Sunday May 2, 2010 10:00pm JST
Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! Today marks 33 years of wedded bliss for my parents, whoa! I definitely have to express the respect I have for my parents and the strength of their marriage when I look back on the 23 years that I’ve been in their lives and recall many of the complications and curve balls life has thrown their way. Even though I realize that I only observed and understood a tiny fraction of all that occurred, I can say that I watched my parents overcome countless obstacles with mutual love, respect, support, and patience. They have taught me a lot about love, about life, and have given me hope that two people really can make it together in this chaotic world of broken promises, empty vows, and selfish indulgence. Despite my numerous protests and grossed-out faces as a child when I saw my parents kissing or flirting in front of me, it actually made me happy to know that they could still be so playful and openly in love in their “old age.” I think it’s pretty impressive that my parents have spent more of their lives together by now than they ever did without each other. After all this time, despite all the trials, and through all the years, I’m amazed that two people can still love each other so much, let alone even like each other! Thank you, Mom and Dad, for your example, your love, and the hope your marriage offers to the next generation.
On a completely unrelated note, I thought I’d offer an update as to my status in Japan and details concerning my current accommodations, as promised in my last entry. Well, it’s been a very complicated process and relaying it all would turn into a very long story, but the final result is that I have moved out of Hosoisan’s home and into a “Guesthouse.” The Guesthouse is basically a once-college-dorm-now-apartment building and there are about 30 residents here that rotate periodically. Most apartments require a contract of at least one year, but the Guesthouse leases rooms for as little as one month, so most people here are foreigners that are visiting Japan for a short period of time. We all have a private bedroom that is about 10 square meters, but we share a kitchen, lounge room, laundry room, and shower area...one room for the boys, and one for the girls. There is also one bathroom on each floor (no outlets, mirrors, or sinks... ha ha). Ha ha it’s quite a bit like my freshman year at Westminster College...except that this time I have to walk down two flights of stairs to shower instead of down the hall.
It isn’t exactly what I had in mind when I imagined living in Japan (ok, so not even close to what I imagined), but I’ve pretty much adjusted to the new environment and have found a lot of things I really enjoy about living here. The biggest perk about the Guesthouse is that it's a virtually move-in ready apartment and amenities like heat, water, and laundry costs are included in the monthly rent--so even though the bill is pretty comparable to what I would pay in a private apartment, I only have to worry about one bill from my landlord each month. Unfortunately, it is almost twice as far from Miyagi First High School than I was before, where I spend the majority of my time during the week.
Most of the residents here are students or people near my age that are passing through Japan and although I haven’t met any Americans yet, almost everyone speaks some degree of English and has been very kind and welcoming. Also, I quickly learned how to get to and from my schools by bus, train, and bike and I’ve navigated my way through the neighboring areas well enough to know where to go for groceries, clothes, household items, and other basic needs. Happily, I have finally unpacked ALL of my bags and everything now has a proper home! It took a couple weeks to get settled in, organized, and find closet rods that wouldn’t buckle under the weight of my significantly-reduced wardrobe, but my work is finally done! My clothes, shoes, and personal paraphernalia are finally folded, hung, and properly stored away according to style, season, and color...ohh yeah. :-D
Also, I am completely settled into my schools and I absolutely love my job. I teach high school freshmen at Miyagi First High School four days a week and then I work at Nishitaga Special Needs School once a week. Miyagi First is the highest-achieving school in Miyagi Prefecture (a Prefecture is like a state—ex: I live in Sendai, Miyagi) and it's difficult for students to get accepted to go there. I thoroughly enjoy working with the students and faculty at Miyagi First because it is a challenging, professional, and organized atmosphere – which I LOVE. However, the teachers are still extremely friendly and they have great relationships with their students – which is inspiring. The students are bright and fun, but most are very shy to speak English. I really like the challenge teaching gives me to be flexible, creative, and engaging, while still working to build the confidence level of all of my students as their proficiency in the English language increases. I can already see why so many people become teachers, despite being overworked and underpaid. It is incredibly rewarding to teach, to watch the light switch on in the mind and face of a child as he or she realizes what you are trying to get across, and he or she finally “gets it.” That moment, that satisfaction, is precious.
