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Living in Japan has been quite the experience. I have now been here for ten months, and I'm happy to report that there have been far more ups than downs while living here. Having said that, the purpose of this blog isn't to necessarily encourage you to join the JET Program (they're not paying me enough to justify advertising in my spare time); it's more to give everyone the information one would need to make the big life decision of moving to Japan.

You know moving to Japan is huge. You've heard the warnings, the cautions, the encouragement. For a few minutes, consider what moving to Japan will do for you as a person. Consider how you will cope with:

1) Living alone

2) Making new friends (or sucking at life and making no friends)

3) Being the only foreigner in your location

4) Possibly having a long-drop toilet

5) The language barrier

6) Homesickness

7) Driving/Commuting

8) Never connecting with a Japanese person or fitting into the community

9) Being an assistant teacher

10) Being treated like a full-fledged teacher

11) Being reprimanded for your habits, your clothes, etc.

12) Being a novelty

Yes, I put having a long-drop toilet before overcoming the language barrier. What the fuck. I would never want one of those.

Anyway, my point is that living in Japan isn't 100% EXCITINGEASYSPECTACULARANIMECOSPLAYRAMEN!

It just isn't.

It's life. You don't come to Japan and put your life on hold. You're still going to be living your life, just in a different location. You still have to do dishes, take out the trash, pay bills, allot yourself time to de-stress...

Don't come here expecting things to be so wildly different that you are no longer you. That's not the case. The worst thing you can do is come here with unrealistic (or unevaluated) expectations. What I mean by "unevaluated" is that you really need to think things through. JET can be fun; JET can be the bane of your existence, and sometimes it's not up to you which one it is. Your BoE can make your life a living hell or it can give you free nenkyuu just because you have a pretty face. JET is "what you make it" only to an extent. You can't control what BoE you get or if you're a prefectural ALT. Gird yourself for hard times.

Stepping out of the Negative Nancy shoes, my personal experience on JET has been very good. I have a nice house, I'm safe from tsunami; I'm reimbursed for gas I use to travel to my two schools in the mountains; my kids are well-behaved; I started playing futsal and have made some Japanese friends; my Japanese is improving; the ALTs around me have become some of my best friends; my BoE cares about my safety; my supervisor is incredibly easy to work with; I am not expected to act as a full-time teacher (making lesson plans, staying at school late, etc.); and I'm not made to feel guilty about anything.

I'm not exaggerating when I say I have the best placement in all of Japan. I'm proud of Sai. It's a beautiful place with great people. (Do you see how the gushing is slowly getting more annoying than the previous negativity?) I'm treated very well here, but I also don't ask for help that often and am really low maintenance. I try to make my supervisor's job as easy as possible, which I'm sure she appreciates. (She's a busy lady being a yakuza and all.) 

One of the most important pieces of advice I can offer you is: be an adult. My friends and I can act like retards when we're together (PC mumbo jumbo, GTFO), but when I'm in public, I conduct myself professionally. Living in a small village mandates this. Someone sees me wherever I go. People talk. I don't want one immature action to haunt me for the rest of my time here. I'm not saying you have to wear a suit all the time and walk around frowning. Be yourself, but remember to have a little restraint. Teachers in Japan are role models. Make sure your students (and their parents) see you in the best possible light.

Make sure you have a goal in mind when you get here even if your goal is to come up with a goal while you're here. It's really easy to set your time here on JET aside from your normal life but DON'T DO IT. If you don't plan on staying in Japan for the rest of your life (or even the five consecutive years you're allowed to be in JET), spend your free time preparing for the future you know you want. A lot of ALTs I know are applying to graduate school or are in the process of at least searching for which schools they'd eventually like to get into once they leave Japan.

Another thing... if you get here and absolutely hate it, don't fucking break your contract. It's a huge inconvenience for your contracting organization, and it's a really poor reflection of you, your country, and the JET Program, which is already in danger of being terminated. For some reason, you are completely free to break your contract without legal penalization. You'll have to pay your own way to get back home and be a douchebag though.

