my new job!

So, drum roll please....
....
....

I have accepted an Area Coordinator position at Clark University in Worcester, MA. It's gonna be cold there, especially after living in the desert for the past 2 years. But the staff are great, job is great, apartment is amazing, and students are great. All in all, I think I will be very happy there, and I am very excited to start in 1.5 weeks!

Thanks to everyone that has been really supportive of my job search. It has meant a lot to me.

I'm at home now and it is weird. I haven't been here in so many years, that I feel a little out of place. It's a strange feeling. And it's not really affording me a lot of privacy or support to work through my culture shock, which is still pretty bad.

On a less happy note, I have forgotten over the years just how racist and culturally incentive my family is. Having just moved back from another country a little over a week ago, hearing derogatory comments about just about every race, religion, or background, (including gay people) is not really tickling my fancy. If nothing else, it makes me really proud that I have turned out so well and am such a diversity celebrator. Apparently giving them Crash last
Christmas did nothing to curb their racisim. Boo!

But, I have a JOB!!! So, who cares...I'll challenge their stereotypes another time. haha

Chris

2 job offers, and I'm Time Magazine's person of the year!

In the past 8 days, I have:

been on 8 planes, been on 4 trains, been in 12 cities in 10 states and 2 countries, had final day long interviews with 4 schools and 1 short second round interview, slept in 5 different hotels, and had some serious jet lag and culture shock after returning from living in another country....

And now....after all is said and done, I received not one, but two job offers yesterday. With the possibility of a 3rd today. What a relief! And I am very excited about the opportunity to work at one, possbily 2 of them. I will have a final job answer tomorrow morning.

I am finally done with all of this interview madness and traveling. I am at my parents' house and I can also finally stop lugging around suitcases with everything I own around the country. I just feel so happy and so relieved.

Of course, I'm sure that after a few days of living at home until my new job starts in 2 weeks, I will start to go nuts, but for now, I am a very happy guy.

This is going to be a good Christmas!

Chris

Another update from the road

Hi y'all.

Well, I am in New York City this morning! I just had my final interview for a great job here. I had an interview yesterday, and I am leaving for the airport in a half hour or so to fly to my last interview. Finally, after a full day interview tomorrow, I get to fly home to spend the holidays with my family.

FYI, to all of y'all out there who are really misinformed, I'm not going to be working at UNLV. Although I love UNLV, that's not an option right now and I'm not sure where y'll got that from haha.

I think I've been doing a great job at all of my interviews so far, but unfortunately, I get the feeling that none of the schools are going to be ready to make offers before Christmas. Honestly, although I've been interviewing well, some of the schools so far have not tickled my fancy, so I'm getting a little concerned. In fact, there is one job that I am pretty sure that I would turn down if offered, based on the on-campus interview. Res. Life is not just a job; it's a support network, a lifestyle, and a place to live as well. So it's so important that the department/school is a good fit. If it's not, you could be really miserable.

The scary part is that there is the chance that I won't get an offer from one of the good ones. If that happens, (and I'm trying to be positive and optimistic) I'm not really sure what I will do. I haven't really thought that far ahead. There won't be so many jobs available until the spring probably, and with these interviews and travel home really eating through my savings, it's a pretty scary thought.

On a positive note, I'm doing sllightly better with the culture shock now (to the point where my every thought isn't about going back to Japan...now it's only every other thought) and I'm slowly getting over the jet lag. (Though the really loud people having sex in the next hotel room last night didn't really help me catch up on my sleep haha) Even so, I'm still really excited to be going home and getting to sleep and rest, and most importantly, not travel and interview and where a suit everyday!

Well, I am off to Boston. Wish me luck on my last interview, and keep your fingers crossed that I get a good offer soon.

A quick update from the road

Well, after 25 hours of traveling, I finally arrived in Baltimore last night at about 10pm. The 3 flights and 2 trains were fairly pleasant...well, as pleasant as a 25 hour trip can be. But, it is a pain in the butt lugging around all of my heavy luggage. Speaking of which, the airline lost my luggage from Japan yesterday!

Yep, they lost all of my luggage, including the bag with all of my interview clothes and notes. Literally, my first hour back in America was spent trying to track down my missing luggage and watching an angry customer in a similar situation get arrested by 3 airport police. Nothing says "Welcome home" quite like airport police and missing luggage. Well, luckily, they found my luggage in Chicago and had it delivered to me overnight.

