I am the Most Predictable Person...on Earth!

It`s here…Summer break is here!

After being in Japan for 4 months, my first part of teaching is finished. For those who don`t know here in Japan the school year starts about the second week April and runs till about the second week of July. This of course varies from school to school but it`s generally the same time. Then summer break. The rest of July and August is summer break. School then starts back up in September with a break in December for the winter. There are a few smaller breaks here and there but for the most part school is year round.

This has been my first experience teaching this way and after 4 months I don`t feel as if I have an opinion on if I like it. I will say that I don`t hate it so please don’t misread that. I just haven`t been here long enough to form an opinion. Although, if pressed for an answer I would say that I really like it so far. So, there…I like it!

In the 4 months that I have been in Japan I have learned a lot about the people I work with as well as myself. I will save you from the sappy touchy feely self revelation stuff. Something I already knew, and have said before is that living abroad isn`t for everyone.

I know I have told the story here before but after my first trip to Japan I knew I wanted to live here. For others on that trip it was a wakeup call that maybe they weren`t cut out for life away from their comfort zone, which is great! You certainly don`t want to experience that once you have moved your life to the other side of the world. Culture shock can be a cruel cruel thing!

That being said learning the ins and outs of a culture can be one of the most exciting things. Learning how people live, work and learn exposes you to so much. Experiencing new and amazing things (and as I say that I was just harassed by a school board member who saw me at a restaurant last week and laughed that I was only getting a medium…)

This is Japan! This isn`t your mothers country! Once you think you have things figured out everything changes, but that is the exciting part. I have met so many amazing people since I have been here, some from other countries others from Japan. These past 4 months have flown by and I can`t wait for the next 4 months. I have no idea what is going to happen but I`m glad…I hate predictability (haha…I`m like the most predictable person on Earth!)

Wednesday Motivation...It`s Up To You

Things I have learned while working. I am 30…which means I`ve had a few jobs in my day…and starting out a blog like that makes me sound super old. Anyway! As I sit here and contemplate my previous jobs I would be amiss if I didn`t learn anything…from any of them!

16 years old. My dad came home with an application for Dairy Queen. He wanted me to apply. I was content with playing Playstation. But, I wanted a car and that wasn`t going to come cheap. So, I filled out the application and set history in motion.

At Dairy Queen I learned how to work under pressure. I ran the drive through most of the time and you had to keep that line moving! Filling orders with speed as wells as precision is a must!

I also learned how to work alone and keep myself motivated. Since I was homeschooled I was the only employee who could open the store in the mornings and work through lunch. Despite the owner being there she rarely helped out (well if we were super busy she would help) and I was determined to get through the lunch hour on my own.

18 years old. I got a job working for the competition. I was offered better pay at a competing ice cream restaurant in town. At that job I learned that older people can be really set in their ways and fear change. The owner had been doing things his way for years (he also owned a storage business and garden shop). Everything had to be done his way or it was wrong.

18 years old. I started working for Target. At target I really understood the teamwork mentality. Now, I didn`t love every second of my time there, the store manager would never let me work any shift other than 3^rd. (The turnover rate was so high and I had been there for 3 years…longer than anyone. He took advantage of the fact that I was dependable.) I also learned how to have fun at work. I met a lot of people and had fun at work. The problem was, as mentioned above, the turnover rate was so high that it made making friends at work hard.

22 years old. After quitting/walking out of Target I was offered a management job working for Hess. They are a gas station and convenience store for those of you who don`t know. At Hess I learned that you can trust no one! I learned that people will stab you in the back without hesitation. The story is far too stupid to tell but needless to say they ended up paying my unemployment for 6 months!

22 Years old. I took the job as an assistant youth pastor. I moved out of my parents house and moved into an apartment I shared with my older sister. I worked at the church for 4 years and learned many things! But, I think the most important thing I learned was to stick to your guns. If you know you are doing something right and there is proof of your success you can`t listen to the doubters. Many times I faced opposition out of pure fear. Fear for changing the old ways, fear of doing something different. But, I stuck by what I knew was right.

26 years old. While working for the church I started going to college. I was also working at GameStop part time. Once I left the church I was working at I started at GameStop full time. I worked there while I was finishing college.

