So you're moving to Aomori...

Nine years ago I was waiting for a message/call from my parents to tell me when my JET Programme placement letter arrived and where I was being sent while touring Europe with two friends. We were in London when I got the call from my dad.

- "You're going to Towada City in Aomori Prefecture. It's got a university so it can't be too small/rural."

- "What kind of university?" I asked.

- "An agricultural* university," I believe he replied.

- "It's definitely a rural placement!" I thought.

(*Actually, it's a veterinary university.)

So if you opened your placement letter and freaked out a bit when you saw the words "Aomori Prefecture," don't worry, you're not alone.

As you will soon be tired of hearing, "every situation is different" (ESID), but from my personal experience as a five-year JET ALT turned lifer (I got married so the move to Towada became permanent), I can say that Aomori is a great place to live.

To be honest, all of Aomori Prefecture is basically by definition rural, but there are definitely benefits to rural placements. The main thing is that you will get to experience a side of Japan that few outsiders get to see. If you need to, you can always visit a big(ger) city and get a decent sense of city life/the city experience, but you can't really get the full small town experience just by visiting. I've been able to plant and harvest rice, pound rice into mochi (rice cakes) using a giant wooden mallet and mortar, dance bon odori (a kind of folk dance) in a yukata (light cotton summer kimono) in an outdoor art park, and do so much more that I probably wouldn't have had a chance to experience in a bigger urban placement.

And the food here is so much fresher and cheaper than Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, etc. Sure, if you want a specific type of international cuisine or ingredients from back home, Aomori can't compete with bigger urban cities, but if you're buying seasonal, local produce, Aomori beats Tokyo for quality and cost any day hands down. Every time I travel to a big city in Japan, I come back to Towada and am amazed at the deliciousness of simply seasoned (if at all) fresh, local vegetables, fish, &etc..

Heard about the crazy expensive giant tuna from the Tsukiji market fish auctions? Chances are that came from Aomori (Oma Town) and you can eat it freshly carved right before your eyes for a reasonable price at the Oma Super Tuna Festival in October.

If you're not yet convinced that life in a rural prefecture will be your thing, well, just try to keep an open mind. Hopefully you'll see when you get here what a great place it is.

(The local JET community is great too. Although I didn't hang out with many people from outside of my city/local area even when I was still a JET, I still keep in contact with the current JET community through Facebook, etc. Even though I haven't personally met most of them, from my online interactions with them, they seem like a pretty good bunch.)

Speaking of which, my number one tip if you are coming to Aomori on the JET Programme this summer is to join the Aomori JET Facebook Group (assuming you use Facebook). You will be able to find your predecessor (or someone who knows them) and/or a re-contracting JET in your placement city/town/village or at the very least someone who lives nearby.

If you are planning on getting a car, you should also join the Jet Lemonade Stand (青森) as leavers will probably start listing their cars there within the next couple of months. TIP: Even if you don't need to drive for work, if you have a license and can afford to get/maintain a car I would highly recommend considering getting one. Aomori is big and spread out and the population isn't big enough to support a highly developed public transportation system. Lots of interesting places are not easily accessible by public transport. Having a car will give you freedom to explore all the various places and events** Aomori has to offer. Also, having a car will make life in the winter (which lasts almost five months) a lot more bearable

(**Shameless plug: if you're interested in getting an idea as to the types of events we have in Aomori, check out my other blog Towada & Beyond for a sampling. Although I haven't been able to post events from every single city/town/village in Aomori yet, I've got at least one event for most places. See the Aomori Events by Location page for a list of annual events in your specific placement location.)

And while I am dispensing unsolicited advice, I would also recommend relying on your predecessor or other ALTs living in your placement city/town/village for specific advice as much as possible.

For example, when it comes to choosing a cell phone provider, even within the prefecture there is a lot of variation in terms of which companies get good reception in specific areas. For example, when my husband lived in Hirosaki City, he used AU and it was cheap and had good reception. But in Towada AU reception is not very good so he switched to Docomo after we got married. (After the big 2011 East Japan Earthquake & Tsunami, Docomo phones could still receive and make calls, but AU lost reception almost immediately and nothing came through until a couple of days later.) Softbank has better reception than AU (although still not as good as Docomo), but the Softbank store in Towada has rather poor customer service. So even though it is a little bit more expensive, we generally recommend that Towada ALTs stick with Docomo for its reliability (we have lots of schools far from the city center) and good service.

Other places are probably different, so it's best to get advice directly from the people who know your specific placement the best--current JETs and/or other people living there.

Oh, and for those anxious to hear from your contracting organization (CO), in Aomori, COs are officially allowed to contact new ALTs from Thursday May 26, 2016, so you might want to start checking your inbox (and junk mail folders, too!) to see if you have any messages. (Note: Some COs might not email you first, but mail you information directly instead.)

Anyway, I've rambled on quite a bit, so I'll end here. Feel free to get in touch via the comments section if you have any questions about my experience (past as a JET and/or ongoing as a permanent foreign resident).

(Note: All comments must be approved by me first, so don't worry if your comment doesn't show up immediately--I will see it! Also, if you don't want the comment to be published but instead would like me to email you a reply directly, just mention that and include your email address in the comment and I'll email you and delete the comment without posting it.)

JET Essay (TBT)

Since I don't use Instagram, I'm not really into this whole "Throwback Thursday" thing, but getting ready for all the new ALTs coming into Towada has made me feel a little nostalgic, so...

I managed to dig up the essay I wrote when applying for the JET Programme. There are some flow issues, but considering I wrote it while teaching high school English full-time, I think I did a pretty decent job. Plus I was accepted into the program, so I guess it was good enough for the selection committee. =P

Anyway, here is the complete, unedited version:

A Passion for Teaching and Japan

            My teaching experience, passion for English, and interest in Japanese culture make me an excellent candidate for The Japanese Exchange and Teaching Programme. My education and experiences since graduating from high school reflect two enduring passions: English and Japanese studies. In university I majored in English to become an English teacher, but I also majored in East Asian Studies to learn more about Japanese language, culture and history. Outside of class I tutored students in English, joined the campus anime club and volunteered at the Anime North convention. While I taught English for my first teaching placement during teachers’ college, I also volunteered to teach weekly conversational Japanese lessons to students in the school anime club. Now as a high school English teacher I have learned that manga not only provides me with a means to connect with students who already enjoy it but also with a means to develop a love of reading in reluctant readers. Thus the JET Programme provides an ideal way to combine my passion for teaching English and my desire to learn more about Japan.

            Although I have not lived abroad for an extended period of time, my experience teaching high school English has given me a well-developed ability to adapt and adjust to new situations, as I am constantly forced to alter my lessons to suit ever-changing classroom dynamics. This is particularly true of my Grade 10 Applied-Level English class where one day the students will work very well independently, and the next they will resist my every effort to get them to settle down and to work. As a result, I am constantly experimenting with different teaching strategies to engage the students and to enable them to best demonstrate their learning. I have also had to make accommodations for students’ various learning and behavioural exceptionalities. As a highly motivated, diligent and independent learner, I have found it challenging to teach students who are not interested in school and do not demonstrate good study skills, but at the same time I have learned to be more flexible and considerate of the needs of my students.

