It has been a difficult few weeks adjusting back to life in the UK. The added pressure of not having a job yet is starting to 1) send me stir crazy and 2) make me realise how much I miss Japan more than ever. However, despite my negativity I remain optimistic. Yesterday I had a very useful chat with a Careers Advisor locally who gave me some useful tips for my CV and gave me a few more avenues to explore to find work. There are jobs out there, it's just that the competition for each job is higher and more niche jobs are harder to come by. My Advisor even suggested I become a Recruitment Consultant myself due to the overwhelming current demand from people seeking work.... We'll see. After a knock back from a Travel company in Cambridge last week (probably a blessing in disguise) I am determined to get back on track and I am realistic enough to know that I might have to either accept a lower offer or I may have to consider other sectors to work in.
Last Friday I attended a careers event in London for returning JETs where I met a lovely old friend of mine that I was in Japan with. As well as some useful stands from a number of recruitment agencies, companies and other organisations, the short CV advisory session I booked was well the ten minutes it took. If nothing else I think I now have a killer CV which will soon be sent out by the lorry load to businesses and organisations up and down the country! It was an interesting and fun day out in London... after the seminar I decided to go to the Japan Centre (because I can't keep away!). To my surprise, attached to the Japan Centre on Picadilly is a new Daiso!! I was so excited to find Daiso in London. However, I was sorely dissapointed and let-down once inside. There were a few Daiso items (all of which I have seen on the shelves in Japan), but sadly all marked up to around double the price or more. I did buy some essentials from the small supermarket including dashi stock, miso, Japanese soy sauce, katsuobushi, wasabi dried peas, shiso and rice! I kinda hoped I would bump into an old friend from Yamaguchi who I had heard was working there, but he was not in. I missed the chance of buying a rice cooker as the lady in front of me took the last one, although I couldnt resist speaking a few words to the Japanese attendants in Japanese. No 「すげー。。。日本語上手」 tho and no shocked faces - not even pointing and staring at the 外人 - I was dissapointed!! For now I will still have to contend with cooking rice in the saucepan (which invaribly sticks and forms a hard crust)!
My shopping spree in "rip-off" Daiso was followed by a trip to Wagama Restaurant - a kinda fusion / Japanese chain. I love Wagamama because it is cheap and well cooked food - hard to come by in London! I had to have Asahi of course followed by toufu noodle salad with beans which was as good as expected. A side-dish of edamame and I was complete.
Wagama was followed by a trip to Uniqlo (to remind myself of my Ube roots) and a quick visit to Mitskoshi - YES.... we even have one of those too!
Having had my fix for the day I headed home on the last train with my bottle of unfinished Asahi in one hand and bag of Japanese food in the other.
Next week I begin Japanese lessons again and hopefully meet two Japanese students in Norwich.
もちろん日本がまだ超恋しいですけど、頑張りますよ！
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
ただいま!
Over 6000km overland passing though 8 time zones, handling 9 different currencies, hearing and seeing countless spoken and written languages, viewing dramatic changes in scenery, people, customs, culture and food and I am finally home in the UK, affectionately known by the Brits as "The Land of Blighty"... ただいま!
I left behind a flood stricken cloudy and wet Japan, which reflected my sad mood. It wasn't until I arrived at the ferry terminal in Shimonoseki that it finally hit that I was not coming back and the saddest feeling swept over me. I had to accept that it was time to leave, although until then and for some time later it did not hit me that I would not return (at least for the foreseeable future). Saying goodbye to the best three years of my life was extremely hard and emotional. The leaving ceremonies seemed to never end to the point where it didn't actually feel like I was going anywhere!
