I've been meaning to post here for some time. I wanted to make a post for my year anniversary that came up a few weeks or months ago, depending on when I first landed or when I first started my job. I've been meaning to catch up with some of the daily minutiae that I could write about, but usually abandon when I realize I really don't care about it. I realize others might, but on the whole, it's disinteresting work for me. I could write books and books about it, still fail to cover it well, and still would miss it entirely because I don't have it from the perspective of the Japanese. That said, I'll continue to write when I can.
Much of my job currently consists of being a human tape recorder and a monkey to play with and watch, but not really or truly interact with. I admit I could probably do a better job sometimes of thinking of good ideas to do in class and with people, but the students don't know enough English, and I not enough Japanese to do anything that intense to learn from. The kids who really want to learn English are, and likely out side of class. They really like the rote text-book stuff here, as dictated by law. And it's too difficult to change the teachers mind, and we've been warned against it, that the teacher would follow their career path ideas rather than challenge the system. They're Japanese, after all.
Which is not to say I know the proper pedagogy and praxis to do it properly. Still working on that.
Anyway, I mostly lament the fact that the interesting poeple I meet here, save one or two neraby, are an hour and a half away from my city in Tokyo proper. The writing group I joined is there as well. Most of the community orientated, non-English-teaching, events are outside of my local travel area. I have to spend 2000 yen just to get to Tokyo to do it. It's hard to feel active or appreciated in the community when everything is that far away. I am still just a tourist, or possibly worse.
And so I look for where my next home should be. If I have the money, enough to make it, then I will move on to another country. If I don't think I can, I move to Tokyo. India has a good potential for a chemistry teaching job at a high school, and that would be wonderful I think. Perhaps some brief stint in Thailand and SE Asia.
I lament that the language seems to be the biggest barrier, and, if I tried applying myself better to those ends (which I have), it would all work out better on every front. But, I see my other friends who've lived here four and six years, those that can speak Japanese fairly well, still walled off from the affection of the Japanese community--still not have any friends they trust.
I have made at least one decent friend from my Aikido Dojo and will go out after practice on Sundays, have dinner, and chat in English and Japanase. Exchange a few emails. So, I should say it's not so bad integrating. Took a year, though.
Perhaps it takes time, but I know people in other countries that I would trust implicitly and forged bonds faster, and I don't find that here. I don't know if that's what I was looking for, but I guess it is something. I don't think the Japanese are any less trustworthy than any other humans, but perhaps less willing to share it? Less invting of it? Something like that.
Which is not to say I haven't been having fun though. I have many sources that are still working for me, but they all involve English and ex-pats. I have a beautiful girlfriend, and though sometimes complicated, works for now. I have a decent RPG group, and am planning on running the new
Changeling game soon as well. I've been writing more and more, watching plenty of movies and TV, and have been making at least some more money teaching English to private students. I have some Aikido, and neglect to go often enough to the gym to get in better shape.
Went to Disneyland with Tiffany. Pretty busy place during a holiday weekend. Much of what you'd expect from a highly commercial and crazy place like Disneyland--except everything in Japanese. Long lines, though they did have these cool fastpass tickets you could get that allowed you through the fast lane. Could only get a few at a time, but it seemed to work well. More or less got to wait in line for two rides at the same time. Felt like we were being worked like a statistic, but the ends worked too. Many fun rides. The second day we went to Disney Sea which had some nice steam-punkish/pulp-sci-fi rides and attraction areas, and the place was less crowded for the Monday holiday. More pics and stuff when I have some time later.
On to pictures.
Yep, that's us at Disneyworld together. Fun times. I hope that doesn't have to mean anything. ;)
And I got a transforming pillow. It Rocks.
...oooh... aahhh...
...hhrrggnnn...
...poof!
...shploooo...
I still lament the lack of ideal vegetarian food, especially in Disneyland (and Sea, which is trying to do the whole international flavor thing), but am managing.
The rain's are back and influencing my plans of camping... as well as poor communicating teachers, but I'll live in the trees some other day.
I'll be doing
Nanowrimo again this year and hope to be planning a bunch of the novel in October so that, come November, I'll have a better shot at finishing something pretty decent. And editable by Christmas. It's another faerytale fantasy, but I can't seem to write much else right now. Some short stories are starting more though, so hopefully after I'll get down on finishing more short fiction. If you would like to read some of my more recent short fiction, I've been keeping some track of it over at my
writing blog.
And then planning the rest of the stuff out, including a pending trip to the US come early Christmas.
Be well all!
My dojo members. The three of us to the right of sensei in the front row (me in the center) tested for shodan.
My rank certificate and yudansha booklet.
Me and my new hakama in front of our dojo's shomen.
And kanji-fied my name on it as well. It's not perfect, but it'll do.
心 Shin (Heart) 道 Dou (Path) 羅 Ra (-)
