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.)
Showing posts with label thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thoughts. Show all posts
Friday, May 20, 2016
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Parents are usually right
I had an opportunity to participate in an exchange visit between Taiwanese junior high school students and first year students at a local Towada junior high school today.
It was a lot of fun taking pictures, observing how the (Japanese) students interacted with their guests and vice-versa, and helping to encourage conversation by speaking (in English) to both the Japanese and Taiwanese students.
Listening to the Taiwanese students and teachers' Chinese, I felt a little frustrated (with myself), however. Coming from a Chinese background, the words and sounds of the language were oh so familiar, but having given up learning Chinese after only one year of Chinese school (which I failed), they were also pretty much indecipherable.
About the only thing I could understand (apart from the really basics of the basic, like "thank you") was the part of their school song where they sang "Wo ai [school name]," meaning "I love [school name]."
After the school song they also performed a classic/popular Taiwanese song (most sang but some students played instruments--trombone, saxophone, violin and flute). I have no idea what the name of the song is, but I definitely knew it--and knew it well enough to be able to hum along pretty much from the get go.
Living in Japan (so close to China/Taiwan), I've definitely thought before that it would've been a huge asset if I could speak Chinese, but today I really felt a strong sense of regret that I never learned Chinese. Not just because it would be useful and/or make finding a job easier, but because I felt like I'd cut myself off from a big part of my heritage by not being able to understand/speak Chinese.
Listening to the song (the name of which I can't remember) I felt a strong sense of nostalgia. Thinking back to my childhood, I can remember watching Chinese dramas and movies (particularly action ones) with my mother and family. A lot of Chinese DVDs have English subtitles nowadays, but if I wanted to share them with, say, Japanese friends, I'd have to try to get along with reading Japanese subtitles (and my Japanese reading isn't nearly proficient enough for that). If I understood Chinese it would be no problem, but...
Way back in grade one when I told my parents I wanted to quit Chinese school (again, after failing first grade--so you can guess how indifferent of a student I was), my parents told me "OK, but you'll regret it in the future."
They were right.
It was a lot of fun taking pictures, observing how the (Japanese) students interacted with their guests and vice-versa, and helping to encourage conversation by speaking (in English) to both the Japanese and Taiwanese students.
Listening to the Taiwanese students and teachers' Chinese, I felt a little frustrated (with myself), however. Coming from a Chinese background, the words and sounds of the language were oh so familiar, but having given up learning Chinese after only one year of Chinese school (which I failed), they were also pretty much indecipherable.
About the only thing I could understand (apart from the really basics of the basic, like "thank you") was the part of their school song where they sang "Wo ai [school name]," meaning "I love [school name]."
After the school song they also performed a classic/popular Taiwanese song (most sang but some students played instruments--trombone, saxophone, violin and flute). I have no idea what the name of the song is, but I definitely knew it--and knew it well enough to be able to hum along pretty much from the get go.
Living in Japan (so close to China/Taiwan), I've definitely thought before that it would've been a huge asset if I could speak Chinese, but today I really felt a strong sense of regret that I never learned Chinese. Not just because it would be useful and/or make finding a job easier, but because I felt like I'd cut myself off from a big part of my heritage by not being able to understand/speak Chinese.
Listening to the song (the name of which I can't remember) I felt a strong sense of nostalgia. Thinking back to my childhood, I can remember watching Chinese dramas and movies (particularly action ones) with my mother and family. A lot of Chinese DVDs have English subtitles nowadays, but if I wanted to share them with, say, Japanese friends, I'd have to try to get along with reading Japanese subtitles (and my Japanese reading isn't nearly proficient enough for that). If I understood Chinese it would be no problem, but...
Way back in grade one when I told my parents I wanted to quit Chinese school (again, after failing first grade--so you can guess how indifferent of a student I was), my parents told me "OK, but you'll regret it in the future."
They were right.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Small joys
Lately there's been a lot of stuff going on and it's been taking a lot of energy just to get through the day. I feel like I'm getting by on fumes.
But this week I've had some reminders of why I need to really cherish all of my remaining time at schools:
On Monday I went to a junior high school (that isn't my base school) and taught the third years. To get back to the teachers' room, I passed by the second year classrooms and got a number of cheerful "Hello's". And in the midst of the "hellos," I heard one boy saying "Poo. Poo." At first I didn't realize that he was talking to me, but then I heard him say (in Japanese) to some friends, "Do you know what "poo" means in Japanese?"
And I realized it was a student I had taught when he was in the fourth grade of elementary school!! At that time, he asked me how to say "unko" in English and I told him without even thinking. After that he didn't even say "hello" to me, but always just said "poo" whenever I saw him. The ALT who visited that elementary school fairly regularly the following year (my second year in Towada) told me that the student continued the tradition with him.
So back to Monday.
When I realized what he was saying and who he was, I turned around (there were a bunch of boys so I couldn't pick him out) and called out (in Japanese): "You still remember that?!" The guys all laughed and I continued on to the teachers' room. Then at the end of the day the same boy passed me and again he greeted me with "Poo! Poo!" rather than the standard "hello."
I should probably feel guilty for teaching him the word, but, well, I find it pretty funny and almost touching that he still remembers something that I unthinkingly taught him so long ago. ^_^
(I've got to admit that even after that experience, I still--even up to now--tell students almost whatever word they ask me to teach them in English. I've taught "diarrhea" and "pawn shop" among many other words.Obviously I don't teach them anything completely inappropriate, however.)
Then another nice moment came today, when a former student of mine and sister of a current student at Kirita came into the school to wait for her mother to finish having a discussion with one of the teachers. Since I was free, I hung out with her in the multi-purpose room and helped her with her (high school) English homework.
It wasn't anything special--mostly I was just reading out the textbook sentences that she needed to write in her notebook--but it was really great to be able to spend time with a former student.
Oh, and I guess another "small joy"--although not school related--is that the July JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) results finally arrived today and somehow I managed to pass the N2. (The test has five levels, with N5 being the lowest level and N1 being the highest. So N2 is the second most difficult level.)
Actually, I'm not all that happy about it because I truly believe it was pure fluke that I passed. (Just look at my scores!) I didn't study at all for the test and I had signed up for it with the idea that by spectacularly failing this time around I would become motivated to study properly for the December test.
(And when I say I didn't study, I mean it quite literally. Not counting stuff like reading manga and watching dramas/movies in Japanese, I'd say I probably spent maybe 5-10 hours--and that's a generous estimate--specifically studying for the test from the time I registered til the day I wrote it. I've probably spent more time studying Japanese in the past week or two than I did before the test!)
So I really didn't actually deserve to pass. All the result tells me is that I'm a pretty decent guesser. Well, that and my listening is fine--that was the only section that I had confidence in, and I aced that part.
And it actually leaves me with a dilemma since I had never even considered that I would actually pass and so I bought the test application form planning on taking the N2 again in December. But since I did manage to pass, I now need to decide whether I will attempt the N1 or if I'll just try to sell my form to someone else.
Given that I barely passed the N2 (20/60 for the Vocabulary/Grammar section!), it would really be a waste of money to try the N1, particularly given that I'm going to be super busy until about the beginning of November and won't have time to do the hardcore studying that would be required if I seriously wanted to pass.
And given that my contract will end (and I'll have to go back to Canada) at the beginning of August, I don't think that failing the N1 in December would particularly motivate me to try to pass it in July because I know that I'll be way to busy with my departure preparations around that time.
But it seems like kind of a waste to not at least give it a shot while I'm still in Japan. Plus writing the test is a great excuse for taking a road trip to Morioka with everyone. (And since December is so busy, I don't think I'd go on the road trip if I wasn't writing the test.)
So yeah, I don't really know what I want to do. And I still don't actually feel particularly happy about passing the test since it wasn't something I accomplished by my own efforts/skill but simply through dumb luck/fluke. If it wouldn't be a waste of money, I'd almost like to write the test again (even though I've already passed once).
But this week I've had some reminders of why I need to really cherish all of my remaining time at schools:
On Monday I went to a junior high school (that isn't my base school) and taught the third years. To get back to the teachers' room, I passed by the second year classrooms and got a number of cheerful "Hello's". And in the midst of the "hellos," I heard one boy saying "Poo. Poo." At first I didn't realize that he was talking to me, but then I heard him say (in Japanese) to some friends, "Do you know what "poo" means in Japanese?"
And I realized it was a student I had taught when he was in the fourth grade of elementary school!! At that time, he asked me how to say "unko" in English and I told him without even thinking. After that he didn't even say "hello" to me, but always just said "poo" whenever I saw him. The ALT who visited that elementary school fairly regularly the following year (my second year in Towada) told me that the student continued the tradition with him.
So back to Monday.
When I realized what he was saying and who he was, I turned around (there were a bunch of boys so I couldn't pick him out) and called out (in Japanese): "You still remember that?!" The guys all laughed and I continued on to the teachers' room. Then at the end of the day the same boy passed me and again he greeted me with "Poo! Poo!" rather than the standard "hello."
I should probably feel guilty for teaching him the word, but, well, I find it pretty funny and almost touching that he still remembers something that I unthinkingly taught him so long ago. ^_^
(I've got to admit that even after that experience, I still--even up to now--tell students almost whatever word they ask me to teach them in English. I've taught "diarrhea" and "pawn shop" among many other words.Obviously I don't teach them anything completely inappropriate, however.)
Then another nice moment came today, when a former student of mine and sister of a current student at Kirita came into the school to wait for her mother to finish having a discussion with one of the teachers. Since I was free, I hung out with her in the multi-purpose room and helped her with her (high school) English homework.
It wasn't anything special--mostly I was just reading out the textbook sentences that she needed to write in her notebook--but it was really great to be able to spend time with a former student.
Oh, and I guess another "small joy"--although not school related--is that the July JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) results finally arrived today and somehow I managed to pass the N2. (The test has five levels, with N5 being the lowest level and N1 being the highest. So N2 is the second most difficult level.)
Actually, I'm not all that happy about it because I truly believe it was pure fluke that I passed. (Just look at my scores!) I didn't study at all for the test and I had signed up for it with the idea that by spectacularly failing this time around I would become motivated to study properly for the December test.
(And when I say I didn't study, I mean it quite literally. Not counting stuff like reading manga and watching dramas/movies in Japanese, I'd say I probably spent maybe 5-10 hours--and that's a generous estimate--specifically studying for the test from the time I registered til the day I wrote it. I've probably spent more time studying Japanese in the past week or two than I did before the test!)
So I really didn't actually deserve to pass. All the result tells me is that I'm a pretty decent guesser. Well, that and my listening is fine--that was the only section that I had confidence in, and I aced that part.
