Tag Archives: JET 2009

Going to Japan- “Packing and Re-packing”

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In scouts there’s thousands of little lessons to learn. One of them is on packing. I learned a long time ago that you always pack your backpack twice– sometimes even three times. This is to estimate weight vs. essentials and to pullout unnecessary stuff. Often, with regards to weight, you always need to pack your backpack @ 1/3 your body weight because at the pre-hiking meeting you’ll be loaded up with camp gear that’ll equal another 1/3.

Today I packed my backpack with what I thought I needed.. Somethings were unnessary, but I wanted to see what the pack would be like with them in. This round I’m limited to weight being 50lbs max (ideally 40lbs-45lbs). The first ‘packing’ weighed in at 40.5lbs. That’s without camera equipment, laptop, toiletries, etc… i.e. “just clothing.” This is mostly because the makers of “slacks”, “sport-coats”, and “Shirts” didn’t have ‘lightweight’ in mind when making those items. However, having this ‘test run’ makes me lean towards perhaps bringing another suitcase specifically for ‘business attire’ & ‘non-essentials.’ I thought I could go with one bag- and sure I could pull stuff out too… But since this is no ‘backpack trip’ and I can have 1 item shipped to my apartment upon arrival… Maybe I should repack my bags and bring two..

Decisions…. Decisions…

~J out

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Leaving The US- “From Patriot to Ex-Pat”

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If you don’t already know… One who leaves his or hers own native country to live in another country is known as an “Ex-patriot” or “ex-pat” for short. Ex-Patriot is made up of the prefix “ex-” and “patriot”. Supposedly “patriot” was coined in 1596 from the French word patriote and it’s meaning being One’s fellow country man. “Ex-” derived early too with the Latin meaning of “out of”, but the use of ‘ex hyphen’ started in 1929 and carried an added connotation of “not” (ex. Ex-husband, ex-girlfriend, ex-patriot, etc).

Why the English lesson today? Because sometimes when one leaves the US to become an ex-pat it’s due to a dissatisfaction with one’s own country. In my case it’s more of a neutral truce where I have reservations about the US (based upon personal convictions), but also a steaming passion and pride for my ‘homeland.’ In times of quandary I look to Mark Twain for wisdom… On this he wrote:

Each man must for himself alone decide what is right and what is wrong, which course is patriotic and which isn’t. You cannot shirk this and be a man. To decide against your conviction is to be an unqualified and inexcusable traitor, both to yourself and to your county, let men label you as they may.- Mark Twain

I believe it comes down to a simple truth that Americans are ingrained with a special quality that makes them Americans for life… It’s an emblem or trait anyone can spot in one’s own nature, in their mannerisms, in their choices, or in their speech. Last time I was an ex-pat I stood on both sides of right and wrong–again that funny duality coming out again– at times I passionately defended America’s right to vote for Bush (regardless of whether it was right or wrong). While in other times I’ve found myself criticizing America for dumb decisions thousands of miles away. This was because I had the privilege of a new perspective.. one that was outside “the ring of American influence.”

It’s important one doesn’t get caught up in the whole ex-pat debacle– centralizing on the fact that you’re somehow “outside chaos” because of your location. Likewise, The US is by far a perfect model for all the world’s civilizations, and as such I should try to refrain from the phrase “in the US we did it this way.” It’ll be keeping a balance between making the right decisions and trail blazing which course is “shin-patriotic” (jp: new), while also doing my best to respect Japanese customs.

JET, after all, is an exchange program with Japan–The focus being to exchange cultures for the greater good of international awareness– which only comes from choosing the meaning of “Outside Patriot” rather then “not-Patriot.”

~J out

Next post will be about “Leaving the US- Traveling within a Global Village”

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Leaving the US- “Inbetween Time”

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According to my passport I left Japan January 4th, 2007 which means I was in the US by either Jan 4th, or Jan 3rd (with the time difference). That equates to nearly two and a half years that have passed since I last lived ‘somewhere else.’ A lot of things have happened between then and now… Good things & and not so good things. As a part of the first of my reflections I wanted look back at what all transpired and how I think I’ve changed.