If you're a sensitive person, this experience is still possible for you. This is the first time I've ever lived on my own. After high school, I had a roommate for a year and a half at university, and then my boyfriend and I rented an apartment together. It's not so bad though. In fact, if I didn't have a boyfriend to miss, I'd be perfectly content where I am right now. Living alone is the best way to get to know your own needs and solidify who you are. In my opinion anyway. It is imperative to get out at times, however. Make friends! Explore!

Hopefully I'll be able to write about all the other things I've wanted to talk about soon. Between work, studying Japanese, and trying to stay sane, I don't have much time for blogging. I do think they're somewhat helpful though, so I'll keep writing them. Maybe I do have enough time and I'm just being lazy. It's probably that.

Ouch. I think you hurt my man-feelings with that one.

A simple blog to list some creature comforts you might find useful for your sanity during your stay on JET. (These will be in no particular order other than the order they spring to mind.)

1) A gaming system. Actually, this is my number one comfort. I lasted 5 months without my 360. By the fourth month, I was nearly shaking from withdrawals. Laugh all you want. Imagine living without your favorite hobby... and me laughing at you... laughing at your tears. My point is: whatever your favorite hobby is, don't just leave it behind in your home country. I didn't have enough room in my suitcase when first coming to Japan, and for a while, I was completely fine exploring my village and making new friends; however, after four months of this, I needed that piece of me I had left back in the US. Now that I have it, I'm less stressed and just generally happier to have something to do besides wait for someone to say something interesting on Facebook.

2) Your favorite toiletries. Yes, Japan probably has an alternative to whatever you use at home, but finding the right substitute costs money and can lead to frustration. If you have a favorite deodorant, lip gloss, chapstick, hair gel, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, etc., just bring it. The bottom line is that you're used to smelling a certain way. It can affect how you feel about yourself. In the first scorching-hot months you're here, don't you want to be at ease knowing you've put on a deodorant that isn't going to let you stink up the mayor's office when you meet him? If your Japanese isn't that great, wouldn't it be nice to have time to figure out which shampoo you'll switch to when your one from home runs out instead of panicking during your first visit to the grocery store when you can't read anything on the bottles? It'll probably take a little while to get used to living in Japan. Having these small items can really help.

3) Books in your native language. This isn't to say you can't find books in your native tongue or order them online, but I've found that it's nice to have some books in English around even if I don't read them that often. Books you've started but haven't finished are good. Who wants to buy a duplicate of a book if it's not possible for the original to be shipped to you? Just bring it.

4) Photos. This one may seem pretty obvious, but in this day and age, it's more common to have pictures on your computer than pictures by your bedside. You should bring pictures of your town/country/family/school to share with your students anyway. Bring some personal ones as well that you can look at when you're feeling down. I keep taking pictures, but they're just sitting on my iPhone or my laptop. There's a camera shop right down the road where I'm sure I could have them printed, but because I'm nervous, I haven't set foot in it. You'd think after eight months I'd be over it. The truth is that it's always awkward to meet people who already know about you. You feel obligated to talk to them. They're going to remember what you buy. I don't know if you're used to that stuff, but I'm definitely not. JET doesn't lie to you when they say you could turn into the town celebrity or at least the town walking piece of art.

5) Shoes. If you have big feet, ladies, bring cute shoes from home. Japan has the cutest shoes in the world, but if your feet are larger than a US size 8, be warned: you will probably not be able to wear any of them. When I went home for winter vacation, I bought about eight new pairs of shoes just to soothe my craving. It's hard not being able to buy the cutest shoes in the world! Guys, unless you're a basketball player (or the size of one), you should be fine. Still, bring your Nikes and your favorite dress shoes. Most men's Japanese shoes have a heel on them. If you're not into that sort of thing, bring your own. There are some really bitchin' tennis shoes here though.

6) Toothpaste. I know this should go under toiletries, but it's important enough to have its own category. Japanese toothpaste often has lower levels of fluoride (which fights cavities) than US toothpaste. We also have fancy whitening paste with peroxide bubbles, baking soda, magic fairies, etc. I brought two tubes of Sensodyne and a big tube of Crest (or something like that) with me. When I came back from winter vacation, I brought back even more to last me for the rest of the year. My teeth are not things I want to leave to chance. If you're like me, bring toothpaste from a brand you trust whose ingredients are in a language you know well. As a side note: Japan's toothbrushes are pretty simple. They don't often have zillions of bristles, have middles that flex, or pick up your morning paper. If you're cool with a plain, broad toothbrush, you'll find oodles of those in Japan. Toothbrushes take up hardly any room in a suitcase. Why not bring ones you really like?

