle Redman, and I am the new ALT at Gonan. I arrived in Japan on August 2nd. I spent three days at orientation in Tokyo and then arrived in Gotemba last Wednesday. I am very excited to be here, but I am a little overwhelmed since it is my first time in Japan. I grew up in Missouri, which is located in the central part of the United States. I attended university at the University of Missouri, and I also studied abroad for a semester at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. I love to travel. I have been to Mexico, Canada, Hawaii, Alaska, Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. I have spent the last three summers abroad in the United Kingdom. I also enjoy shopping for clothes. I read many street fashion blogs, and my favorite stores are Topshop and Allsaints. I also really enjoy sports. I played basketball during school and also enjoy watching soccer. My favorite soccer team is Spain because Fernando Torres is very kawaii! Music is also a passion of mine. Many of my friends are in bands, and I often go to gigs to watch my favorite bands play.

I love Gonan so far. I have met some of the students. The volleyball team is very outgoing, and all of the team introduced themselves to me in English. The school has been very welcoming and understanding of my lack of Japanese experience. In the next few blogs, I will discuss some of the main differences that I see between school in America and Japan. I will post a few pictures from my life, so you can see the things that are important to me and the things that I did before I came to Japan.

My House in Missouri