And it actually leaves me with a dilemma since I had never even considered that I would actually pass and so I bought the test application form planning on taking the N2 again in December. But since I did manage to pass, I now need to decide whether I will attempt the N1 or if I'll just try to sell my form to someone else.
Given that I barely passed the N2 (20/60 for the Vocabulary/Grammar section!), it would really be a waste of money to try the N1, particularly given that I'm going to be super busy until about the beginning of November and won't have time to do the hardcore studying that would be required if I seriously wanted to pass.
And given that my contract will end (and I'll have to go back to Canada) at the beginning of August, I don't think that failing the N1 in December would particularly motivate me to try to pass it in July because I know that I'll be way to busy with my departure preparations around that time.
But it seems like kind of a waste to not at least give it a shot while I'm still in Japan. Plus writing the test is a great excuse for taking a road trip to Morioka with everyone. (And since December is so busy, I don't think I'd go on the road trip if I wasn't writing the test.)
So yeah, I don't really know what I want to do. And I still don't actually feel particularly happy about passing the test since it wasn't something I accomplished by my own efforts/skill but simply through dumb luck/fluke. If it wouldn't be a waste of money, I'd almost like to write the test again (even though I've already passed once).
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Disgraceful political opportunism
Perhaps this is just my political naivety showing, but I really can't imagine how ousting (Japanese Prime Minister Naoto) Kan with a non-confidence vote and initiating an election would be of any benefit to the disaster recovery and nuclear crisis handling efforts.
If, as many pundits seem to believe, the vote of non-confidence isn't actually meant to succeed but is merely an act to weaken/divide the party, then I think it's truly a disgraceful display of political opportunism.
At a time such as this--with the nuclear crisis still ongoing and a long road ahead for recovery from the earthquake/tsunami--all Japanese politicians should be focused on creating and passing policies that will aid the recovery efforts rather than wasting time, resources and taxpayers' money on political bickering and power mongering.
I am particularly disgusted with Ozawa and his supporters in the DPJ. It's understandable that other parties would want to take advantage of a chance to take down the DPJ, but I think it's self-defeating to weaken/destroy your own party just so that you can take power. Even if you succeed in taking over, you end up with a weakened party and a bad public image. (I see some parallels here with the current state of the Liberals thanks in part to the Chretien/Martin debacle.)
Some online articles:
Bloomberg: "Kan No-Confidence Vote May See DPJ Split"
Japan Times: "Kan foes in DPJ set to join ouster ploy" "Kan's foes readying no-confidence vote"
[Update 1: Japan Times Online "No-confidence vote set for Kan cabinet"
Update 2: Japan Times Online "Kan survives no-confidence motion yet offers to quit after 'certain degree' of postquake recovery"]
If, as many pundits seem to believe, the vote of non-confidence isn't actually meant to succeed but is merely an act to weaken/divide the party, then I think it's truly a disgraceful display of political opportunism.
At a time such as this--with the nuclear crisis still ongoing and a long road ahead for recovery from the earthquake/tsunami--all Japanese politicians should be focused on creating and passing policies that will aid the recovery efforts rather than wasting time, resources and taxpayers' money on political bickering and power mongering.
I am particularly disgusted with Ozawa and his supporters in the DPJ. It's understandable that other parties would want to take advantage of a chance to take down the DPJ, but I think it's self-defeating to weaken/destroy your own party just so that you can take power. Even if you succeed in taking over, you end up with a weakened party and a bad public image. (I see some parallels here with the current state of the Liberals thanks in part to the Chretien/Martin debacle.)
Some online articles:
Bloomberg: "Kan No-Confidence Vote May See DPJ Split"
Japan Times: "Kan foes in DPJ set to join ouster ploy" "Kan's foes readying no-confidence vote"
[Update 1: Japan Times Online "No-confidence vote set for Kan cabinet"
Update 2: Japan Times Online "Kan survives no-confidence motion yet offers to quit after 'certain degree' of postquake recovery"]
Thursday, May 5, 2011
What the HECK, Canada?!?!
I thought things seemed pretty promising for the May 2, 2011 Canadian National election with the whole Vote Mob movement encouraging youth to vote.
Then election day came. And there was only about 61.4% voter turnout (a mere 14.7 out of 24 million eligible voters bothered to show up).
I have never been so disappointed in my fellow Canadians in my life. Seriously, what the HECK Canada?!?!
Are people seriously that out of tune with the news? Do people really care so little about things like the environment, foreign aid, poverty reduction and democracy (re:Parliament and voting)?
We just gave a freakin' majority government to a party that was held in contempt of Parliament (which is what got the whole election thing started in the first place).
Honestly, I have so many beefs with how Harper has run Canada thus far I don't even want to try writing the specifics because once I get started I won't be able to stop--and this is from him being in charge of a minority government! I can't even begin to imagine how much Canadians (who aren't running big businesses or producing oil, that is) and the Canadian international reputation are going to suffer now that he's got a majority government.
And what the heck is wrong with our voting system? Just take a look at this graph of votes vs seats in Parliament (from the Vancouver Observer).
As my friend James broke it down, here's the number of voters it took to elect one MP (Member of Parliament):
1 Conservative MP - 34,925 voters
1 NDP MP - 44,201 voters
1 Liberal MP - 81,858 voters
1 BQ MP - 222,447 voters
1 Green MP - 576,221 voters
I've honestly never thought too deeply about the Canadian voting system, but after this election, I'm really thinking that we need to work out a more proportional system. (Although fat chance of any election reform happening with the Conservatives getting 137%of seats relative to their percent of votes.)
ARGH!!! Talk about spoiling what would otherwise have been an awesome Golden Week holiday (more about that later). I just feel sodisappointed, no, disgusted with my fellow Canadians. It's like how I felt when Bush (George W.) got re-elected for a second term--except I don't have the comfort of being able to say, well, that's America. Ugh. This is probably the first time I've felt ashamed to be Canadian.
The only good thing about this election was that the NDP got official opposition status. I don't have anything against the Liberals (heck, I voted Liberal), but they probably did need the kick in the butt to get them out of their complacency. And the NDP is actually the party whose policies best fit my values/ideology, it's just that I was never convinced that they'd be able to run a fiscally responsible government (which is why I've always voted Liberal instead).
Apparently the next Federal (and Ontario Provincial--don't even get me started on that) elections are slated for October 2015. Maybe I'm better off staying in Japan until then. (Although I'd have to get a government-related job or go back to be eligible to vote since that would make it more than 5 years living outside of Canada.)
[Edit: I just bought Open and Shut: Why America Has Barack Obama and Canada Has Stephen Harper
by John Ibbitson- it's been on my reading list for a couple of weeks but I feel that it may be particularly timely now.]
Then election day came. And there was only about 61.4% voter turnout (a mere 14.7 out of 24 million eligible voters bothered to show up).
I have never been so disappointed in my fellow Canadians in my life. Seriously, what the HECK Canada?!?!
Are people seriously that out of tune with the news? Do people really care so little about things like the environment, foreign aid, poverty reduction and democracy (re:Parliament and voting)?
We just gave a freakin' majority government to a party that was held in contempt of Parliament (which is what got the whole election thing started in the first place).
Honestly, I have so many beefs with how Harper has run Canada thus far I don't even want to try writing the specifics because once I get started I won't be able to stop--and this is from him being in charge of a minority government! I can't even begin to imagine how much Canadians (who aren't running big businesses or producing oil, that is) and the Canadian international reputation are going to suffer now that he's got a majority government.
And what the heck is wrong with our voting system? Just take a look at this graph of votes vs seats in Parliament (from the Vancouver Observer).
As my friend James broke it down, here's the number of voters it took to elect one MP (Member of Parliament):
1 Conservative MP - 34,925 voters
1 NDP MP - 44,201 voters
1 Liberal MP - 81,858 voters
1 BQ MP - 222,447 voters
1 Green MP - 576,221 voters
I've honestly never thought too deeply about the Canadian voting system, but after this election, I'm really thinking that we need to work out a more proportional system. (Although fat chance of any election reform happening with the Conservatives getting 137%of seats relative to their percent of votes.)
ARGH!!! Talk about spoiling what would otherwise have been an awesome Golden Week holiday (more about that later). I just feel so
The only good thing about this election was that the NDP got official opposition status. I don't have anything against the Liberals (heck, I voted Liberal), but they probably did need the kick in the butt to get them out of their complacency. And the NDP is actually the party whose policies best fit my values/ideology, it's just that I was never convinced that they'd be able to run a fiscally responsible government (which is why I've always voted Liberal instead).
Apparently the next Federal (and Ontario Provincial--don't even get me started on that) elections are slated for October 2015. Maybe I'm better off staying in Japan until then. (Although I'd have to get a government-related job or go back to be eligible to vote since that would make it more than 5 years living outside of Canada.)
[Edit: I just bought Open and Shut: Why America Has Barack Obama and Canada Has Stephen Harper
by John Ibbitson- it's been on my reading list for a couple of weeks but I feel that it may be particularly timely now.]
Friday, April 15, 2011
Towada is all right
Life is pretty much back to usual here in Towada.
Of course there are still aftershocks, but thanks to a luck of geography, Towada hasn't been hit very hard. The worst aftershock we've felt was last Thursday, April 7 around 11:30pm. Power was out (and some parts of Towada--closer to the lake area--had the water cut off) until around 5:00pm the next day but that was it.
There are minor inconveniences--many stores are closing earlier; low-fat milk and yogurt are hard to come by; and I have yet to see size C or D batteries in stores... But for the most part, work, school, and community/extra-curricular activities are going on as normal.
If I didn't read the Japan Times news every day, it'd almost be easy to forget that we're still living with the effects of the March 11th disaster.
Well, the email I got the other day from the Embassy of Canada was also a pretty big reminder. In light of all the panic and media "fear mongering" about the nuclear situation in Fukushima, I'm glad that the email's content and tone is basically one of "keep calm and carry on." You can read the message in full below (emphases are mine):
I am particularly pleased that they mention specific prefectures heavily affected by the earthquake/tsunami rather than generalizing to Tohoku. Eastern coastal cities in Aomori Prefecture (like Hachinohe) were hit pretty hard by the disasters, but even then the damage here wasn't as severe as in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima. (Although Aomori is also part of the Tohoku region, we're the northernmost prefecture and thus a lot closer to Hokkaido than Fukushima.)
So yes, we're all doing our best to carry on as usual. As such, my thoughts are mostly occupied with the recently started school year:
And while I'm doing my best to stay informed and my thoughts and prayers are certainly with those who have and are still suffering from the disaster, I feel like the best and most respectful thing I can do is to live my life to the fullest now--appreciating that things I once might have taken for granted (ready availability of electricity, running water, gas, etc.) or considered to be ordinary/routine (going to work, eating school lunch, etc.) are really all blessings.