7) Contacts. I am about to tell you something awesome. 1-800-Contacts does not check the prescriptions of international orders. Go to the website, pick your contacts, enter the power/diameter/whatever else it asks you, and ship them to your Japanese address. It takes one day for them to "verify" your prescription. (Funny, I didn't even tell you the name of my optometrist...) You'll receive your boxes of contacts in about two weeks. Personally, my prescription expired sometime last July. I received my contacts precisely two weeks later, and I am as happy as a clam that never dies but is super excited about immortality.

8) Credit card. To buy stuff online with. Come on, people.

Don't freak out and take everything with you. You do not need your baby blanket. Your DVD collection does not have to follow you across the ocean. Bring your absolute favorites, sure-- things you'd like to share with your new friends; movies that lift you up when you're depressed (and you will have those days). I live in one of the most rural areas of Japan, and I'm doing just fine. Sure, it takes me almost four hours to drive to the main city, but living in Sai is amazing. The sunsets, the nature, the students... If you are my successor, you have the most amazing job waiting for you.

There are probably other comforts I've forgotten to mention, but I'm pretty sure you know what you like and can't live without. These are just the ones that stuck out to me the most. If you have any questions about specific products, let me know, and I'll try to see if they're available in Japan.

This concludes our broadcast day. Bloop.

TOBY! You are close to death!

As I will be on the JET Program for two years, I decided to go home for winter vacation. Initially, I had firmly decided against flying back to the States due to the cost; however, I started to miss my boyfriend and caved easily when a friend of mine, Shadowcat, told me that a trip home wouldn't be a bad idea. Damnit. I'm not as stone-cold as I thought.

As I helped Shadowcat plan her itinerary for getting to Narita airport, my resistance to going back home crumbled. My resolve melted. It took about 15 minutes for me to decide I would be making my way to Tokyo with Shadowcat. Traveling with a friend is an incredibly good idea, by the way. It's way better to have someone to share the experience with-- from sharing meals to sharing stress. Our journey to Tokyo included a 4-hour car drive to Hachinohe, an 11-12 hour bus ride to Tokyo, and a 1.5-hour express train ride to Narita Airport. If I had done that journey on my own, forget about it. It was great having someone to joke with through all of the stress.

Traveling together also strengthens your abilities and resources. When Shadowcat and I were confused about our bus tickets and were worried about missing our bus, it was her phone that didn't have a dead battery and my Japanese ability that enabled us to talk to a customer service representative and get everything worked out. At the end of the ordeal, we could laugh about our former frustration and just relax.

If you decide to go home, know that it will cost from 1000-2000 USD for the flight. Unfortunately, since you could be placed anywhere in Japan, I can't tell you how to get to your closest international airport. There are five that I know of (not including air bases): Narita (Tokyo), Haneda (Tokyo), Itami (Osaka), Centrair (Chuubu), and Kansai. So, if you live far away from everything like I do, give yourself plenty of time to plan your traveling itinerary. This is also a great reason to make friends with fellow JETs. Doing things alone just sucks!

Travel Tip: Take a shower and wear clothes you want to sit in for 20-30 hours. Don't think, "I'm just going to be gross after the flight anyway, so I won't take a shower." SWINE! Take a shower. It'll make a world of a difference. If you're stressed out, lost, or about to miss your plane, the last thing you need to be thinking about is how gross you feel.

Another travel tip: Don't wear contacts. Wear your glasses and put your contacts in at your destination. You'll be sleepy, your contacts will be dry, and you will just generally not have a good time. They will be so unbearable that you will rip them out of your eyes in the airport parking lot and discard them without remorse.