            Along with being flexible and using a variety of teaching strategies, I have found that in teaching English it is particularly important to encourage students to speak in class. To do this I make sure that I give students sufficient time to prepare or even to write down answers before calling on them in group discussions. To affirm a student’s contribution while modeling the language and skills they should be developing, rather than correcting a student’s grammatical mistakes when he or she speaks, I try to repeat the answer he or she gave using proper grammar. If an answer is not as in-depth as I would like, I encourage them to extend their responses by asking prompting questions rather than saying that they are wrong or moving onto another student. I want students to develop their confidence in English so that they will share their both their answers and questions in class. More than once I have admitted my uncertainty about answers to students’ questions and have suggested that we look into it together in the hopes that they would see that it is okay to not have all the answers.

            Along with the planning I do before class and the strategies I use in class, my approachable personality enables me to be an effective teacher. Students know that I want to do whatever I can to help them succeed because I make it a point to check on students while they are working and to ask them if they have any questions or concerns about an assignment. I also often stay behind after class giving further explanations and suggestions to students who require extra help. It is my responsibility and desire as a teacher to ensure that students have all the assistance they need to learn.

            As a teacher in the Peel District School Board, I believe the JET Programme will give me valuable experience teaching English as a second language which is important because the Board serves an incredibly diverse population of students whose first language often is not English. It will also give me a range of experience outside of my middle-class Canadian upbringing. Although my studies of Japanese culture will hopefully enable me to adapt relatively quickly to life in Japan, I believe the experience of “culture shock” will help me to become more sensitive to the needs and feelings of students whose cultures and experiences are different from my own. Thus I intend to learn as much as possible from the JET Programme experience while contributing my teaching experience to the Programme in return.

Thank you

I'm not Japanese, but as a current resident of Japan, I've got to say that I am so grateful and feel totally humbled by the tremendous support coming in for the Tohoku-Kanto Earthquake relief efforts.

Here's just a small taste of what some friends and colleagues are doing:

Origami Ornaments for Japan:

A friend of mine in Toronto is making origami ornaments for a minimum donation of $10. She has currently raised nearly $400 in pledges for the Red Cross, and will continue to accept pledges until March 31st. (All this with a 7-month old baby at home!)

Man Up for Japan:

National AJET (the Association for Japan Exchange and Teaching) set up this Facebook event page to encourage JETs (and anyone else interested) to donate 10,000yen (one "man" in Japanese) to the relief efforts on Friday, March 18th--the first payday for JETs following the earthquake. There are nearly 5000 "attendees" and more are still joining. 

Japan Benefit Party:

Live Bands, DJ, Silent Auctions 1 Apr 8pm - 2 Apr 2am @ Hard Rock Cafe, Toronto - Hosted by JETAA Toronto (the JET Alumni Association of Toronto) Proceeds to go to the Red Cross.

Love on Japan:

A friend of a friend is donating 100% of total sales from her baking business, Cakelette from now throughout April to the OMF Sendai Earthquake Relief Fund.

At a time when a lot of the news is bad (such as the news of the death of a Miyagi JET participant), it's especially encouraging to know that so many people from all over the world are thinking about and doing things for Japan.

Keeping JET in flight

As long as I've been in the program, I've heard talk about its decline and pending demise. Even though I know that many JET positions are getting cut, since I'm still employed and Towada has gotten two new ALT positions (one prefectural and one municipal) in the past two years, it feels like just so much doom and gloom. I feel like if the JET Program does ultimately get cut entirely, that it will be sometime in the distant future.

But with the current Japanese economic situation and the news that all ministries will face a 10% budget cut for 2011, it seems that my feelings might be completely off the mark.   

According to this recent Japan times article, "Ex-students don't want JET grounded," the Government Revitalization Unit, the jigyoshiwake budget review panel already reviewed the program last May and has recommended that its "necessity be reviewed."

Even though I'm critical of some aspects of the program and think there's a lot that could be done to get better value from it (re: previous blog posts: "What JET needs," "The "internationalization" crutch" and "Attitudes/Goals & Reality"), I think it would really be a shame if the program was to be cut altogether.

The Japan Times article does bring up some good points in "the case against [The JET Program]" which I'd like to discuss briefly:

The JET program is a relic of the go-go days of the bubble-economy years, when any half-baked idea could get government funding if it had the word "kokusaika" attached to it. Since its inception, over 50,000 young foreigners with few, if any, teaching credentials have come to Japan and partied for a year at taxpayer expense. They have usually enjoyed their stay, but their effectiveness in improving the English language ability of their students was never quantitatively measured and, given Japanese students' performances on international English tests, is questionable at best.

I've personally had similar critiques. Although for me the "young" part is not so much of an issue as the work ethic, but I guess the two can be somewhat related. If candidates come straight from university with little more working experience than the occasional part time job, I can imagine it'd be harder to judge their work ethic than if they came after working full-time for a year or more.

I don't think the best JET ALTs necessarily have to come with teaching degrees, but I do think that the learning curve is slower and steeper for those without teaching experience. (And when it's a one-year contract, a difference of even a month or even a few weeks in terms of ability to adjust to the job can be significant, but more on that later...)

Still, I feel like JET is somewhat addressing these issues given the seeming increase in older (late twenties/early thirties) participants and the number of participants with teaching backgrounds in the last couple of year. (Of course this is purely based on my own personal experience/perception of the situation in Aomori Prefecture, but...)

Because most JET teachers are from North America, Europe or Australasia, the program promotes an "Anglo-Saxon" view of the world that disregards the importance of other cultures.

It's true that the largest percentage of JETs are from North America, Europe, and "Australasia" (58% from America, 11% from Canada, 9% from the UK, 6% from Australia and 4% from New Zealand) but that doesn't necessarily mean that JETs from those countries will promote an "Anglo-Saxon" world view.

Again, I can't speak for the program as a whole, but take Towada, for example. I'm Canadian, but I'm ethnically Chinese and my parents are from Singapore and Malaysia. One of my university majors was East Asian Studies so I'm also quite familiar with Japanese "culture" and perspectives; I've had many teachers comment about how Japanese/Asian my perspectives/values are. Another Towada ALT is a Canadian who was born in the Philippines and traveled around the world from a young age with a diplomat mother (and continues to visit many different countries for pleasure even now).

My point is, just because people claim citizenship from a Western country doesn't mean that they're Anglo-Saxon or even particularly "westernized" in their thinking or that they hold "American/British" values.

And the percentage may be small, but I think that the fact that there are JETs from South Africa and Singapore is significant. Since Japanese English education is based on American English and all the listening tests for junior high/high school use American speakers, I suspect that most schools would prefer to decline non-North American English teachers if given the choice because they'd want their students learning American pronunciation, etc.