Culture shock has hit my like a brick. Seriously, I never imagined how hard or how fast it would hit me. Everything is just so different and I miss Japan and my life/lifestyle there already. My life was so simple and slow paced there, and already I am flying around the country and interviewing at a pretty unrealistic pace. Of course, hindsight has kickd in and I have been questioning if leaving was the right choice. Honestly, there's such a big part of me that wants to go back. Maybe my missing luggage was a sign from the Baby Jesus that I should just hop back on the plane and go back haha. But, I know that I had to leave eventually and now is probably the best time. Besides, I can always go back another time and visit as often as I would like. Regardless, this is going to be a really hard time for me and something that is pretty much impossible for other people who have never experienced this to understand.

I stayed with my awesome friend Ashy overnight and then took the train from Baltimore to NY-Penn Station at 8am. My interview wasn't until 2:30, so I checked my baggage at the station and went and wandered around the city. I went to Timesquare, Herald Square, saw the big Christmas tree at Rockefellor Center, and had a genuine NY hot dog and pretzel at Bryant Park (the location of Olympus Fashion Week from Project Runway!)

My interview went pretty well I think. It was a second round interview with the assistant directors and director and I think that they all liked me. I also got to meet my would-be coworkers and chatted with them for about an hour as well. I got such a good vibe from the department that it has cemented itself as my top choice so far. I let them know that if they are interested in a 3rd interview for me, that I could be in the area again on Tuesday, so I would imagine that I will hear back from them relatively soon. (incidentally, a friend of mine is also interviewing for a position there in the department. We aren't really competing against each other though since there are 2 openings)

After the interview, I picked up my luggage at Penn Station and took the longest taxi ride of my life to JFK airport. The taxi ride took about 1.5 hours and at some point during the trip, exhaustion set in, and I fell asleep. The exhaustion didn't stop and I fell asleep on the plane before it even took off. When I woke up, I was in Pittsburgh haha.

So, now I am in downtown Pittsburgh at a pretty swanky hotel for my interview tomorrow. After my interview, I'm switching to a slightly less swanky hotel and am spending the weekend here in Pittsburgh to get lots of sleep and rest up for the 2nd round of interviews next week before going home to my parents' house on Wednesday night.

Well, that's it for now. I should get some sleep now, but with so many things happening and so many emotions going through my head, I thought it might help me process it all to write about it.

Going home tomorrow

Well, the adventure's over and I will be on a plane back to America tomorrow. I feel that this is such a pivitol moment in my life and I am truly going to treasure and miss my experience here.

While I've moved plenty of times before, leaving Japan is different: it's leaving a way of life, a culture, an adventure. It's the conclusion of a dream. It's the beginning of a career. It's the end of a chapter and the start of a new one.

It's a big deal. And while I am so excited for what lies ahead, I can't help but think about how much I will miss this place and my life here. It's changed me, and I think it will take weeks, maybe even months to fully reflect on and appreciate this experience.

I wish that I took more pictures.

Today, I said my final goodbyes to most of my students, and the showering of support and sadness that they demonstrated was amazing. It's such a great feeling to know that my students aren't angry at me at all. Rather, they are sad because they will miss me and because I've been a good teacher and friend to them. They brought me presents, wrote me cards and letters, and drew me pictures.

On more than one occasion, their outpouring made me cry. In particular, a group of students brought me a special Japanese charm that is believed to help heal, to give to my mother to help her recover. This truly moved me. And while I am not at all a crier, there were plenty of tears of pure happiness today.

What a perfect way to end this journey.

So, today is my last day at work, and I fly home the following afternoon. It's a 2 hour train ride to the airport, followed by a series of 3 flights totalling 18+ hours. Needless to say, I'll be tired. Once I arrive, I have a full week of back to back interviews all over the Northeast. I'm really excited about this and I have a really good feeling about some of the institutions I'm interviewing with.

This will be my last blog from Japan and maybe my last until after all of my interview madness is over and I am at home with my family in Georgia. So, wish me luck with everything, especially with the interviews. And hopefully when I post a blog next time, it will be to announce my next job.

Thanks to everyone who has made this experience generally such a positive one, and thanks to everyone who has read my blog and actually taken an interest in my life here while I have been away. It means a lot to me.

Cheers!

Almost died...again

Who knew that Asia could be so dangerous? (or really, that I am so clutzy)

It started when I first went to Thailand and almost died falling off a boat into the super polluted Chao Praya river in Bangkok.

Then, I almost died falling off a startled elephant in Chiang Mai.

A few weeks ago, I nearly died by rolling down the side of a mountain after jumping out of the way of a speeding car on a way too narrow and steep mountain road on my way to Gujo Castle.

