I'm moving.... to Japan!!!
oh good, my headline caught your attention... you know you must find out what crazy half-baked scheme I'm up to now... tee hee *
It's been like a month since I've even paid attention to my LJ. I've just been so incredibly, unbelieveably busy lately with stuff for AnimeBoston (almost within two-week range!!!!), Anime-Source.com (my bigger staff means more people for me to track and monitor now) and for fire department stuff (it's fire season, we've had about 4 fires in the past two weeks, not including the big factory fire I mentioned in the earlier posting here). I apologize for not keeping up. I know I've been getting comments since they appear in my email and even though I try to keep up with everyone via AIM and email, I've been kinda all over the place lately.
So now I'm back on here because of that exciting news you saw in my headline!!
After many talks with Doug and Lupe about their desires to go teach english in Japan, I asked myself... "why shouldn't I take this awesome opportunity to do something life-changing?" I've heard stories from people who have done it and it seems to be quite the positive experience in people's lives. I love traveling, I love Japan, I love kids, and I love teaching. Here is a chance to combine all 4 of those things into one. Might as well do it now, I'm young, don't have any chldren and there's really nothing tying me down to this area anyway (aside from the fact that I love New England).
The only setback is my job at the FFD. The work is great and the pay is decent. The hours are something to be desired, but they work great for me since I can do my A-Source stuff at night, plus many of my friends are online late at night, but considering that I'm technically underemployed, I always knew I'd probably never turn this into my career. I'm loving it now for all the reasons listed above, but after a while my friends will be working regular 9-5 jobs, the torch will be passed at A-Source, I'll probably revert back to a staff-level job at AnimeBoston, and eventually I'll have a family to raise, so I can see the benefits of late-night hours dying quick. Even if I was accepted to the Japan exchange program, I probably wouldn't be leaving until summer 2008 anyway, which is perfect since that is exactly when my house contract is up.
I wrote an email to my grandparents for their opinion and I spoke to my dad about it today. Nothing back from the g'rents yet but Dad seemed kinda static on the subject. No enthusiasm, but no real "this idea sucks" from him... though that's basically him on any subject anyway. I did tell him all that stuff I said above... mostly I'm young and if I don't do it now, I'll never get to do it. I'll talk to my mom about it on Easter (yikes, it's coming up soon).
We're all still in the research phase**, but we have topics asking for information on the AnimeBoston staff forums and in the Anime-Source Free For All forums. Doug has some other places he uses to fish for info and Lupe knows someone at NOVA... though I've heard plenty of negative things about them... plus they're training for corporate personnel. What I want to do is work in the public schools, which is how JET (Japan Exchange & Teaching Programme***) functions. I'd be living my dream of being a schoolteacher, haha... well, teaching assistant actually, which is better, it's less pressure and slightly less responsibility.
The problem with JET is they don't let you pick where you go. According to their FAQ, they send you where your skills are needed most. Personally, I would love to go to Fukuoka. Tokyo I wouldn't mind, but with all the conferences and seminars we'd be going to in Tokyo, I'd get plenty of time to spend there anyway. JET does mostly mid-sized towns and small cities anyway. I guess just being on or near Kyushu Island would be fine with me.
Other issues would be what to do with Mikaru and what to do about a car. Japan is known worldwide for its excellent public transit, so I guess a small moped or a regular bicycle would suffice, but it all depends on where I'm sent. As for Mika, I'd love to bring her with me, but I'm not sure if the programs allow for it. We'll see.
Anyways, comments please. Good idea? Bad idea? Super fanstastic awesome idea? Everyone is welcome to come visit me when I'm there. I want to share this experience with friends, so please take me up on it (assuming our schedules match... I'll be working while I'm there obviously, but weekends and school breaks should be fine). If anyone has info to share here, please post that stuff, too.
Talk to ya all soon... and I'll see most of ya this Saturday.
ja na!!
- Jeff
* "tee hee" = your line after that is "WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'TEE HEE'!?!?!?!?" ^___^
** Purchase Doug Wilder's Latest Broken-Record entitled "Do your research", now available at your local music store. Just look next to the Keven Federline display in the back of the discount section.
