Michelle teaching in Japan
Posted by Michelle Size - 12:14 on 22 October 2009
My name is Michelle Size and I am 23. I took the weekend course in April. I have been in Japan for 1 month now.
I am based in a small town 30 minutes by bus from the northern most city on Honshu which is Sendai. I had just finished university and wanted a way to see the world without it costing any money as I was student with no savings. I really wasn't interesting in getting a horribly boring graduate job. Also with the current economic climate i knew that it would be really difficult and I could be out of work or have some low-grade job like many of my friends had who graduated the year before me were stuck in.
I chose Japan, as Asia was the continent I knew least about and so wanted to challenge myself and gain knowledge. Plus Japan seemed like such an interesting country with so much to experience. The Japanese government luckily have the JET scheme which seemed ideal as I liked the idea of being employed by the government, as well as all the benefits that come with it (free flights, free travel to destination, free hotel accommodation in Tokyo for orientation, a welcome event at the British embassy, to name a few), it is a secure job with a contract for one year at least. I would definitely recommend the scheme to any graduates interested in going to Japan.
I am teaching in 10 different schools, which good as I have variety and work with children from age 3 (oh so cute!!!) to 15, so it's a lot of fun. It's really good for cultural exchange as I get to tell them about Scotland and the United Kingdom as they usually don't know much about it as in Japanese there is just one word for the UK, Britain and England!
There are many reasons why I love the decision I made. I have a rent free house, which is great to have people over to and also saves me so much money that I can live comfortably and go traveling at the weekends and on holidays. The community I have been placed in are very friendly and welcomed me with a party where I got to meet the Mayor of the town. They also took me to a Japanese tea ceremony and to visit temples and scenic mountains. I really like being the only westerner in my town, it's also great for immersion into the culture and language and also it makes me a sort of 'celebrity' as everyone seems to know who I am.
There's other English teachers in nearby towns and an English speaking community in Sendai, so I don't feel issolated. I don't really get the chance to as I am always being invited out to do so many different things. There are probably lots more things I could mention as it's been an incredible month. I even feel fitter and healthier than I did. I guess another good point is that I get paid a decent wage so I am able to start paying off student debts as well as have a great time here.
Michelle
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