And then, there's last night. Last night, I woke up and was really thirsty, so I got dressed and started to walk to the convenience store to buy something to drink. The convenience store is only 2 minutes away, and to get there, I simply must walk down a path between a very old and traditional Japanese house, and a rice patty. Well, as I entered the dimly lit path, I heard a strange noise. The noise got louder the more I walked, and after a few seconds, I realized that it sounded just like the sound that the creepy dead Japanese boy makes in The Grudge right before he kills someone. (If you haven't seen the movie, here's a clip so you know what I'm talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUs_28OwFvI)

Well, even though it was only a movie, it was dark, I was in Japan, I was standing next to a somewhat creepy old house just like in the movie, and I was definately a little scared. The noise kept getting louder, and I was pretty sure that either it was nothing to be afraid of, or I was about to die. So, I fearfully kept going. Finally, as I passed a tree which appeared to be the source of the noise, I looked up to see if anything was there, half expecting to see the creepy dead boy from the movie. Well, instead, as I looked up, a giant black cat jumped out of the tree onto the path right in front of me! I was so startled that I tripped, lost my balance, and fell off the path into the rice patty 3 feet below!

It had been raining, so the rice patty was basically just a big sunken field of mud, rocks, and twigs. I was fine, just covered in mud. Well, I did hurt my ankle a little bit, but I could have died. (probably not really, but it was a little traumatic)

Imagine the obituaries I would have here:

Chris Thomas: Was a great friend, was a great son, fell into a rice patty and died. 1981-2006
Definately, I think it's a good thing that I'm going home. There may not be any crimes here and I never even lock my door, but I'll take my chances on the not so safe streets of America over falling off a mountain or off an elephant any day.

Feeling it

Back in June, I thought that saying goodbye to all of my friends and family, leaving America, and moving to Japan was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I was wrong.

When I decided to come here, I had the support and excitement of my friends, coworkers, and family. I could see their excitement. I could hear them say they were proud and that it would all be okay. The support was visible. I could feel it.

Now, I am leaving Japan in just over a week. This depature, a few weeks earlier than planned, definately takes the not so coveted honor of being the most difficult thing I have ever faced.

While I know that I have the distant support of my friends and family, it is distant, and friendships have inevitably faded during the time I've been away. I don't have the support of my coworker or company. I for company reasons am not able to be totally forthcoming about my reasons for leaving to my students, and thus do not have their support either. Everyone is just sad and angry at me.

To add to this, I'm coordinating an international move in just over a week, am in the midst of a full scale mid-year job search, which because of the time difference, has caused me to wake up at all hours of the night for phone interviews, am sick as a dog (again), and am horribly worried about my mom, who is quite ill. All in all, I'm not doing so hot these days.

I've been being really tough about it and trying to just barrel through it, but yesterday, it all kind of hit me at once. It might have been because I was so tired from the interviews I had during the night before or because I am so sick, but when one of my favorite little girl students started to cry when her mother told her that I am leaving, I just broke down. And it didn't stop. My next class of the night also had a student which cried, and only spurred me on more.

It is hard to come to the realization that my students care so much about me and I care so much about of some of them, yet I am abandoning them for somewhat selfish reasons. It is hard to watch them cry because of a decision I have made. It is hard to go to work and feel the almost palpable judgement from my Japanese coworker and my company. There is just so much guilt. So much sadness. And now even a little regret (and that's a strong statement, as I am a person with few regrets in life)

And there's so much more to do. There's still more students to tell, getting ready to leave and readjust to American culture, more night time phone interviews, an 18 hour flight, and on-campus interviews ahead. I just want things to slow down a little so I can process it all and give this experience the appropriate and meaningful ending and closure that it deserves.

I'm just so tired.

But, there is a positive end to this pretty personal blog. If nothing else, even aside from the positive and negative aspects of my time here, this experience has made me realize that I am very ready to settle in one place for a while. As much as I want my life to be full of adventure, I can't keep uprooting myself like this and establishing and then leaving relationships in the sake of getting it. It's just too draining. And frankly, what is the point of having a life full of adventure if it causes me to have few people to share it with.

And on a final positive note, my job search is going really well and I am very excited about some of the positions that I have been interviewing for. I'll keep you posted, and hopefully should have a job before Christmas.

That's all folks.

Ethics, drinking, and jobs

So, in no particular order, here are some interesting things that have happened recently in my life.

Unlike in America where there are restrictions on where you can drink alcohol, in Japan, it is quite common for people (old people) to pop open a beer while on the train. It happens a lot, and I am pretty used to it. I will even fess up to having done it a few times myself. However, today was a first. ... Several somewhat tough looking guys got on the train a few stops after me and sat down in the booth behind me. Soon after, I noticed a familiar smell, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. Aha! It was whiskey! As I was getting off the train, I walked by and saw essentially a whole bar full of alcohol set up on their window ledge! There were cups, ice, vodka, whiskey, and some other bottles! They even had shot glasses! It was only 11:30am, and I wasn't sure if I should be shocked, disgusted, indifferent, or just down right jealous.