Travel Tip 3: Do NOT under ANY circumstances forget that you need to buy a re-entry permit to get back into Japan. Yes, I put that in bold. And made it fucking huge. If you do not procure this permit, you will NOT be able to re-enter Japan on your teaching visa from JET. I don't care how much you cry. As soon as you leave the country, it will EXPIRE. Bye-bye, comfy job in Japan. Take note: Japan has gotten rid of this law, but it is not effective until 2012. Be careful. The re-entry permit can take a while to get if you live in an area where many foreigners live. I got mine in about 10 minutes because I live in the inaka. Situations will vary. You'll need your passport with visa and gaijin card. There will be a form that you fill out in the office. You'll also need to buy a special stamp for the form. Depending on your prefecture, it may be bought at a konbini or inside the building you get the permit but on a different floor. Ask around for the specifics! Your Prefectural Advisor should be able to help. Mine did. She rocks.

Travel Tip 4: Do not gorge on your home country's food. You will gain five of the eleven pounds back that you lost playing soccer all autumn. However, you will be slightly warmer than everyone else due to recent chubbiness. You will work harder to lose it again. I SAID YOU WILL WORK HARDER.

So, what have we learned? Going home doesn't mean you're pathetic. It doesn't mean you need to reassess your entire life. It just means there are things you need to do or people you need to see outside of your life in Japan. There's nothing wrong with that. If I weren't staying for two years, I would have toughed it out due to the money. As it stands, I'll be here collecting awesome paychecks for another year and a half. Mwahahaha.

Check your airline's policy on how many bags you can check for free. On Delta, I was allowed two free checked bags. When I went home, I put the smaller suitcase inside of the bigger one. When I came back to Japanland, I had two huge suitcases that flew free. Pack those bags and re-pack them to make sure everything fits properly. I actually could have brought a lot more stuff back in my larger suitcase. I've found, though, that I don't want for anything while here. On the rare occasions that we go to the foreign food store (four hours away), I don't grab a cart and start stock-piling. The only thing I bought last time was some A1 steak-sauce. The time before that, I think I bought a jar of jam. Being in Japan has made me very aware of what I eat, when, and portion size. Going back to the US was shocking. I didn't realize portions were so humongous at restaurants!

This was me: O_O

I enjoyed the food I ate during my vacation, but I won't be eating like that ever again. Japan has really put things into perspective.

Not sure if I left anything out. Ah, make sure you bring back some sort of omiyage for your coworkers. They will appreciate it way more than something you got from Japan. I brought my peeps three different types of jolly ranchers, and they loved them! Dollar store. Use it.

Veni, Vidi, Vici

A few days ago, I taught a sixth-grade class by myself. I was not prepared for this. My JTE had told me the previous week what the lesson was going to be, but I had no idea that I would be teaching the entire 50-minute lesson by myself. When I walked into the classroom, there wasn't even another teacher there to pass the torch. My JTE had left me no workbook (which all the activities are in), no textbook ("Sorry, kiddo. Gotta steal yours for a sec..."), and no activity CD.

I wanted to punch her in the ovaries.

BUT, I kept a smile on my face and improvised until I remembered what the hell I was supposed to be teaching. The last thing I needed to do was show my kids that I had no idea what I was doing. The great thing about the kids in Sai, though, is that they are impeccably well-behaved. I want to adopt at least ten of them.

I confiscated a student's book and quickly thumbed through the pages until I found one that looked familiar. Oh, YEAH! The lesson is about time. Uhhh... what am I supposed to do again? Long story short, my class was a complete success. The activity that took the longest was counting to sixty one by one. If someone messed up the subsequent number, we started aaaaall the way back at one. This tricky little game took up about 20 minutes of the class period. GENIUS!

The best part about the class was that my JTE's horrible pronunciation was absent. I taught the kids the way I thought they should learn. As an ALT, I've found that freedom in the classroom isn't so abundant. If you ever get the opportunity to have ANY say about how a lesson should be done, SPEAK UP! I have a lot of freedom in my elementary schools but not so much at my junior high. When I do get that freedom, I make the most of it, and I feel like my students benefit from my activities/lessons more than they do from being lectured at for 50 minutes.

Speaking of activities, a really great one that takes up a lot of time and gets the kids really active is a simple game in which you have three sentences on the board and the students have to guess which of the three is written correctly. For example:

1) Commander Shepard fights aliens.
2) Commander Shepard fight aliens.
3) Commander Shepard fight alien.

