I began teaching English in Japan nearly two years ago. LIke many young people in my position, I had real ambitions to record my new and exciting new life through a blog, journal, etc. Indeed, I clearly recall writing about my experiences in those first few days. I remember thinking how great it would be to keep my friends and family updated on my life here, while at the same time being just as useful for collecting my own memories. But as I quickly realized, this simply wasn't sustainable for me in those initial years. When I first arrived in Aomori, Japan, it was festival time and the weather was fantastic. The last thing I wanted to do was sit in front of a computer typing away. I wanted to be doing things, being outside, and meeting people. By the time things settled down, the thought of backtracking to catch up on a journal was too intimidating and I gave up on the idea.
Almost two years later, I'm eager to try again. My time living in Japan and teaching in public Japanese schools is a special part of my life and it's the perfect time to start because the new school year just started this week. Further, this may very well be the last opportunity I have to record my experiences here since I anticipate this being my last contact year before I move on to new challenges. So alas, I am starting fresh. I am starting the blog that I always wanted to do but for which I never had the right motivation.
Starting fresh, is also a widespread theme in Japan during this time of the year. March signals the end of the work year for employees and the completion of the school year for students. Rounds of work enkai (宴会, 'banquet/party') ensue as companies, schools, and organizations celebrate a job well done and say farewell to friends and colleagues who are moving along or changing workplaces. Graduation ceremonies, or sotsugyoushiki (卒業式) take place as older students complete his or her current studies and prepare for the next step. In late March, the famous sakura ( 桜花, 'cherry blossoms') start to bloom in the warmer, southern areas of Japan. And as customary in Japan culture, people are encouraged to partake in hanami (花見, 'cherry blossom viewing'); note that where I'm currently living in Aomori, this occurs in late April. Next, as April begins another round of enkai's take place in order to kick off the new work year and welcome newcomers. Likewise nervous students are welcomed into their new schools through entrance ceremonies, or nyugakushiki (入学式). I'll likely go into further detail about the various Japanese ceremonies in future posts, but for now it suffices to say, Japanese culture necessitates a ceremony for everything.
 |
| Entrance Ceremony at Koda Junior High School - Aomori City, Japan |
This week marks the first week of classes at my schools. However, since it's mostly dedicated to ceremonies and various classroom preparation activities, there is little for me to do. New students are described the ins and outs of their new school, all students receive general health checkups, and students are assigned various duties for the semester, to name few things. I can work on some class preparation myself, but it's limited at this point. Usually I do more of that once the real classes start, when the team teachers I work with and I know more about the needs of the students and can tailor the objectives and goals based on such. Thus, I've have free time to work on getting every ready for my rather elaborate upcoming travel plans to S. Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines. The free time has also allowed me to write and now complete my first blog post! Finally, I'll finish with a very useful Japanese expression meaning 'do one's best', 'keep at it', and 'good luck' which I need to successfully do this blog… ganbaru! (がんばる)
