Summer and a Year in Retrospect

It's only 8am, and yet, it's so hot. The Cicadas are crying... but he's a guy..

Welcome to Summer, part 2

Google Photos occasionally sends me notifications reminding me to look back at some of the silly, dumb, and hilariously poor-quality images I've taken over the years. Yesterday (and today), it was kind enough to send me one of those reminding me that I've now officially spent an entire year in Japan. Well, almost, considering I left the country for 8 days to go and explore Taiwan. The Airbus A330-900neo carrying me and my fellow Seattle consulate departures landed at Tokyo Haneda at around 2pm. And after a long walk, some COVID screening checkpoints (I arrived when the borders were still closed), and immigration, I was officially a "resident in Japan".

For me, the few days I had in Tokyo were fun, and I look forward to going back someday. But Tokyo isn't a city that I would want to live in. Despite it's vast public transit system it's simply not for me. I much prefer the summer weather back in the US. And a less crowded city.

People warn you of the so-called 'culture shock' when you first arrive and get settled in. For me, the biggest 'shock' was leaving my fancy hotel room with a great view of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, getting on a plane, and arriving at my apartment in the "inaka" as my supervisor described it. I'd wager that my past international travel experience helped out greatly with this. On the internet, there varying types of experiences when people first arrive at their placements. Fortunately for me, I had a more 'normal' experience. The apartment was clean, my pred left a futon so I didn't have to sleep on a makeshift bed, and the AC was working (this was the most important part).

You say you like traveling?

The first month here was filled with me trying to travel as much as possible. I vividly remember the first weekend I made a beeline for Osaka/Kyoto. I couldn't figure out how to buy a ticket since my station wasn't staffed and a salaryman(?) had to help me out. I remember seeing the Shinkansen for the first time and taking pictures of anything that looked interesting to me. I remember not being familiar with how limited trains worked and thinking that I needed an extra ticket for the Keihan Line limited express train and getting off the next station in panic. I remember climbing Fushimi Inari at night and how atmospheric it was because there was nobody else there. Now that I think about it, I really wasn't all that different from any other tourist visiting for the first time, huh?

Some fun facts about traveling as of today:

• 16 prefectures visited

• Longest trip: Fukuoka -> Shizuoka over 8ish days with stops Nagato and Okunojima and spending the New Year in Kyoto

• 3/4 Shikoku prefectures visited (need to go to Kochi one of these days)

• International trips taken: Taiwan (April, again next month)

• Next planned trip: Nagato, Hagi, and the Matsue/Shimane area over Christmas/New Year

Teaching, you say?

Over the past year I've gotten a better understanding of how English works in this country and my role in it. I have gained a newfound respect for those that can speak English at a conversational level, even with grammar mistakes. And I really respect those who willingly learn/speak it without seeing it as just another subject forced upon them. They say that if you want to get better at speaking a language, then you gotta speak it with confidence. I think this video is a good example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm9bEizIGBE

Let's face it, speaking is hard. And as much as I want more students to raise their hands and try speaking, I get it if they aren't feeling confident. I feel that way sometimes, too.

I think the harsh reality that I faced was that English is simply taught as a subject rather than something that is used. From the classes that I observed, worksheets seemed to the main focus in classes. They seem to mirror the JLPT in the sense that reading and listening skills are more heavily emphasized. Great for testing, not so great for anyone that actually wants to use the language to communicate verbally. This post won't diverge too much into a rant, so I'll just say that I've accepted the status quo and try to talk to the students who seem to be more interested in English or more willing to speak it.

To the future

As this week goes by and officially marks the closure of my first year in Imabari, I think forward about my goals for the 2nd year, and where to beyond that. Because as Manami Kurose once sang: 今があるから未来がある (There is future because there is a present). I look forward to exploring more places, returning to Tokyo, and learning more about myself. What will the future hold? That's up to you to decide.In every single light writes a different story.