Advertisement
Published: December 11th 2007
Edit Blog Post
"Lisa Thank you! We hope to enjoy your new school life."
This final farewell was such a nice gesture, and it was completely unexpected. I think it was at this point when I realized just how much I had been appreciated. Looking back at my 2 years in the small town of Yachiyo, I realize now how many wonderful experiences I had there, and how lucky I was to be a part of rural life in Japan. I remember thinking upon arrival "Oh ****! What have I gotten myself into?!?" But, as time went by the people of Yachiyo proved to me that I had become involved in a great community. It seemed that because I was the only foreigner in town people were continuously going out of their way to help me. If I ever needed anything, all I had to do was mention it to one or two people, and by the next day someone was there to help me. It was always such a comfort knowing that people were looking out for me!
As for my experiences, I don't know where to begin. My initial thought is to list the once in a lifetime moments I had while traveling throughout Japan, the Philippines, and Cambodia; but in reality, the happiness I experienced over the last 2 years was largely due to the everyday adventures I had in Yachiyo. For instance, although I previously knew nothing about the art
My Final [i]Eikaiwa[/i] Class
After teaching this adult conversation class every Thursday night for 2 years, I really did learn a lot about each of my students. of
Ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement), upon hearing that I was interested, the local
Ikebana Club immediately welcomed me. Twice a month for last two years I met with the group (consisting of about 10 ladies, all over the age of 50) to learn the beautiful ways of flower arrangement (in addition to learning the Japanese names to dozens of flowers and an abundance of Japanese vocabulary related to flower arrangement!)
As for my work experiences in Yachiyo, I can only say good things about the teachers and students I worked with. Unlike the typical English teacher in Japan, I was lucky enough to be teaching junior high, elementary, and kindergarten (as opposed to high school) which meant that the majority of my students enjoyed English class... and wanted to learn!! After working with students and teachers in each of the three levels I have concluded that - - although there will always be disadvantages and challenges at each level, there will aways be benefits and rewards. For example, my lessons at the kindergartens consisted of teaching simple theme-oriented vocabulary, which we then followed with games and songs relating to the topic. I can't recall a time when the students
A beautiful bouqet from Yachiyo Junior Highschool
In addition to these beautiful flowers, the teachers of Yachiyo J.H.S. surprised me on my final day with a vibrant yellow [i]yukata[/i] (summer kimono) and beautifully tied red [i]obi[/i] (the belt for yukata). I was honestly touched to receive such beautiful gifts! were not enthusiastic about participating in the games. They were always very
genki (lively/happy), and because of this, they learned extremely fast. I can definitely say that teaching at the kindergarten level is very rewarding! Junior high school on the other hand, was not as fun in terms of games and sillyness, but it was very enjoyable in that I could have real conversations with the students and develop normal relationships with them. For instance, I could never have asked a kindergarten student what they planned to do on the weekend, or what their favorite music is, but learning such things about older students is nice because you are able to understand them better. Throughout my two years in Yachiyo I continually experienced memorable moments, but I think the one thing I could never forget is the feeling I got everytime I walked into a classroom and had 20-40 students smiling and waving, and welcoming me with "Harro, Risa sensei!" Good times!
Another benefit of living in the countryside is that people tend to be far more traditional. Within my first week of living in Yachiyo I was brought to a Shinto shrine where I observed the famous festivities
of
Obon. From then on I enjoyed regular invitations to take part in cultural activities. Rice planting (
taue), rice harvesting (
inekari), pounding
mochi, cherry blossom viewing (
hanami), and the celebration of various holidays (such as the
hina matsuri) are just a few of the events I was lucky enough to participate in.
Reflecting on my
inaka life (rural) I know that I did miss out on some parties in the city, and that there were many times the distance from my foreign friends bothered me, but overall, my 2 years in Yachiyo has left me with many good memories of kind people, beautiful scenery, and unique experiences.
.... Now I just have to cross my fingers that I managed to contribute as much to the community as they generously gave to me!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.088s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 8; qc: 24; dbt: 0.0524s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
mom
non-member comment
Absolutely beautiful! You were very blessed with good friends in Yachiyo.