Only one of those sentences is grammatically correct. Two students go up to the board to secretly write their answers. Beforehand, however, one person from each team decides how much money to bet that the answer the other person on their team chooses will be correct. Whoever gets the answer right wins the whole pot of money. If it's a tie or both teams are wrong, the money stays there for the next round.

This is a REALLY great way to get the kids to use their brains, think quickly (I start counting down from 5 if they take too long to guess), and identify what's wrong in a sentence by breaking it down into smaller pieces. After I reveal the answer, I ask them why the other two sentences are wrong.

It's great to have some control in the class for your own sanity, but the most important thing is that leading the class also builds your relationships with your students on two different levels: as a teacher and as someone fun! For example, today I played the game I described above with my 9th graders. They got super into the game, which was awesome, but they tended to talk over me sometimes. I picked my favorite student to torment and called him up to the board. I was about to put my arm around him and embarrass him, but I thought that would be too much. So, I simply made him face the blackboard for a few minutes and let the class laugh at him. This may sound cruel, but at this point, my kids already know that I'm not being mean by isolating him. I adore this kid. He's one of the ones I want to adopt! I only made him stand up there with me for two minutes before I let him sit back down. Nobody likes overkill. As he walked away, I gave him a reassuring pat on the back. (Later, I was bent over laughing about a 1000 yen bill he had folded into looking like a turban was over Noguchi Hideyo's head. It was about 90% as funny as I was making it look, but I made it look 10% funnier to make up for picking on him earlier. See? I'm all about balance!)

The only reason I pick on him is because we have a really good relationship. He's the first of the boy students that I met, the first that I had an inside joke with (I call him mondaiji), and the only student I've sat down with and spoken to for two hours until eleven o'clock at night. You read right! I got to know him way better than any of the other kids. I seriously took out a pen and paper and interviewed him. I don't normally do that, but after about forty-five minutes of talking to him, I sensed that he had pretty low self-esteem. I wanted to make him feel important, so I asked him every question I could from his favorite color to his dream job.

I didn't want our conversation to turn into an English lesson, (and we did speak in Japanese a bit) but I still wanted to challenge him. I really believe in this kid. None of the teachers think he's smart, but I know for a fact that he is. When I speak to him in English, he generally understands what I want from him, he just has a harder time producing an answer for himself (I'm the same way in Japanese, so I completely relate to this obstacle). Neither of us were expecting to talk to one another for two hours, and by the time eleven o'clock rolled around, I could see he was exhausted. I decided it was time for me to go. I smiled at him and said, "You know, I'd leave, but your little brother is still playing with my iPhone..."

"Oi!" He yelled. "Kaeru tte."
(Hey! She said she's leaving.)

It was awesome getting to see an older brother interact with his younger brother. The little kid (who happens to be in my sixth-grade class) had been transfixed with a simple block-puzzle game on my iPhone for at least an hour. I told him I'd let him play with it some other time. I also gave him a Naruto cellphone charm since I had three of the same one in my purse at the time. Don't ask me why.

Kind of a long backstory to explain my justification for teasing this one kid, but that's what it is. I'm really sad that he's a 9th grader. It means I only have a few months left with him until he's off to high school in a completely different city. It's only been four months, but I've grown really attached to my kids. Sure, some I like more than others, but that's because some kids just naturally stand out while others take a little while to come out of their shells. You can always tell that a kid wants to talk to you if they're staring. And while I do approach these kids and ask them if there's anything they want to talk about, they always say no. If this happens to you, just know that they're embarrassed to be put on the spot/to have drawn your attention. With shy kids, I try to be extra encouraging and always smile at them.

Today at lunch, the music teacher asked if I played any sports. I had told everyone that I golf in my self-introduction, but no one knew that I recently started playing futsal (indoor soccer). Before I could say any more, the music teacher yelled across the room to another teacher: "DID YOU KNOW SHE PLAYS FUTSAL?!" I hate when people make a big deal about knowing a tidbit about my life, especially when I'm just a beginner at something (like I am at futsal). This also caused all of my 9th graders to stare at me. In all the commotion, however, I noticed that one of the shyer boys at my table nodded to himself with a quiet "sugee". We shared a brief smile. And that's what it's all about.