I  sincerely doubt that small rural cities/towns like Towada and Shichinohe would ever think to hire English teachers from South Africa if left to their own devices. (There's currently a South African JET in Shichinohe, and one worked in Towada for the two years before this one.)

A JET's presence in the classroom with Japanese teachers can actually be disruptive to classroom discipline, while the need for their colleagues to assist them with personal matters due to the language barrier places extra burdens on school staff.

This can definitely be true. But a change in JTE can also be disruptive to class discipline/morale (I've personally seen this) and that happens all the time. Besides, isn't it a little unfair to blame a lack of classroom discipline on a JET?

I suppose that since JET ALTs often try to do interactive activities with students things can get more rowdy/out of control than if they were just sitting at their desks and copying notes from the blackboard, but in that case the JET's presence itself isn't the actual problem, right?

[And I guess it's because of my experience teaching high school in Canada, and because I'm really lucky to be in a "nice" city like Towada where I have experienced very few classroom discipline problems in general and none that were what I'd consider "serious", but personally I sometimes wish Japanese classes/students were a little rowdier. I can't count the number of times that teachers have apologized to me for classes being "noisy" when they were simply being what I'd consider "high-spirited" or "energetic" (aka "genki"). But I digress.]

Besides, if students want to act up, sure, they'll use an ALT visit as an excuse, but they might just as well use an interactive activity (even without an ALTs presence) or any other change in routine as an excuse to act up.

As for the "need for their colleagues to assist them with personal matters due to the language barrier [placing] extra burdens on school staff," well, it's true that we often ask for help with personal matters, but I think that whether that's a "burden" or not is more debatable.

Again, I can't speak for everyone, but I don't think JETs always need school staff to assist them with personal stuff. I think that most people have the sense to ask for help from people that they get along well with and whom they believe wouldn't mind assisting them. And requests/favours really only become burdens when the person asked to do them is unwilling or feels unequipped to do the task, right?

And while many JETs ask for help from school staff because they are the people they come into contact with the most often, I think that a lot of JETs also ask for help from other JETs and/or friends (Japanese or otherwise).

True, especially at the high school level, some teachers are stuck with the job of being an ALT's supervisor even when they're antipathetic to the idea, but that's life. Teachers also get stuck with a lot of other responsibilities that I'm sure they'd like to do without, but they just accept that as part of the job, right?

And again, I think the JET Program is trying to address the issue by selecting more candidates with some level of Japanese language ability/familiarity with Japanese culture. When I was helping out at last year's Tokyo Orientation for New JETs (Group A), I definitely felt like there were more people who had studied Japanese coming in to Aomori last year than there had been the year I came.

As I've said many times before, though, I think the JET Program could really improve matters/reduce the burden on schools by making the first contract for a two-year contract rather than a one-year. I think schools/boards of education would find the process of  getting new ALTs much less burdensome if they knew that after the first six months to one year of effort they'd be able to get another one or one and a half years of improved work out of a JET.

Obviously it's going to be frustrating and feel like a waste of time to expend so much effort on a JET only to have him/her leave just when they're starting to get the hang of the job (right around the one-year mark). And I think that the JETs who come in thinking that they're only going to be staying for one year also tend to have a "I want to get as much as I can from my time in Japan" mentality rather than thinking about how much they can give back to the schools/city/program (compared to some of the "lifers," at any rate).

Before I came to Japan, I thought I'd be staying for only a year. Within a week or two after starting to go to my school (Kirita), however, I pretty much knew that I would be staying for at least two or three. (And now I'm going on to my fourth!) As a result, I didn't really feel that there was a need to rush to travel to all the places I wanted to see in Japan and really spent the majority of my time in my year (and a half) lesson planning, making materials and thinking about what I could do to improve my job.

[In fact, I think I even ended up carrying over something like ten or twelve days (half or more!) of my vacation leave to my second year! Conversely, it was only when I thought that I was going to leaving Japan at the end of my third year (that would be this August) that I started going crazy with trip planning, etc. (And even then I did my best to avoid inconveniencing my schools with my absences.) Now that I've taken care of most of my "must-sees," though, I feel like/hope that this year I'll be back to my "School is #1" mindset.]

At a time of fiscal austerity and when thousands of native English-speakers — many with teaching qualifications, Japanese language ability and a much better understanding of Japanese culture — can be hired as contract workers from private firms depending on local needs and at lower cost, why should Japanese taxpayers continue to subsidize the JET program?

Personally, I've asked myself the same question several times in the past, but recently I realized that for me, the most compelling reason why Japanese taxpayers should continue to subsidize the JET Program is that it's generally a very equitable program. It's only natural that big cities like Tokyo, Osaka, etc. would have the money to pay for contract workers for private firms to come into their schools (which is why JET placements in metropolitan areas are far and few between) but without government (re: taxpayer) subsidies, I think many of the more rural, cash-strapped areas would be left in the cold.

Being next to Misawa (which has an American air base) I suspect Towada would find a way to get English teachers into the classroom even without JET, but what are the chances that small, remote villages like, say, Sai Mura up in Shimokita would?

And because we're salaried workers and not paid by the hour, we can stay at schools for an entire day and, in elementary schools, teach younger grades (and not just the grade five and six students for whom English will soon become mandatory) as well as eat lunch and play with the students. We can also be put to work helping out at local English teacher seminars, or community center children eikaiwa classes.

Personally speaking, I feel that Towada does get pretty value from its ALTs. (Although relatively speaking,  I do still think that we're overpaid for the amount of work we do--i.e. in comparison to native Japanese government employees.) I think we've been lucky to have ALTs who love Towada--its people, schools,  students and teachers--so we take up more and more responsibility/work as time passes rather than gradually slacking off/coasting more and more. I really feel like we take pride and ownership of our positions as Towada ALTs. And of course the city does its part, too, by treating ALTs so well that we naturally want to do everything we can to make English education in Towada even better.

And I know it's all too easy for me to say this, coming from a wonderful placement like the one I've got, but I really think it's possible for every city to use its JETs as effectively as Towada does. Towada has been great since before I first arrived, but I'm sure that things weren't always like this in the beginning. I think it's just that schools/cities need JETs and supervisors/teachers who have a commitment to working together to improve English education in their school(s). Some of that is a matter of luck/timing, I'm sure, but I think the larger part is vision and commitment/perseverance.

Buying a car in Japan

The following is based on my personal experiences with purchasing cars in Japan. In two years I've had to go through the process twice: once when I first arrived and again about a year and a half later after my first car accident. I was also a presenter for the "Driving in Japan" seminar at the 2009 JET Tokyo Orientation.

To Buy or Not To Buy?

For incoming JETs, I highly recommend that you speak to your predecessor and find out whether or not you'll need a car. For JETs coming to Aomori Prefecture, unless you're living in a large city with a reasonably decent transit system like Aomori City or Hirosaki, I highly recommend getting a car for the sake of an improved quality of life.

A lot of great/interesting places are not easily/cheaply accessible by public transit (like Lake Towada, for example), so you really need a car to be able to enjoy all the Prefecture has to offer. (Although I guess if you don't mind being an eternal mooch you can do without...)

