two days before i left for my first year mta, i gave myself 2nd-degree burns on my wrist with hot coffee.
twenty-four hours before leaving to build houses in a poverty-stricken area of the philippines, i have cut my finger with a kitchen knife i was trying to wash.
bad timing, jennifer!!!
however, sitting here with only one useful hand (hence the lack of capitals) means that i was looking around for stuff to waste time with, and created this. pretty, eh? apparently i think a lot.
so yeah, tomorrow night i leave for the philippines for two weeks, one to be spent building houses with habitat for humanity and one to be spent gallivanting. full update, with photos, will follow. i promise.
one-handed typing is annoying me now.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Things I Didn't Know Then
On 3 April 2008, I received my JET Program acceptance email from the Japanese Consulate in Boston. I still remember the rush -- of relief, of pride, of sheer unadulterated glee. I also remember knowing on a rational level that I had no idea what I was getting myself into -- but feeling so on top of the world that I was sure I'd be fine.
Well, I was fine. But I definitely did have no idea what I was getting myself into.
What I Know Now. What I'm Not Sure If I Wish I Knew Then.
(these are in whatever order they happened to occur to me, which may in itself reveal something)
Well, I was fine. But I definitely did have no idea what I was getting myself into.
What I Know Now. What I'm Not Sure If I Wish I Knew Then.
(these are in whatever order they happened to occur to me, which may in itself reveal something)
- that "kawaii" is the highest possible compliment for any woman under the age of thirty or any item that she owns.
- that "kawaii" literally translates as "cute" but really means anything from pretty and fashionable to idiotic and Hello Kitty.
- that travel doesn't happen when you're facing a snowstorm on the one hand and a warm kotatsu on the other.
- that no one in Japan speaks fluent English.
- that everyone in Japan speaks more English than they'll admit at first.
- that being American is boring. They import too many of us.
- that being blonde is the most exciting event of the day to whoever is staring at you/talking about you/taking your picture. It doesn't matter how many of us they import.
- that I would become a pesco (fish-eating) vegetarian when with my colleagues.
- that being a pesco vegetarian would be difficult and confusing enough.
- that the Japanese do not understand the concept of vegetarianism.
- that cherry blossom is a flavor, not just a flower.
- that balls of salted rice wrapped in seaweed would come to be considered food, and a staple food at that.
- that I would miss ovens and cheese and dense baked goods.
- that manga and anime are not confined to 20somethings with bad teeth.
- that businessmen read manga on the subways.
- that Buddhist monks ride subways.
- that it is not a stereotype that Japanese people get their l's and r's confused. They have trouble with b's and v's too.
- that it is a stereotype that Japanese students are well-behaved angels who love English.
- that Japan struggles with a high suicide rate among its students.
- that the life span of a Japanese pop star is three months.
- that you can't keep up with the Japanese pop scene, so don't try.
- that I wouldn't be able to imagine leaving.
- that it could take six months to get over the culture shock and the homesickness.
- that maybe I was destined to be a teacher all along.
- that you can miss your adopted homeland as much as your real homeland.
- that a bicycle is the way to go -- anywhere.
- that anything cut below the collarbone is risque, but pants are optional.
- that you learn things from drunken colleagues that would never come out in the staff room.
- that Canadians don't have anything on the Japanese when it comes to effective use of the word "eh."
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