Switching gears a little from people drinking, to something that makes me want to drink, my job has posed yet another moral/ethical dilemna my way in terms of the timing and way I tell my students that I am leaving, and essentially entails me indirectly misleading my students so that they will spend more money and renew their contracts, costing them thousands of dollars. This whole job from day 1 has been one ethical test after another. I will be so glad when I can put it all behind me.

On a more positive note, I have gotten a few more offers for initial phone interviews for next week from some of my top choice schools. This makes me feel encouraged. I'll keep y'all updated on how they turn out.

A quick update

I just wanted to give everyone a quick update on my situation.

First, I accidentally accepted the position in Nagoya. It was totally an accident. I merely replied to their email asking for more information, but my email was misconstrued as an acceptance, which they then emailed me to thank me for and inform me about orientation details. I am going to call them today to explain the situation and decline. I am 97% sure.

I also woke up yesterday and today, each day finding an email offering me a phone interview for a position back home. Hopefully this is a sign that this is the direction I should be heading and that things will work out well. Since 99% of the jobs I applied for are aiming for an early January start date to correspond with the start of the spring semester, I imagine that most schools will be conducting their first round phone interviews in the next two weeks or so, so that they can have an offer out by the middle of December before the holidays. Hopefully this means that these next 2 weeks will be really busy for me.

I'll keep y'all posted.

BTW...thanks for all the advice and supportive messages that y'all sent. I really appreciate it and I am feeling much better and more positive about the situation now.

What's fair about this?!

So for those of you that keep up with my blog or know my situation, you may recall that I interviewed for a pretty good teaching position in Nagoya last month, but didn't get it.

The combination of not getting that position, and an overwhelming lack of good job prospects and tons of obstacles made me begin to consider going home to the states and going back into student affairs. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea, and the more I tried to talk myself out of even wanting to stay here.

So, I began a full fledged job search for positions back home, and am really excited about several of them. I sent out my applications and contacted my references, and now I am just waiting for the first round phone interview emails to start coming, hopefully this week (knock on wood).
Great right?

Well, because life seems to be testing me these days, I received an email just a little while ago from the hiring officer at the job that I didn't get here in Nagoya telling me that they have another vacancy and would like to offer me the position!

I'm not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, I really do like living here and I was stoked to accept the position a few weeks ago if I was offered it. But on the other hand, I didn't get it, and partly because of that, I've begun planning to go home in late Dec./Jan. and am totally focused on getting a job there.

I feel totally lost. No matter what I do, my current job ends soon and I need to take some job somewhere. If I take this job in Nagoya, I'm opting out of all the great jobs I applied for back home, and am setting myself up to do this big (and tiring) job search all over again in the spring.

If I turn down the job, I may or may not get offered a position back home. And even if I do get offered a position, because it is mid-year and there are not that many positions posted, I may be forced to end up in a place I don't really want.

Grrrr... I seriously am totally lost here. Most people go abroad to find themselves. But all I've ended up doing is making myself really confused. And the worst part is that I have nobody to blame but myself. I'm the one that decided to come here. I chose my awful company. And I chose to quit. It's totally all my doing. I don't regret it, but I do need to own it.

At this point, I just need somebody to tell me what to do. I'm tired.

A perfect day in Japan

Today, I took the train to Gero, an onsen town about 1.5 hours northwest of where I live in Gifu Prefecture. For anyone that doesn't know, an onsen is a Japanese public path, and Gero is full of them. Going to a public bath sounds a little strange if you've never done it before, especially since it is done naked, but once you do it one time, you will be hooked forever. It is very popular in Japan.

I arrived in Gero around 11:30, and after covering my tattoos with big skin colored bandages in the bathroom at the station so that people aren't afraid and think I am Yakuza (Japanese mafia), I headed off with my map to find some onsen goodness. And did I ever! The onsens there are truly amazing. While some are totally indoors, the majority of them also have outdoor baths. Since the air is only about 35-40 degrees now, it feels so good in the warm water with the steam rising off of it. It's kind of like going skinny dipping in winter time in a hot tub in the mountains with a bunch of strangers.

The onsens in Gero are fed from naturally occuring warm springs, that are said to have healing powers. And people have been coming to Gero for centuries.

The scenery was also amazing...nestled in the mountains, I could see the beautiful fall colors on the trees, and even a river and waterfall. All told, I went to 5 different onsens today before heading home. It was a perfect way to spend the day, and I can't wait to go back.

Now that I am home, I am eating dinner and laying under my kotatsu (special Japanese heated table). It has been a good day...definately top 5 since coming to Japan.

Going home?