Nishitaga Special Needs School is the complete opposite of Miyagi First, yet it is every bit as rewarding and enjoyable. As the name of the school suggests, Nishitaga students all have some sort of special need, though the severity and circumstances vary with each child. There, I work with a very wide range of students—I teach elementary to high school children and some of my students have physical handicaps, some have mental disabilities, some have both, some are very subtle, and some are incredibly extreme. I even have one darling student named Hiroshi who participates in class each day via Skype from his hospital bed; he is learning English but he can’t even move, eat, or speak Japanese on his own. He responds to questions with clicks of his tongue, blinks, or computer-generated responses and he actually understands the material. It’s a miracle every single day. My classes at Nishitaga typically have 5 or fewer students, whereas my typical classes at Miyagi First hold between 35 and 45. Also, Miyagi First used to be an all-girls school and this is the first year that it is all co-ed, so my students are predominately female. At Nishitaga, however, I work exclusively with boys.
I could seriously go on and on about my schools, my students, and my coworkers, but this entry is quickly turning into a novel and I feel like I haven’t even skimmed the surface of all I wanted to say. Ultimately, it comes down to this: although Miyagi First and Nishitaga seem to oppose each other on the academic spectrum in just about every way possible, they each offer me the same, incredible experience. At both schools, I am falling more in love with my students every single day. At both schools, I am in humble admiration of the staff around me, of the students before me, and of the God that surrounds it all. Even though circumstances beyond my control have tossed me around and led me to unexpected ground, I am happy, blessed, and safe. I am grateful that everything has come together the way it has and I know that it’s only going to continue to progress from here. I am thrilled for the future; I know it’s going to be absolutely amazing!
Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! Today marks 33 years of wedded bliss for my parents, whoa! I definitely have to express the respect I have for my parents and the strength of their marriage when I look back on the 23 years that I’ve been in their lives and recall many of the complications and curve balls life has thrown their way. Even though I realize that I only observed and understood a tiny fraction of all that occurred, I can say that I watched my parents overcome countless obstacles with mutual love, respect, support, and patience. They have taught me a lot about love, about life, and have given me hope that two people really can make it together in this chaotic world of broken promises, empty vows, and selfish indulgence. Despite my numerous protests and grossed-out faces as a child when I saw my parents kissing or flirting in front of me, it actually made me happy to know that they could still be so playful and openly in love in their “old age.” I think it’s pretty impressive that my parents have spent more of their lives together by now than they ever did without each other. After all this time, despite all the trials, and through all the years, I’m amazed that two people can still love each other so much, let alone even like each other! Thank you, Mom and Dad, for your example, your love, and the hope your marriage offers to the next generation.
On a completely unrelated note, I thought I’d offer an update as to my status in Japan and details concerning my current accommodations, as promised in my last entry. Well, it’s been a very complicated process and relaying it all would turn into a very long story, but the final result is that I have moved out of Hosoisan’s home and into a “Guesthouse.” The Guesthouse is basically a once-college-dorm-now-apartment building and there are about 30 residents here that rotate periodically. Most apartments require a contract of at least one year, but the Guesthouse leases rooms for as little as one month, so most people here are foreigners that are visiting Japan for a short period of time. We all have a private bedroom that is about 10 square meters, but we share a kitchen, lounge room, laundry room, and shower area...one room for the boys, and one for the girls. There is also one bathroom on each floor (no outlets, mirrors, or sinks... ha ha). Ha ha it’s quite a bit like my freshman year at Westminster College...except that this time I have to walk down two flights of stairs to shower instead of down the hall.
