Sure seems sweet Sangetsu. Would you say most days are sunny now, or cloudy?
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As for those sad souls on gaijinpot, I know many of them, and they would be just as unhappy at home (and a few are) as they have been in Japan. The fact that they are/were teachers in not really relevant. My own upbringing was not very pleasant; you can't pick your parents, and there are no entitlements. You simply have to take what you are given and try to make the best of it. That said, I wouldn't have had it any other way. It seems that many who come from "perfect" families are often the most dysfunctional of people. I enjoy my life in Japan very much as well, but I wasn't unhappy with my own country when I left. A variety of circumstances occurred, and I'm here. Moments come from time to time when I wonder how my life's road happened to lead me here, but it has, and I'm happy for it. I haven't had a dull moment since I arrived, I've made many friends since that time (all Japanese, as I said, I don't know any foreigners here), and I often need a day off from my days off just to catch up on a little rest. For those of you who are dreaming of coming here, Japan is not some fantasy land where everything is perfect. Happiness is not a place that exists outside yourself. |
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I prefer the days to be a little cloudy, I like the mountain scenery more on such days. On brighter, sunnier days, your pupils constrict, which makes it hard to see the scenery under the trees or in the valleys. The clouds soften the light, and disperse it, which allows you to see much more detail. |
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If you like winter sports, there are many places to enjoy them in Japan. |
I see. So atleast it will feel like a winter then, nice. But only like 0-10 (C) degrees below, or can it get even colder?
Yeah, I know of Sapporo etc which is famous for winter sports. I don't ski really myself, but I like snow and really cold winters, so I was thinking about doing a hokkaido trip sometime in the winter. |
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I know of quite a few people who came to Japan with big dreams of learning Japanese - and who jumped on with the quickest path here of a chain school.... Only to end up working the entire day, and spending the rest of their time in an apartment with 3 other foreigners or out with the rest of the teachers - never learning more than a few phrases, and going home with a bad opinion of Japan. Quote:
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There are dysfunctional families, and then there are dysfunctional families. |
The majority of ekaiwa teachers in Japan begin teaching just out of college. Many have never worked at a "real" job before. Quite a few are socially dysfunctional who think that living and working in Japan would be better than living and working where they are.
These people have little experience in life outside childhood and school. Then they arrive in Japan not speaking the language, not knowing the customs or manners, and not understanding that as much as they may not have been able to fit into society in their home countries, it's even more difficult for them to do so in Japan. This is just a generalization, but it's fairly representative, and describes those teachers who spend more than one year in Japan. Most ekaiwa teachers spend only one year here, and then return home to move onto bigger and better things. As for myself, I'm not exaggerating about my upbringing. I grew up living in motels, foster homes, or was simply homeless. I dropped out of school in the 10th grade and went to work doing whatever job I could find to eat. I worked in a junkyard, at a carnival, and I painted addresses on curbs for donations. I was 3 years old when I last saw my father, and though my mother was not a bad person, she was terribly irresponsible. I more or less raised and educated myself. I got my high school diploma when I was 22, and began university when I was 24. I didn't arrive in Japan until I was 40. But I have no complaints, any other life would have been too boring, and would have left me as soft as some of those about who you complain. |
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The Japanese are proud of the fact that their country has 4 seasons, apparently very few of them have experienced places with only 1 season, like San Diego or Miami, where you can wear the same clothes all year round. |
As this si more or less this post thema, you may be interested in this story summing-up the 10 years I spent in and out of Japan.
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So... Almost 15 hours on planes later, I now arrived in Tokyo. Damn, it's hothothot!! (atleast a big. fkn. difference. from where I came from, and when carrying around 3 big ass bags it tends to get worse)
Sitting by an AC now tho, so it's all good :) |
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