I've been living in Japan for almost exactly 5 months now, and by the time my last day at my current job rolls around, I will have been here for 7 months. I love living in Japan, learning Japanese and Japanese culture, and if it were up to me, I would stay here for a really long time.

However, searching for jobs here so far has been a miserable failure. Between bad interviews, rejections, tons of competition, and a real lack of quality jobs, my prospects at this point are minimal at best. I even got a rejection letter on Thursday for a job which was essentially teaching little kids English through songs and games, citing that "my qualifications are not adequate for the position." 1) How am I not qualified to do the Hokie Pokie? Is my singing voice not good enough? Do I not "shake it all about" the right way? 2) I have a freakin' master's degree for goodness sake! and 3) I do the same thing now! How am I not qualified to continue doing what I already do?

I'm a little bitter and discouraged about this if you can't tell, but the point is simply that it is difficult and doesn't look good. Making matters worse is that even if I am able to find a new job, moving into an apartment in Japan is incredibly complicated and can cost fees upwards of 4,000 dollars or more, and is non-refundable. With nothing but bad jobs in sight and a cost that high simply to move into a one room apartment, I began to wonder if it is even worth it.

As I sat pondering this and thumbing through job ads, another question popped into my mind: do I even like teaching English? Honestly, I'm not sure. I know I like teaching, but I am not sure that I enjoy teaching a language, and I am 100% sure that I don't find it at all fulfilling or meaningful. I know that I am helping my students to travel, get better jobs, get raises, etc... through their language skills, but the fact that my job makes me feel as if I am selling myself far overshadows that.

So, where does that leave me? What do I do with only 2 months before I find myself homeless and unemployed in Japan?

Well, first, I remembered that I will never find myself homeless and that I don't need to worry and stress because I have friends that I know I can count on to help me, even here, if I really need it. Next, I made a giant spreadsheet (yes, I know I am a dork) with every potential option from living off my savings in Bali for a few months, to sleeping on friends' couches, to asking my boss to un-quit, to doing a job-search and going home. After several hours of carefully examing all of these options, I came to the conclusion that I simply don't know what to do.

I want to stay in Japan, and considering what a journey it was to get here, it seems to be a better value to stay longer. But, I also am not willing to work at a crappy job and pay $4,000 dollars to get an apartment just to be able to stay here for another 6 months. The thought of leaving and going home makes me sad, as I don't feel ready to leave here and end this experience yet. However, there comes a point when it just stops being worth it. I've already paid thousands of dollars in airfare, shipping, and other expenses, have allowed my personal relationships to suffer, and have spent the past 5 months at a job I wanted to quit from week 1.

There's only so many sacrifices I am willing to make for this experience.

So, here's the big decision: I am going to continue to search and apply for quality jobs here in Japan. But, I have also begun a full-scale job search for positions in Res. Life and Int'l. Programs in America, Canada, and Australia. Simply put, I will accept the first quality job offer for a January or February start that I get. And if that means going home, then I will go home. I won't feel like a failure or that I couldn't make it here, because the fact isn't that I can't make it. It's that I can make it, but might chose not to. Besides, living for 7 months in a foreign country isn't anything to scoff at. I'm really proud of myself for having made it out here; this is definately among my biggest accomplishments.

So, wish me luck. I figure that if I am actively applying to jobs on three continents, something's gotta turn up eventually haha.

cute funny short teaching story

Each kids lesson that I teach usually has 5 or 6 new vocabulary words and some new grammar target/sentenc structure. The structure today was:

Would you like some _______?
Yes, I like _______.
No, I don't like ________.

And the vocabulary was different types of snacks, such as crackers.

Well, I have a student that is a little bit challenged in the foreign language learning department, and he often mispronounces or makes up entirely different vocabularly words.

Today, instead of asking me if "I would like some crackers," he spent the entire class asking me if "I would like some CRACK." Literally, this kid asked me at least 20 times if I wanted some drugs in English.

The only thing that I could think of for the entire 50 minutes was Whitney Houstin saying that "crack is whack."

...It's the little things that get me through the day... :)

So annoyed!

I'm STARVING!

One of the less glamorous parts of life in Japan is that the ATMs are not open 24 hours a day in most places, the places where I live and work, being two of them. Instead, the ATMs are open:

8am - 8pm on weekdays
noon - 7pm on Saturdays
noon - 6pm on Sundays

It's annoying, but I've adjusted. The worst part though is that I never get home from work until after 9 and I have no time to go to the ATM during the day at work because it is too far away. So, if I want money, I need to get it during a 2 hour window between when the ATMs open at 8 and when I must leave for my train at around 10. It also means that I must use the ATM Friday morning if I will need money between then and Sunday at noon. There are no opportunities otherwise.