Truth be told 4 months nearly isn’t enough to ‘change a man’ for life, unless it’s an experience like the one I did to Sapporo, Japan in Fall of 2006. You could say that before then my idea of Japan and the Japanese was very reflective of the rosy depictions written all throughout western literature on the East. My time over there changed that view and changed how I saw the world around me.

I believe that I have evolved over the last two years to be more reflective of core Japanese values… Sometimes to the demise of long lasting relationships who found it hard to cope with me post-Japan. I wouldn’t call this evolution positive or negative, but just ‘an evolution.’ It’s captured me into this weird space where I find myself being an apologist for Japan, then flipping back to critique things I feel are grave problems of Japanese society. People think it as being indecisive, while I flatter myself with the notion of flirting with my own duality of thought.

Time spent in the US from then to now has been wholesome. I’ve grown to love and respect all sorts of new people as well as learn more about Portland then I ever expected I would. Thus, I shall miss Portland and Vancouver, and the people in it. However, a driving odd sensation has called me to return to the brazened land of the rising sun and I’ve decided to heed it’s call.

I think a majority of these transition years was just confusion on my part over what I really wanted. I believed that service in the Navy would fulfill that desire I’ve had since returning– however, once it finally came I pulled back only because I could feel that perhaps I could apply myself in other ways. I don’t regret not going through with it at all… If anything it has focused me like a lens on a long telephoto camera as to what’s really calling me.

There are things that I’ll miss dearly. For one… Objectivity & strong opinions. I came back during a pinnacle period that was the longest presidential campaign of my life. I treasure those moments. The USA is a beautiful and wonderful flourishing democracy and I love it dearly. For the time I’ve been here since returning to Japan I have regained the essence of America and will be proud to represent it in little over a month’s time.

~J out

**Next post.. Leaving The US- “From Patriot to Ex-Pat”

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Last Samurai

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Late night… did the JET Orientation thing all day today and while I’m tired– I couldn’t sleep. So I loaded up the 2003 film “The Last Samurai” with Tom Cruise and watched it. It’s amazing that however inaccurate that film is or however misrepresenting of Japan– it’s the only movie that by the end will have me crying everytime. That’s even after the fact that I’ve seen it over 20-30 times.

OK Quickie Quickie Post… (well for me anyway)

The JET orientation was today at the WTC building. I had a great time but I was just overloaded with info I need to read.

Great people… just absolutely wonderful people there and I feel like JET is one big circle of comfort around you all the time… perhaps for life? I don’t know… Only that I’ve never experienced so much support and information about going overseas as I do from the people from JET. I can probably say that by the day I arrive I’ll have nothing to worry about or fear.

Also coming up.. some new “Post RTK” stuff I’m working up including a suggested Post RTK 1-2 year curriculum (I’m working on it seriously!)

~J out.

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JET Reflections

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At church today I joined my parents and listened as the preacher preached about Greed and money… At the conclusion of the service we all got up and made to the door. My mom saw someone who worked at Clark College (where she works) and went into ‘the update pitch’.. You know.. the go-to pitch to “what are you up too?” If kids are involved the default is almost always what they’re up too… So Mom goes right into the fact that I’m leaving for Japan… This prompts the, “Ooh” (facing me) “Are you excited?” Now perhaps it’s just a unique trait of Americans or anyone who speaks English… but this question is sort of a mix between a guilt trip and a no brainer.

What if I were to say, “Excited?! Are you kidding me? Heck No… I only waited dang near a frigg’n year to find out that I got picked… Shoot I don’t even know where I’m going..! Excited is the last of my feelings about this boondoggle!” That’s an exaggeration and I DO NOT FEEL THAT WAY, but what if? Right? Muri-desu (it’s impossible).

The truth is… I’m skeptically excited only because it’s still hard to give myself to the complete unknown. I’m not talking about Japan, or teaching… but what I’ll be blogging about on this very site five months from now. A portion of me absolutely wants to cut out of dodge and go… yesterday– the other says to wait diligently. But in five months I don’t know if my -same- self will be yelling at me (today-me) or laughing– So as you can see ‘my canned answer’ of “Yeah I’m exited” is complicated.