Let's see if you bastards can do 90.

The textbooks the kids use in English class suck. They're short, childish, and don't give nearly enough examples for the students to attain any semblance of fluency. That being said, the teachers must teach from it; the students must learn from it. You, as the ALT, must deal with it.

THAT being said, as an ALT, it's important to remember that fluency isn't necessarily the goal. A big part of our job is getting kids comfortable with English. If you come here with fluency as your goal, you're always going to be disappointed. You're going to be stressed out, and your kids are going to be stressed out. If they're stressed out, they're not going to want to learn. And isn't that the opposite of what you want?

I've never considered myself a very patient person, so the best teaching tactic for me (and ultimately for the kids) is to just let loose in the classroom. Now, your JTEs are not supposed to abandon you in the classroom (mine have never), but some JTEs like to think of ALTs as substitutes rather than assistants. In the case where your JTE doesn't flake on you, you may find my methods effective.

I always try to be the energetic, funny, and helpful presence in the class, letting my JTE wield the mighty discipline hammer. For example: at my largest elementary school the other day, one student in my sixth grade class wasn't paying attention. This doesn't happen a lot in my classes, but you never can tell what's going on in a student's life at any given time. When this happens, I just try to include the kid more by having them repeat whatever vocab word we're working on at the moment or even asking them to come up with an entire sentence that uses the grammar we're going over. When I would call on him to repeat vocab words, he would do so immediately but then fall back into a stupor. I really wanted this kid to pay attention, so I stopped class for a second, looked him straight in the eye and said, "Am I boring you?"

Duh, of course he's not going to say yes; however, I knew I got through to him because he looked really shocked and embarrassed after I asked. I knew this tactic would work on him because he has already expressed that he finds me incredibly interesting. I let him think that he was giving the impression that I was boring. Yes, I made him feel bad; yes, I singled him out. But, I did it in a way that drew upon his feelings for me as a teacher instead of just yelling at him to pay attention (which would only conjure more negative feelings such as anger, boredom, nonchalance, etc. instead of evoking a self-awareness of his own attitude and a conscientiousness for my feelings).

I felt bad for calling him out and breaking from my usual happy-go-lucky persona, but I felt really bad when my JTE started laying into this kid. She spoke way too fast for me to understand what she was saying (besides the usual "you better pay attention"), but even I winced from the lecture she gave him. I definitely felt like it was my fault that he got yelled at. After my JTE yelled at him, she walked over to his desk and told him to answer her question: "Where do you want to go?", the lesson of the day. Like I said, this kid had not been paying attention, and I get the feeling that he really doesn't care for English too much. He just gave my JTE a blank stare.

I knew this was my chance to get back on his side. I stood behind my JTE and mouthed the entire answer to him word by word. She's the only one in the room who had no idea what I was doing. The rest of the class giggled at my minor betrayal of the JTE/ALT alliance, but the boy smiled gratefully at me over the JTE's shoulder. He knew I was looking out for him, and that's really all your kids ever need.

Love, Love, Love

I have been here for one week shy of three months, and I've already shared something very huge with the community. Even more importantly, with my own JTE. Her father passed away this week and tonight was his wake. It's called a tsuya (通夜）and it is one step in the process of caring for the recently deceased. You can tell if the family is Buddhist if they are holding prayer beads.

First, I took off my shoes and stepped up into the large tatami room. I offered my condolence money envelope (ご霊前）at the designated area and was given a bag with a gift in it in exchange. In Japan, it is customary to bring condolence money in a special envelope with your name on it. The amount you can offer varies, but 5,000 yen is about average. That's what I offered. The gift you receive back is anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 of the amount of condolence money you give.

Next, I walked up to the main alter where a stone box filled with sand and extinguishing incense stood. I was offered a stick of incense and approached the box which stood in front of the most amazing alter I've ever seen. Thousands of flowers, beautiful lanterns, an ornate coffin-esque box containing the deceased's ashes, and piles of the most perfect fruit surrounding a picture of my JTE's father. I was in awe.