It also does snow in Aomori, and depending on where you are, it can snow a LOT, so you don't really want to be walking everywhere during the winter.


Types of Cars

The most important thing you need to know before purchasing a car in Japan is that there are two main types: regular cars (futsusha 普通車) and light cars (keijidosha 軽自動車), commonly referred to as "K-cars." Below is a chart breaking down some of the key differences, and pros & cons between regular cars and K's.

	Regular	K-Car
License Plate	White	Yellow
Engine Size	1000cc+	Max. 660cc
Horsepower	Variable	Max. 63hp
Size	Variable	Max. 3.4m x 2m x 1.48m (LxWxH)
Annual Automobile Tax*	30,000-60,000yen	7,200-12,900yen
Bi-Annual Inspection**	80,000+ yen	60,000-100,000yen
Monthly "Optional" Insurance***	6,000-12,500+ yen	4,000-10,000+ yen
Monthly Fuel Costs****	~8000yen	~6000yen
PROS	more fuel efficient for long distance, high-speed driving (over 60km/h--highway driving) accelerates well/quickly more powerful engine so generally better for mountain/off-road driving generally fairly sturdy & withstand damage well in accidents	more fuel efficient for short distance, slower speed driving (under 60km/h--city driving) responsive brakes (because they're lighter cars, they come to a stop faster than regular cars) cheaper tax, insurance and fuel costs (even toll road fees are cheaper!) higher re-sale value
CONS	less fuel efficient for short distance, slower speed driving (under 60km/h--city driving) higher tax, insurance and fuel costs (even toll road fees are higher!) lower re-sale value	less fuel efficient for long distance, high-speed driving (over 60km/h--highway driving) accelerates slowly and struggles up mountains, etc.(due to smaller engine size) easily damaged in accidents (due to lighter build)

* The cost of the Annual Automobile Tax (jidosha zei 自動車税) is determined by car size/weight for regular cars and by age/purchase date for k-cars

** Bi-Annual Inspection (jidosha kensa 自動車検査) is more commonly known as shaken (車検) for short

*** Only "optional" in the purest of technical terms; mandatory insurance won't pay very much if you ever get into an accident, so you really do need to get "optional" insurance (nini hoken 任意保険)

**** These are my actual approx. past fuel costs; I do mainly city driving (40-60km/h) and I mostly use my car for getting to and from work, running errands, etc.--I rarely do road trips or even drive outside of my own city


THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN DECIDING WHAT TYPE OF CAR TO BUY

• What type of driving do I mostly plan on doing? City driving? Road trips? Off-road adventuring?
• How long am I planning on staying in Japan/using the car? (If you're only staying for a year or two, the difference in tax/insurance, etc. costs for a regular car won't matter as much, but for over two years, it can really add up!)
• How much do I think I can I re-sell it for if/when I leave?

QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE PURCHASING

• Does it have shaken? When does the shaken expire? (Since shaken is a bi-annual inspection fee, the closer to two full years, the better!)
• How old is the car and how many kilometres does it have on it? (Seems obvious, but I sometimes forgot to check when I was shopping around for my first car)
• Does it have 4WD? (Highly recommended for Aomori Prefecture, which has a lot of snow and mountains)
• Does it have ABS? (You'll probably get a bit of a discount on your insurance if it does)
• Does it come with winter tires? (Again, this is specific to Aomori and other Prefectures with snowy winters--winter windshield wipers are also a nice bonus!)
• Has the car had regular maintenance? Oil changes? Transmission fluid changes, etc.?
• Has the car been in any accidents?
• Does the price include the transfer of ownership fees? (more applicable for person-to-person sales since dealerships usually include it in the sticker price)
• How's the fuel consumption? 
• How much can I re-sell it for? (If you're looking at a higher cost car from a dealership, they may give you a figure for how much they'd buy it back for after 1 year, 2 years, etc.)
• Is there any parts and/or maintenance coverage included in the cost? (Again, only if you're buying from a dealership)

GENERAL CAR BUYING TIPS

• If price is your biggest concern, I also recommend buying a car from an ALT. Find out if there's a Facebook Group/mailing list or something for your prefecture and join it now! Some ALTs have already started putting up their cars for sale and many more will do so as July rolls around and their departure date draws nearer.
• If you're thinking about sticking around for 3+ years, you might want to consider paying a little more in the beginning and getting a slightly nicer used car from a dealership. The nice thing about buying from a dealership is that if you have any problems with the car (or get into an accident) you can always take it back to the dealership to get looked at. With a personal sale you'd have to find a mechanic on your own.
• I personally wouldn't spend more than 200,000yen ($2000) on a car from an ALT--and I would only pay that much if it was a kei car in good condition with shaken; I'd probably look to spend around 100,000yen (~$1000) if it was a white plate (regular) car
• it *is* possibly to get a car for 200,000yen ($2000) or less from a dealership, but your choices will be very limited and it's mostly a matter of luck/timing
• if you decide to go the dealership route, it's nice if the dealership has a repair shop on premises; car fairs are also a great place to get good deals--you may even get a case of instant ramen or something thrown in as a thank you gift! =P
• remember to consider initial insurance costs when budgeting how much you're going to spend on the car itself--not much point in getting a car if you have to wait until you have enough money to pay for the insurance (you may need to pay the costs for 2 months' insurance at the beginning) 
• it can be a nice bonus if the car has a CD player, ETC card reader, or even a GPS unit already installed (if I'd known at the beginning that I'd end up staying 4 years I would've definitely bought a GPS unit/system--I've got a terrible sense of direction, and Japan roads usually don't have signs/names!)
• you can bargain at car fairs, with dealerships, etc. (I'm a terrible bargainer but when I was buying my first car, after I asked about the price I simply told them that I liked the car but unfortunately it wasn't within my budget and they dropped the price of the car down to match my budget amount!) 

And this isn't directly related to buying a car, but I highly highly HIGHLY recommend getting a Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) membership if you're going to be driving in Japan. It's the Japanese equivalent to AAA or CAA. It's really not that expensive--2000yen (~$20)joining fee plus a 4000yen (~$40) annual membership fee--for the peace of mind you get. And speaking from personal experience, if you ever are in an accident and need a tow, you'll be extremely grateful that you joined! (You can also get discounts at some museums, restaurants, etc. with your JAF card.)

Hope this information is at least somewhat helpful! If you have any questions/comments, as always, feel free to leave a comment on the post! ^_^ Happy driving!

Random thoughts for incoming ALTs & future JET applicants

After spending almost three years working as an ALT on the JET Programme, I admit I've gotten kind of crotchety. Keeping that in mind, here are some things I'd like to pass onto people who are coming to Japan this summer as ALTs and/or are thinking about applying for the JET Programme.