Of course there are still aftershocks, but thanks to a luck of geography, Towada hasn't been hit very hard. The worst aftershock we've felt was last Thursday, April 7 around 11:30pm. Power was out (and some parts of Towada--closer to the lake area--had the water cut off) until around 5:00pm the next day but that was it.
There are minor inconveniences--many stores are closing earlier; low-fat milk and yogurt are hard to come by; and I have yet to see size C or D batteries in stores... But for the most part, work, school, and community/extra-curricular activities are going on as normal.
If I didn't read the Japan Times news every day, it'd almost be easy to forget that we're still living with the effects of the March 11th disaster.
Well, the email I got the other day from the Embassy of Canada was also a pretty big reminder. In light of all the panic and media "fear mongering" about the nuclear situation in Fukushima, I'm glad that the email's content and tone is basically one of "keep calm and carry on." You can read the message in full below (emphases are mine):
Dear Canadian,
We all recognize the enormous impact the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and corresponding dangerous situation at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant has had on Japan and the Canadian citizens residing in Japan. The Embassy of Canada in Tokyo is working to provide the best possible guidance to Canadian citizens in Japan. To this end, we are updating Canadian citizens in Japan on current advice and information.
The travel warnings for Japan were updated on April 8, 2011:
Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant and surrounding areas:
The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) advises against all travel within 80 km of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.
Following damage to the Fukushima nuclear power station in Okumacho, Canadians are strongly advised to follow the advice issued by the Japanese authorities. An evacuation order is in effect for the zone within 20 km of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. Japanese authorities recommend that people between 20 km and 30 km from the plant remain indoors with windows and doors closed and refrain from using ventilation systems.
Given the evolving situation, Canadians located within 80 km of the plant are advised that they should, as a further precautionary measure, evacuate this area. The directions of the Japanese government and local emergency response personnel should also be followed by all Canadians in Japan.
Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures:
DFAIT advises against non-essential travel to Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures.
The earthquake and tsunami caused extensive damage to infrastructure in these prefectures. Ongoing reconstruction efforts are affecting telecommunications, transportation routes, emergency and medical care, as well as power, water, food and fuel supplies. Canadians in these prefectures should exercise caution, monitor local news and weather reports, and follow the advice of local authorities.
Northern Honshu:
Canadians should exercise a high degree of caution in northern Honshu.
In areas of northern Honshu less affected by the earthquake and tsunami, commercial means of transportation are available for travel. Canadians are advised to verify the availability of transport and other services, and confirm their reservations prior to departure, as there may be limitations in some regions. Water, food, and fuel supplies may be disrupted in some areas.
Canadians are urged to monitor our travel report for Japan for travel advice and advisories: http://voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/report_rapport-eng.asp? id=140000
Information on radiation levels in Japan:
Following consultations with Government of Canada experts, and based on information available from the Government of Japan and the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Government of Canada has assessed that at this stage there is no indication that there is a radiation health risk to Canadian citizens in Japan (outside the evacuation zone) and in other countries in Asia.
Based on current information, areas outside the Japanese evacuation zone are not subject to radiation levels associated with a health risk. Health risks still exist within the Japanese evacuation zone; therefore, Canadians should not enter this area and should continue to follow the instructions of local authorities.
On April 12, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency of Japan raised the alert level of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant from a 5 to a 7, according to the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale. While there has been some media comparison to the Chernobyl event, which had been put at the same level, this comparison should be viewed with extreme caution. Japanese authorities confirmed that this is a backward-looking assessment based on better estimates of the amount of radioactive contamination released in the early days of the crisis. It is not meant to imply that there has been a sudden change to the levels of radioactive contamination. Environmental radioactivity levels continue to remain very low outside the immediate vicinity of the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Information on the status of nuclear facilities in Japan can also be obtained on the websites of the Japan Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
Potassium iodide (KI) is only needed in a worst case situation where there is a large amount of radiactive iodine in the environment. At this time, only people in the immediate areas of the Fukushima Power Plant might need this medication. The Government of Canada does not advise anyone to take KI. KI will be available from local health authorities in Japan if the need arises and should only be taken on instruction from the Japanese authorities.
Please visit DFAIT's information fact sheet on Japan's radiation levels for further information on health, potassium iodide and food safety: http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/issues_enjeux/ article-eng.asp?id=1106
Get prepared:
Are you and your family prepared? Learn more about emergency preparedness and how to create an emergency plan and kit at www.getprepared.gc.ca.
Connect with us:
Follow us on Twitter for up-to-date information on the evolving situation in Japan at: http://twitter.com/#!/DFAIT_MAECI
If your contact information has changed, or if your location has changed, please update your profile in the Registration of Canadians Abroad service on www.voyage.gc.ca/register or send an email to the Consular Section of the Embassy at tokyo-consul@international.gc.ca.
Please direct any questions you may have to the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo:
7-3-38 Akasaka, Minato-ku
Tokyo 107-8503, Japan
Tel: (011-81-3) 5412-6200
tokyo-consul@international.gc.ca
or to the 24 hour Emergency Operations Office in Ottawa at:
(613) 996-8885 (collect calls accepted)
sos@international.gc.ca
Take care and stay safe,
Consular Section
Embassy of Canada
Tokyo, Japan
I am particularly pleased that they mention specific prefectures heavily affected by the earthquake/tsunami rather than generalizing to Tohoku. Eastern coastal cities in Aomori Prefecture (like Hachinohe) were hit pretty hard by the disasters, but even then the damage here wasn't as severe as in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima. (Although Aomori is also part of the Tohoku region, we're the northernmost prefecture and thus a lot closer to Hokkaido than Fukushima.)
So yes, we're all doing our best to carry on as usual. As such, my thoughts are mostly occupied with the recently started school year:
- What can I do to encourage my students to use more English when speaking with me? (They know I generally understand what they're saying in Japanese, so they don't feel as compelled to make the effort to speak in English.)
- How can I keep myself from (over)using Japanese at school?
- How can I keep things fresh for the students (some of whom I've taught since they were in elementary school)?
And while I'm doing my best to stay informed and my thoughts and prayers are certainly with those who have and are still suffering from the disaster, I feel like the best and most respectful thing I can do is to live my life to the fullest now--appreciating that things I once might have taken for granted (ready availability of electricity, running water, gas, etc.) or considered to be ordinary/routine (going to work, eating school lunch, etc.) are really all blessings.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Nostalgia
Thanks to Ceci, I rediscovered the NFB.ca (National Film Board of Canada) site. These are some of the animated "classics" from my childhood which are available to watch online:
I also found a series of wordless ~4min short films that show how things are made:
I also found a series of wordless ~4min short films that show how things are made:
- How Do They Put the Centers in Chocolates? (it's filmed in a Purdy's Chocolates factory!!)
- How Do They Make Potato Chips?
- How Do They Make Money?
Thursday, April 7, 2011
A load off my back!!!
I had made the decision to cancel my planned trip back to Toronto for Golden Week around mid-March (a little more than a week after the earthquake, when it seemed like the Shinkansen might take two months or more to be repaired) but didn't actually cancel the plane tickets until today.
When I first called Air Canada, their policy was that full refunds would only be offered for departures up to March 28th. For anything after that, regular cancellation fees (30,000yen per person) would be applied. Change fees would be waived (although fare differences would be charged) for planned departures up to April 30th. I considered re-booking for Christmas but since the tickets were at least $200 more expensive than the tickets I had booked, it didn't seem worth it.
Since I could cancel up to the day before the scheduled departure (April 28), I figured I would just wait and see if Christmas flight prices would drop. (And if they didn't, well, I'd still be paying the same cancellation fee anyway, so it wasn't like I was losing anything by waiting.)
But then on March 24th, when I was checking prices for Christmas prices, I noticed that Air Canada had changed its policy for flights to/from Narita--the cancellation fees were being waived for flights up to April 10th.
When I saw that, I had hope that Air Canada would eventually change their policy to enable me to cancel my April 29th flight without charge. Since then I've been checking the Air Canada website almost every day.
And the waiting game has finally paid off!! As of yesterday (April 6th), the policy was changed so that cancellation and change fees for flights booked before March 11th for travel until April 30th would be waived (although for re-booking (to Japan/Asia), fare differences would apply).
I was so excited, I let out a fairly loud "YES!" while I was sitting in the teachers' room at Kirita.
^o^;;
The teacher across from me was surprised, so I briefly explained the situation. He was probably wondering why I was making such a big deal out of it, but really, 30,000 yen is no small chunk of change.
And even though I can understand logically why Air Canada's policy was set up the way it was (the airport and planes were able to run/fly as usual and businesses can't be expected to make exceptions for people's personal situations), emotions aren't logical, so it was really really bugging me that I had to pay a cancellation fee for a trip that I really was only canceling because of the earthquake.
But thankfully, Air Canada's policy did change, so now I'm perfectly happy with the airline again. Although, I did have a bad moment when I called reservations to make the cancellation. At first, the lady I spoke to was like, "You can cancel, but there's a 30,000 yen per person cancellation fee."
Which of course made me go: "HUH?!" It took about an extra five minutes or so, but after I told her what the website policy said, she was eventually able to confirm that I could indeed get a full refund. *Phew*
Even though I thought that it was best to cancel the trip, I did regret that I'd have to pay the cancellation fee. But now I can feel fully at ease/peace with my decision.
When I first called Air Canada, their policy was that full refunds would only be offered for departures up to March 28th. For anything after that, regular cancellation fees (30,000yen per person) would be applied. Change fees would be waived (although fare differences would be charged) for planned departures up to April 30th. I considered re-booking for Christmas but since the tickets were at least $200 more expensive than the tickets I had booked, it didn't seem worth it.
Since I could cancel up to the day before the scheduled departure (April 28), I figured I would just wait and see if Christmas flight prices would drop. (And if they didn't, well, I'd still be paying the same cancellation fee anyway, so it wasn't like I was losing anything by waiting.)
But then on March 24th, when I was checking prices for Christmas prices, I noticed that Air Canada had changed its policy for flights to/from Narita--the cancellation fees were being waived for flights up to April 10th.
When I saw that, I had hope that Air Canada would eventually change their policy to enable me to cancel my April 29th flight without charge. Since then I've been checking the Air Canada website almost every day.
And the waiting game has finally paid off!! As of yesterday (April 6th), the policy was changed so that cancellation and change fees for flights booked before March 11th for travel until April 30th would be waived (although for re-booking (to Japan/Asia), fare differences would apply).
I was so excited, I let out a fairly loud "YES!" while I was sitting in the teachers' room at Kirita.
^o^;;
The teacher across from me was surprised, so I briefly explained the situation. He was probably wondering why I was making such a big deal out of it, but really, 30,000 yen is no small chunk of change.