I think that the ‘sinking in part’ of “You’re going to Japan buddy!” hasn’t fully hit yet… Perhaps it’s delayed because I’ve wanted this job since High School– Infact it’s been a want/goal for years and now that it’s finally reality– I’m without a goal. At current I’ve filled the void with a wonderful thing– Kanji learning. RTK has filled a hole that’s kept me occupied for hours (All night last night even). Yet it’s putting off the real feelings inside that are mixed between panic and platitude with regards to whether “I’m excited.”

As a consolation for all that: Here’s what I am excited for… Going back to a society that makes sense in an nonsensical way. I’m excited to learn an aspect of Japanese child development that was talked about in Bruce Feiler’s Book Learning to Bow. I’m excited to take my Japanese and culture studies to a new level. I’m gratified that my B.A. has been justified by this program. I’m excited to loose weight– lot’s of weight. And more… but the hump of expressing all this in a way that communicates to people who may not understand the complexities of “why that?” is what has me trapped. As soon as I go into it… they’re lost, I’m lost… At the moment my true excitement is uncommunicable.

Undoubtedly the enthusiasm will build within me when things get closer to leaving… I’m still months out from going to Japan so there’s a lot of thinking I have to do.. All I can ask is for people to be patient– In time the smile will come out, the excitement will be apparent, and I’ll begin glow like I did the first time I left for Japan–

Jamatte,

~J out

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Tmobile: Send us a post card

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How to cancel your TMobile phone service if you’re moving to Japan without the (rediculous) fee.

Let me guess… You found out you’re going to teach English in Japan? Woot! Awesome… you get the packet and find out all the fees of getting paper-work and stuff is on your dime, however. (Suck) Then on top of all that you probably have personal stuff like your TMobile Phone contract you’ll have to cancel– which isn’t cheap either.

I’m in this boat and I’m thinking the cost to move is getting uncanny. So I called Tmobile today to get the scoop on moving while you’re still on contract. (To make it short):

  • Option A is Simple… Cancel the contract and pay the $200 fine.
  • Option B also is simple… Keep some money in your US bank account and pay the monthly bill till your contract runs out… (for me that’s in Oct. which would be $80)
  • Option C– Cancel and pay nothing. Wha…what?!?!

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JET 2009 STATUS!

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Got an email today at 2pm (5pm EST) that said:

“Dear JET Program Applicant:

It is our great pleasure to inform you that you have successfully passed the 2nd stage screening process for the 2009 JET Program year and are now on the final short-list of ALT candidates. You have been scheduled for placement in a Contracting Organization, which is possible in almost all cases.

(yada yada about the next steps)

Congratulations on your qualification to receive placement on the JET Program….”

This means that after I submit the documents (11 in all, perhaps) that I’m pretty much guaranteed a J.O.B. as a JAPANESE ENGLISH TEACHER in JAPAN!

W000000000000000000T!

~J

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RTK Progress Report

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img_2441 So it’s been a couple of days since I’ve started James Heisig’s First Kanji Book, Remember the Kanji: A Complete Guide on How Not to Forget the Meaning and Writing of Japanese Characters. The report is that I haven’t given up… Somehow between the actual chance at remembering them and the fact I should/need to learn them has driven me to keep up with my study.

However, truth be told– the reason I’m continuing is that I’m actually seeing *real* progress… Or, at the very least, what I think (or hope) to be progress. As far as where I’m at– I’ve just completed PART One… 276 characters from 1 to Tranquilize.

To assist me in this challenging endeavor I have my co-worker Brian who is constantly on my tail (1-2 lessons behind me). Him and I work to “review the kanji” on our lunch breaks, as well as, keep each other motivated to continue on to all 2,042. To help Brian and I is a number of technologies (Computer & Text) to keep us fresh and up to date..

Anki: Anki (Pronounced “onk-key”) is a SRS flashcard type program that catalogs cards which you deem to Easy in the back of the deck… and hard-to-remember cards in front.. It’s designed basically to help anyone remember anything effeciently.

Kanji Koohii Reviewing the Kanji: (affectionately called K-squared by Brian and me) is a great resource for those specifically following along with the Heisig book… It has an extensive online library of sentences to use, it’s own SRS (like Anki), and a forum of folks like me trying to ‘remember the kanji.’

My Ipod Touch: Essentially my ipod touch has become a mobile Anki station, K2, and kanji review-on-the-go. I have ‘anki-mini’ setup on it, study arcade, and a link to k2 in my safari bookmarks…

My Tablet PC: Used to run Anki + the nifty touch screen to practice kanji in Anki… What can I say.. Tablet PC’s rock..