What did I learn at GameStop? Well…I learned this. That if you get robbed at gun point don`t expect your District Manager to care at all. Also, I learned how to deal with some of the dumbest people in the world!. (Customers! Not Employees!!) I also, made some amazing friendships! I also sadly learned that `Tiny Dancer` is not part of the Rock Band track list…

I write all of this to say one thing. I don`t regret any of the places I`ve worked. Nor do I want to bash any of the places I have previously worked. Some places were great and other places where less than stellar. But, in the end I learned something for each and every experience. Had I not learned anything my time there would have been wasted.

So, no matter where you are take time to learn something from it. There is no experience too small and no job too menial. You can learn from every experience. It`s up to you to decide whether or not that experience was worth it.   

3 Months In Japan

I often think about the impact I have as a teacher.

When I was in second grade a teacher (not my normal teacher, it was a teacher from down the hall) sat us down and told us about an assignment that she had for us. We all sat in wonderment as to what she would have us do. She slowly began to take stacks of magazines, newspapers, and fliers and placed them on a long table at the front of the class.

"I want you to take a magazine and I want you to find a picture of anything. But it needs to be a profession. Something you want to do when you are older. What do you want to be?"

"Are you kidding me? What do I want to be!? Is this my lucky day? Because, if it is...man I'm going to ace this project!" I thought to myself.

I grabbed a People magazine, a few sheets of blue construction paper, and glue. I found my way back to my desk and started flying through the magazine.

"Where is he...I know he has to be in here somewhere. I have to find him!"

I knew exactly what I wanted to be. I knew who and what. Then when and where would work itself out, I was sure of it. And then, there he was. Padded vest, jean jacket, and acid wash jeans. Michael J. Fox

Could it get any better?? Marty Mcfly, Teen Wolf, Alex P Keaton!! This was it! I made sure to cut carefully and precisely. As each cut was made I imagined what my life would be in the future. "Andrew Higgins", my name in lights! Who knows, maybe Mike...(we were friends so I could call him that) and I would get to be in movies together. At the very least we would be best friends. Going to parties, driving around Hollywood, and just being the best of friends.

As I finished cutting out Mike I placed him on the blue construction paper. I didn't put the glue on right away because I wanted to make sure he was positioned correctly on the paper. I managed to look around to see my other classmates progress, only to see that I was the only one who and already picked someone out of the magazine. Clearly this wasn't any easy choice for anyone but me. I regained focus on my work and when I decided where I wanted Mike on the paper I applied the glue and firmly placed his picture on his new background.

"How am I the first one done?? Oh well, this is great. Me and Michael J Fox, actors, friends, and pretty cool guys."

I stood up and made my way to the front of the class. I placed my masterpiece on the teachers desk and waited for her approval.

"What's this?"

"Oh, this is Michael J Fox (clearly!) I want to be an actor when I grow up!"

"Do you know how many of my classmates wanted to be actors when I was in school?"

...

"Most of them. And do you know how many actually became actors?"


...


"None of them. You aren't going to be an actor. You need to go pick something different."


That is where the story ends in my memory. I have no idea what I settled on. Was it a doctor or a fireman like so many of other classmates? Was it a construction worker or maybe a taxi driver? I honestly have no idea. The only thing I can remember is the crushing blow this "teacher" left me with. A second grader with hopes, dreams, and aspirations. A second grader who now has to settle for less than perfect.


This whole story leads me back to my opening sentence. What impact do I have on my students. I truly hope that I am 100% nothing like this second grade teacher! If I am anything less than supportive, encouraging, inspiring, caring, investing...then I am not being a teacher. I am being a baby sister. 

Japan Checklist (Photo Blog)

I've done a lot of things since I have been in Japan. Here is a short list, with pictures! Enjoy!


Attend a cherry blossom festival

Get lost in my own school

Get lost in my own city













Plant rice

Participated in earthquake drill (Not my picture!)




















Participated in attack the stranger drill (stranger played by me)














Buy Gundam figures




Hang out with a person that cosplays (Not my picture!)

Learn lots of Japanese... OK maybe not

Not so much of a rude awakening…but kinda

I’m trying to think how to phrase this in the most PC way possible…Grow up!