And even though I can understand logically why Air Canada's policy was set up the way it was (the airport and planes were able to run/fly as usual and businesses can't be expected to make exceptions for people's personal situations), emotions aren't logical, so it was really really bugging me that I had to pay a cancellation fee for a trip that I really was only canceling because of the earthquake.
But thankfully, Air Canada's policy did change, so now I'm perfectly happy with the airline again. Although, I did have a bad moment when I called reservations to make the cancellation. At first, the lady I spoke to was like, "You can cancel, but there's a 30,000 yen per person cancellation fee."
Which of course made me go: "HUH?!" It took about an extra five minutes or so, but after I told her what the website policy said, she was eventually able to confirm that I could indeed get a full refund. *Phew*
Even though I thought that it was best to cancel the trip, I did regret that I'd have to pay the cancellation fee. But now I can feel fully at ease/peace with my decision.
Monday, April 4, 2011
A dream
About a week ago I had a dream where five students from my first graduating class from Kirita came to see me. Even though that's all I remember about the dream, I do know that the dream made me really happy. And it got me thinking.
As far as dreams go, that really is one of my dreams right now. I wish that I could see all of my past Kirita students again before I finish my time on JET (August 2012).
If I was a Japanese teacher, I think I would have a much better chance of realizing my dream. See, in Japan, newspapers publish lists of transferring and retiring teachers in mid-March. So anyone can look through the lists and see where their old teachers are going (if they're being transferred). Consequently, last week four students who graduated two years ago came to Kirita to see our principal before he changed schools. (They even got flowers for him!)
(Although they came to see the principal, they actually ended up staying and chatting with me and some other teachers for about two hours!! Even though I should've been feeling sad since it was the last day of school—hence the last day I'd be working with some of the teachers—I was really happy to be able to talk with former students.)
Thinking about that, I really wish newspapers would do the same thing for ALTs finishing their contracts. I'd like to think that if some of my former students (and/or even co-workers) knew I'd be leaving Kirita that they'd come to say goodbye...
As far as dreams go, that really is one of my dreams right now. I wish that I could see all of my past Kirita students again before I finish my time on JET (August 2012).
If I was a Japanese teacher, I think I would have a much better chance of realizing my dream. See, in Japan, newspapers publish lists of transferring and retiring teachers in mid-March. So anyone can look through the lists and see where their old teachers are going (if they're being transferred). Consequently, last week four students who graduated two years ago came to Kirita to see our principal before he changed schools. (They even got flowers for him!)
(Although they came to see the principal, they actually ended up staying and chatting with me and some other teachers for about two hours!! Even though I should've been feeling sad since it was the last day of school—hence the last day I'd be working with some of the teachers—I was really happy to be able to talk with former students.)
Thinking about that, I really wish newspapers would do the same thing for ALTs finishing their contracts. I'd like to think that if some of my former students (and/or even co-workers) knew I'd be leaving Kirita that they'd come to say goodbye...
Friday, March 18, 2011
Smoothing out...
Amazing what changes a new day can bring. I'm feeling a lot...lighter today than yesterday.
Something that definitely helped was going out with all the other Towada ALTs for a St. Patrick's Day drink last night. At first I really debated as to whether or not I should go. With everyone doing their best to limit consumption, I felt like it might be an inappropriate time to be going out for drinks. But as I thought more, I realized that if everyone thought that way and therefore stayed home and away from bars/restaurants, then the owners/workers at such establishments would eventually have a hard time making ends meet.
Besides, going out and relaxing for an hour and a half with everyone really gave me a much needed respite from the niggling sense of anxiety that had been with me since I realized how serious the earthquake had been. Talking with friends over drinks (and fries! yum!) let me put things aside, at least for a little while.
It's one thing to decide to spend a quiet night at home reading to conserve energy, and another thing altogether to make oneself stay home out of a misplaced sense of guilt over going about things "as usual" when others are persevering through difficult conditions in evacuation shelters, etc. Yes, we must be mindful of our consumption during these difficult times, but that doesn't mean we have to deny ourselves the right to try to resume as normal a life as possible.
In fact, I think one thing that such a disaster as this demonstrates is how precious every single moment of our life is. You can't predict when something catastrophic will happen and change your life, so it's all the more important to take the time to enjoy the company of friends and family.
Anyway, another big part of my change of mood is probably that I have a full tank of gas in my car right now. If I continue to practice economy in my driving (not using the heater, shifting to park/neutral at red lights, carpooling, walking everywhere I possibly can), I should be good for at least 3 weeks.
How I managed to get the gas is really a story of good luck and patience. It started yesterday afternoon around one something. A bunch of us teachers were talking about the gas problem in the teachers' room and I ended up suggesting that maybe we should try calling the father of one of our students for advice/clarification, since I knew he worked at the gas station near my house.
This particular chain seemed to manage to get gas daily, even if amounts were limited, but sometimes you needed to have a voucher and none of us knew how to go about getting one... At any rate, my principal called him and got information that the gas station near my house would be opening at 3pm--no vouchers necessary! With the permission of our principal, half of the teachers headed out to get gas!!
Since seven of us had carpooled in two cars that morning, I actually ended up driving three other teachers so they could get their cars. (And once we got gas I drove everyone back to school as well.) After dropping everyone off, I managed to get into the lineup for gas--at least 1km away from the entrance to the gas station!-- around 2:40pm.
That day I was supposed to be teaching extra English at 3pm, but thankfully my main plan had been to give out prizes (based on the number of stickers students had collected from the year's extra English classes) so I was able to ask their homeroom teacher to take charge of that for me instead.
Once the gas station opened things went pretty quickly, but I still didn't get back to my place (the rendezvous point for the teachers who had come with me) until about 3:20 or so. But we were all able to get 1000yen worth of gas (6.58L) so it was worth it. (If 6.58L doesn't sound like much, just consider that I can get close to 10km/L.)
Even though that gave me considerably more breathing room than before (I went from half a tank to close to 3/4), I still felt uneasy. Since I had today off, I woke up early and headed to the gas station around 6:15am to line up for gas (at the same gas station). This time I was probably 1.5km (or more? I can't estimate distances for beans!) away from the gas station, but shortly before opening time (7am), staff members came around with the vouchers that would enable us to get 2000yen worth of gas!!
Thanks to the efficiency of the gas station staff, I was able to get my 2000yen of gas (well, 1720 yen's worth, actually, as that's all I needed to get to a full tank) and be back home by ~7:25am!
After showering and eating breakfast, I headed out to the bank and grocery store. I got enough ingredients to make two batches each of tomato & meat sauce (easily frozen for later use) and curry (one pot can last me up to a week, and can also be frozen). I've already made one batch of meat sauce, and I plan on making one pot of curry either tomorrow (Sat.) or the day after (Sun.). Even though I had sufficient food for a week of school lunches--as well as plenty of cereal thanks to my last trip back to Canada--before I went grocery shopping, I feel better knowing that I've got some foods I can simply reheat stocked in my freezer.
That's definitely something about me that has changed since the earthquake. Before I was totally fine with an empty fridge/freezer because I felt like I could always just go to a grocery or convenience store, or even a restaurant to grab a meal if I didn't feel like cooking. Heck, I've even gone a couple of days eating nothing but junk food (mostly chocolate) and cereal when things have been crazy busy. But now I feel like I need to keep my cupboards a bit better stocked...
Not that I think it's a bad thing to be better prepared (with sufficient gasoline and food supplies), but the fact that it makes me feel so much better to have a full tank of gas and a well stocked fridge does make me wonder if I'm relying too much on things for security.
I mean, as a Christian I'm supposed to be relying on God. And while praying about things and knowing that others are also praying for Japan has definitely eased my mind/heart, to be honest, out of everything up to now, filling up my gas tank has probably given me the greatest sense of relief/comfort about my current situation. (I was fine with having "just enough" gas to get by at first--before I really understood the extent/implications of the disaster, but as the uncertainty with the gas situation has gone on, it's gotten harder for me to remain so carefree.)
But I am still hopeful that things will start to stabilize/improve within the next couple of weeks or so. I'd like to think that with all the global support pouring in and with the ability of Japanese people to really pull together and work efficiently in hard times that things are bound to get better sooner rather than later.
Something that definitely helped was going out with all the other Towada ALTs for a St. Patrick's Day drink last night. At first I really debated as to whether or not I should go. With everyone doing their best to limit consumption, I felt like it might be an inappropriate time to be going out for drinks. But as I thought more, I realized that if everyone thought that way and therefore stayed home and away from bars/restaurants, then the owners/workers at such establishments would eventually have a hard time making ends meet.
Besides, going out and relaxing for an hour and a half with everyone really gave me a much needed respite from the niggling sense of anxiety that had been with me since I realized how serious the earthquake had been. Talking with friends over drinks (and fries! yum!) let me put things aside, at least for a little while.
It's one thing to decide to spend a quiet night at home reading to conserve energy, and another thing altogether to make oneself stay home out of a misplaced sense of guilt over going about things "as usual" when others are persevering through difficult conditions in evacuation shelters, etc. Yes, we must be mindful of our consumption during these difficult times, but that doesn't mean we have to deny ourselves the right to try to resume as normal a life as possible.
In fact, I think one thing that such a disaster as this demonstrates is how precious every single moment of our life is. You can't predict when something catastrophic will happen and change your life, so it's all the more important to take the time to enjoy the company of friends and family.
Anyway, another big part of my change of mood is probably that I have a full tank of gas in my car right now. If I continue to practice economy in my driving (not using the heater, shifting to park/neutral at red lights, carpooling, walking everywhere I possibly can), I should be good for at least 3 weeks.
How I managed to get the gas is really a story of good luck and patience. It started yesterday afternoon around one something. A bunch of us teachers were talking about the gas problem in the teachers' room and I ended up suggesting that maybe we should try calling the father of one of our students for advice/clarification, since I knew he worked at the gas station near my house.
This particular chain seemed to manage to get gas daily, even if amounts were limited, but sometimes you needed to have a voucher and none of us knew how to go about getting one... At any rate, my principal called him and got information that the gas station near my house would be opening at 3pm--no vouchers necessary! With the permission of our principal, half of the teachers headed out to get gas!!
Since seven of us had carpooled in two cars that morning, I actually ended up driving three other teachers so they could get their cars. (And once we got gas I drove everyone back to school as well.) After dropping everyone off, I managed to get into the lineup for gas--at least 1km away from the entrance to the gas station!-- around 2:40pm.
That day I was supposed to be teaching extra English at 3pm, but thankfully my main plan had been to give out prizes (based on the number of stickers students had collected from the year's extra English classes) so I was able to ask their homeroom teacher to take charge of that for me instead.
Once the gas station opened things went pretty quickly, but I still didn't get back to my place (the rendezvous point for the teachers who had come with me) until about 3:20 or so. But we were all able to get 1000yen worth of gas (6.58L) so it was worth it. (If 6.58L doesn't sound like much, just consider that I can get close to 10km/L.)
Even though that gave me considerably more breathing room than before (I went from half a tank to close to 3/4), I still felt uneasy. Since I had today off, I woke up early and headed to the gas station around 6:15am to line up for gas (at the same gas station). This time I was probably 1.5km (or more? I can't estimate distances for beans!) away from the gas station, but shortly before opening time (7am), staff members came around with the vouchers that would enable us to get 2000yen worth of gas!!
Thanks to the efficiency of the gas station staff, I was able to get my 2000yen of gas (well, 1720 yen's worth, actually, as that's all I needed to get to a full tank) and be back home by ~7:25am!
After showering and eating breakfast, I headed out to the bank and grocery store. I got enough ingredients to make two batches each of tomato & meat sauce (easily frozen for later use) and curry (one pot can last me up to a week, and can also be frozen). I've already made one batch of meat sauce, and I plan on making one pot of curry either tomorrow (Sat.) or the day after (Sun.). Even though I had sufficient food for a week of school lunches--as well as plenty of cereal thanks to my last trip back to Canada--before I went grocery shopping, I feel better knowing that I've got some foods I can simply reheat stocked in my freezer.
That's definitely something about me that has changed since the earthquake. Before I was totally fine with an empty fridge/freezer because I felt like I could always just go to a grocery or convenience store, or even a restaurant to grab a meal if I didn't feel like cooking. Heck, I've even gone a couple of days eating nothing but junk food (mostly chocolate) and cereal when things have been crazy busy. But now I feel like I need to keep my cupboards a bit better stocked...
Not that I think it's a bad thing to be better prepared (with sufficient gasoline and food supplies), but the fact that it makes me feel so much better to have a full tank of gas and a well stocked fridge does make me wonder if I'm relying too much on things for security.
I mean, as a Christian I'm supposed to be relying on God. And while praying about things and knowing that others are also praying for Japan has definitely eased my mind/heart, to be honest, out of everything up to now, filling up my gas tank has probably given me the greatest sense of relief/comfort about my current situation. (I was fine with having "just enough" gas to get by at first--before I really understood the extent/implications of the disaster, but as the uncertainty with the gas situation has gone on, it's gotten harder for me to remain so carefree.)
But I am still hopeful that things will start to stabilize/improve within the next couple of weeks or so. I'd like to think that with all the global support pouring in and with the ability of Japanese people to really pull together and work efficiently in hard times that things are bound to get better sooner rather than later.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Reflections on "the BIG one"
This isn't a summary of what has happened (you can find plenty of articles online for that) or even of my experiences. Instead, I'd like to write about things I have learned from or have thought about so far as a result of the largest measured earthquake in Japanese history, in no particular order:
Okay, this makes me sound like an idiot, but having spent all but the past three and a half years of my life in Canada and having never experienced a major earthquake before, when the earthquake first happened I really had no idea that this earthquake was any different from the others in my past experience. The first email I sent to a friend was just like "Wow, I've never experienced such a long-lasting earthquake before."
I found it odd that the power was out--I was at the office at the time--because usually we can turn on a TV right after to watch news about the quake, but that was really just an annoyance. Then the aftershocks starting coming and kept coming. It was only when someone dug out a radio so we could listen to the news and we heard the initial reports about a magnitude 7 earthquake (the same magnitude as the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995-though it was later upgraded to 8.4, then 8.8, and finally 9.0) and a 6m high tsunami hitting Miyagi Prefecture that I realized that this was really really serious.
Even then I didn't fully realize the implications of such a major earthquake. I remember talking with a fellow ALT during the car ride back from the office about how inconvenient the timing was since our work party for that evening had to be canceled and we both had to cancel our plans to travel to other (nearby) cities to visit friends due to the earthquake. Looking back now I'm appalled at my own callousness, even if it was springing from simple ignorance.
I think the gravity of the situation only really started to sink in when night fell. As I looked out at the darkened city from my apartment window, I saw a thick plume of smoke rising from the southwest. As I watched the smoke was illuminated with the bright red of a raging fire. Alone in my apartment, with no electricity and no cell phone service (email reception was spotty and calls weren't going through at all, although now that I think of it, if I'd tried to call the fire department, perhaps that would have gone through?) I don't think I've ever felt so completely helpless before.
The time I spent watching the rising flames (minutes? seconds?) in growing shock and horror before the night's silence was finally and thankfully broken by the sound of fire truck sirens seemed like an eternity. It was especially scary since the fire seemed to be in the vicinity of my old house--in the area where I knew some friends were staying. (My friends were OK. The fire was at an old house somewhere else.)
The time to take precautions is when things are going well and no trouble is in sight.
All new ALTs are advised to make an disaster/emergency kit containing water, food, matches/candles, a flashlight/batteries, first aid kit, copies of important documents in a waterproof container, etc. and to leave said kit in a location easily accessible if/when a hasty evacuation becomes necessary. But how many of us actually did/have done so? I'd guess that not a single Towada ALT had such an emergency kit prepared.
With Towada being so far inland, we were lucky this time to have avoided the ravages of the tsunami and to have retained use of gas and water, but who knows if we will have the same luck in another disaster? We were able to go home and fill water bottles, grab blankets, warm clothing and food before gathering at friends' houses for warmth and safety, but many many others were not so fortunate.
I will definitely never take safety from disasters for granted again, and as soon as things return to a normal state, I'm going to make an emergency kit. Heck, I'll probably make two--one for my apartment and one for my car.
Another thing I'm definitely going to get is a battery-operated emergency cell phone charger. Thankfully I always re-charge my cell once it drops down (from three) to two power bars, but with the flurry of mails coming and going after the quake, my batteries ran down pretty quickly. (Plus my phone is old and I've dropped it a number of times so it doesn't hold a charge as well as it did when I first got it.) If the power outage had lasted any longer than it did, I would've been unreachable (by email, anyway) from Sunday on.
Batteries are another thing that I need to stock up on. Pretty much the only batteries I have in my apartment are the ones in small appliances (clocks). I don't have any spares. A battery-operated radio is also an investment I plan on making.
The one thing I was really glad that I had prepared well in advance was a crank flashlight-radio. I bought it in Canada before I came to Japan just for such emergencies. (Would that I never had to use it...!)
Another thing I am grateful for is that I never let my car gas tank go much below a half tank. Very little gas is coming in right now so lines for gas are insane. On Sunday I was able to get 10L (after waiting for about 45min) to bring my car up to 3/4 of a tank, but I wasn't willing to drive around and to wait to get it up to a full tank. (In hindsight I admit that might have been a mistake since wait times have gone up probably exponentially, but at the time I also thought that my situation wasn't as dire as others so I didn't want to potentially keep someone in greater need from getting the gas they needed.)
Anyone on Docomo was able to continue sending and receiving emails even throughout the power outage. A friend on AU stopped being able to send/receive emails maybe an hour after the initial quake until Sunday morning. Not sure about Softbank, but from the news it seemed like they also had reception issues. Since Docomo is linked with NTT (Nippon Telegraph & Telephone -- like the Bell Canada of old) I'd say they had the best service throughout the emergency. (I was even able to receive an international phone call from a friend on Friday night!!)
Even though Docomo's monthly plans are a little more expensive than other carriers, the coverage (and
coverage security) it provides is totally worthwhile.
I'm also glad that I've maintained the expense of a land line all this time (again, with NTT). Land line service was restored well before calls to/from cell phones were able to get through, so I became reachable that much faster.
Ironically enough, the topic of how a country's citizens react in times of disasters came up in a conversation with a friend not so long ago. We talked about how you can gauge the amount of faith people put in their country by how they react during emergencies. Judging by the lack of reports of looting, price gouging, hoarding, etc, people in Japan in general seem to have faith that the government and/or fellow citizens will offer assistance and aid during times of crisis. It's been really heartening to hear instead reports of people going back to their homes and making food to bring back to evacuation shelters (in Hachinohe, for example). Selectivity of media reporting might have something to do with the utter lack of negative reports, but from my own experience, Japanese people really are that good.
I mean, there's a severe shortage of (car) gas right now, but gas prices are only 2 yen higher than they were before the quake. And to ensure that the largest number of people can get gas, many gas stations have limited each customer to 10L. To me it feels like people are really thinking about not what's best just for themselves, but for the greatest number of people.
To that end, a friend told me about how when he went to pick up groceries on Saturday (the day after the quake, when the power was still off), he heard an old woman commenting on how if she bought up everything, other people wouldn't have anything, so she would only buy a little.
I can't help but wonder if Canadians would be anywhere near as civil in a similar time of crisis?
Even though I know I'm extremely lucky to be in an area only indirectly affected by the earthquake/tsunami (we can't get gasoline and other things because our supply line through Hachinohe has been cut off), there's still a lot of stress with not knowing how long we'll be cut off, if/when another big earthquake will hit (after such a large earthquake, there's apparently a chance of magnitude 7 aftershocks for up to a month afterward), how exactly the whole nuclear situation in Fukushima will impact us here in Aomori...
For me, doing small concrete things, like cutting back on my energy consumption is a way to ward off the feelings of uncertainty and utter helplessness. I've unplugged pretty much all electrical appliances apart from my refrigerator and telephone. I only keep the light on in the room that I'm currently occupying and I've been trying to sleep earlier to reduce electricity usage. As much as possible I try to wash my hands and dishes in cold water. Although I can't quite bring myself to take cold showers, I've turned the water heater down 2 degrees and I do turn off the water while I'm lathering up. I'm also not heating my apartment at all--thank goodness for long underwear and -40 degree sleeping bags, plus a natural (developed?) resistance to cold!
I'd like to think that my energy-saving efforts, combined with even the smallest economies put into practice by others in the prefecture, have helped to contribute to the cancellation of two recently planned rolling outages.
I'm also happy that I was able to give two fellow Kirita teachers who have less gas in their cars than I a ride to work today. It meant waking up at 5:30am (since I also had to prepare a bento--the kyushoku (school lunch) center didn't have enough supplies to continue with school lunch from today onward) as opposed to my regular time of 7:00 or even 7:30am, but it made much more sense than coming separately.
Even though I've been at work every day since the earthquake (I have no scheduled school visits or graduation ceremonies to attend on Friday, so I took the day off), my mind is really not on the job. As much as I love my work, right now I just want to stay at home and read. It doesn't change the situation any, but at least reading keeps my mind in the world of the book and distracted from the doubts and anxieties of Japan's current situation. It's escapism, I know, but a necessary release valve for all the built up stress in these anxious times.
As I said before, I'm safe and living comfortably here in Towada, but the constant uncertainty is really wearing me down mentally/emotionally. As much as I try to put forth a calm/confident face, I'm really a worrier and worst-case scenario thinker. I may choose to think positively, but it's not head-in-the-sand optimism.