*** JET = www.jetprogramme.org ---- not .com!!! that's an outdated section of the site unless you really really want to register for the 2002/2003 season.
It's been like a month since I've even paid attention to my LJ. I've just been so incredibly, unbelieveably busy lately with stuff for AnimeBoston (almost within two-week range!!!!), Anime-Source.com (my bigger staff means more people for me to track and monitor now) and for fire department stuff (it's fire season, we've had about 4 fires in the past two weeks, not including the big factory fire I mentioned in the earlier posting here). I apologize for not keeping up. I know I've been getting comments since they appear in my email and even though I try to keep up with everyone via AIM and email, I've been kinda all over the place lately.
So now I'm back on here because of that exciting news you saw in my headline!!
After many talks with Doug and Lupe about their desires to go teach english in Japan, I asked myself... "why shouldn't I take this awesome opportunity to do something life-changing?" I've heard stories from people who have done it and it seems to be quite the positive experience in people's lives. I love traveling, I love Japan, I love kids, and I love teaching. Here is a chance to combine all 4 of those things into one. Might as well do it now, I'm young, don't have any chldren and there's really nothing tying me down to this area anyway (aside from the fact that I love New England).
The only setback is my job at the FFD. The work is great and the pay is decent. The hours are something to be desired, but they work great for me since I can do my A-Source stuff at night, plus many of my friends are online late at night, but considering that I'm technically underemployed, I always knew I'd probably never turn this into my career. I'm loving it now for all the reasons listed above, but after a while my friends will be working regular 9-5 jobs, the torch will be passed at A-Source, I'll probably revert back to a staff-level job at AnimeBoston, and eventually I'll have a family to raise, so I can see the benefits of late-night hours dying quick. Even if I was accepted to the Japan exchange program, I probably wouldn't be leaving until summer 2008 anyway, which is perfect since that is exactly when my house contract is up.
I wrote an email to my grandparents for their opinion and I spoke to my dad about it today. Nothing back from the g'rents yet but Dad seemed kinda static on the subject. No enthusiasm, but no real "this idea sucks" from him... though that's basically him on any subject anyway. I did tell him all that stuff I said above... mostly I'm young and if I don't do it now, I'll never get to do it. I'll talk to my mom about it on Easter (yikes, it's coming up soon).
We're all still in the research phase**, but we have topics asking for information on the AnimeBoston staff forums and in the Anime-Source Free For All forums. Doug has some other places he uses to fish for info and Lupe knows someone at NOVA... though I've heard plenty of negative things about them... plus they're training for corporate personnel. What I want to do is work in the public schools, which is how JET (Japan Exchange & Teaching Programme***) functions. I'd be living my dream of being a schoolteacher, haha... well, teaching assistant actually, which is better, it's less pressure and slightly less responsibility.
The problem with JET is they don't let you pick where you go. According to their FAQ, they send you where your skills are needed most. Personally, I would love to go to Fukuoka. Tokyo I wouldn't mind, but with all the conferences and seminars we'd be going to in Tokyo, I'd get plenty of time to spend there anyway. JET does mostly mid-sized towns and small cities anyway. I guess just being on or near Kyushu Island would be fine with me.
Other issues would be what to do with Mikaru and what to do about a car. Japan is known worldwide for its excellent public transit, so I guess a small moped or a regular bicycle would suffice, but it all depends on where I'm sent. As for Mika, I'd love to bring her with me, but I'm not sure if the programs allow for it. We'll see.
Anyways, comments please. Good idea? Bad idea? Super fanstastic awesome idea? Everyone is welcome to come visit me when I'm there. I want to share this experience with friends, so please take me up on it (assuming our schedules match... I'll be working while I'm there obviously, but weekends and school breaks should be fine). If anyone has info to share here, please post that stuff, too.
Talk to ya all soon... and I'll see most of ya this Saturday.
ja na!!
- Jeff
* "tee hee" = your line after that is "WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'TEE HEE'!?!?!?!?" ^___^
** Purchase Doug Wilder's Latest Broken-Record entitled "Do your research", now available at your local music store. Just look next to the Keven Federline display in the back of the discount section.
*** JET = www.jetprogramme.org ---- not .com!!! that's an outdated section of the site unless you really really want to register for the 2002/2003 season.