STUPID me, forgot to use the ATM Friday morning and I have only exactly enough money to take the train home tonight. I am STARVING and have plenty of money in the bank, but I can't access it and can't eat. Worse, the only food I have at home is a packet of chili seasoning, an opened jar of peanut butter, a green pepper, and half of a bag of frozen shrimp. I am STARVING! Have I mentioned how STARVING I am?! I haven't eaten since last night, and I am STARVING!

I am so aggrivated right now. 1) because of my ridiculous job that makes me work unpaid for a bizillion hours a day and prevented me from getting to the ATM before it closed at 7 today even though I ran nearly two kilometers as fast as I could after my lesson to get there in time, and 2) because of the ridiculousness of not allowing people to access their money after such early times in the day!

GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

But instead of thinking about how hungry I am, I am going to go teach another lesson, then run to the train and barely make it in time to get home at 10:20 (after leaving for work this morning at 10:15) and apparently eat peanut butter, shrimp, and water from the tap. What a great life I have here!!

(I hate being this angry, but sometimes you've just gotta vent and let it out!)

Oh...and I haven't heard back about the job I interviewed for and it is now the end of the month, so that means that I probably didn't get that and will still soon find myself unemployed. And it is finally my day off tomorrow, and not only is it going to rain, but I am also getting sick.

Eye of the beholder

Those of you that know me know that I am a huge country music fan. I'm not however a Garth Brooks fan. So, when one of his songs accidentally happens to pop up on my iTunes playlist, I usually quickly skip it and move on to the next and hopefully better song.

However, a little while ago, a catchy little old school duet by him and Trisha Yearwood came on called In Another's Eyes. On first listen, I didn't think much of it. But once I started paying closer attention to the lyrics, I began to totally love the song and the message it was trying to say.

In another's eyes
I'm someone who
Loves her enough to walk away from you
I'd never cheat and I would never lie
In another's eyes, yeah

Although the song mostly deals with relationships and trust therein, the song got me thinking about how to different people, we are different things/roles. I guess a better way to say that, is that everyone has a different perspective on who and how we are. It's pretty amazing to me that every single person that I meet, even for a second, will forever have a unique opinion/perspective of me, and definition/description of me, my actions, and my personality.

And what is even more amazing to me, is that to each person, their own unique perspective of me is truth. It's all in the eye of the beholder. While it may be true for one person that I am a nice and caring person, it may also be true for someone else that has met me that I am a mean and heartless person.

I personally don't believe the latter to be true, but that is just my perspective of my self. And I guess the notion of self really is just that, another perspective.
There's really not much point to this blog, other than 1) to share what I think is a pretty interesting and possibly thought provoking idea, and 2) to remind us that even introverts like me, which typically spend so much time and energy looking inward need to remember that we are all connected in a pretty amazing way and that the external matters too.

I've been reading a really fascinating book called Buddha which is essentially a biography of the Buddha's life and spiritual journey. (I highly recommend the book) Pulling from the song and the book, I finally feel like I am starting to put it all together. Like some big spiritual jigsaw puzzle.

It's all just about being a good person and doing the right thing. It's pretty simple: when we do the right thing, we feel good. When we do bad things, we may not feel bad right away, but guilt or remorse almost always follow at some point. I think maybe we just have taken this really simple idea and made it really really complicated. And when you think about it, almost all of the many different religions in the world talk in some way about the notion of doing the right thing.

They just seem to be variations of the same idea. We even come fully equipped with our very own moral compass to guide us in deciding what is right from what is wrong. It just seems so simply obvious now.

If we live our life doing the right thing and doing good for others; refraining from selfish or unethical behavior, we will live peaceful and un-conflicted lives, die with a feeling of peacefulness, but live on forever in the infinite perspectives of us from everyone we meet along the way.

If you can't tell already, by no choice of my own, I seem to have ended up in the middle of Japan on a bit of a spiritual journey myself. These ideas are just that; ideas that have come to me along the way. So please totally disregard them if they are crazy, or please think about them and let me know what you think if they seem to make sense or be on the right track to something.

Peace out.

Chris solves world problems, part 1

Note: this blog is not meant to be taken seriously or offensively.

Last weekend, I found myself in Osaka and just happened to end up at a Mexican festival celebrating Mexican Independence Day. How fun, I thought.

What a great way to meet some new people and maybe even enjoy some delicious (and hard to come by) Mexican food. So, I went along with my two Japanese friends, only to discover that there was not a Mexican person anywhere in sight. I looked and looked, but the entire festival consisted of all Japanese people and one American (me). Only in Japan would there be a Mexican festival without any actual Mexicans.

