Advertisement
Published: February 10th 2009
Edit Blog Post
Our Lodge
Cute little Ryokan buried beneath a few feet of snow! Hello All,
Thank you for your responses to my last blog entry. I’m sorry I have not been able to deliver on some of the questions asked, but I’ll try my best to get around to them all when I can. I’m posting some photos from my ski trip last month, and in my next blog I’ll be breaking down Tokyo, where I’ll be spending the next five days. I’ll also be writing about the Japanese aesthetic, as in what’s cute and sexy. So there are some things to look forward to.
Ok, now for the business. When I decided to come to Japan, I knew it would be on a one-year contract (with second-year options. Right, Jason Varitek?) My full intentions were to stay one year, learn as much Japanese as possible, see the country, make some Japanese friends, and save a little bit of money. Oh yeah…. AND teach English. I had already imagined closing the Japan-chapter and moving on before I had even opened it. As this week marked my six-month anniversary of my arrival, I can look at my goals and say that I accomplished or plan to accomplish almost all of them at the
end of one year. I could leave Japan satisfied that I lived it to the fullest.
What I did not imagine happening was the global economy going down the toilet, leaving a job market that is more depressed than Kurt Cobain. I stayed glued to the news and the campaign, and sympathized with what most Americans are going through at this time. The problem is, I am well off here. Not like the Japanese economy is doing any better. I mean, since their bubble-economy burst in the 1990s, they’ve struggled to find any kind of growth. The crisis in 2008 has given Japan a hearty beating, as the main stock exchange (Nikkei) made the Dow Jones look like a small kitchen fire. In other words, pretty bad but could be much worse. However, one of the results of this depression has been the resurgent strength of the Japanese currency, the Yen. The Yen began to kick the Dollar’s @$$ in September and hasn’t let up yet, soaring to record highs over the last few months. This, of course, was a VERY good thing for me. But, because I work for the Japan government, my job was also quite unstable.
Nagano
The Beautiful Japanese Alps behind me So it wasn’t long before I was told that due to budget cuts, me and a few other colleagues would have our jobs cut in August. There would be an opportunity to transfer to another Board of Education in Kagawa Prefecture, but I would not be staying in Kotohira for another year if I intended to stay.
Let’s recap: I intended to stay for a year, however, my salary essentially grew 33% due to the exchange rate. But, my job would be cut, and I’d have the opportunity to move to the nearby city of Takamatsu. This got me thinking about another year.
I was suddenly in a dilemma. While the first few months were difficult on a good day, I’ve found myself beginning to like Japan more and more everyday. In addition to the job perks, I’ve found myself a band and a group of friends. I eat sushi more than once a week. I’ve traveled around Japan and Asia. I’m getting better at the language. There were a lot of reasons to stay for another year.
There were also a lot of reasons to NOT. Frankly, I miss the States. I miss my family and
Dinner
My set meal at the lodge. (clockwise from back:) Soup, Shrimp Tempura, Roast Chicken, Apple slices, kind of like Tuna Tartare, boiled veggies. Plus all the rice and green tea you want. friends. I’m going to be an uncle in July. While my job is easy and lucrative, it’s mind-numbly boring. I decided that I don’t want to have a career as a teacher, so I was ready to move on and see what else is out there.
So here’s what it came down to: Stay in Japan for another year and move into the city, collect my paycheck and continue to live the good life; or come home and throw all my eggs into the 2009 Job Market Basket. I can see only one logical choice, but for some reason my gut is not 100% on board with it.
Alas, Logic wins out. That’s why I’ve decided to re-contract, and continue to teach English until August 2010. Hopefully by then, the job market and economy will have stabilized, and I can smoothly transition into the next phase of my life and career.
This also means that I probably won’t come back for a visit until next Christmas. And, you have another 18 months to come visit me here! I want you to know that this decision was not easy, and I thought about all of you while making
The Town Below
Quaint Ski Town at the bottom it. Time has been flying by, and I’ll be home before you know it.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.055s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 9; qc: 49; dbt: 0.0299s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb