Just Keep Swimming

Greetings from Japan! May I dare say there is about 4 weeks left in the semester? I know I haven't been updating my blog as much as I would like... no excuses... I just didn't do it...

Today I'm compelled to share my experience going to the swimming pool at the local "sports club" AKA gym.  I finally decided to go, and I decided to only use the pool.  There is the option to use the community bath house and the pool. I opted to use only the pool.  I walked in and there are these tiny lockers, and not a lot of space to change... I thought for a second, am I in the wrong place? Will I end up walking out into the basketball gym instead of the swimming pool?  Luckily, it was the pool, and I looked around, and I'm not sure where to go. I tried to ask one of the staff members for help, and of course he explained everything in Japanese, and I smiled and nodded pretending to understand. I caught a few words like "san" and "co-su," which is three and course.  So there are three lap swimming lanes, a walking course, and a hot tub.  I take my chances of lap swimming with a kick board for about half an hour... Then I decided to swim freestyle. It was great!!! Then I realized, I wanted to leave the pool, but what do I do??  I tried watching people to see what they do as they left the pool.  Most people went upstairs to where the shower rooms were... I made a move and went back to the locker room where I originally started.  As I made the homestretch to the locker room, there were tons of mothers there waiting for their kids. I realized that the swimming class finished just at that same moment. There were naked little kids running around and mothers waiting patiently for the other kid to come out of class... I'm dripping wet ( I guess I should've taken my towel?) and walked in front of this mother and her kid.  I felt so uncomfortable. I quickly grabbed my clothes and towel and go to the only bathroom to change as fast as possible.  Some things I won't be able to understand because I don't know the language... sigh...

It was a refreshing experience to go swimming!!!
Gotta keep at it...

Happy Sunday.

Sunday morning going into Week #5!

I caught a cold last week... and my body is still fighting it off as best it can do... I've been sick for 6 days so far! I went to work sick and it was difficult to get through, but I did it!  We can't really have a "sick day" because no one can cover our classes. Isn't that crazy?!  Last semester I tried to get a day off because of the cast on my ankle and it was difficult to go to work, but they said NO and I had to go to work anyways.  They let me leave early, but that didn't make any difference because the issue was trying to get to and from work. Oh, well... So I've been home all weekend trying to get better... I think for the most part I am, but I still feel like BLAH.

This semester has been a rough start, but when I look back time is going by quickly!  Soon we'll be in the halfway mark of the semester.  I am already looking forward to summer vacation!!! I was thinking a lot lately that I just want to travel and go to various countries to volunteer as a teacher.  That would be an amazing experience.  How do I do that?? I should look into that. :) I'm a nomad. I can't stay in one place for a long time. I'm always on the move to the next adventure and next place in this life.  I feel content with my students and classes this semester and I am looking forward to my last semester in the fall. It will be difficult to leave Japan, and I am ready for what's next...

Week #2 (Year 2)

We are coming up on the middle of the week for the second week of spring classes.  It's only the beginning and I am feeling apathetic towards my classes. For the most part I enjoy my time with my students, but this year is leaving me feeling unenthusiastic. Why?  Well, I guess compared to last year where everything was new and fresh! This year is less exciting... I actually have more classes to prepare for. I have a total of eight classes that I do separate class planning for... Maybe my approach to students figuring out the answers isn't the best as well. As a student, I bet they just want the answer given.  Is my whole view of classwork, pair-work, and group work a total bore to the students?  Is maybe my lack of interest rubbing off on the students? School can be exhausting, and I do assign homework every class.  I'm exhausted and it's only the eighth day of the spring semester!!!  Well, where do I go from here??  Stay positive ?  Think of the students' perspective ?  Get more rest ? (11 more months to go.)

Never stop exploring!!!

April 1 ~ Opening Ceremony

Global Teaching Fellows at TIU [Kasumigaseki, Japan]

Today marks the beginning of the academic school year.  Japan is quite unique as it follows the spring season as the start of the school year.  There are plenty of opening ceremonies going on across the country to welcome the incoming students to the school.  Our university held it's opening day today, and it was encouraging to see all the freshmen in their regalia.  It was a glimpse into the future of seeing them graduating in the future... :) 

This year we have 10 additional professors!!!  We look like quite the force of English Language teachers! :)  It will be another thrilling semester full of falls and hiccups.  I will be teaching 8 different group of students... 6 different courses... students of various departments.  It will be a nice variety of students. I'm looking forward to this school year after having one year under my belt.  I'm curious to meet the students and to see what this school year has in stored for us!!!

1 YEAR~

March 25, 2013 ~ I arrived with three suitcases to Narita Airport... After a 10 hour flight of not much sleep, the feelings of excitement and panic were running throughout my body.  I was the first to arrive from my team of teachers... I decided to venture on my own and catch a flight before them.  After I went through immigration and customs, there were two familiar faces smiling and greeting me.  At that moment was the beginning of a new adventure of living and working in Japan.

