One Year Later

October 12, 2007

One Year Later…

Last year about this time I was having the time of my life in Tokyo, Japan. After all the excitement I vowed I would find a way to come back, and thus began my journey. Thinking back this past year, the road back to Japan wasn’t easy. It was full of doubt, apprehension, fear, anxiety. It was also filled with sorrow, grief, anger and disappointment. However, the few shining moments of accomplishment, inspiration, admiration and determination cast away any shadow my previous misgivings placed on me.

Has it really been a year since I swore to come back? Even though it seemed but an instant, memories come teeming in from all recesses of my mind, gathering together in reminiscence like a storm cloud. I can remember the first day I applied for JET, a month before deadlines, and with requirements making that month seem like a couple of days. After the obstacle course of paperwork was finished, I had to feel the anxiousness of the wait. When the wait was over and I had the interview, I doubted myself because what may come. The 2 week cram of jamming facts into my head about Japan paid off when I was able to answer their questioning. Then came the news I made the short list. I was so happy until I found out I had a month to get more paperwork in. So the scrambled continued pretty much until I got to Japan.

Now I sit here with a month of experience under my belt. I’ve learned a couple of games for those times when they say “what do you want to do today” as we’re walking into the classroom. In Junior high, my kids are starting to loosen up when I’m around and some brave souls even come up to chat. They’re not as shy to ask me questions on pronunciations, and even ask me what it means in Japanese. I think they get a kick out of watching me give them the confused look as I fumble through my dictionary to find out. It’s their way of getting back at me when I ask them “How’s the weather?”

My elementary plans consist of 2 ingredients; getting them to speak a couple words and getting them tired. Most of my classes there consist of singing, dancing, and basically making a fool out of myself. However, I do have to defend myself from the dreaded kancho strikes. My second graders are notorious for that. The girls are worse than the boys. Every day I walk out of elementary school I think “Am I really getting paid to play around?” Let me tell you that if that’s my problem, I have a pretty good position.

Getting to school is an adventure in itself. On Mondays and Thursdays, I take a taxi to one of my junior high schools. The main roads on the island run around mountains and along the coastline. Every morning on those days, I get a spectacular view of the ocean. Even if I only get 4 hours sleep the night before, the view really wakes me up. It’ll be awhile before that effect will wear off. On Tuesdays and Fridays I go to my base junior high school. Normally I would wait for the bus as I watch the elementary school children walk by (their school is right behind my bus stop). They usually stop and chat for a little bit because they never seen a foreigner before. At first they were scared, but now they come up and say hello, ask me a question only to laugh at my Japanese when I answer, and giving me random stuff. Lately, the school nurse of that school drives by and picks me up from the bus stop (hurray, no bus fare).

With the endless scenery, great people, wonderful kids, helpful staff, and crazy elementary classes…who would’ve thought that saying “I’m coming back” would bear fruit like this?