Notebooks & Index Cards: You’ve probably seen the cards stacked up in the pictures in both the last post and this one… No joke– Index cards really can’t be replaced with all the tech the in the world for two reasons: Physically writing (with a pencil) words, kanji, and sentences literally inscribe this stuff into your mind– Second, having an actually tangible card to look at, shuffle, review with just is awesome/helpful.. Plus if your tech breaks, gets deleted, burned, whatever– cards act as the ‘ultimate’ backup source. I was debating if I do cards for lessons 13-19 (Part 2) only because we’re talking an additional 231 index cards on top of my current 276+ cards for a whopping 507 cards!! Well my answer is yes… but for Part 2 I won’t write a story on the card.. instead I’ll write it in my notebook I’m calling “the RTK Story book”.

Ok well that’s it.. more to come later…

Two weeks till I hear from the Japanese Exchange & Teaching Program.
~J out

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The JET Interview

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This post I should have posted sooner I know, but I knew it would be posted someday– And here it is! Yea!

My big hang up from posting this was due to the fact that I wasn’t sure how much to post. Luckily a former professor of mine asked me to tell him, in detail, what it was like…

So for his benefit, and for the benefit of my readers, I wrote a lengthy email— which I’m going to relay here for anyone who wanted a ‘play by play’ of the event with what they and I said (roughly):

————————-

Date: Fri, Feb 13, 2009

Subject: The Jet Interview debriefing

Yesterday was “The Interview”…

I started by checking in with my voucher and I was ushered into a lounge area with other well dressed JET Applicants.. After 10-15 minutes of waiting someone came out and asked me to follow them in. This person turned out to be the Former ALT Interviewer… In my panel (panel 2 out of 3) was a COLLEGE Japanese Language professor, a Japanese Consulate Official, and a former JET.

What Happened:

I left the lobby and walked in and greeted everybody and introduced myself. The first thing they wanted to know was specifically, “What first interested you in Japan?” This question is a vast opener question where I was given the opportunity to lay out my core interest and experience… I made sure to state specifics for follow up questions (Important!).

Next they asked if I had any “Classroom Teaching Experience outside my experience as a Boy Scout” (I had put down my time in BSA for teaching experience). I replied “YES” and related my experience as a High School Coach… yada yada (Seemed to be a good response). A note here is that I felt they were fishing to see if I was just a regular College Joe or someone who could legitimacy help a school. (be careful)

The next series of questions had to do with me and my Exchange Experience in Japan..(COLLEGE PROFESSOR) “I see you lived in Sapporo, what challenges did you experience?” My response was along the lines of my (lack of) preparedness for a “non-car lifestyle” as well as the drastic change in climate (to ‘bitter’ cold).

After that the College Professor moved on to a very complex long hypothetical that I’ll try to remember:

(COLLEGE PROFESSOR) “Josh, imagine you are an Alt (pronounced “alt” as in “alt-ernative” o_O?) and you are teaching with a teacher who is sort of ’set’ in their ways of teaching.. Perhaps an older man who teaches English in a lecture mode and makes students simply ‘repeat’ sentences from the book.. Now you happen to teach 1 out of (say) 8 Classes in which you’re given full range of the class.. One day there was a student who spoke in very good English.. In the hallway he approached you saying (in a perfect US accent) that he enjoyed Your Classes but didn’t enjoy Mr (English) Sensei’s (Your Teaching Partner) class because A.) he teaches in a mono-tone and B.) Never Calls on me (the student approaching you with good English)… My Question is what would you do to make the student feel involved in the class, while not offending your English Teacher Partner? (This, by the way, is a political question requiring some careful thinking)

My response was that I would first meet with the Teacher after school to ask if he/she knew of the student-in-question’s ability in English, and if they did, ask politely why he/she hasn’t involved the student more in their classes. Then I suggested that during my turn in Class I would try to recruit the student as my assistant to help assist (the ALT) teach the class as a team-teacher/helper sort of deal for extra credit perhaps. Finally, I suggested, that if the school was OK with it, I would start an English Club or a Poetry Club as the adviser and appoint this student as club leader so that he could recruit friends. (They seemed fine with that answer). The reason for my answer was that I gave at least a plan A, plan B, and plan C to show that in these cases more then one approach to a problem may be required.