I did enjoy a refreshing Corona though. :)

Anyway, recently as you know, there have been huge problems and even protests over illegal immigration into the United States, predominantly by Mexicans. Evidenced by the Mexican-less Mexican festival in Osaka last weekend, there also seems to be a desperate need for a Mexican presence in Japan.

So, I say: People of Mexico: if you are thinking about illegally moving to America, head to Japan instead. Cranky border patrolling conservative Americans will be happy, and the fine people of Osaka can finally stop dressing in sombreros and trying to speak with a horrible Japanese-Mexican accent at their annual festival.

Problem solved. Next up: world peace.

Adventures in Japan

Many people write me asking me what it is like living in Japan. So, I thought I'd share some of the high points of my very typical Saturday.

12 pm – went to the beach to study Japanese

1 pm – saw two huge grasshoppers mating next to my beach chair. They apparently thought I'd like to watch. Turns out that I did.

6 pm – went to Nagoya and studied Japanese at Starbucks
6:15pm – guy at Starbucks put 5 shots of espresso in my latte for some reason
8 pm – found a lone box of Kraft Easy Mac at the international grocery store and nearly had an orgasm out of excitement
8:01 pm – realized that that would have been weird
9 pm – went to my favorite gay bar in Nagoya and was hit on by a really hot Japanese guy
9:45 pm – found out that he was only 19 years old
12:30 am – cycled home from the train station and was again reminded of the importance of keeping my mouth closed when I cycle at night so that bugs don't fly in
2:30 am – laid awake cursing the Starbucks guy for giving me the 5 shots of espresso that were keeping me from falling asleep

So, as you can see, I am every bit the same loveable dork that I was in America. Hopefully this gives you some picture of how similar but slightly different my life is here.

Turning 25

Yep. Ol' Chris is about to reach the quarter century mark in just under 2 weeks.

Am I excited to be getting old (25 just seems so old and grown up), nope! In fact, I would kind of prefer to just let it slip by unnoticed.

However, I still want presents. haha J What kind of present do you get for someone living in a far away country you ask?

iTunes gift cards! Lots of them!

iTunes is my connection to current pop culture, including American tv shows which I can watch again and again. So really, a gift card is the gift that just keeps on giving.

How do you get the card to me? Even easier, just send me a message with the code.

Seriously, I'm only kidding. But if by any chance you do want to get me something for my birthday, or just because, an iTunes gift card is perfect and would make me really happy.

I quit!

I love Japan.
I love living here.
I love the food.I love the people.
I love my students.
And I love teaching.

What I don't love, is my job. I'm not going to name my company, as that is super unprofessional, but suffice it to say, I am really unhappy there. And the situation is bad enough, that I realized that it is time to be brave and quit.

Japan is loaded with awful employers (English schools) that take advantage of and treat their foreign employees badly. I thought that I had done the right research and had picked a good one, but I guess I was wrong. Nearly everything I was told during my interview turned out to be a variation of the truth.

My grievences are too numerous to name, but some of the big ones include having to spend more than 50 hours at my 29.5 hour per week job, being forced to eat lunch and dinner 5 days a week from a convenience store, being forced and rewarded for milking my students out of every cent they have, being forced to teach more than the maximum number of classes listed in my contract, only to find out that the maximum number is something that is completely disregarded by my company, having to commute nearly 2.5 hours a day, and working at a company that consistently makes my Japanese coworkers cry as a way to "motivate" them to achieve their absurdly high and unattainable profit goals.

This isn't for me. And to be honest, it goes against my morals to even work at a company like this. So, on Friday, I drafted a carefully worded letter of resignation, and early yesterday afternoon, I resigned my position.

I don't have a job or anything lined up yet, but I gave 4 months notice (what my contract says I must do, but in practice isn't enforced), so I have lots of time to figure it out. I feel very guilty about leaving my students this way, but in my heart and in my head, I know that this is the right decision.

So, my last day will be January 10, 2007. After that, some options include:

Finding an assistant teacher position in a public elementary school or kindergarten.
Finding a part time job, and finding private students to teach.
Finding a non-english teacher position.
Moving to Thailand or Indonesia to teach.

I thought that I would feel really scared to have quit my job in a foreign country, but actually, I feel totally liberated. There are so many options and places I can go and things I can do. I'm really glad that I made this decision.

GWM iso LTR

Being a gay foreigner in deepest rural Japan is very difficult. Before I came to Japan, I already knew that Japanese culture generally isn't very accepting of homosexuality, and that there would be many challenges for me. And there are many challenges. Challenges such as my only coworker not being comfortable with me being gay. Challenges such as some of my students saying obvious and derogatory comments about gay people to me. (some of my students know and some don't) And of course, there are many challenges associated with the language barrier.