There I said it…now on to more important points of business. Some people ask me questions about why I decided to move to Japan. Why would someone leave everything that is comfortable and trade it in for something unknown? Honestly, it`s a pretty valid question and I honestly can say that it`s pretty crazy. But, you know me, you know why I`m here. I don`t need to explain the need for me to be in Japan.

There have been some along the way that wanted to change that dream, they wanted to alter my vision of being a teacher in Japan. Thankfully they did not succeed and I can write this from the comfort of my desk…in Japan.

Now days, I face different kind of challenge. There is a new way of thinking and new insight into this world of teaching in Japan. Not without reason it has caused me to look carefully at my decisions, question those I trust, and to some existent has caused me to be on guard. It`s not like a rude awakening it`s more of a gentle shaking. It`s a reminder to who I am and why I teach. I teach for many reasons but I feel that there is maybe one main reason…along with several other important factors.

The main reason I teach? The kids, plain and simple. I am their gateway to a new world (please bear with me…I know this is going to sound cliché!), a new way of looking at the world. Just as I have a new perspective on life these kids are finding out that their world reaches far beyond the Pacific Ocean.

Please don`t read into that last statement too much. I`m far from the best NLT to step off the plane, but I know the tremendous responsibility of being a teacher. Is everyday Sakura blossoms and tiny chocolates shaped like mushrooms? No! I`m not going to sit here and say I don`t have my share of issues. Sometimes it`s a class that just won`t react to a lesson. Other times it can be a breakdown in communication between any number of people. At the end of the day, I`m teaching English for one reason, the kids. I know that all sounds very recycled and generic but it`s honestly the truth. Do I teach for a paycheck? Sure. Did I take a teaching job so I could live in Japan…of course. But, when I step into that classroom there is one thing on my mind. `I need to get these kids using English`.

I would hope that this is the desire of every NLT here in Japan. I would be a fool to think that is the case. Culture shock can suck sometimes…pretty much most of the time. Being separated from your friends and family is not a decision some people can make. I don`t want to say it was easy but I knew that I was supposed to be teaching in Japan. I`m also not going to try and say that culture shock is something easy to overcome. The thing is for me, I`ve wanted to live in Japan for such a long time, culture shock either hasn`t hit me yet, or it`s not going to.

This all leads me back to my opening statement. I know I`m older than a lot of people here in Japan. I also know that saying this is going to make me sound even older. But, grow up! Really think about why you are here in Japan. Is it to get hammered drunk every night after work? Is it to take teaching lightly? Is it to be selfish and put yourself before your students needs? Are you really too cool for school? Because, if you are, we probably should never talk about…anything…ever. I know why I`m here. If you don`t know why you are teaching in Japan you are truly in for a rude awakening.

I Sing Along With the Water Heater

I often find myself in strange situations in Japan. It`s becoming quite the normal habit for people around me to have conversations in Japanese and not explain what they are saying.

The grounds keeper at school in one such person. He will often say hello to me (which is normal when passing other teachers in the hall) but then he will go into long detailed descriptions of what I can only imagine are stories about fishing trips or the good ole days with him and his friends. Most of his conversations consist of laughing and joking with me. So, I laugh and joke back, shaking my head in agreement. This is quickly followed by me walking away not having the slightest clue as to what just happened or what I might have agreed to do.

Other times it will be completely random people I`ve never met before. About a month ago I was at the cherry blossom festival with some of my friends. There were many booths set up and vendors selling everything from cotton candy to okonomiyaki (my favorite!). I approached one booth and saw they were selling some sort of bbq meat on a stick. It looked good and was cheap so I decided to buy some. Without warning a little old Japanese lady jumped out from behind the booth.

Little Old Lady `Hello!` she shouted
Me `Oh, hello.`
LOL `Where are you from!` still shouting
Me `America, I`m from...
LOL `Great!` still shouting `You like cow?`
Me `Sure, I`ll take 3`
LOL `This is cow knee!` still shouting and now hitting me in the leg
Me `What?!`
LOL `Cow knee!` again hitting me in the leg
Me `OK, why are you hitting me?`
LOL `Cow knee` Hitting me again

I`m pretty sure she would have kept hitting me if I wouldn`t have bought my cow knee and walked away! By the way, the cow knee was pretty good!