Work:

• please remember that the JET program hires people to **teach English**--NOT to study Japanese, learn about Japanese culture or to travel around Japan/Asia (the ability to do so is a nice side benefit, but that shouldn't interfere with/take the place of doing your job)
• use English as much as possible on the job (this is one I still really need to work on); it's easier to be friendly with students if you're constantly speaking in Japanese outside of class but it's invaluable for students to get exposure to real English so try to talk with them in English even outside of class; and if teachers/co-workers speak with you in English, I think it's only courteous to respond in kind: it seems kind of insulting to insist on speaking Japanese when people are making efforts to communicate in English--like you're saying "I don't understand your English, so let's just speed things up and speak in Japanese (although I *do* switch to Japanese when I feel like it better conveys the nuances of what I want to say...)
• there are many things you can't control in the JET Programme--where you live, where you work, who you work with, etc.--but you CAN control your own attitude/response to situations; thinking positive really does make a difference
• students are, for the most part, very well attuned to teachers' moods/attitudes; if they realize that you genuinely enjoy being with them and are happy to see them, they will generally respond in kind 
• if possible, please consider staying for at least two years; since it takes pretty much a full year to get used to the job, the first year you're probably taking more than you're giving back; the second year is when you really start to actually make valuable contributions to your school(s) 

Money Matters:

• be aware that ALTs (particularly in rural, cash-strapped areas) are quite highly paid relative to other Japanese city/government employees (e.g. I probably earn about as much as someone in their fifth year working for the city) and make it a goal to do more every year to earn the salary you are being paid; even after almost three years on JET; I still feel like I'm not earning 100% of my salary (maybe only 90%?)
• our salaries are paid (once) monthly; try to avoid being stuck in the situation where you have to live off of rice and soy sauce while waiting for your next pay cheque; if possible, it's also a good idea to build up a reserve fund that you can draw on when unexpected situations occur (like car accidents)

 Vacations

• a lot of people get up in arms about their vacation days and get mad when they are requested to only take holidays during certain periods (like when school is not in session); personally I don't understand why people think that being JET ALTs in Japan gives them "rights" they wouldn't even have in North America (or wherever your home country is); I mean, chances are if you were working for an office/company you'd have to make a request--which might or might not be granted--to take time off and obviously employers would prefer you to avoid taking long vacations during busy times at work
• in my experience, the earlier you make requests for vacation days, the more likely you are to have them granted; I recommend asking as soon as you even think you might want to take the day off--before making travel/accommodation arrangements, etc.

Placements:

• it doesn't hurt to request Tokyo or other large cities, but if you seriously expect to get placed there, you're probably going to be disappointed; large cities can have their pick of native English speaker teachers, so they don't need to get random assignments from the JET Programme
• most of the JET Programme placements *are* rural (I think pretty much all of Aomori Prefecture is considered rural by definition), but there are also varying degrees of "rural"--consider yourself lucky if you have a Jusco =P 
• there are various inconveniences that come with being in a rural placement, but on the bright side I think you get a more "real" experience of Japan living in a rural community than if you lived in a big city; you can always get the "big city experience" as a tourist, but you can't truly experience rural Japan unless you live in it and become part of the community

Miscellaneous:

• don't post anything online that you'd be embarrassed to have your co-workers--or students, for that matter--read; you might not think that they'd be interested or that the English is a deterrent, but you'd be surprised...
• it's really helpful to have friends who will sympathize and listen to you complain about issues you have regarding work, Japanese culture, etc. and it's important to express your frustrations so they don't build up and explode, but you'll probably be happier in the long run if you try to keep a positive outlook on things in general
• no criticism intended for those who can make it work for them, but personally I've never understood the whole "you speak in English and I'll speak in Japanese" mindset for language learning/exchange; I think language learning is most effective when both people are communicating in the same language, so if people want to practice their English, I respect that and communicate with them in English (using Japanese only to facilitate understanding); if I want to practice my Japanese I find/make friends who don't care to/aren't trying to learn English (although I admit that I don't always reply to text messages in English because I've found that typing in Japanese makes for shorter and faster messages--since I don't have a data plan for my cell, the "shorter" is important as I get charged based on the amount of data I send/receive =P)

??? months left...

Some regular/astute readers may have noticed that I didn't start off this year (i.e. January) with my usual "# months left..." post.

And this is the reason why:

Yes, I changed my mind about moving back to Canada in August of this year.

I actually started seriously thinking about staying in Japan when I found out that I wouldn't have to pay anything for the repairs from my car accident and that my monthly insurances premiums wouldn't go up.

I couldn't/wouldn't say anything about the change in my thinking, though, until I'd spoken with my parents about it. So pretty much the first night that I was back home during the Christmas holidays I asked my parents how they would feel if I wanted to stay for another year.

Being the awesome supportive parents that they are, they encouraged me to make the re-contracting decision for myself, without worrying about them.

Suddenly freed from the "I have to go back to Canada" mindset, I spent the past month or so since that discussion endlessly debating with myself about the matter and soliciting advice from many many friends.

I think that in the back of my mind I knew that I'd pretty much made the decision once I asked my parents for their "permission", but for various reasons (which I won't get into here) I was afraid to change my (October) decision and commit to staying in Japan. (I actually purchased an electric oven--to make baking cookies for my students more time efficient--on Sun. Jan. 24th without even thinking about it, so I guess I'd already subconsciously decided by that point, even though I was still consciously doubting my own judgment.)

And even thought I recognize that I was being a little self-indulgent in playing "the conflicted heroine" for so long, I think I really did need that time to hash everything out in my mind and to make certain that this was what I really wanted to do.

Now that I've made the decision, though, I've also committed to not regretting it, no matter what happens in my fourth year.

As well, I've made a couple of personal resolutions for the rest of my third year and/or the duration of my fourth:

- I will find a church to attend at least once a month, if not every week
- I will try to cook a proper meal at least once a week
- I will call home at least once a month
- I will write the JLPT this year (probably only level 3, though, because I don't want to spend that much time studying)

The final 10 months

Even though I made this decision almost a year ago, I couldn't help but feel a pang of regret/sadness as I handed in my decision to NOT re-contract with JET for next year. 

In spite of all my worries about being so far away during my father's health crisis and my fear that I'm hitting a plateau in terms of work motivation/initiative, I think that if I went by feelings alone right now, there would be a 50% chance that I would actually change my mind and re-contract. 

Which is why I handed in my decision today. 


(I wonder if I've been telling everyone--my supervisor, co-workers, teachers, students, friends, etc.--this past year that I would be leaving Japan in 2010 because I subconsciously knew that I might waver in my decision when the time came? Like I was trying to make my leaving a "fait accompli"--i.e. since I'd already told everyone I was going, I would have no choice but to follow through...)

It's a very 物の哀れ mono no aware type of feeling I have now. I am keenly aware that my remaining time in Japan is very short and I have bittersweet feelings about the upcoming departure. As much as I am looking forward to being reunited with my family, friends, and church community, I am equally sad to think about leaving my students, friends and co-workers here in Japan. 