My mother has asked me to try to come home right away. But I think that with the nuclear situation going on, I'd rather leave seats open for people closer to Fukushima. Aomori is over 300km away from Fukushima, so for now we're OK (don't know how badly we'd be affected in the case of a nuclear meltdown, but again, thinking positive...)
Another thing that makes carrying on as usual difficult is the guilt. I know that there's nothing wrong with me feeling upset or unhappy about my own circumstances, but I can't help but feel bad for wanting to complain about my situation when I think of the thousands of people who have been injured, have had to evacuate their homes, have lost their homes, have lost friends and/or family members or even their own lives.
It makes me feel petty and selfish to wish that I could use the heater in the morning (I'm fine bundling up at night, but it's hard to get out of bed in the mornings when my room is cold) or that I could fill my gas tank to get to work without worry when I think of how people are sleeping on cold gym floors (without the benefit of long underwear and -40 degree sleeping bags) in evacuation centres in Hachinohe, Sendai, etc. and can't get enough gas for their cars to evacuate from around Fukushima...
I know that the greater suffering of others around me doesn't invalidate my own feelings of anxiety/stress/hardship, but it's hard not to feel guilty for them when I have been so lucky here in Towada. And it's not like I feel "oh woe is me" all the time--for the most part I do stay focused on the blessings and what I have rather than what I lack, but...
But anyway. I'm safe and all the Towada and Aomori ALTs are safe and accounted for. Life here in Towada is continuing on--things may be not "as usual" but the hardships, such as they are, are relatively minor and altogether bearable. It sucks that after the warm weather a little over a week ago that the temperature has dropped (back in the low minuses at night) and it has started snowing again, but at least we're heading towards spring rather than in the dead of winter.
Prayers are very much appreciated at this time. If you're interested in making a donation towards Japanese relief efforts, here's a handy article from TheStar.com (for Canadians):
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/953284--how-to-donate-to-relief-efforts-in-japan
There's also this site (for Americans): http://www.donatejapanquakerelief.org/
If an earthquake lasts a really really long time and is also unusually strong, it's probably not just an unusually long/strong earthquake.
Okay, this makes me sound like an idiot, but having spent all but the past three and a half years of my life in Canada and having never experienced a major earthquake before, when the earthquake first happened I really had no idea that this earthquake was any different from the others in my past experience. The first email I sent to a friend was just like "Wow, I've never experienced such a long-lasting earthquake before."
I found it odd that the power was out--I was at the office at the time--because usually we can turn on a TV right after to watch news about the quake, but that was really just an annoyance. Then the aftershocks starting coming and kept coming. It was only when someone dug out a radio so we could listen to the news and we heard the initial reports about a magnitude 7 earthquake (the same magnitude as the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995-though it was later upgraded to 8.4, then 8.8, and finally 9.0) and a 6m high tsunami hitting Miyagi Prefecture that I realized that this was really really serious.
Even then I didn't fully realize the implications of such a major earthquake. I remember talking with a fellow ALT during the car ride back from the office about how inconvenient the timing was since our work party for that evening had to be canceled and we both had to cancel our plans to travel to other (nearby) cities to visit friends due to the earthquake. Looking back now I'm appalled at my own callousness, even if it was springing from simple ignorance.
I think the gravity of the situation only really started to sink in when night fell. As I looked out at the darkened city from my apartment window, I saw a thick plume of smoke rising from the southwest. As I watched the smoke was illuminated with the bright red of a raging fire. Alone in my apartment, with no electricity and no cell phone service (email reception was spotty and calls weren't going through at all, although now that I think of it, if I'd tried to call the fire department, perhaps that would have gone through?) I don't think I've ever felt so completely helpless before.
 |
| View of the fire from my apartment window |
Always be prepared.
The time to take precautions is when things are going well and no trouble is in sight.
All new ALTs are advised to make an disaster/emergency kit containing water, food, matches/candles, a flashlight/batteries, first aid kit, copies of important documents in a waterproof container, etc. and to leave said kit in a location easily accessible if/when a hasty evacuation becomes necessary. But how many of us actually did/have done so? I'd guess that not a single Towada ALT had such an emergency kit prepared.
With Towada being so far inland, we were lucky this time to have avoided the ravages of the tsunami and to have retained use of gas and water, but who knows if we will have the same luck in another disaster? We were able to go home and fill water bottles, grab blankets, warm clothing and food before gathering at friends' houses for warmth and safety, but many many others were not so fortunate.
I will definitely never take safety from disasters for granted again, and as soon as things return to a normal state, I'm going to make an emergency kit. Heck, I'll probably make two--one for my apartment and one for my car.
Another thing I'm definitely going to get is a battery-operated emergency cell phone charger. Thankfully I always re-charge my cell once it drops down (from three) to two power bars, but with the flurry of mails coming and going after the quake, my batteries ran down pretty quickly. (Plus my phone is old and I've dropped it a number of times so it doesn't hold a charge as well as it did when I first got it.) If the power outage had lasted any longer than it did, I would've been unreachable (by email, anyway) from Sunday on.
Batteries are another thing that I need to stock up on. Pretty much the only batteries I have in my apartment are the ones in small appliances (clocks). I don't have any spares. A battery-operated radio is also an investment I plan on making.
The one thing I was really glad that I had prepared well in advance was a crank flashlight-radio. I bought it in Canada before I came to Japan just for such emergencies. (Would that I never had to use it...!)
Another thing I am grateful for is that I never let my car gas tank go much below a half tank. Very little gas is coming in right now so lines for gas are insane. On Sunday I was able to get 10L (after waiting for about 45min) to bring my car up to 3/4 of a tank, but I wasn't willing to drive around and to wait to get it up to a full tank. (In hindsight I admit that might have been a mistake since wait times have gone up probably exponentially, but at the time I also thought that my situation wasn't as dire as others so I didn't want to potentially keep someone in greater need from getting the gas they needed.)
Docomo is the best.
Anyone on Docomo was able to continue sending and receiving emails even throughout the power outage. A friend on AU stopped being able to send/receive emails maybe an hour after the initial quake until Sunday morning. Not sure about Softbank, but from the news it seemed like they also had reception issues. Since Docomo is linked with NTT (Nippon Telegraph & Telephone -- like the Bell Canada of old) I'd say they had the best service throughout the emergency. (I was even able to receive an international phone call from a friend on Friday night!!)
Even though Docomo's monthly plans are a little more expensive than other carriers, the coverage (and
coverage security) it provides is totally worthwhile.
I'm also glad that I've maintained the expense of a land line all this time (again, with NTT). Land line service was restored well before calls to/from cell phones were able to get through, so I became reachable that much faster.
Mutual assistance is essential in dire times.
Ironically enough, the topic of how a country's citizens react in times of disasters came up in a conversation with a friend not so long ago. We talked about how you can gauge the amount of faith people put in their country by how they react during emergencies. Judging by the lack of reports of looting, price gouging, hoarding, etc, people in Japan in general seem to have faith that the government and/or fellow citizens will offer assistance and aid during times of crisis. It's been really heartening to hear instead reports of people going back to their homes and making food to bring back to evacuation shelters (in Hachinohe, for example). Selectivity of media reporting might have something to do with the utter lack of negative reports, but from my own experience, Japanese people really are that good.
I mean, there's a severe shortage of (car) gas right now, but gas prices are only 2 yen higher than they were before the quake. And to ensure that the largest number of people can get gas, many gas stations have limited each customer to 10L. To me it feels like people are really thinking about not what's best just for themselves, but for the greatest number of people.
To that end, a friend told me about how when he went to pick up groceries on Saturday (the day after the quake, when the power was still off), he heard an old woman commenting on how if she bought up everything, other people wouldn't have anything, so she would only buy a little.
I can't help but wonder if Canadians would be anywhere near as civil in a similar time of crisis?
Taking affirmative action helps ward off feelings of helplessness.
Even though I know I'm extremely lucky to be in an area only indirectly affected by the earthquake/tsunami (we can't get gasoline and other things because our supply line through Hachinohe has been cut off), there's still a lot of stress with not knowing how long we'll be cut off, if/when another big earthquake will hit (after such a large earthquake, there's apparently a chance of magnitude 7 aftershocks for up to a month afterward), how exactly the whole nuclear situation in Fukushima will impact us here in Aomori...
For me, doing small concrete things, like cutting back on my energy consumption is a way to ward off the feelings of uncertainty and utter helplessness. I've unplugged pretty much all electrical appliances apart from my refrigerator and telephone. I only keep the light on in the room that I'm currently occupying and I've been trying to sleep earlier to reduce electricity usage. As much as possible I try to wash my hands and dishes in cold water. Although I can't quite bring myself to take cold showers, I've turned the water heater down 2 degrees and I do turn off the water while I'm lathering up. I'm also not heating my apartment at all--thank goodness for long underwear and -40 degree sleeping bags, plus a natural (developed?) resistance to cold!
I'd like to think that my energy-saving efforts, combined with even the smallest economies put into practice by others in the prefecture, have helped to contribute to the cancellation of two recently planned rolling outages.
I'm also happy that I was able to give two fellow Kirita teachers who have less gas in their cars than I a ride to work today. It meant waking up at 5:30am (since I also had to prepare a bento--the kyushoku (school lunch) center didn't have enough supplies to continue with school lunch from today onward) as opposed to my regular time of 7:00 or even 7:30am, but it made much more sense than coming separately.
It's easy to say "Keep calm and carry on" but very difficult to do
Even though I've been at work every day since the earthquake (I have no scheduled school visits or graduation ceremonies to attend on Friday, so I took the day off), my mind is really not on the job. As much as I love my work, right now I just want to stay at home and read. It doesn't change the situation any, but at least reading keeps my mind in the world of the book and distracted from the doubts and anxieties of Japan's current situation. It's escapism, I know, but a necessary release valve for all the built up stress in these anxious times.
As I said before, I'm safe and living comfortably here in Towada, but the constant uncertainty is really wearing me down mentally/emotionally. As much as I try to put forth a calm/confident face, I'm really a worrier and worst-case scenario thinker. I may choose to think positively, but it's not head-in-the-sand optimism.
My mother has asked me to try to come home right away. But I think that with the nuclear situation going on, I'd rather leave seats open for people closer to Fukushima. Aomori is over 300km away from Fukushima, so for now we're OK (don't know how badly we'd be affected in the case of a nuclear meltdown, but again, thinking positive...)
Another thing that makes carrying on as usual difficult is the guilt. I know that there's nothing wrong with me feeling upset or unhappy about my own circumstances, but I can't help but feel bad for wanting to complain about my situation when I think of the thousands of people who have been injured, have had to evacuate their homes, have lost their homes, have lost friends and/or family members or even their own lives.
