September
23, 2019
Being
100% honest, I was not convinced that I would write one of these this month.
Life has not been good. It hasn’t been bad, exactly, either, but it has been a tumultuous
whirlwind. So, in order, I was sick for the better part of…good lord, 8 weeks? Only
about four days out of that were so bad I couldn’t work, but still, when you
lay it all down, it was one heck of a struggle. I’m doing very well now. Even
though we’re doing lots of Eiken test practice, which requires heavy use of my
voice, I’m handling it well. Thank goodness for throat drops. Busy time at
school has been a blessing as it keeps me busy and, in many ways, fulfilled.
More on that later. I’m dealing with a personal tragedy that I don’t wish to go
into here, but I’m managing, as best I can. My community around me came
together to help me through some of the hard times for a few days, though it
can be easy to forget they do that when the support disappears once you can
stand on your own. Still, I suppose that is for the best. As a wise god once said,
perhaps it is best for the people to not rely on my power. The best thing we
can hope for is for them to stand on their own. More on that later, too.
So,
the big thing for me recently has been job hunting. For any interested in
working in Hokkaido, the Hokkaido Insider is your inside ticket, as the man who
runs it has contacts all over the island. Beyond that, I’ve tried reconnecting
with an old friend who lives in Hiroshima and a few of my Chinese friends. I’m
job hunting most week days for at least an hour or two. I had to update all my
information and I even wrote out an introduction and a resume in Japanese. It
was…an interesting challenge. Oh! And I got my JLPT test score back. I passed!
Spectacular, eh? But though I want to work in Hokkaido, I have to be open to
all options, since I want to stay in Japan. That’s really been one of the big
problems. Choice paralysis is an occurrence in many situations where an
overabundance of possibilities leaves someone doing nothing, as they don’t know
the correct thing to do first, which is a bit…terrifying until you come to
grips with it. For me, I had to force myself to sit down and say, “You are going
to do something job related for this one hour period!”
Speaking
of sitting and working, I am trying to get my book edited. It’s slow going, as
my sickness and the personal stuff knocked me out of writing for at least two
months, but I am coming back, slowly. It’s been hard, at times. My days being
sick left me bedridden on the weekends, but I’m finally able to go out and do
stuff again and it feels great. I went to the bath house this week, I went to a
number of my favorite restaurants the week before, had yakiniku for the first
time in like 3 months(Again, I was sick and busy) and I went for a long ride to
go get pizza. It’s all been very exciting and enjoyable. Since it’s September
in Japan, we also have one of the best treats of the year, the moon/tsukimi burger,
which is a twist on an egg burger in the US. It’s really delicious and a
personal recommendation for the season.
Game
wise, I’m still debating the value of Magic the Gathering, as I love the art,
lore, and mechanics, but it is addictive. I have to be very careful with that.
I’m also juggling a switch controller repair, which has been tough because I
can’t send mine in from Japan and they won’t ship to America, so…I’ve had to
collaborate with my family to get the ball rolling. I also got Astral Chain,
which I beat even during a power outage, thank you Switch, which is fun, but a
bit too complicated for some players. I also got Monster Hunter Iceborne, which
I love and is a good replacement for Warframe, which I’m on a break from again.
In media news, I’ve also developed a deep love for the Moomins, which is a
series that is both very old and very new, with many charming incarnations.
Now,
before I finish, I do want to take a moment and say something rather personal.
I talked before about standing on your own and fulfillment and I’ve had to take
a hard examination at my life when it finally sunk in that I’m…well, I’m going to
be leaving the students I’ve taught for almost three years. I’m kinda thankful
they don’t read this blog. I don’t want them to be sad. Anyway, I’ve seen many
of them struggle, some of them misbehave and learned the quirks that make them
tick and I feel the kind of overwhelming pride and protectiveness that I can
only imagine must be what a parent feels. I’ve taught over a hundred, maybe
close to two hundred, kids over the last three years, with new faces arriving
and old ones bowing out. I’ve always wanted to help them. To give them the
courage and the skills needed to stand on their own, unafraid of English or of
the trials of life. Sometimes, I listen to my students share their problems and
I am always reminded of the teachers who helped me through my own crises, like
Brenda Williams. She sadly passed on some years ago, but it is a nice reminder
how profound an impact a teacher can have on someone. My teacher saved me, in more
ways than one. And I hope that I can help my students in just the same way. Whether
that’s as a friend, as a mentor, or just as someone who cares. I’ll say this. I
have a few naughty kids, but I don’t have any bad kids. All my students are
good and special in their own ways. And I am going to miss them dearly when the
time comes. Haha, I funny thought for a few of my friends in the area is, what
if you stayed in Miyagi? True, it is possible. I could even come visit. But it’s
not the same. I’ll truly miss them.
I’m
not sure if the message of how important this work has been to me can be
properly gotten across through a blog. To often we get mired in the small
stuffs, in the personal details, or just in life in general. But, I’m hoping
that at least at tiny glimpse into my mind has given people an understanding
for why I love this career and why I have such respect for any teacher who
truly cares for their students. Now, if you please, send me what good wishes
you can. If this has been a whirlwind so far, a tornado is on the horizon. Busy
busy busy.