Next, the Former ALT announced “Show Time” .. Her question was, “OK, you’re an ALT and you’ve just been invited to an Elementary School with about 1 hour’s notice.. The principal vaguely knew you were coming yesterday, but really there’s no time to ‘prepare’… You arrive and you find out that no one in the elementary school class (much less the School Staff) knows English… We (pointing to the Interviewers) are going to pretend to be elementary school kids and you are going to give us your self introduction in a way us elementary kids could understand — GO!”

The key, I hypothesized, was that I was going to need to supplement my English words with big comical hand gestures and faces.. Also I would need to repeat myself slowly for maximum effect..

Also… I knew I couldn’t do this sitting down either so…

I jumped up out of my chair and with big wide gestures said:
(ME) “HELLO! MY NAME IS JOSHUA.. CAN YOU SAY JOSHUA?”
(THEM) (somewhat hallariously in a Japanese-y Elementary Voice) Jooo-SHOE-AHHH?
(ME) “YES! GOOD JOB!!! (clap clap)” “I’M FROM PORTLAND, CAN YOU SAY PORTLAND?”
(THEM) po-ru-toe-ran-do..??
(ME) “GooooooD!! (clap clap) ” “DO YOU KNOW WHERE PORTLAND IS?”
(THEM) iie… no… iie…. iie…
(ME) DO YOU KNOW SEATTLE? ICHIRO? MARINERS?
(THEM) ICHIRO!!!! (they said… everyone in Japan should know Japanese Major League Players)
(ME) DO YOU KNOW L.A.?
(THEM) DISNEYRANDO!
(ME) OK PORTLAND (using the wall as a make-believe map) IS BETWEEN ICHIRO HERE IN SEATTLE (Pointing at a blank white wall) AND DISNEYLAND! (Pointing Lower and indicating where the two met in the middle [Salem probably] was roughly where I came from.)

they eventually stopped me because they were having quite a time keeping their composure as elementary students… (Great fun.. with lots ‘o’ laughs)

The next question was similar to the “Good English Student” question.. The Former ALT asked, “In Japan, Jr. High School students have to learn English how would you make it interesting and exciting?” I responded that I believed that my role as an ALT wasn’t to teach the Book-based English Lessons, as much as  more importantly to show my students that English is a commonly used language– that “living English is useful to know.” I also mentioned that I would use my enthusiasm (demonstrated in the self intro) to keep the students awake and interested…

The next section I was totally UNprepared for… The COLLEGE PROFESSOR said, “For students who knew some Japanese we do a small portion of Japanese to gauge where you are and where you would be placed… Some BoE’s request ALT’s with a working level of Japanese and that’s why we do this…” then he proceeded asking how long I studied Japanese (in Nihongo), where I studied, where I lived in Japan… Then consulate person, who remained quietly engaged, finally asked what I liked to eat in Japan and if I liked Natto… I’ll admit… I wasn’t prepared, but I did my very best and it was enough to keep everybody smiling and laughing.. (whew..) I’m actually pretty good, but under stress the mind warps you know. (This btw has NO bering on whether you’re good or not, only where they would place you hypothetically).

Lastly they asked if I had a question for them… I didn’t want to ask just the Former ALT a question so I asked a broader question, “Obviously the first time you went to Japan you must have had a goal in mind that you wanted to accomplish.. First, What was that goal? and Second, Did you feel that you accomplished it?” They responded with various answers and I found them useful. They asked if I had anything else, but for the sake of time I said that my ‘biggest’ question was answered.

We finished with some administrative questions and I was asked if I, after JET, would continue to be involved with the consulate and what would I like to do? I said YES, and would enjoy to be involved with International Relations the consulate does after JET…

With that we shook hands, bowed, and it was over… The whole shebang lasting about 30 or so minutes….

Now comes the ‘wait game’ again to find out if all that was enough… ;-D

So there you have it…. A ‘glossing over’ my gut wrenching interview that day.

Relax, Express Yourself Clearly and Thoughtfully, and try to answer their questions rather then cramming in need-to-know factoids about yourself.

~J

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