Haibara Ai (jachan) wrote, @ 2007-07-06 09:52:00

Current mood:	cold
Current music:	Teachers' chatter. Chatter, chatter, chatter.

My life on the island. Part XXXIV
You know, I didn't think I'd be updating my blurty for a few more months at least, but the whim has come upon me. I don't even remember what I last wrote about. Probably New Years and not knowing if I wanted to stay at my school with my teacher. But soon after that time (before the recontracting deadline in early February), I weighed the pros and cons of transferring to the city (where I would have been in line for a senior high school once the guy who was there made up his mind about leaving or not) and staying where I was on the island. The goods of staying more than outweighed the bads. Let me try to remember and further elaborate.

Pros of Staying



• Nice townspeople
  
• Exercise every day by riding my bike to and from school
  
• Already know the kids and they know me
  
• Cheap rent
  
• Eikaiwa (English Conversation Class)
  
• Less temptation to spend money--save for groceries and internet shopping
  
• Kyuushoku (school lunch)
  
• Taiko (drum group)
  
• Close but not too close to my host family in Hiroshima City
  
• Can ignore the BOE and talk directly with my schools about switching dates and such
  
Cons of Staying


• My teacher and her lackadaisical approach to teaching
  
• Easier for Mr. Sakata to brush off my comments since I can't come into the BOE and see him during the week like other JETs can
  
• ???
  
Pros of Leaving

• Can wear skirts to work if I want since I'd probably be taking the bus
  
• Possibly more control of lesson in classroom
  
• Closer to my host family
  
• Possibility of better English teachers to work with
  
• Easier to travel places on the mainland
  
Cons of Leaving

• No kyuushoku
  
• Have to learn everyone's names all over again
  
• More kids to deal with
  
• More rules and protocol to follow
  
• Won't see my kids anymore
  
• No bonds with neighbors/townspeople
  
• Less motivation to exercise
  
• More temptation to eat out and spend, spend, spend
  
• Higher rent (but still reasonable, probably)
  
• Have to find another taiko group to join
  
• No more elementary school visits as a SHS JET (probably)
  
• Have to see more of Sakata-sensei even if I don't want to
  
Anyway, to make a long story even longer, I decided to stay. I gave my supervisor Mr. Sakata the ultimatum that I'd only transfer schools if I got to have the SHS. (That JET was still wishy washy about whether he wanted to stay another year--he finally decided near the middle of June--a good five months after he was supposed to let Mr. Sakata and the BOE know. Needless to say, I declined stepping up to the position. I'd already told every on the island who'd asked that I was staying. I'd already told my kids. It was just too late, and I wasn't all the gung-ho about leaving to just leave anymore.) And it's not like I wanted to leave my school or island because I didn't like them. I just didn't like how lazy and unmotivated my teacher was. Other Kure JETs assumed that it was inconvenient on the island, and while that may be true to an extent, I like the peacefulness and relative safety of this place. Hiroshima is probably as big a city as I'd like to visit. I once went to Osaka for eight hours with my friend Vanessa to see a traditional puppet show called bunraku, but in the little time that I was there, I got a bad headache. I think it was from the pollution. lol So, I'm really glad that I don't live in a place like that. And the big cities are soo dirty. Nothing like the green of the islands. Sure, there are fewer young people to interact with, but maybe that's for the best for now. I'm safe from most advances, save for the drunken Ojiisan

Today, my BOE supervisor is coming to watch a class at my JHS. Good to see him keep his promise to come and see a class ten months after I first asked him. Ugh. I used to be more passionate about this job and helping the students and wanting everyone to be here for the kids and not for the paycheck...but I've since been educated by society. I'm sure it's the same everywhere, though I have no real experience working outside of MSU. ::sigh:: When I get back from Japan, I'll have to enter a dirty work world like the one I'm in, without the cushioning touch of the JET Program. I'm dreading it. I don't know what I want to do with my life after JET. I know I'll need more education if I'm going to do something with this Professional Writing/Document Design bit.

Blah. What was I saying? I don't really remember. I'll just stop here.

	yohabroha103 2007-07-06 00:29 (link)
	I think that if I were in your position, I would have chosen to stay as well. Wai Wai! (Reply to this) (Thread)

jachan 2007-07-06 05:41 (link)

Hey, thanks, Jerry! I'm glad I'm staying, too. It seems like the teachers and townspeople are glad, as well. And I really do love my kids and want to help them. (I sound so gushy now, but they can be crazy little animals when they feel like it, no matter what grade they're in. ^^) My next hurdle to cross over is to secure permission for a vehicle to get between the two islands I'll be handling from September. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	decobray 2007-07-06 01:14 (link)
	I think you made a good choice too. good neighbors, cheaper rent, familiar students and faculty, and exercise are powerful motivations. (Reply to this) (Thread)

jachan 2007-07-06 06:01 (link)

Thanks, Lilly! I'm so glad that I listened to my inner voice and stayed where I wanted to be. It's funny how priorities can change over the span of a few months. I really have it much better than some other JETs elsewhere in my area, I know it. It was hard to make a decision at first when the people I wanted to discuss the moving with only knew my biased side of the story. ^^;; But it looks like it worked out. Just gotta get used to four schools from now on, now that I'm officially gonna be taking over for Vanessa, my friend and the JET on the next island. The BOE was supposedly gonna make one of us move into the city come September anyway, but at least she's going home for a reason (film school). Ahh. I'll be lonely when she's gone. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

makie 2007-07-06 15:31 (link)

you're absolutely right. the pros to staying outweight the cons by far. i think you made a very good decision, jachan! and don't worry about entering the real world without a cushion in sight. i'm about to do the same. the past two years of grad school gave me a pretty cushioned job. and during that time, i felt like pretty a competent and desirable employee. after a month of applying for jobs, my conceit is suffering a blow. i may not be as much the cat's meow as i initially thought. oh, poor little ego of mine. but keep in mind, you are gaining some usable experience with your JET stint. it'll help you out in the future somehow, i'm sure of it. i try to keep that in mind in my situation. to another great JET year for you! if i had a glass, i'd raise it to you and say "かんぱい!" (Reply to this) (Thread)

jachan 2007-07-07 09:26 (link)

Thanks for the well-wishes, Malia. I feel a bit better. I can sympathize with you about the job searching bit. I did some searching for technical writing/professional writing jobs right after I graduated (in those months that I spent lying in bed on the computer before JET). The odds weren't good for someone just out of college with no real experience to start with. That's how I know that I need to beef up my learnin' if I'm going to be any good to the people who need those kind of positions. But, yeah. Everything's so gray now for me. I'm proud that you know what you want to do with your degree, even if it might take some more time fishing for the right position for you. Good luck. I'll be joining you shortly, probably. ^^ (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	decobray 2007-07-11 15:36 (link)
	coming back to this post just to say that I really want to see Bunraku sooooo bad! *jealous* (Reply to this) (Thread)

	jachan 2007-07-11 19:18 (link)
	You'll get a chance! And just be sure that you bring your student ID so that you can pretend to be a college student and get a student discount for events like bunraku and movies and stuff. It's awesome. And wise. ^_^ (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)