At the same time, I've known this day was coming for a while, so I feel a renewed desire to cherish and make the most of the remainder of my time here. Of course, the problem is that there is still so much that I need/want to do before I leave that I wonder how I'm going to find time for it all... (Especially with my laziness and tendency to spend hours doing nothing...)

Anyway, here's a list of local/nearby things that I'd like to attend/see before going back to Canada for good:

- 十和田駒フェスタ (Towada Koma Festa) - Towada Horse Festa: Oct 17-18, 2009 Unfortunately coinciding with the 切中祭 (Kirita School Festival). If I want to go, I'll have to skip out on the 切中祭 preparation day on the Saturday (Oct. 17)... =(

- 奥入瀬渓流紅葉 (Oirase Keiryuu Kouyou) - Oirase Gorge Autumn Foliage: Extremely difficult to catch due to the craziness of my schedule in October and the unpredictability of leaves changing colour...

- 十和田湖冬物語 (Towadako Fuyu Monogatari) - Lake Towada Winter Story: Shouldn't be hard to find a day to go, it's just that I don't like driving in general, so going through the gorge in the winter is something I've been avoiding...

-十和田市郷土館 (Towada Kyoudokan) - Towada Culture Museum: Right above the Towada Library! Just need to pick a day and get myself over there!  I actually stopped by today (and checked out the library at the same time)! It's small, but I remember seeing some of the pottery pieces while they were being fitted together on the third floor of our office during my first year in Towada, so it made me feel slightly nostalgic...

-十和田市立新渡戸記念館 (Towada Nitobe Kinenkan) - Towada Nitobe Memorial Museum: I really should've gone while I was living behind the place, but even now it's still really close to my apartment! Again, just a matter of picking a day and heading over.

-十和田市称徳館 (Towada Shoutokukan) - Towada Horse Culture Museum: Not all that far away. Just need to make the time.

-七戸ＮｏｎｏＵｅ人形の館 (Shichinohe NonoUe Ningyou no Kan) - Shichinohe NonoUe Doll Museum: Not a big fan of dolls--particularly when I think about the Child's Play movies and the various Japanese manga/drama scenes with possessed dolls I've seen--but every time I see the sign for it when passing through Shichinohe I can't help but wonder what it's like inside...


...

And these are places in Japan I'd like to visit before leaving (although I plan on coming back in March 2011, so I guess I could hit the places up then with my train pass! =P)

- Osaka: I love takoyaki and okonomiyaki, so it's a must-visit place for me! I'm supposed to go with Tomabechi-sensei sometime, but it all depends on her (and my) school schedule(s), so...

- Okinawa: Unless something goes horribly wrong, I should be going with Tomabechi-sensei during spring break!! I can't wait to start planning the trip!

- Kariya City (Aichi Prefecture): It is twinned with my hometown, Mississauga, so I feel like I should visit if only so I can tell people honestly where I'm from (instead of saying Toronto) and have a chance of them actually recognizing the name! =P

- Hiroshima: For a second time!! I LOVE Hiroshima. I especially want to go back to eat okonomiyaki at Sankanou 


...

As for the things I want to/need to get done for school/work...

- Graduation monkeys for the sannensei: there are 17 students this year, so I need to start working on them now or February will be hellish

- Graduation video: I don't know why I volunteered to make the sannensei's graduation video since I've never made one before in my life, but I did, and now I just hope I can do a decent job of it!

- Farewell speeches/messages: Yes, I'm thinking WAY ahead, but since I want to write meaningful messages in Japanese on my own--to friends, to schools, to the office, etc.--the earlier I start working on them, the better

- Write a year's worth of JHS English newsletters: Since one will most likely be the only one from our office re-contracting, it'd be difficult for him to have to do both the ES and JHS newsletters (and I don't really expect newbies to get used to things fast enough to be able to create newsletters right away). If I can't do a year's worth, I'd like to do at least half a year's worth... I was hoping to get one newsletter done this afternoon at the office, but I started losing focus around 2pm and wasn't able to finish it. *sigh*


So yeah, it's a little depressing to think that I only have 10 months left, and I wish I had more time here. But with my family situation and things being the way they are, the only way I could justify staying longer would be if I was planning on living (more or less permanently) in Japan. Ironically, now that my departure is set, for the first time, I can actually kind of envision making a (permanent) life here.  


Consequently, I've got a bunch of "what if's" running through my head right now:


- What if I hadn't come to Japan with the idea that my time here would only be temporary... 
- What if I had been able to find a satisfactory Christian community nearby...
- What if I had been a more disciplined, mission-minded Christian (i.e. less dependent on having a strong church community around me)...
- What if I had thought about living in Japan permanently before my father's health problems came up...
- What if I had worked a bit less and made more friends early on in second year...


...Might I have decided to go the full five-years with JET and gone for longer in Japan afterwards? 


I guess it's human nature to wonder about the path not taken.

Looking back, looking forward

So our new ALT is confirmed!! At first we thought she'd be coming with Group C (which is really late!) but it turns out she'll be coming with Group B, which is much better! Unfortunately, I won't be in Towada for the first five days or so after her arrival, but hopefully I can be sufficiently helpful afterwards. ^_^

(Out of curiosity, any new Aomori-bound JETs reading this?)

Some unsolicited advice to incoming ALTs (selections from and additions to my "So you're moving to Japan" and "More thoughts on moving to Japan" posts from last year):

- find and join your local JET community now! For Aomori-bound JETs, there's the Aomori Listserve and Aomori JETs Facebook group. A lot of people are selling cars now, and chances are (unless you're in a big city like Aomori City) you're going to want one!

- if you've renewed your passport within the past year, bring your old passport with you; ditto if your current driver's license is less than 3 years old (if you weren't allowed to keep your old license, consider getting a copy of your driving record to prove how long you've been driving) -- this will save you a LOT of hassle if you decide to stay for a second year and need to get a Japanese driver's license

- IF you can comfortably wear Japanese-size clothing (if you're tall, it might be difficult...) and you're NOT going to an ultra-rural town/village, only bring clothing that you REALLY like and always wear (the more versatile, the better) because chances are you're going to buy clothing in Japan and it's a pain to have to donate/throw away a lot of clothing when you're leaving

Rough Japanese Clothing Sizes (from Uniqlo, a fairly ubiquitous Japanese clothing store chain):
MEN (XS-XL):
Length: 150-185 cm
Chest: 78-112 cm
Waist: 66-100 cm

WOMEN (XS-XL)
Length: 149-166 cm
Bust: 74-98 cm
Waist: 57-81 cm
Hips: 82-106 cm

Shoe sizes are also comparatively limited:
MEN: 24-29 cm
WOMEN: 22-24.5 (Some stores may have L or LL sizes which go up to 26 cm, but the selection is generally quite limited.)

- for females, remember that deep-cut tops and clothes that ride up/down to expose skin are not so great for an office/school environment; people WILL comment, even if not to your face

End of advice. (Again, see previous posts for more detailed suggestions.)

As always, the onset of summer makes me remember being a newly arrived JET and feeling worried but excited and insecure but eager. I remember loving the school visits right from the get go, even though I always felt like I could be doing so much better.

