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Wednesday, January 25, 2006
10:30 PM
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Friday, January 20, 2006
9:43 AM
in irabu this morning, it`s a beautiful day.
nothing like some golden rays to make one feel alive! today is entrance examination day at irabu senior high school, which means that we have openned our doors to the middle school boys and girls who will be terrorizing us come april. as i approached the ferry terminal this morning i saw my fellow teachers dressed practically in black tie- quite a change from the usual trackpant, slip-on sandals with socks and t-shirt style. apparently, today is an important day to meet the new students, so you have to look good. of course no one thought to inform me, and i am kind of standing out in cargos and spotty chuck taylor hightops from tokyo. dang.
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Friday, January 13, 2006
2:46 PM
on my ferry ride to work this morning, i had a ponder about transport. public transport, to be more precise. i was daydreaming of montreal in the winter, and yearned to be sitting on the 24 bus along sherbrooke street, at midday, when the sun is shining and you are certain to secure a window seat, possibly even the one in the back corner of the old-style buses with the little ledge that you can rest your feet on so nicely. if i was going east, it would be downtown, maybe to meet a friend for lunch, maybe for an afternoon seminar, or for a bit of shopping. if i was going west, it would be to go home, and on the way perhaps a pitstop at the coffee shop, the pharmacy, the cleaners. ah. i do miss that bus ride. and i do miss my home, even if it is now resting in the freezy canadian winter.
my commute now is very different from that 24 bus ride downtown. three days a week i board an island-run ferry at 7:40 am. in the summertime, the ride is smooth, and the water`s aqua blue is what i stare at. in the wintertime however, the ride is very wavy. the waters are moved by the strong winds creating huge waves that make you feel like you are going to tip over.
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2:42 PM
this very ordinary photo of shin and me sitting in my apartment is my most viewed photo by far. and janine, who has the same photo on her flickr site, tells me it is also her most viewed.
do people have cast fetishes maybe?
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2:37 PM
Is this the new Cindy Sherman?
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Thursday, January 12, 2006
11:24 AM
i`ve thought about it, talked about, written about, dreamnt about it, and i think i`m gonna just do it. recontract, that is, and stay on another year here in miyako.
the decision is not an easy one, but as some have said, it is all about tradeoffs. i miss home, but many people and things make me happy here. among them, my friends, shin, my collegues, my home and the most beautiful sea on earth.
i will have to set some goals for myself, and not let this all become too easy, which it could easily become. more on that later.
i do plan on visiting canada this summer too.
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Wednesday, January 11, 2006
2:48 PM
a few mates mailed inquiring about the jet interview, so i figured i would post it here in case it can prompt anyone to come on over! (and of course select miyako jima as their teaching location of choice :) )
a few pointers for the jet interview:
1. be prepared, especially in all matters japanese. learn some names,
check out the current events in japan (they asked me to name 3), and
of course why you are interested in japan.
2. knowing a word or two in japanese helps. even saying `konichiwa`
(hello) at the beginning is good. personally, when they asked me about my japanese ability, i counted to ten, which i learned in jujitsu class as a kid. totally dorky but also endearing.
3. beyond teaching, our job is really about being open, friendly,
bringing cultures together, having ideas and a certain amount
of sponteneity, WHILST trying to fit into and contributing to the
japanese working environment. you are not expected to know all the
answers, but you have to be sensitive enough to learn them.
4.read up on some canadian news too, and things that you would want to
teach your students about canada.
5. show them you are confident. they don`t want to hire people who
will get homesick and leave 2 weeks later. at the same time, though,
be honnest about homesickness and culture shock. its a reality
everyone faces when moving to a foreign country.
6. situational questions. they will ask a few of these. try and think
about what they want to hear as well as what you want to say.
basically, display in your answers that you are flexible, and be
honnest if you are not sure.
7. relax. seems obvious enough, and i think it is what allowed me to
get through the interview and score a job. in all honnesty, i was not
that well prepared. they asked me to name 3 current events in canada,
and 3 current events in japan, and i couldnt even name one!!! but i
managed to stay cool, and discuss with them. it was a good atmosphere.
i displayed my adaptability and eagerness to learn.
8. finally, the best advice i have ever given and received when it
comes to interviews in general, is to BASE EVERY ANSWER IN EXPERIENCE.
For instance, in answering the question: What are your 2 best
qualities? , the answer `I believe that my greatest quality is
openess, which I acquired in part through my upbringing as well as my
travels throughout Asia and Africa. This quality contributes to my
life positively, for example...My second quality is that I am responsible.
Working in a financial institution for 2 years taught me the importance of..
May seem obvious, and if it does I apologize, but having been the
interviewee a few times, you would be surprised how many people
answer: I am open and responsible. It may be true, but that sentence
alone will likely not sell me. I need proof! evidence!
The basing in experience goes for all questions of course, not just
the obvious ones. For the JET interview, they asked me how I would
deal with a very difficult class that was borderline out-of-control. I
explained that I would stay calm and not raise my voice, and specified
that I had experienced on-the-job stress where I behaved calmly, which
is why I could say with confidence: `I know I have the capacity to
keep it cool when I need to.`
Ok, there you have it. Feel free to bitch and comment.
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Monday, January 09, 2006
11:46 AM
here's to wishing you a great 2006! so far, this year seems to be giving people some good vibes. yesterday my mum, sister and the rest of the tribe took off from miyako island after a 2 week visit. as per usual, it was hard to say goodbye. i hate goodbyes. but we somehow managed.
the time spent together was lots of fun, though rather stressful and demanding in some ways. big groups aren't always easy to coordinate. in any case, i still feel lucky they came all the way over here to japan to visit me, and it fills my heart with love for 2006!
their visit has also left me pondering a question i will need to address in the immediate future, and very seriously too: whether or not to stay a second year here in japan. at the moment i am leaning towards staying, and would welcome any comments or opinions you may hold on the topic.
peace to you.
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