At the alter, you're supposed to say a small prayer and put the incense into the sand. When everyone had completed this task, the room was thick with the smell of pine or cedar, a haze of smoke bending along the air like water in a stream. I offered my incense and then faced the deceased's family, including my JTE. I felt so awful for her. On top of that, I didn't know what to do. I vaguely remember bowing and giving my JTE a sympathetic half-smile. Some attendees, such as the superintendent of education, gave the most respectful of bows by kneeling on the ground, their heads almost grazing the ground as they bowed.

After I showed my respect to the family, I sat in the second row of zabuton (floor cushions). At 6 sharp, the doors to the temple were closed, and the priest (who is actually also a teacher at my base school) performed a very long sutra at the alter. While he did so, the family passed the incense box between them and offered three pinches of incense each. Those in attendance were also given an incense box to pass down the lines. The box was split in half. On the right side was the incense, and you are meant to transfer three pinches of it to the left side. How you do this seems to rely heavily on how religious you are or how well you knew the deceased. After I picked up a pinch of incense, I held it quietly for half a second with my unoccupied hand underneath the incense before transferring it to the other side, hoping I looked thoughtful and not so out of place. I did meet the man once before he died, but he was very sick at the time and couldn't actually speak.

The whole process took about an hour and a half. After the priest finished the sutra, he sang a shorter sutra and then read what sounded like a character profile on the deceased, citing him as a very energetic man in life. Then my JTE's husband said a few words, thanking everyone for coming. It was difficult not to cry, watching my JTE try to keep it together. I stole glances at her from time to time during the wake. I didn't see her cry once, but she did dab at her nose with a handkerchief in an effort to keep herself focused on anything but crying. I was close to tears at least twice; I felt so terrible for her.

When it was time to leave, the majority of those in attendance departed and were given another gift. I was one of the last to leave. As I stepped outside, I saw two of my girl JHS students talking to my JTE. Their faces looked concerned, but it was obvious that they had no idea what to say. My JTE saw me and rushed over. Suddenly she was in front of me, dabbing at her nose, fighting tears. She told me thank you for coming. I couldn't take it anymore. I pulled her into a big hug. She burst into tears then, and she didn't stop crying. I told her everything was beautiful and that I'm glad I got to meet her father before he passed. We broke our hug, but she continued to cry. I told her I felt awful for her and that I was close to tears myself. I gave her another hug and she thanked me sincerely. I bowed deeply to her mother and other family members and made my way home.

I got in my car but couldn't drive for a few minutes afterward. I was reminded of my grandfather's passing that happened recently, and how difficult letting him go was... how it still is. I also thought about how the Japanese, as a people, are not comfortable with hugging. I sensed my JTE needed a hug, and I went for it. I swear her eyes were asking for one. I couldn't help myself. I don't like to see people in pain, and I definitely know when someone just needs to be embraced. I was relieved when she didn't pull away and even more relieved when she finally started to cry. She had been holding it in for so long, putting on a good face.

No matter how much people like their personal space, I believe that a hug in itself has a lot of healing power. Body contact is love-- a squeeze, reassurance. Everyone needs that at some point.

I felt like this was a good topic to put in this blog for a couple reasons. Firstly, to introduce how a Japanese wake proceeds in the unfortunate instance that you find yourself presented with one. Secondly, this is a good example of how you, the ALT, have to inquire about certain things because people won't tell you about them first. I was not invited to the wake. Don't be surprised if you're not invited either. They know it's not your culture or religion, and they don't expect you to go. The day I heard about my JTE's father's death, I immediately asked my supervisor when the wake was and if I was allowed to go. If you show interest, you will be rewarded. I'm so happy that I went. It showed everyone in the community that I care about them, and it showed my JTE that I am not just her assistant teacher but her friend.

That is the most important thing I've learned here: If I inquire about events, my teacher's weekends, where my students want to go to high school, that shows them that I am interested in them, that I care. Becoming a part of the community has become really important to me. I know I'll never be 100% Japanese, but if I'm going to live here, I'm going to try my hardest to spectate as little as possible.

Nande ya na?!

My friend taught me the cute way to say "nande ya nen" (see title) in Kansai-ben today. It's the equivalent of "you gotta be kidding" or "what the hell". I'm gonna use it all the time! 