And I remember talking to my parents a few weeks into teaching and telling them: "Sorry, but I think I'm going to stay here for two or three years." (Before I came I was positive I was going back after one year.)

It's a strange feeling, looking back, seeing how far I've come, and knowing that this next year will be my last.

After almost two years, I'm finally reaching the point where I don't have to spend a lot of time planning lessons and making materials before every single (elementary) school visit. Of course I still try to come up with new games, and I still have to make materials on occasion, but I'd say I can prepare for visits in 30 minutes or less at least 60% of the time now. (Even three months ago I'd probably have said I was spending 60 minutes or more preparing for 70% or more of my elementary visits...)

Now I'm more concerned about making documentation (bilingual lesson plans, school schedule translations, etc.) for my successor. Having benefited a lot from the various materials left by previous ALTs (and Andy, of course!), I want to pay it forward and leave my successor with as many game ideas and information about school life/events (mainly at Kirita) as possible.

That said, my goal since my first year has been to make life both easier and harder for my successor than it was for me. I'd like it to be easier in the sense that s/he will have even more information/materials available to use than I had when I first came. But I'd like to leave Towada having done such a good job and having made such a lasting impression in my work that whoever comes after me will really have to work hard to live up to the schools', teachers' and students' expectations.

25 in 25

As I near the end of my 25th year, I feel compelled to reflect on all the things I've accomplished in a quarter of a century, as well as all the things I would like to accomplish by the time I reach the half-century mark.

So, without further ado, here is my list of 25 things I'd like to "accomplish" within the next 25 years (in no particular order):

1. Create an investment portfolio/retirement savings plan
2. Watch a Stanley Cup Play-Off game live
3. Watch a hockey game in the Czech Republic and/or Sweden
4. Visit every province in Canada (but not necessarily all the territories!)
5. Attend the wedding of one of my female friends born in 1983 (hint hint!)
6. Read the Bible all the way through
7. Purchase a condo/apartment of my own
8. Travel around Japan using a JR Railpass
9. Take courses on Shakespeare and Canadian History
10. Watch Shakespeare performed at the Globe
11. Watch a play at the Stratford Festival
12. Visit Boston, NYC, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand
13. Spend quality time with God every day
14. Own a Kitchen-Aid stand mixer!
15. Watch all three LOTR Extended Edition movies back-to-back in a 10-hour marathon!
16. See a film screening at the Toronto International Film Festival
17. Watch Les Miserable and Cirque du Soleil performances
18. Send my parents on a cruise/trip somewhere (probably as an anniversary present)
19. Pay for our house to be professionally cleaned (or for an air duct cleaning at the very least!)
20. Do a historical tour (WWI or WWII) of Europe
21. Dedicate around 5% of my income to supporting charitable organizations/works (Is 5% an overly low/high amount? I don't know enough about financial management yet to judge...)
22. Have a career I enjoy and find fulfilling
23. Go on an English-teaching mission trip
24. Visit Castle Loma and the Canadian Museum of Civilization
25. Go on a Canadian or American road trip with friends

And here are some of the things I've "accomplished" up to now:

2000
- got baptized

2001
- graduated from high school

2002
- studied Japanese

2003
- went on a missions trip

2004
- saw the Avs play in Denver
- saw the Avs play the Leafs live
- watched Team Canada play live (World Cup of Hockey!)
- took a flight by myself (to BC to visit Steph!)

2005
- became a WAY counselor
- graduated from university

2006
- got a teaching degree
- met Tomas Kaberle

2007
- traveled Europe
- went to Japan
- paid my own living expenses--housing, grocery, utility, etc. (I was going to say "lived independently" but I know I still rely on my parents a lot to help me out financially, so I'm not quite there yet...)
- bought a car less than 10 years old (both of the cars I've bought in Japan have been 9 years old at the time of purchase!)

2008
- inspired a student
- visited the Ghibli Museum in Japan
- furnished my own apartment
- bought a front-loading washer-dryer
- ate alone in a non-fast food restaurant
- watched a movie alone in theatres
- cooked a meal for friends (i.e. without resorting to canned or store-bought dishes!)
- took (Japanese) dance lessons
- wore a kimono
- went to Hong Kong
- bowled 100

As you can see, a lot of stuff has happened since I came to Japan. I think the experience of moving to a foreign country has really taught me the importance of appreciating and making the most of the time and opportunities I've been granted.

Even though it was a decision made in desperation and at the last minute, applying to JET was probably one of the best decisions I've made in my life.

Re-contracting

When the three of us (Towada municipal ALTs) went into the office the week before last, we found re-contracting information in our boxes. The first thing that popped into my head was: "It's so EARLY!" We don't actually have to make our decision until the end of January/beginning of February, but I guess since the deadline for those making requests for transfers (for health reasons, to join a spouse, etc.) is earlier, they had to get the info out sooner rather than later.

I remember last year when I was sitting around at home/at the office with nothing to do in my first few weeks in Japan, I skimmed through the JET General Information Handbook (GIH). One part that I read fairly carefully was the "To Re-contract or Not" section. Here's the section (pretty much the same as last year) from this year's GIH:

To Re-contract or Not...
Re-contracting deserves deep consideration and deliberation. Please double check the questions below in
order to be certain about your decision.
・What expectations of being a JET Programme participant did you hold before coming to Japan?
・How do those expectations compare to your actual life in Japan?
・Are you able to learn new things and challenge yourself in Japan?
・How will you use what you have learned in Japan after you leave?

Chances are when you joined the JET Programme you had expectations, preconceptions, and an idea of what the job was going to entail. In addition, you probably anticipated how you would use that work experience in your future. However, the job may not be what you had anticipated. This is the time to re-evaluate.

Realistic Reasons to Re-contract
・You are content with your position and work.
・You feel that you are making a contribution that has a positive effect on others.

When re-contracting, beware of deceptive rationalisations like, ―I‘ll save money next year‖ or ―I‘ll learn Japanese next year‖. The nature of the beast is to be lazy, and unless there is a radical change in your life (a change which re-contracting does not necessarily bring about), odds are that your life will not change dramatically in your second or third year.

Realistic Reasons Not to Re-contract
・Procrastination. Think long and hard about your life path. Do not re-contract only to delay a more
difficult decision.
・Money. Participating on the JET Programme for the sole purpose of money-making.
・Obligation. You feel pressure from those people in your community to re-contract with the JET Programme. (Your Contracting Organisation may resist your decision not to re-contract, however, the operations of your Contracting Organisation will not come to a stand still as the result of you not recontracting.)
・For no particular reason at all. You may like the foreigner-centred lifestyle, the kindness you receive from those around you, money in your pocket and time on your hands but, even if you do not tire of these things, they probably will not leave you with anything when they are gone. Your presence in Japan gives you many opportunities. If you are going to stay in Japan, stay for a reason. Do not waste the opportunity.

A Word of Caution
While in a foreign country a person undergoes many changes and mood swings. Do not make your decision overnight. Talk with friends, talk with your Supervisor, talk with your family. Think it through and make your decision with confidence.