Finally, and certainly not by far the strangest thing that happens to me on a daily basis. I sing along with the water heater when it finishes heating up the water. Just a little clarification, everyone owns a water heater here in Japan. It`s a great device for heating up water for tea, soup, coffee, or whatever you might need scolding hot water for. And, because it was made in Japan it plays music when it is full of hot water. The first few times I though someone had just left their phone on and I had no idea where it was coming from. Then, one day, I was washing my hands and I heard it again. This time I was close enough to figure out where the sound was coming from.

These are my adventures in Japan. Most people aren`t going to think that there is anything out of the ordinary with what goes on here. But it`s the little things that stick out to me and make me laugh.

How a Very Fake Knife Almost Ended My Very Real Life

I have been to many schools over the years. I grew up in Texas, lived in Detroit for a while and spent the rest of my time in Pennsylvania. Throughout those years I experienced many different things relating to emergency procedures at school. In Texas we had tornado drills. Detroit...I was home schooled so I didn`t really have an emergency procedures in place. And, when I was in PA the college I went to had many different things in place to ensure our safety...

Now, I live in Japan and things are no different. There are fire drills, earthquake drills, and tsunami drills. All, are pretty common place and I have experienced something similar during my time in school. My school, also has stranger drills. If someone comes to school with a weapon with the intent of hurting someone there are things the teachers do to contain that person. Again, I understand the need and see it`s purpose.

What makes this story different is how I was asked to play the stranger on the school grounds. This idea was obviously kept a secret, just as the exact time and date of a fire drill, if only to insure its effectiveness. I was approached by a teacher and asked if I would be OK for me to play the stranger...I very quickly agreed and began to plan what I would do.

The teacher and I went through a mock run of what I supposed to do, a dress rehearsal if you will. We planned where I would go, what I would do, and my weapon of choice; a homemade knife made of paper and aluminum foil. (The foil of course adding to the realism of a blade.)

I had my plan, I was in position, and was waiting for my signal. I pulled the hood up on my jacket over my head and pulled it snugly down. A mask, usually used for people with colds was secured on my face with only my eyes noticeable. And the homemade knife, nicely slid up the sleeve of my jacket. Then, it happened. I saw the signal, it was time for me to move.

I quickly made my way up a short flight of stairs and proceeded to throw open a sliding door. Students, unsure of what was going on jumped and began to make their way to the safety of the exit. The teacher (obviously playing the part) slid desks in front of me as I yelled and cut the air with my paper knife. I knocked a few desks over and pushed my way to the main hallway eager to chase down anyone I could find.

Then I saw it, a pack of teachers running at me at full force. Two had chairs that they used like a lion tamer, hoping to hold me back. While a third wield a 7 foot long poll with a padded `u` shaped device at the end to subdue me.

Then a forth teacher appeared. Obviously, she was in shock. The look of terror on her face was not the same look the other teachers had. She was in protection mode and was going to stop me no matter what. I could see that she was unarmed but she was scanning the hallway for something that could be used as a weapon. Then she saw it...a red fire extinguisher fastened to the wall. She asked one of the other teachers what to do...should she pull it off the wall...throw it in my direction...perhaps empty it contents to confuse me...yet somehow she could not budge it from its location.

That`s when my focus shifted. I no longer could focus on my imminent death. From my right side came a yell and the painfull jab of yet another `u` shaped poll attack. One more teacher had circled around the school and caught me by surprise. This was not in the plan that I had walked through earlier! Things where quickly running away from me and my fake screams quickly became real yells and panic.

Then as fast as the drill had began it ended. All the actors had played their part and the students had been ushered to safety. The `stranger` had been contained and the teachers were triumphant...all but one. The one teacher who had not been in on the `joke`. She was exghaushted, panting, trying to catch her breath, and regain her bearings.

I quickly removed my disguise and revealed who I was under the mask. The panic left her face and she began to put together the events of the past few minuets. Her realization as to who the `stranger` was sent her into remorse and she quickly began to apologize for her actions. These new revelations were of great relief to her.

On the other hand, I was relieved that she hadn`t been able to pull the fire extinguisher off the wall. If she would have been successfull...a very fake knife would have ended my very real life...