One of the things that touched me the most was speaking to the students on the days leading up to leaving. On several occassions I was nearly bought to tears by things they said, the farewell notes they wrote, the wonderful personal cheerleader show at Onoda High and just how they made me feel so valued. The most poignant of these memories was at Onoda High where, in the last few days some of the students came to me to say goodbye and wish me luck. This happened at all three of my schools, but ironically it was Onoda High, where I struggled so hard to come to terms with the shyness of many students and the unwillingness to communicate openly in class. In some ways I felt sad that I was not able to communicate on the same level that I had achieved in both Tabe and Onoda Technical High where the class banter (in English or Japanese) meant two-way communication and where I felt more like a mentor than a teacher. That said I learnt a lot from Onoda High students despite their reserved nature and shyness. The chance that I had to really communicate one-on-one was during oral examinations which, despite the long days (owing to my own partly deliberate inefficiency!), I loved because this was the time where I was able, (in a very small way) to get to know the students individually and not collectively as class 1-1, 1-2, 1-3 and 1-4. During oral exams I could barely diverse from the scripted questions due to the sheer volume of students and time, but on the odd occasion I would get far more from the students than I had expected which really made me happy. I find the way people express themselves through a learned foreign language (myself included when attempting to communicate in my ropey Japanese or rusty German) very interesting. Having studied Japanese for three years I still struggled to express what I really felt on so many occassions, so I knew exactly how my students must have felt. The thing that I was most impressed with was the students' willingness and determination. I will never forget three wonderful English club students at Onoda High whom I really admired.
Leaving behind such great people, lifelong memories and of course my lovely girlfriend Rie who I had barely had time for in the rush to get everything done leading up to leaving was hard. I owe a lot to my great friends and colleagues who helped me so much in the last few days, not least sorting out endless paper-work, contracts etc (special thanks to Hori Sensei who was incredible), clearing my apartment of three years (and many more years from previous ALTs!) etc. I was never really able to say thank you properly.
This is the beginning of a new chapter of my blog where I will document my life back in the land of blighty.... Stay tuned!! I will also post some pictures here soon of my trip home which are now long overdue.
Finally, to all my friends still in Japan, all of the kind and supportive colleagues at my three schools, two incredible bosses and close personal friends, Hori Sensei and Yoshiji Sensei who deserve a special mention, my wonderful calligraphy teacher Hamazaki Sensei who was a true inspiration, all the great students and not forgetting Rie chan whom means so much to me, from the bottom of my heart
ありがとうございました
I miss you guys so much and I hope one day we can meet again in the future.
Mark
I left behind a flood stricken cloudy and wet Japan, which reflected my sad mood. It wasn't until I arrived at the ferry terminal in Shimonoseki that it finally hit that I was not coming back and the saddest feeling swept over me. I had to accept that it was time to leave, although until then and for some time later it did not hit me that I would not return (at least for the foreseeable future). Saying goodbye to the best three years of my life was extremely hard and emotional. The leaving ceremonies seemed to never end to the point where it didn't actually feel like I was going anywhere!
One of the things that touched me the most was speaking to the students on the days leading up to leaving. On several occassions I was nearly bought to tears by things they said, the farewell notes they wrote, the wonderful personal cheerleader show at Onoda High and just how they made me feel so valued. The most poignant of these memories was at Onoda High where, in the last few days some of the students came to me to say goodbye and wish me luck. This happened at all three of my schools, but ironically it was Onoda High, where I struggled so hard to come to terms with the shyness of many students and the unwillingness to communicate openly in class. In some ways I felt sad that I was not able to communicate on the same level that I had achieved in both Tabe and Onoda Technical High where the class banter (in English or Japanese) meant two-way communication and where I felt more like a mentor than a teacher. That said I learnt a lot from Onoda High students despite their reserved nature and shyness. The chance that I had to really communicate one-on-one was during oral examinations which, despite the long days (owing to my own partly deliberate inefficiency!), I loved because this was the time where I was able, (in a very small way) to get to know the students individually and not collectively as class 1-1, 1-2, 1-3 and 1-4. During oral exams I could barely diverse from the scripted questions due to the sheer volume of students and time, but on the odd occasion I would get far more from the students than I had expected which really made me happy. I find the way people express themselves through a learned foreign language (myself included when attempting to communicate in my ropey Japanese or rusty German) very interesting. Having studied Japanese for three years I still struggled to express what I really felt on so many occassions, so I knew exactly how my students must have felt. The thing that I was most impressed with was the students' willingness and determination. I will never forget three wonderful English club students at Onoda High whom I really admired.
Leaving behind such great people, lifelong memories and of course my lovely girlfriend Rie who I had barely had time for in the rush to get everything done leading up to leaving was hard. I owe a lot to my great friends and colleagues who helped me so much in the last few days, not least sorting out endless paper-work, contracts etc (special thanks to Hori Sensei who was incredible), clearing my apartment of three years (and many more years from previous ALTs!) etc. I was never really able to say thank you properly.
This is the beginning of a new chapter of my blog where I will document my life back in the land of blighty.... Stay tuned!! I will also post some pictures here soon of my trip home which are now long overdue.
Finally, to all my friends still in Japan, all of the kind and supportive colleagues at my three schools, two incredible bosses and close personal friends, Hori Sensei and Yoshiji Sensei who deserve a special mention, my wonderful calligraphy teacher Hamazaki Sensei who was a true inspiration, all the great students and not forgetting Rie chan whom means so much to me, from the bottom of my heart
ありがとうございました
I miss you guys so much and I hope one day we can meet again in the future.
Mark
Monday, February 16, 2009
Excerpts from OC1 English Writing Class
The title of the essay was "My Dream Vacation". Here is what some students wrote:
No.1 (My favourite)
A long long ago grandfather went to the mountain to hunt pig. Grandmother went to the river to eat fish. Then a big peach was flown from upper stream. When she looked it she thought.... "I want to eat!!" And she gave the peach back. The grandfather came home. "oh... NO I want to eat it!!" he shouted. When they were eating the peach, a middle aged fat man appeared from in the peach. At that time nobody knew this fat man would save the earth yet.
Grandfather and grandmother named him "Mark". Mark was grown vigorously and he had gained 45 kilograms only about two weeks. One day Mark said "I must hunt an ogre named Hori" (*) Grandmother let him hunt and she gave Mark many hanburgers. Grandfather gave Mark a fork. Mike started on his trip to Onigashima to hunt an ogre. Ten minutes later Mike had given up and he came home. But Grandfather didnt allow him and hit him. Mark started on a trip again. Mark met seven middle aged fat men. Their hair line has receded considerably. Their head looked like ball. Just then seven heads started to shine and appear the dragon. Then the ogre.
By the way if I have a a dream vacation, I want to sleep all day... Mark I love you (heart heart heart)
* Mr Hori is the teacher that I team teach this class with.
This is a wonderful piece and had me in stitches. I like the way he forgets my name half way through too! Mr Hori was not too impressed, but this was by far the best composition of all the 160 essays I had to mark.
No.2
I want to travel to Hokkaido with Mr Mark. Because I like snow and Hokkaido is much snow. I and Mr Mark go skiing at Tokura and I went to ski down the slope with Mr Mark. After that we want to eat many king crabs. Next day we would go to Okinawa by plane. We swim beautiful sea in Okinawa And we watch Shurijou. I want to eat sugarcane and doughnut. At the end I want to take lessons with Mr Mark!
I love Mr Mark.
No.3
I going to the sky alone. When I got up bed and look over aloud. Here is sky! I saw under from on the top of cloud. Everyone spent normal day. I found that someone ride on cloud. It was come towards me. She's name is Mayu. She was sky until she was twelve old. We played everday together. One day, when we sleeped on the cloud. Something fall down by us. It is beautiful two stones. It is become creasure for us.
Usually marking is mundane and tedious... I love it when I come across essays like these.
