E-Indeed: The Blog

It’s been an interesting week.  I got up to Sacramento, and it’s interesting to me how quickly things have happened.  I got back on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and on Monday I got home to a message from ITT asking me to come down to interview as a Multimedia instructor.  Which is cool, since I like teaching (and would be doing just that if I was still in Las Vegas, as of January).  By Wednesday I had the job, and I start in a week.  All good. Of course, I have a goal (which I have re-established since deciding to be done dating) of going to Japan by the end of 2008 or early 2009 to teach english as a second language.  I’m hoping to get into the JET program, but if not, I’m trying for Aeon, which is one of the “big three” (was the big four, before the recent demise of NOVA) in the eikaiwa (commercial english schools) system.  I’m hoping to be able to spend a year or two over there, immersing myself in the culture.  Back in the days before I turned 26, I was hoping that if I got called on a mission, it would be to Japan (I would gladly go where-ever I was called, but Japan would have been a definite plus for me).  Alas, that didn’t ever materialize, as I’ve mentioned before.

So anyway, my life right now is fairly focused.  I’m teaching Multimedia, and saving up to go to Japan–It’s recommended, especially in light of the NOVA collapse, that anyone trying to move to Japan have the maximum allowed (to be carried into the country) $10,000 at least as a reserve for going over.  I think that’s wise, since I definitely don’t want to find myself in the position of suddenly being a homeless gaijin (foreigner) because my workplace evaporated.  That said, I have several friends who worked for NOVA, and they were completely unsurprised by the collapse.  I also know several people who worked at Aeon and Geos, who think that they are probably much more stable.  That will remain to be seen, of course, but I am trying to get there while the Eikaiwa are still up and running. Assuming, of course, that I don’t make it into the JET program.

What’s interesting to me is the resistance I am facing from family on this.  My mother is concerned about it, but supportive.  My father feels that I’m throwing away my education and experience to do this, and my Grandfather is adamant that I need to “just settle down and start a family.”  I  for one, while I value their opinions, have no intention of allowing them to steal my dreams on this, but I do find it interesting, since they’ve been so supportive on most other things.  I recognize that there are concerns in today’s world about moving overseas, and those are certainly valid.  But I’m not going to stop living out of fear.

Also, I think part of what I’m facing from my family is that this goal definitively keeps me single for the next few years.  While the various programs don’t exclude married individuals, they also don’t allow you to bring a spouse with you.  (Company provided housing is all single-occupancy).  Granted, for me, that’s a plus–it keeps me focused.  The way I look at it, when I’m talking about being gone for a year or more, that’s like a mission from the perspective of relationships kept on hold, and I now know from experience just how well that doesn’t usually work.  Again, I’m not against relationships, I’m just finally hitting the wanderlust I probably should have hit at 20 or so, even though I’m almost 28 now.  Some would say I need to grow up, but my response would be “tried that, didn’t work out.”

One question I’ve been asked repeatedly is why I don’t just go spend a week or two in Japan first, to see if I like it or not.  I understand where that comes from, but I’m just not a tourist.  If I went by myself to a foreign country on a vacation, I’d probably spend most of my time there holed up in my hotel room.  I’m not particularly interested in sightseeing, and never have been.  And honestly, other than Kyoto, I can’t think of anything in Japan that I’m really interested in paying that much just to see.  What fascinates me about different places is the various cultures, and to really experience that, immersion is the key.  I’m trying to learn the language and customs, which is hard to do in a week or two.

Anyways, I’m looking forward to it, and if I don’t get into one of the programs, I’ll do the vacation thing.  But that’s a while out.