Anyway, I'm here to post my own statement of purpose that I wrote to get into JET. (GASP!) Since I'm already comfortably seated in my house in Japan, I don't see the harm in sharing what I wrote. I'm sure I don't have to tell you not to copy it verbatim. The things you should be copying are the words "internationalization", "intercultural exchange", etc. Those are the key words that will get you an interview. If you show that you understand what JET is and show your consulate or embassy that your goals intersect with theirs, you are golden. So, here it is...

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When I was one, my parents’ divorce severed my relationship with my Japanese family. To compensate for this early cultural denial, I have endeavored to study every possible facet of Japanese culture including classical Japanese literature that chronicles the evolution of bushidō, modern Japanese linguistics, language, and film. Expanding the cultural scope of my Japanese minor has served as an enriching balance to my English major, which has reinforced my knowledge of Western culture and instilled a desire in me to promote cross-cultural exchange in Japan. Because of my passion for the Japanese culture and my dedication to excellence in attaining my B.A. in English, I believe I am an ideal candidate for the JET Program.

Pursuing a B.A. in English has honed my comprehension of the English language beyond a conventional degree; therefore, I am confident in my ability to explain challenging grammar points in effective and enjoyable ways. As an older sister, I also understand the importance of using hands-on activities in and out of the classroom to stimulate interest in learning and garner cultural appreciation. As an ALT, I will pursue my interests in cooking, photography, and film analysis during after-school activities in order to strengthen my teacher-student relationships and immerse students in American culture. As a member of the Spanish Honor Society, I organized after-school events such as dances and poetry readings to raise awareness about Hispanic culture. My enthusiasm for those projects will translate into the events and lessons I share while in Japan and will facilitate intercultural exchange in and out of a classroom setting.

            I am also very excited about team teaching, because learning about new languages and cultures requires cooperation. Working in retail on the busiest shopping days of the year has strengthened my organizational and interpersonal skills in high-pressure situations, but most importantly, I have learned how to work effectively in a team comprised of various age groups. Throughout the years, I have also sharpened my leadership skills as vice president of my high school law club and as the youngest member of the Riverview Mock Trial team in 2004, which significantly strengthened my public speaking skills and entailed working in a productive, fast-paced environment with the same team for over a year.

The JET Program emphasizes the same values I want to portray when I begin my career, namely, promoting cultural exchange and acceptance between America and Japan; thus, it is the perfect opportunity to immerse myself in Japanese life and observe the culture I want to positively represent through my career. For many years, my passion has been extracurricular learning, specifically, turning video games into educational tools that bridge cultural gaps, dispel harmful stereotypes, and encourage acceptance. Improving this medium will give students a completely interactive experience with foreign languages and immerse them in a limitless assortment of world cultures earlier in life. In my experience, a motivated and passionate teacher who creates a supportive and immersive learning environment can truly inspire her students to delve deeper into the curriculum and even pursue their academic interests in their free time. These elements are fundamental to a successful classroom, and if accepted as an ALT, I will share my youthful energy and excitement for cross-cultural exchange with my students.

            I am a dedicated, intelligent young adult who has always held a desire to learn with the intent to teach. I have made it my goal to create accessible, cultural education opportunities for younger generations of students so that they may appreciate the benefits of internationalization early in life. If accepted into JET, I will use the opportunity to deepen my understanding of Japan through cross-cultural exchange and immersion while interacting with students during after-school activities and in the classroom. Because the JET Program encourages the same intercultural exchange that I wish to convey upon beginning my career, I know that I will be an exemplary participant who will project a positive image of America and its people.

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At a two-page limit, they really don't give you a lot of space to talk about yourself, your goals, and how everything wraps up into one big JET ball. You need to plan exactly what information you want to get across and then find the best (and possibly shortest) way to relay that information. It's tough, but after coming to Japan, making tons of amazing friends both Japanese and other JETs, the entire process is worth it. It's hard to believe that all those agonizing months of writing, applying, waiting, interviewing, and waiting some more have already been justified in my short three months here. This truly is the most amazing experience of my life. If you want to get into JET, make sure you work on that SoP nonstop. I worked on mine for about a month until I was satisfied, and even then, I knew that it was still not perfect. (But, I got in.)

If you want it, go for it. I don't mind being your cheerleader.