It isn’t exactly what I had in mind when I imagined living in Japan (ok, so not even close to what I imagined), but I’ve pretty much adjusted to the new environment and have found a lot of things I really enjoy about living here. The biggest perk about the Guesthouse is that it's a virtually move-in ready apartment and amenities like heat, water, and laundry costs are included in the monthly rent--so even though the bill is pretty comparable to what I would pay in a private apartment, I only have to worry about one bill from my landlord each month. Unfortunately, it is almost twice as far from Miyagi First High School than I was before, where I spend the majority of my time during the week.
Most of the residents here are students or people near my age that are passing through Japan and although I haven’t met any Americans yet, almost everyone speaks some degree of English and has been very kind and welcoming. Also, I quickly learned how to get to and from my schools by bus, train, and bike and I’ve navigated my way through the neighboring areas well enough to know where to go for groceries, clothes, household items, and other basic needs. Happily, I have finally unpacked ALL of my bags and everything now has a proper home! It took a couple weeks to get settled in, organized, and find closet rods that wouldn’t buckle under the weight of my significantly-reduced wardrobe, but my work is finally done! My clothes, shoes, and personal paraphernalia are finally folded, hung, and properly stored away according to style, season, and color...ohh yeah. :-D
Also, I am completely settled into my schools and I absolutely love my job. I teach high school freshmen at Miyagi First High School four days a week and then I work at Nishitaga Special Needs School once a week. Miyagi First is the highest-achieving school in Miyagi Prefecture (a Prefecture is like a state—ex: I live in Sendai, Miyagi) and it's difficult for students to get accepted to go there. I thoroughly enjoy working with the students and faculty at Miyagi First because it is a challenging, professional, and organized atmosphere – which I LOVE. However, the teachers are still extremely friendly and they have great relationships with their students – which is inspiring. The students are bright and fun, but most are very shy to speak English. I really like the challenge teaching gives me to be flexible, creative, and engaging, while still working to build the confidence level of all of my students as their proficiency in the English language increases. I can already see why so many people become teachers, despite being overworked and underpaid. It is incredibly rewarding to teach, to watch the light switch on in the mind and face of a child as he or she realizes what you are trying to get across, and he or she finally “gets it.” That moment, that satisfaction, is precious.
Nishitaga Special Needs School is the complete opposite of Miyagi First, yet it is every bit as rewarding and enjoyable. As the name of the school suggests, Nishitaga students all have some sort of special need, though the severity and circumstances vary with each child. There, I work with a very wide range of students—I teach elementary to high school children and some of my students have physical handicaps, some have mental disabilities, some have both, some are very subtle, and some are incredibly extreme. I even have one darling student named Hiroshi who participates in class each day via Skype from his hospital bed; he is learning English but he can’t even move, eat, or speak Japanese on his own. He responds to questions with clicks of his tongue, blinks, or computer-generated responses and he actually understands the material. It’s a miracle every single day. My classes at Nishitaga typically have 5 or fewer students, whereas my typical classes at Miyagi First hold between 35 and 45. Also, Miyagi First used to be an all-girls school and this is the first year that it is all co-ed, so my students are predominately female. At Nishitaga, however, I work exclusively with boys.
I could seriously go on and on about my schools, my students, and my coworkers, but this entry is quickly turning into a novel and I feel like I haven’t even skimmed the surface of all I wanted to say. Ultimately, it comes down to this: although Miyagi First and Nishitaga seem to oppose each other on the academic spectrum in just about every way possible, they each offer me the same, incredible experience. At both schools, I am falling more in love with my students every single day. At both schools, I am in humble admiration of the staff around me, of the students before me, and of the God that surrounds it all. Even though circumstances beyond my control have tossed me around and led me to unexpected ground, I am happy, blessed, and safe. I am grateful that everything has come together the way it has and I know that it’s only going to continue to progress from here. I am thrilled for the future; I know it’s going to be absolutely amazing!
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