At the time (as early as it was), I worried that I might decide to re-contract because of "procrastination." I mean, I applied for JET because I didn't know what I was going to do with my life if I wasn't going to be teaching, so it seemed probable that I might be tempted to stay a second year to put off that decision yet again.

As it turned out, however, I ended up (in a very short span of time) falling in love with my job, so it was a pretty easy decision to make. (It was two BIG check marks for both "Realistic Reasons to Re-Contract.")

This year, though, I think it's going to be a bit more difficult. When I re-contracted last year, I thought: "I'll probably stay for 3 years total." (So, another year after this one.) Up to the end of the summer, I'd have to say I was about 90-95% sure I'd be here for a third year (not to mention 50% in favour of staying for a full five!).

One month into nigakki (second term), though, and I feel like my certainty has dropped down to 80-85%. The problem is that I constantly feel tired. I mean, I still love the work, and when I'm actually in school, I get energy from the job and don't really feel fatigued, but once I get home...

Part of it is my own fault, since I stay up late downloading/reading manga, watching DVDs, reading books, surfing the net, etc. But then too, many nights I don't get home until 9pm becase I finish at school late, or I go to the office after school, and then have some sort of community class at night (eikaiwa, dance, etc.). When I finally get home, if I've got jishu gakushu (extra English class) or an elementary school visit that week, I usually spend an hour or two planning/preparing materials. And when faced with a choice between sleep or doing something to relax, I usually end up choosing the latter. ^^;;

So yeah, even though I think I'm as passionate about the job as before (maybe even more so now that I understand the Japanese school system a bit better), I'm worried that I might run out of energy partway through a third year. And I don't want to be here if I'm going to end up coasting.

Plus I'm a little worried about the possibility of "familiarity breeding contempt" at Kirita (with the students, at any rate). I've already had one jishu gakushu class where I felt like the ninensei were goofing off more so than usual because it was just me there. As much as I love the school (and hope that the feeling is reciprocated), I have to seriously consider that it might be better for the students to get a fresh face in.

*sigh*

Then too, I wonder if I made a mistake in going home for such a long time this summer? I didn't feel it when I first came back (to Japan), but recently I've been thinking a lot more about how much I miss everyone back home. I mean, I've made friends here, but the aspect of Christian fellowship is completely missing from my life here. Of course, part of that is my own fault for not making an effort to find (and stick with) a church. But then again, part of it is also my nature: I don't make (good) friends easily. I mean, I think I'm pretty easy to get along with, but I don't really let people in too far, y'know?

As for the possibility of staying for the full five years, well, the thought is still in the back of my mind, but the probability is probably down to 20-30% (from 50%). A big part of the drop is the fatigue which is making me reconsider even my third year, but there's also the fact that my mom has told me she and my dad would like me to come home after three years. (It's not just that they miss me, it's that my being away affects their ability to make their own life decisions...)

So yeah, I guess it's a good thing we got the re-contracting info so early, since it seems like I'll need all the time I can get to make my decision this year.

I just really hope that every ALT reads the GIH reasons "to re-contract or not." To me, the two "realistic reasons to re-contract" are really the only valid reasons to do so. Certainly people will have mixed motivations--I definitely enjoy the lifestyle here, and I would also like to save more money--but I think that if those two reasons aren't the primary reasons, I think there's the danger of turning into an ALT who coasts. And, as I've discussed a lot in previous posts (Attitudes/Goals & Reality; The "Internationalization" crutch), I think that ALTs who aren't focused on improving student learning or who don't pursue excellence in their work do a disservice to themselves, their students, their schools and the JET Programme as a whole.

My apologies for what probably sounds like a lot of "preaching" lately, but I think it's important that we, as Assistant Language Teachers remember that even if we don't have much experience or training, we've been given positions as teachers. And as teachers, part of our responsibility is to look out for the (educational) interests of our students. That's why the re-contracting decision shouldn't just be about "Am I happy with the job? Living in Japan?" etc., but should put a strong emphasis on considerations of "Am I doing a good job?" and "Will I be able to maintain my motivation to continue improving in my teaching for another year?"

One of my personal checks to see if I'm still appropriately engaged in the job is: "Can I answer "I'm happy/good/great" with full honesty when students ask me how I am every day?" Honestly, this term there've been a couple of times when "I'm fine" was as positive as I could get, and once or twice I had to honestly say I was only "so-so." But still, it's my goal to always be able to honestly answer "I'm happy" or "I'm good" or "I'm great" when students ask me how I am. If I can't do that, then I need to figure out why I'm not happy just to be in the class, because it's definitely a problem if I lose my passion for the job.

But yeah, guess I've got some hard thinking ahead of me in terms of re-contracting.

Attitude/Goals & Reality

Re: The "Internationalization" crutch

There are a lot of things we, as ALTs, cannot control. We can't choose where we get placed, what position we're assigned in our cities/towns/villages (elementary, junior high, senior high), how often we teach, whom we teach with, etc. etc.

The one thing we can control, however, is our attitude towards the job. And really, that's the thing that matters most.

I'm not sure where it's from, but a favourite saying of mine is: "If you reach for the moon, you can never fail to reach the stars."

And that saying is largely why I think it's so important to have the attitude/goal that the ALT's job is to help students learn English.

Even if we fall far short of the goal in reality (because circumstances constrain us), if we have learning as our goal, and have the attitude that we want to be teaching, we will make the most of every opportunity presented to us.

For example, if all our JTEs allow us to do is to pronounce words for students to repeat, we can use the opportunity to teach them the proper syllables to emphasize, or how to correctly pronounce certain sounds (like "L" vs "R.") I'm not saying it has to be a full blown, or even explicit lesson--it can accomplished simply by overexaggerating our facial expressions and stresses when pronouncing words (students will catch on!) .

Even if all we are doing is walking around the class and observing while a JTE is explaining English grammar points in Japanese (something I spend probably 70% or more of my time doing at my base school), if we have the attitude/goal of teaching, we can view the observation time as a chance to see where students have difficulty. Also, we can take it as an opportunity to learn the grammar in Japanese so we can better help students later on.

There will most likely be times when the only thing we actually manage to accomplish will be (so-called) "internationalization," but accepting that reality doesn't mean we have to lower our sights from the goal of teaching. (In fact, I think having "internationalization" as a goal would make the aforementioned situation even more aggravating and make an ALT feel even less useful.)

It's fine to be comforted by the fact that, if nothing else, we're helping with "internationalization," but if we are satisfied with only promoting "internationalization," we are doing a disservice to ourselves, our students, and the JET program as a whole. If we give up and believe ourselves limited to "internationalization," that belief will become a reality.

Perhaps I'm being idealistic, but I truly believe that if we work wholeheartedly towards the goal of helping students to learn English, even the most restrictive, constraining teachers will eventually acknowledge our efforts and allow us to do more. More importantly, I think the desire to teach will enable us to turn even mundane duties into teaching opportunities.