As regular readers know, I spent three years in Japan as a JET (Japanese Exchange & Teaching) Programme participant teaching junior high school English with various JTEs (Japanese teachers of English) in Ohtawara-shi (City of Ohtawara), Tochigi-ken (Tochigi Prefecture).
At the (then) seven junior high schools in the city I visited one school per week, I had many adventures and exciting times with the students and teachers. I may not have been the greatest teacher in the classical sense, but I do think I succeeded in making English classes more fun for the kids... and even for the teachers.
The greatest obstacle for myself was communicating my needs in Japanese, as I had zero Japanese language skills upon arrival. As well... I actually knew NOTHING about the country before arriving, except that there were geisha, ninja and samurai (not really), and that the Japanese men all wore business suits and glasses and had no sense of humour (they are actually quite funny), and that the Japanese women were docile and beautiful (not that docile, really). In my defence, this was in the days before the Inter-web thingy and I was still sure I was going to convince myself not to go, owing to fear of new adventures.
I tried and tried to learn as much of the social customs as possible to try and fit in as best as possible to make my stay comfortable - and I did. Mostly because I fully embraced the concept of new adventures, trying every thing I could get my hands on - including beautiful Japanese women.
That was quite the accomplishment for the guy back in Toronto who couldn't get a woman to even want to go out for a free meal with him. How sad does a person have to be when a woman looks at you and say, 'No, I don't even want to spend enough time with you to get a free dinner and drink out of the next two hours."
But, Japan - it gave me confidence. I started doing things I would never have done back in Canada - like having women ask me out or eating foods I have cooked myself.
I was becoming a grown-up, but more importantly, I was becoming comfortable with Japan. Or maybe the growing up part was more important. Can it be both of them?
But... eventually I knew I had achieved the next level of becoming Japanese or grown up, when, with my girlfriend Junko, when we were having sex, I made her origami three times.
Cheers
Andrew 'still immature' Joseph
The original joke was two lines long... but like in sex, one needs to do some foreplay to come to a proper conclusion.
At the (then) seven junior high schools in the city I visited one school per week, I had many adventures and exciting times with the students and teachers. I may not have been the greatest teacher in the classical sense, but I do think I succeeded in making English classes more fun for the kids... and even for the teachers.
The greatest obstacle for myself was communicating my needs in Japanese, as I had zero Japanese language skills upon arrival. As well... I actually knew NOTHING about the country before arriving, except that there were geisha, ninja and samurai (not really), and that the Japanese men all wore business suits and glasses and had no sense of humour (they are actually quite funny), and that the Japanese women were docile and beautiful (not that docile, really). In my defence, this was in the days before the Inter-web thingy and I was still sure I was going to convince myself not to go, owing to fear of new adventures.
I tried and tried to learn as much of the social customs as possible to try and fit in as best as possible to make my stay comfortable - and I did. Mostly because I fully embraced the concept of new adventures, trying every thing I could get my hands on - including beautiful Japanese women.
That was quite the accomplishment for the guy back in Toronto who couldn't get a woman to even want to go out for a free meal with him. How sad does a person have to be when a woman looks at you and say, 'No, I don't even want to spend enough time with you to get a free dinner and drink out of the next two hours."
But, Japan - it gave me confidence. I started doing things I would never have done back in Canada - like having women ask me out or eating foods I have cooked myself.
I was becoming a grown-up, but more importantly, I was becoming comfortable with Japan. Or maybe the growing up part was more important. Can it be both of them?
But... eventually I knew I had achieved the next level of becoming Japanese or grown up, when, with my girlfriend Junko, when we were having sex, I made her origami three times.
Cheers
Andrew 'still immature' Joseph
The original joke was two lines long... but like in sex, one needs to do some foreplay to come to a proper conclusion.
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