One year later, I survived.  There are many changes with the job, and there are still many changes to come.  That's life... always changing...  We have 10 teachers joining us this semester, and 4 more teachers joining in the fall semester.   We are in the process of deciding to re-contract or not, and in the end they will decide to offer us a contract.  It is quite interesting this whole process... I'm not sure what will happen... I just hope that things will be smoother this semester.  I think that things will be alright... :)

Graduation Ceremony with Jason, Sona, & LeeLee. [3.21]

Graduation Ceremony with Aiko [3.21]

Spring Forward!!!

I was fortunate to have a lot of time off in February and March, and I traveled around Hong Kong, Macao, China & South Korea. I returned shortly back to Japan before heading back to California, Oregon, & Washington to visit my family.

I truly love to push myself to go to places where I am unfamiliar with, and challenge my mind to be in an another culture or even to think differently than I would normally see things... yet I know I have a set way of thinking that I was conditioned to think.

I realized that whether I am abroad or in the States, there are still some things that challenge me... I know that I will always have the "Travel Bug," and as I get ready to start the new school year... I am thinking about my future and where I want to continue to challenge myself.

I am grateful for a full-time job, loving people in my life, and a family who cares about me to the point of annoyance. haha!

When I was back in the States, and had a chance to catch up with some friends & family... people would ask, "So, do you love it there?"  "What do you usually do on the weekend?"  "What are you going to do when you finish?"  "What are your classes like?"  "How are your students?"  The usual questions anyone would ask, and even I would want to ask...  One thing I know for sure is that I love my students, and I want to continue to improve my ideas and techniques so that everyone is learning and enjoying the time together.  I know I'm not perfect, and by no means I think I could be perfect... I just want to continue learning...

I choose not to be limited by my fears & my comforts.

The Great Wall of China - Mutianyu [Feb. 19]

Culture Shock or ... ???

Besides the nice photos that I just posted, some other situations have came up in the past 4 months...

• "Stalker" - ... Yes, oddly enough a young high school boy rang the doorbell of my apartment twice within two weeks.  The first time I thought he had the wrong apartment, and was looking for someone. He did not understand English from what I could gather, and I don't know Japanese... The second time he came to my apartment I was flabbergasted and shocked.  He handed me a DVD, which I assumed was porn. I quickly gave it back to him and told him to go away and shut the door.  He knocked on my door for about 5 minutes until my coworker came and shooed him away... I haven't heard from him since.  

• "Torn Ligament" - It was a chilly morning, and I haven't been getting much sleep since it was the last full week of the semester. I quickly walked up the stairs, and in one swoop step I twisted my left ankle.  I didn't fall, but I collapsed down in the stop that I took the step.  I was in pain, but I thought, "It's just a small sprain. I'll be okay." As I gathered myself and got up and walked, it was painful, but I made it to me office and continued on with my day. Five hours later I was in much more pain.  I couldn't even stand or walk on the ankle... I went to the school nurse and she wrapped it up for me.  I went on with my duties in the English PLAZA, then I decided to go to a clinic to check my ankle... They did an x-ray and the ligament was swollen, so they quickly wrapped it and gave me medicine.  I had work the next day, and I slowly crutched my way to work.  I went back to the clinic and they checked if it was swollen.  It wasn't.  It's not easy to get around with crutches.  So I asked about getting a wheelchair. They said, no... I had another visit last week on Tuesday.  I asked to get a copy of my receipt that was reimbursed, but they said they didn't have a copy machine.  Then I asked if I could take a picture. They said, no. Maybe they thought I was going to do something with the receipt??? Not sure... I had another appointment on Thursday... They said they were going to do an x-ray again... they did, but then right away they put a cast over my leg. I was disturbed because I think that I don't need a cast, but they insisted on it.  The language barrier doesn't help.  I was very upset... and they wanted me to come in the next day.  Like I said, it's not easy to get around on crutches... I complied and went in... It didn't take long, but they checked if the cast was okay.  Then they said to come in on Monday... I complied again. "No remarkable changes." I have another appointment this week.  Hopefully, I get this off my leg by next Thursday. Luckily, I was able to borrow a wheelchair from school yesterday.  Now I can wheel around, but the streets aren't paved well, and there aren't many sidewalks.  You hardly see anyone in a wheelchair or anyone with "disabilities" around... Maybe they stay indoors all day...?

• "Visas" - No, not the credit card visa, but the travel VISA.  I am planning to travel around China next month... I knew I had to pay for the visa since I am a U.S. Citizen, but since I also have a Japanese work visa... I have to pay more than I expected because I am supposed to go through a travel agency to apply for the visa. I don't understand why I need to go through a travel agency... Is it just another step to make money for the travel agency? Is it a security issue since there's "bad blood" between China and Japan?  This left me feeling dejected... because I think there is already some discrimination against "gaijin" (foreigners) in Japan already.  -OR-  it could be totally unrelated. I'm not sure how I feel about this... I tried to look at the other side of the story, and think about how I usually don't have to pay for VISAs to go into some countries like other nationalities do.  I just don't like the feeling of being treated unfairly... I would think no one wants to be treated differently because of their background/ ethnicity/ nationality/ race/ gender/ gender orientation/ etc.  Am I totally off on this topic??? I'm not sure where I stand...

Any comments? suggestions? advice?