First-Timer Wondering About Location
Hello fellow JET-setters (I really needed to work that gag in, I'm sorry)!
I am in the process of applying to JET 2009. How/Why: Studied a bit of the language in college (been out of college one year now), lost it rapidly without anyone to speak it with, really want to gain more fluency, and also want the teaching experience to see if being a teacher is truly what I want to do with my life, otherwise I guess I'd better take a different direction in grad school. Especially since I keep planning my life around how I'm going to be a teacher... I um, cough, have no teaching experience thus far. Folklore is my passion and I would love to be exposed to some of the wonderful stories Japan has to share, especially concerning monsters and obake. (Well, of course I'd remember the word for ghost. Same as the Hawaiian word, too!)
With that out of the way... I'm working on the app, and it asks if I have a prefecture/town/city preference. Er, do I? I don't know much about the different places in Japan. I mean, maybe I'd be afraid of a huge city. Or maybe it would really be exciting. I love rural areas too though, and I was in 4-H for ten years so livestock does not intimidate me. I hate the cold but eh, I live in Michigan, I can probably handle whatever their weather dishes out. Suburbs are cool too, best of both worlds right? I'd love to be somewhere where I could visit a really pretty garden, if there are pretty gardens, and if I don't see at least one temple and one shrine before I leave Japan that would stink. But, I've heard the public transport there is great, so maybe no matter where I am I could see anything I need/want to before I go.
I guess my only concern is, if I say "no pref," does that mean they'll put me somewhere nobody else wants to go, and I'll get murdered with an axe my first day out? Because other than that, I truly do not care. I'll probably enjoy myself and get in a lot of learning (hopefully give out as much!) no matter where they place me. As you can likely tell from my misgivings, I've not traveled much. ;)
Thanks in advance, and hey, hello to everyone!
~~Sugar, aka Kimi
I am in the process of applying to JET 2009. How/Why: Studied a bit of the language in college (been out of college one year now), lost it rapidly without anyone to speak it with, really want to gain more fluency, and also want the teaching experience to see if being a teacher is truly what I want to do with my life, otherwise I guess I'd better take a different direction in grad school. Especially since I keep planning my life around how I'm going to be a teacher... I um, cough, have no teaching experience thus far. Folklore is my passion and I would love to be exposed to some of the wonderful stories Japan has to share, especially concerning monsters and obake. (Well, of course I'd remember the word for ghost. Same as the Hawaiian word, too!)
With that out of the way... I'm working on the app, and it asks if I have a prefecture/town/city preference. Er, do I? I don't know much about the different places in Japan. I mean, maybe I'd be afraid of a huge city. Or maybe it would really be exciting. I love rural areas too though, and I was in 4-H for ten years so livestock does not intimidate me. I hate the cold but eh, I live in Michigan, I can probably handle whatever their weather dishes out. Suburbs are cool too, best of both worlds right? I'd love to be somewhere where I could visit a really pretty garden, if there are pretty gardens, and if I don't see at least one temple and one shrine before I leave Japan that would stink. But, I've heard the public transport there is great, so maybe no matter where I am I could see anything I need/want to before I go.
I guess my only concern is, if I say "no pref," does that mean they'll put me somewhere nobody else wants to go, and I'll get murdered with an axe my first day out? Because other than that, I truly do not care. I'll probably enjoy myself and get in a lot of learning (hopefully give out as much!) no matter where they place me. As you can likely tell from my misgivings, I've not traveled much. ;)
Thanks in advance, and hey, hello to everyone!
~~Sugar, aka Kimi