It makes me feel petty and selfish to wish that I could use the heater in the morning (I'm fine bundling up at night, but it's hard to get out of bed in the mornings when my room is cold) or that I could fill my gas tank to get to work without worry when I think of how people are sleeping on cold gym floors (without the benefit of long underwear and -40 degree sleeping bags) in evacuation centres in Hachinohe, Sendai, etc. and can't get enough gas for their cars to evacuate from around Fukushima...
I know that the greater suffering of others around me doesn't invalidate my own feelings of anxiety/stress/hardship, but it's hard not to feel guilty for them when I have been so lucky here in Towada. And it's not like I feel "oh woe is me" all the time--for the most part I do stay focused on the blessings and what I have rather than what I lack, but...
But anyway. I'm safe and all the Towada and Aomori ALTs are safe and accounted for. Life here in Towada is continuing on--things may be not "as usual" but the hardships, such as they are, are relatively minor and altogether bearable. It sucks that after the warm weather a little over a week ago that the temperature has dropped (back in the low minuses at night) and it has started snowing again, but at least we're heading towards spring rather than in the dead of winter.
Prayers are very much appreciated at this time. If you're interested in making a donation towards Japanese relief efforts, here's a handy article from TheStar.com (for Canadians):
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/953284--how-to-donate-to-relief-efforts-in-japan
There's also this site (for Americans): http://www.donatejapanquakerelief.org/
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Maybe it's time...?
Recently I've been wondering if I should finally learn how to use make-up properly.
For one thing it's rather embarrassing that at my age I still have to ask someone to do my make-up for me for Nihonbuyo performances.
But really the main reason is that I'm starting to think that it would be the best way to make myself look older...
At the Kaminari Daiko nijikai (the after party--lit. second party--following the wedding of one of the group members) a member who hasn't really been around since I joined the group was shocked when I answered his question re: my age. He told me that he thought I looked like a high school student! @_@ (A step up from being mistaken for a junior high school student--which happened in October--I suppose, but still...)
And earlier this month, a regular taiko member made a comment about how he would leave re-tying the taiko strings to us "young people"--even though I'm actually 6 years older than him! (Since he's only 21 he must have thought I was 20 or younger?)
It's flattering if people think I still look like I'm in my early rather than late 20s, but somehow it doesn't really make me happy to be mistaken for a teenager...
I was used to people getting my age wrong back in Canada because Chinese/Japanese/Korean people generally look a lot younger than their actual age. But I rather figured that in Japan people would be able to guess my age fairly accurately... So I'm thinking it's the fact that I don't use any make-up that throws people off.
But the thing with make-up is that it's expensive and it takes time to apply. Since I'm really not a morning person, finding even an extra two minutes in the morning is really really difficult for me. Plus I get the impression that make-up is one of those things that you have to keep using once you start using it routinely--meaning it'll become a regular expense. And quite frankly I'd rather spend the money on books/manga/eating out, etc.
Guess I'll just have to put up with being mistaken for a student until I (naturally) start looking more like my actual age.
For one thing it's rather embarrassing that at my age I still have to ask someone to do my make-up for me for Nihonbuyo performances.
But really the main reason is that I'm starting to think that it would be the best way to make myself look older...
At the Kaminari Daiko nijikai (the after party--lit. second party--following the wedding of one of the group members) a member who hasn't really been around since I joined the group was shocked when I answered his question re: my age. He told me that he thought I looked like a high school student! @_@ (A step up from being mistaken for a junior high school student--which happened in October--I suppose, but still...)
And earlier this month, a regular taiko member made a comment about how he would leave re-tying the taiko strings to us "young people"--even though I'm actually 6 years older than him! (Since he's only 21 he must have thought I was 20 or younger?)
It's flattering if people think I still look like I'm in my early rather than late 20s, but somehow it doesn't really make me happy to be mistaken for a teenager...
I was used to people getting my age wrong back in Canada because Chinese/Japanese/Korean people generally look a lot younger than their actual age. But I rather figured that in Japan people would be able to guess my age fairly accurately... So I'm thinking it's the fact that I don't use any make-up that throws people off.
But the thing with make-up is that it's expensive and it takes time to apply. Since I'm really not a morning person, finding even an extra two minutes in the morning is really really difficult for me. Plus I get the impression that make-up is one of those things that you have to keep using once you start using it routinely--meaning it'll become a regular expense. And quite frankly I'd rather spend the money on books/manga/eating out, etc.
Guess I'll just have to put up with being mistaken for a student until I (naturally) start looking more like my actual age.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Behind the times
Most people probably have an image of Japan as a place for all things high tech. But after living here for a while--particularly in rural areas (inaka)--you realize that Japan can be surprisingly behind the times in some ways.
For the most part I try not to complain too much about things that aren't the same in Japan as they are in Canada. And I do love my life in Towada/Japan, but I do find these three things rather irritating sometimes:
1) Non-subtitled DVDs:
This is probably my #1 pet peeve. I mean, it's a matter of equity, right? Why is it that people with hearing impairments have less selection when it comes to DVDs that they are able to watch and fully understand?
I can't imagine a DVD (unless it was a freebie or cheap $1 one episode thing) being released without subtitles in Canada. Heck, if a DVD was released with only English or only French subtitles there would definitely be complaints.
And the thing that really gets me is that DVDs of TV series (anime, dramas, etc.) in particular seem to lack subtitles even though when they were aired (on TV) they had closed captioning! I mean, clearly subtitles were produced at some point, so it's not like including them on the DVD would be a lot of extra work.
Apart from the equity issue, I find it personally annoying because even with just Japanese subtitles I can probably understand anywhere from 10-50% more with than without. (On the other hand, some DVDs do come with English subtitles--and I love the companies that produce them!)
2) Cash-Based Society
I find it incredibly frustrating to constantly have to go to the bank to withdraw money for grocery shopping, eating at restaurants, etc. It's especially inconvenient since you get hit with service fees for using an ATM before 8am, after 6pm (I'm often at my base school until 6pm!), or on weekends/holidays (when people are most likely to use more money).
In Canada people can get away with carrying very little cash (like $20) since they can use debit/credit cards almost everywhere (Chinese shops/restaurants are probably the main exception =P). In Japan, however, it's common for people to walk around with over 10,000yen ($100) in cash. I suppose I could apply for a Japanese credit card, but I've been "scarred" by my Tsutaya W-card rejections (twice!) and it's better for my budget to avoid buying things on credit anyway.
The lack of internet banking is probably a corollary of the whole "cash-based society" thing. Apparently Aomori Bank has started a bit of an internet banking service, but it seems rather limited in scope--you can't send money overseas through online banking, for example. I guess I should research a bit more and see if I can at least view transactions on my account online. It's a pain for me to constantly have to go to the bank to update my passbook to see if my automated withdrawals went through on schedule. (Since I keep track of my spending, etc. using Quicken such information is important to me.)
Ironically, though, when I go back to Canada I often forget to use my debit card instead of cash. Just goes to show that you can get used to something even if you don't particularly like it, I guess. =P
3) Local Information Offline
This is more a problem with Towada in particular (i.e. a life-in-the-inaka rather than a Japan-wide issue), but I find it extremely frustrating to not be able to find information on various local community events, etc. online. I mean, they all make big posters and such for the events to post in community centres, etc. so why can't they just put in a little more effort to convert them into PDF files and to post them online?
The Yurirara Towada website is great, but it usually doesn't have anything more than basic information about events until a week or two before the actual date. And since it's aimed at tourists, it often doesn't have information about smaller, more local events (like the Kirida Aki Matsuri, for example).
Even for events big enough to have their own websites, said sites usually don't go up until the two or three weeks right before the event. Since I'm the type who likes to plan things well in advance, I find this extremely frustrating. The lack of advance information is also frustrating for me as a blogger trying to make more information about Towada available in English in a timely manner.
For the most part I try not to complain too much about things that aren't the same in Japan as they are in Canada. And I do love my life in Towada/Japan, but I do find these three things rather irritating sometimes:
1) Non-subtitled DVDs:
This is probably my #1 pet peeve. I mean, it's a matter of equity, right? Why is it that people with hearing impairments have less selection when it comes to DVDs that they are able to watch and fully understand?
I can't imagine a DVD (unless it was a freebie or cheap $1 one episode thing) being released without subtitles in Canada. Heck, if a DVD was released with only English or only French subtitles there would definitely be complaints.
And the thing that really gets me is that DVDs of TV series (anime, dramas, etc.) in particular seem to lack subtitles even though when they were aired (on TV) they had closed captioning! I mean, clearly subtitles were produced at some point, so it's not like including them on the DVD would be a lot of extra work.
Apart from the equity issue, I find it personally annoying because even with just Japanese subtitles I can probably understand anywhere from 10-50% more with than without. (On the other hand, some DVDs do come with English subtitles--and I love the companies that produce them!)
2) Cash-Based Society
I find it incredibly frustrating to constantly have to go to the bank to withdraw money for grocery shopping, eating at restaurants, etc. It's especially inconvenient since you get hit with service fees for using an ATM before 8am, after 6pm (I'm often at my base school until 6pm!), or on weekends/holidays (when people are most likely to use more money).
In Canada people can get away with carrying very little cash (like $20) since they can use debit/credit cards almost everywhere (Chinese shops/restaurants are probably the main exception =P). In Japan, however, it's common for people to walk around with over 10,000yen ($100) in cash. I suppose I could apply for a Japanese credit card, but I've been "scarred" by my Tsutaya W-card rejections (twice!) and it's better for my budget to avoid buying things on credit anyway.
The lack of internet banking is probably a corollary of the whole "cash-based society" thing. Apparently Aomori Bank has started a bit of an internet banking service, but it seems rather limited in scope--you can't send money overseas through online banking, for example. I guess I should research a bit more and see if I can at least view transactions on my account online. It's a pain for me to constantly have to go to the bank to update my passbook to see if my automated withdrawals went through on schedule. (Since I keep track of my spending, etc. using Quicken such information is important to me.)
Ironically, though, when I go back to Canada I often forget to use my debit card instead of cash. Just goes to show that you can get used to something even if you don't particularly like it, I guess. =P
3) Local Information Offline
This is more a problem with Towada in particular (i.e. a life-in-the-inaka rather than a Japan-wide issue), but I find it extremely frustrating to not be able to find information on various local community events, etc. online. I mean, they all make big posters and such for the events to post in community centres, etc. so why can't they just put in a little more effort to convert them into PDF files and to post them online?
The Yurirara Towada website is great, but it usually doesn't have anything more than basic information about events until a week or two before the actual date. And since it's aimed at tourists, it often doesn't have information about smaller, more local events (like the Kirida Aki Matsuri, for example).