No.1 (My favourite)
A long long ago grandfather went to the mountain to hunt pig. Grandmother went to the river to eat fish. Then a big peach was flown from upper stream. When she looked it she thought.... "I want to eat!!" And she gave the peach back. The grandfather came home. "oh... NO I want to eat it!!" he shouted. When they were eating the peach, a middle aged fat man appeared from in the peach. At that time nobody knew this fat man would save the earth yet.
Grandfather and grandmother named him "Mark". Mark was grown vigorously and he had gained 45 kilograms only about two weeks. One day Mark said "I must hunt an ogre named Hori" (*) Grandmother let him hunt and she gave Mark many hanburgers. Grandfather gave Mark a fork. Mike started on his trip to Onigashima to hunt an ogre. Ten minutes later Mike had given up and he came home. But Grandfather didnt allow him and hit him. Mark started on a trip again. Mark met seven middle aged fat men. Their hair line has receded considerably. Their head looked like ball. Just then seven heads started to shine and appear the dragon. Then the ogre.
By the way if I have a a dream vacation, I want to sleep all day... Mark I love you (heart heart heart)
* Mr Hori is the teacher that I team teach this class with.
This is a wonderful piece and had me in stitches. I like the way he forgets my name half way through too! Mr Hori was not too impressed, but this was by far the best composition of all the 160 essays I had to mark.
No.2
I want to travel to Hokkaido with Mr Mark. Because I like snow and Hokkaido is much snow. I and Mr Mark go skiing at Tokura and I went to ski down the slope with Mr Mark. After that we want to eat many king crabs. Next day we would go to Okinawa by plane. We swim beautiful sea in Okinawa And we watch Shurijou. I want to eat sugarcane and doughnut. At the end I want to take lessons with Mr Mark!
I love Mr Mark.
No.3
I going to the sky alone. When I got up bed and look over aloud. Here is sky! I saw under from on the top of cloud. Everyone spent normal day. I found that someone ride on cloud. It was come towards me. She's name is Mayu. She was sky until she was twelve old. We played everday together. One day, when we sleeped on the cloud. Something fall down by us. It is beautiful two stones. It is become creasure for us.
Usually marking is mundane and tedious... I love it when I come across essays like these.
Monday, September 01, 2008
18th Aio World Shrimp Catching Contest
The small seaside town of Aio invites a few foreigners every year to take part in their shrimp catching contest. This is the only way they can call it a "World" Contest. The event started mid morning and began with an early lunch of 焼き肉 (skewered barbecued meat) and 焼きそば (fried soba noodles) kindly prepared by local volunteers. Around 1pm everyone collected the obligatory equipment (a catching net and gardening gloves) and prepared to lunge into the sea. During this time the live shrimp arrived in crates on a truck and were tossed into the sea and onto the beach by event organisers.
Like all Japanese events there was a long and drawn-out opening ceremony during which the 1500 or so competitors of all ages waited patiently behind a rope start-line about 20metres back from the sea. When the starting gun was fired, the rope was dropped and it was a free for all to into the water. Everyone from young kids to grandmothers plunged in and began digging furiously on their hands and knees in the sand in the hope of teasing out the already buried shrimp. The more experienced headed straight for the net barrier in the hope of catching any escaping shrimp which faced an inevitable death of being pulled apart live and eaten raw with soy sauce or being burnt to a crisp on the awaiting barbecues. The event is not for the feint hearted and involves battling with biting jellyfish, nipping crabs, elbowing grandmothers and fast moving shrimp buried so deep in the sand rendering them virtually impossible to catch. Despite this many kids and veteran shrimp catchers were quickly filling their nets, whilst the lagging inexperienced foreigners managed to net on average around 3-4 shrimps in the whole 30 – 40 minute time. The prize for the most shrimp netted was a digital camera and this years world champion reportedly caught over 80 shrimp. Chris Mack managed 35 - a stirling effort, but then again he has been going for the last four years!