Even for events big enough to have their own websites, said sites usually don't go up until the two or three weeks right before the event. Since I'm the type who likes to plan things well in advance, I find this extremely frustrating. The lack of advance information is also frustrating for me as a blogger trying to make more information about Towada available in English in a timely manner.
Friday, August 20, 2010
"The most excellent way"
In April I was visited by some Jehovah witnesses. It wasn't the first visit I've had (they came once when I was living in the old house, and once shortly after I moved into the apartment), but it was the first time I actually spent a fair amount of time listening to them. (I was originally going to say "talking with" but realized that it was a mostly one-sided "conversation".)
Unfortunately I've forgotten the exact references of the verses that they shared with me towards the end of the "conversation", but I do remember that I was fairly appalled by their choices. Both verses were emphasizing dichotomies between believers and non-believers. One was from Psalms talking about how God punishes the "wicked" but rewards the "righteous" (or something along those lines) and the other was from Revelations, so of course it talked about the end times and hell and heaven and how "the wicked will perish".
Listening to them talking about how "The world we live in today is corrupt, but isn't it great that believers in God have the future hope of going to heaven?" I felt really frustrated. I didn't want the conversation to drag on so I just kept smiling and nodding, but really I was thinking "This isn't--can't be the "good news" God wants us to be spreading to the world! Whatever happened to "Love, for the day is near"?"
That feeling really reinforced the thoughts I've been having lately about what it means to be a Christian.
I've been thinking that we run into trouble as Christians when we try to become more like Christ/God. When we try to become perfect--and that's what it boils down to, since God is perfect--I think it's easy lose sight of our own inherently flawed natures; we unconsciously start believing that being Christians makes us "better people;" we grow proud of our "higher morals/values/standards" and turn into self-righteous prigs.
Since leaving my comfortable bubble of Christian community and coming to Japan, I've definitely become aware of such tendencies in my own thoughts and actions. And when I try to compensate by attempting to become as loving and gracious as Jesus, I become superficially nice and fake--not wanting to voice my real thoughts/opinions for fear of offending someone or coming across as judgmental.
Recently, though, I realized that what I should really be doing is trying to become more and more aware of God's love for me. When I realize how much He loves me, I naturally want to reciprocate that love--to Him and to others around me.
I still want to be a "better person," but the difference is I'm not doing it for my own sake or in an attempt to reach God's perfection, but simply out of a desire to not hurt/disappoint the God who loves me unconditionally. (To be more accurate, I suppose what I really want to be is a more loving person.)
When I reflect on God's love, I am humbled.
On my own I can't love others unselfishly. But when I think about how flawed I am and all the wrong things I do/say/think and realize that God loves me all the same, I can draw from that grace and love to try to be kinder and more loving towards others.
One of my all-time favourite manga and anime series is Fruits Basket
by Natsuki Takaya. It's a story about a girl who comes to live with a classmate of hers considered by many to be the school "prince," Yuki Sohma. But the "prince" has a secret: his family has been cursed so that when embraced by members of the opposite sex, they turn into their respective (Chinese/Japanese) zodiac animals!
Anyway, one of my favourite scenes from the manga/anime is when Yuki is talking to one of his younger cousins, Kisa, who has been bullied because of her naturally tawny hair and eye colour (part of the curse since she's the year of the Tiger). As a result of the bullying, she stopped talking and stopped going to school. In the scene, Yuki reads a letter she has received from her teacher asking her to come back to school. The teacher basically says that Kisa simply needs to learn to like herself in order to deal with the bullying. But Yuki disagrees:
When I first watched/read that and even up to now that scene really resonated with me. "Here is the heart of Christianity," I thought: "We love because he first loved us" 1 John 4:19.
And for me, that's really the key. Christians aren't any better or more moral than non-Christians. Nor are we more beloved by God--God loves everyone equally; we're simply aware of and believe in God's unconditional love for us where others are/do not.
So I find it really sad when churches set themselves up as "voices of moral authority in a corrupt world." To me that kind of stance tends to set Christians up in opposition to people, rather than extending God's love to them.
I think I first really started feeling that way when the whole issue of legalizing same-sex marriages came up in Canada. I felt really uncomfortable with how churches were petitioning against the bill and encouraging people to attend protest rallies, etc. While I understand the general principle of the whole "love the sinner, hate the sin" thing, I think that it's really difficult to make such a distinction in issues such as homosexuality. At that time, I decided that if I was to err, I'd rather err on the side of loving people rather than judging them. (So yes, I think it's entirely possible to be Christian and homosexual, even though "the Church" does make that difficult.)
When I was thinking through that issue, these were some of the Bible verses that led me to that way of thinking:
And, of course, the classic:
Even up to now these are the words I want to live by.
Of course, to love people I actually need to interact with them. ^^;; I've definitely become more and more hermit-like the longer I've stayed in Japan.
As an introvert I find it tiring to be around people--particularly large groups of people--unless they're really close friends or their personalities just happen to mesh well with mine. Throw lots of alcohol into the mix--I'm pretty much a non-drinker--and the situation's discomfort factor for me is doubly compounded. Unsurprisingly, large JET functions in particular are extremely draining for me.
In my first year I made a significant effort to attend functions--just to be social. In my second year I tried at least a little. This past year I really didn't try at all. With four new ALTs having just arrived in Towada, however, I feel like I should really try to make a bit more of an effort this year.
Unfortunately I've forgotten the exact references of the verses that they shared with me towards the end of the "conversation", but I do remember that I was fairly appalled by their choices. Both verses were emphasizing dichotomies between believers and non-believers. One was from Psalms talking about how God punishes the "wicked" but rewards the "righteous" (or something along those lines) and the other was from Revelations, so of course it talked about the end times and hell and heaven and how "the wicked will perish".
Listening to them talking about how "The world we live in today is corrupt, but isn't it great that believers in God have the future hope of going to heaven?" I felt really frustrated. I didn't want the conversation to drag on so I just kept smiling and nodding, but really I was thinking "This isn't--can't be the "good news" God wants us to be spreading to the world! Whatever happened to "Love, for the day is near"?"
That feeling really reinforced the thoughts I've been having lately about what it means to be a Christian.
I've been thinking that we run into trouble as Christians when we try to become more like Christ/God. When we try to become perfect--and that's what it boils down to, since God is perfect--I think it's easy lose sight of our own inherently flawed natures; we unconsciously start believing that being Christians makes us "better people;" we grow proud of our "higher morals/values/standards" and turn into self-righteous prigs.
Since leaving my comfortable bubble of Christian community and coming to Japan, I've definitely become aware of such tendencies in my own thoughts and actions. And when I try to compensate by attempting to become as loving and gracious as Jesus, I become superficially nice and fake--not wanting to voice my real thoughts/opinions for fear of offending someone or coming across as judgmental.
Recently, though, I realized that what I should really be doing is trying to become more and more aware of God's love for me. When I realize how much He loves me, I naturally want to reciprocate that love--to Him and to others around me.
I still want to be a "better person," but the difference is I'm not doing it for my own sake or in an attempt to reach God's perfection, but simply out of a desire to not hurt/disappoint the God who loves me unconditionally. (To be more accurate, I suppose what I really want to be is a more loving person.)
When I reflect on God's love, I am humbled.
On my own I can't love others unselfishly. But when I think about how flawed I am and all the wrong things I do/say/think and realize that God loves me all the same, I can draw from that grace and love to try to be kinder and more loving towards others.
One of my all-time favourite manga and anime series is Fruits Basket
by Natsuki Takaya. It's a story about a girl who comes to live with a classmate of hers considered by many to be the school "prince," Yuki Sohma. But the "prince" has a secret: his family has been cursed so that when embraced by members of the opposite sex, they turn into their respective (Chinese/Japanese) zodiac animals!Anyway, one of my favourite scenes from the manga/anime is when Yuki is talking to one of his younger cousins, Kisa, who has been bullied because of her naturally tawny hair and eye colour (part of the curse since she's the year of the Tiger). As a result of the bullying, she stopped talking and stopped going to school. In the scene, Yuki reads a letter she has received from her teacher asking her to come back to school. The teacher basically says that Kisa simply needs to learn to like herself in order to deal with the bullying. But Yuki disagrees:
Here, it says to "like yourself." What does that mean? Good things- how are you supposed to find them? I only know things that I hate about myself. Because that's all I know, I hate myself. But even if you force yourself to find good things, it feels so empty. It doesn't work that way. People like your teacher just don't get it. I think when you hear someone say they like you, for the first time, then you can begin to like yourself. I think when someone accepts you, for the first time, you feel like you can forgive yourself a little. You can begin to face your fears with courage.
When I first watched/read that and even up to now that scene really resonated with me. "Here is the heart of Christianity," I thought: "We love because he first loved us" 1 John 4:19.
And for me, that's really the key. Christians aren't any better or more moral than non-Christians. Nor are we more beloved by God--God loves everyone equally; we're simply aware of and believe in God's unconditional love for us where others are/do not.
So I find it really sad when churches set themselves up as "voices of moral authority in a corrupt world." To me that kind of stance tends to set Christians up in opposition to people, rather than extending God's love to them.
I think I first really started feeling that way when the whole issue of legalizing same-sex marriages came up in Canada. I felt really uncomfortable with how churches were petitioning against the bill and encouraging people to attend protest rallies, etc. While I understand the general principle of the whole "love the sinner, hate the sin" thing, I think that it's really difficult to make such a distinction in issues such as homosexuality. At that time, I decided that if I was to err, I'd rather err on the side of loving people rather than judging them. (So yes, I think it's entirely possible to be Christian and homosexual, even though "the Church" does make that difficult.)
When I was thinking through that issue, these were some of the Bible verses that led me to that way of thinking:
Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." - Matthew 22:37-40
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."
Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet and then turn and tear you to pieces."- Matthew 7:1-5
And, of course, the classic:
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
Do not overcome evil by evil, but overcome evil with good. - Romans 12:9-21
Even up to now these are the words I want to live by.
Of course, to love people I actually need to interact with them. ^^;; I've definitely become more and more hermit-like the longer I've stayed in Japan.
As an introvert I find it tiring to be around people--particularly large groups of people--unless they're really close friends or their personalities just happen to mesh well with mine. Throw lots of alcohol into the mix--I'm pretty much a non-drinker--and the situation's discomfort factor for me is doubly compounded. Unsurprisingly, large JET functions in particular are extremely draining for me.
In my first year I made a significant effort to attend functions--just to be social. In my second year I tried at least a little. This past year I really didn't try at all. With four new ALTs having just arrived in Towada, however, I feel like I should really try to make a bit more of an effort this year.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
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 discussbriefly:
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...)
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.)
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.]
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.
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
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.
Monday, June 21, 2010
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:
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)
- 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)
- 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.
- 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
- 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)
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