As for my effort, I managed a measly 4 shrimp, 3 crabs and a few pretty shells. Poor Rie was bitten by the jellyfish and reacted badly resulting in her early withdrawal. The event seemed to come to a natural end when everyone either gave up through sheer frustration or just let the professionals clear up. Back on the beach everyone enjoyed a harvest of still jumping fresh shrimp (well kinda if you can call shrimp being fished and then put back in the sea and caught again "fresh) pulled apart and eaten 生 (raw) with soy sauce or barbecued. Interestingly the brain is a delicacy in Japan – for all these years, I’ve been missing the best part. Raw live shrimp is very sweet and tasty.
All in all another fun festival and one I was definitely glad I attended in my final year in Japan... well maybe!
Pictures to follow
ご馳走さまでした！
Like all Japanese events there was a long and drawn-out opening ceremony during which the 1500 or so competitors of all ages waited patiently behind a rope start-line about 20metres back from the sea. When the starting gun was fired, the rope was dropped and it was a free for all to into the water. Everyone from young kids to grandmothers plunged in and began digging furiously on their hands and knees in the sand in the hope of teasing out the already buried shrimp. The more experienced headed straight for the net barrier in the hope of catching any escaping shrimp which faced an inevitable death of being pulled apart live and eaten raw with soy sauce or being burnt to a crisp on the awaiting barbecues. The event is not for the feint hearted and involves battling with biting jellyfish, nipping crabs, elbowing grandmothers and fast moving shrimp buried so deep in the sand rendering them virtually impossible to catch. Despite this many kids and veteran shrimp catchers were quickly filling their nets, whilst the lagging inexperienced foreigners managed to net on average around 3-4 shrimps in the whole 30 – 40 minute time. The prize for the most shrimp netted was a digital camera and this years world champion reportedly caught over 80 shrimp. Chris Mack managed 35 - a stirling effort, but then again he has been going for the last four years!
As for my effort, I managed a measly 4 shrimp, 3 crabs and a few pretty shells. Poor Rie was bitten by the jellyfish and reacted badly resulting in her early withdrawal. The event seemed to come to a natural end when everyone either gave up through sheer frustration or just let the professionals clear up. Back on the beach everyone enjoyed a harvest of still jumping fresh shrimp (well kinda if you can call shrimp being fished and then put back in the sea and caught again "fresh) pulled apart and eaten 生 (raw) with soy sauce or barbecued. Interestingly the brain is a delicacy in Japan – for all these years, I’ve been missing the best part. Raw live shrimp is very sweet and tasty.
All in all another fun festival and one I was definitely glad I attended in my final year in Japan... well maybe!
Pictures to follow
ご馳走さまでした！
Saturday, July 26, 2008
見島の旅 Trip to Mishima
ひまわり畑
Sunflower fields
空ではとんぼが
Dragonflies in the sky
泳いでる
Swimming
いいことだらけの
and good things all around
夏の見島
Summer in Mishima
セブンがない
No Seven Eleven
ｽﾀﾊﾞもないし
No Starbucks
スーパーもない
and no supermarkets
なんにもない
there's nothing at all
けど大好き見島
but we love Mishima
砂浜で
Sandy beaches
小魚と泳いだ
Swimming with the little fish
夏休み
Summer holiday
いいことだらけ
Good things all around
見島の旅
On our trip to Mishima
Mark and Rie
Summer 2008
Sunflower fields
空ではとんぼが
Dragonflies in the sky
泳いでる
Swimming
いいことだらけの
and good things all around
夏の見島
Summer in Mishima
セブンがない
No Seven Eleven
ｽﾀﾊﾞもないし
No Starbucks
スーパーもない
and no supermarkets
なんにもない
there's nothing at all
けど大好き見島
but we love Mishima
砂浜で
Sandy beaches
小魚と泳いだ
Swimming with the little fish
夏休み
Summer holiday
いいことだらけ
Good things all around
見島の旅
On our trip to Mishima
Mark and Rie
Summer 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)