But despite these challenges, I have remained positive. I've bought books and maps to find gay bars. I've scoured the internet, yet I can not find a single gay person that lives within 30 minutes of me in any direction.

The reason for this blog is that this weekend has been pretty tough for me in terms of this. To be perfectly honest, although I have a number of friends here, I am quite lonely for the companionship of a relationship. On Saturday night, I ended up going to a really romantic restaurant with two friends, and while they talked all night about their respective partners, I sat there alone. Then, last night, some of my friends wanted to go to the gay bar that I finally found in Nagoya and go to sometimes, but the bar master wouldn't let them come in because they were not gay, and it was really awkward for me. Now, I feel too awkward to go back there, which is bad because that was my one venue to meet people.

I know that neither of these incidents is a big deal, but for whatever reason, they made me feel really sad and epitomized all of the difficulties I've experienced here because of my sexuality. It just made me feel completely hopeless about ever meeting someone while I'm here, which is a long time.

I know that I'm being a little dramatic, and I've spent the past two department holiday parties on the singles couch, so I'm no stranger to being single.

I guess I just wish it were easier.

Hair Disaster!

Japan has many disasters: earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons; but none are as devastating or surprising as the hair disaster. Those of you who have read my previous blogs know that I recently have begun experimenting with different clothing styles and hair colors. I first tried a dark reddish-brown, which looked pretty good, and then I tried a color called cool ash, which I think looked great. Well, I got a little carried away yesterday and decided to try blonde hair.

This was a big mistake. It didn't just look bad. It looked awful. Really really awful. But, I had a big night out planned in Nagoya, so I cycled back to the drug store and bought another box (a medium brown) to fix it before going out. Problem solved, right?

Nope! Because I had so recently dyed my hair the blonde color, the brown didn't really take, and instead turned my hair a pinkish-orange color. I thought it looked bad, but everyone told me that it looked decent enough. So, I went out to Nagoya last night and rocked the pinkish-orange hair. (It takes a hell of a lot of confidence to walk around a major city with orange hair)

Anyway, when I came home this morning, I of course wanted to fix it, so I dyed it dark brown. Surely this worked right? NOPE!!! Now my hair is golden-brown. But, in the light, it just looks gold!

Needless to say, I have learned my lesson about dying my hair and won't do it again. I guess I will just go with the gold until it grows out and I can cut my hair again next weekend. Either that or I will just start coloring every hair with a black sharpie.

Another very deep and philosophical, yet interesting blog

When I was a kid, I did pretty much as I was told, except with regard to religion. In that area, I was always something of a rebel, as I am a firm believer that you can't force religious beliefs upon someone; people have to choose to believe for themselves. So, despite being forced to go to Sunday school for many years and constant pressure from my family, I strayed away from my Catholic upbringing and have developed my own set of beliefs, in which I am very confident. (I think of these beliefs more as spiritual beliefs than religious beliefs)

Among these beliefs has always been the notion that everything that happens, happens for a reason. So, as I was relaxing at my beach (in my new blue beach chair) and listening to Norah Jones yesterday, I began to wonder if maybe the reason that my company ignored my preference to live in a city and stuck me out in the middle of nowhere, is to teach me a valuable lesson: that many times, the things that we think we want, arenft always what are best for us, or that happiness can happen anywhere.

Somehow from there, my thoughts strayed and I began to think about the whole concept of everything happening for a reason, and the more I thought about it, the more ridiculous the whole idea began to seem.

There are currently 6.5 billion people on the planet. The idea that somehow every thought, action, and inaction has been mapped out for these, as well as all past and future generations is a hard pill to swallow. There also is a huge contradiction between each individual having their own free will, and the idea that their destiny has been pre-planned. The two ideas seem to be mutually exclusive. But, even if you can get past these two problems, you have to agree that there seems to be little if any point for such an enormous plan. If [insert your God of choice] has the power to create an entire species and map out its entire existence, why not just skip ahead to the end? Why waste all the time of scripting us to get there ourselves? I hardly can believe that [insert your God of choice] is sitting around somewhere in one of those reclining massage chairs eating Doritos and watching us live out his/her plan, as if the Earth is some sort of eons long Imax movie.

So, I decided that I no longer believe that everything happens for a reason. This lead me to question why so many people believe what seems to me to be such a ridiculous idea, and I have come up with a theory.

In general, people don't like things that they don't understand, making difficult decisions, or accepting responsibility. Well, conveniently, the idea that everything happens for a reason eliminates all three. Take death for example: when we don't understand why someone had to die, we say that it was all part of God's plan and that the Lord works in mysterious ways. When we need to make difficult choices, the idea that everything happens for a reason essentially removes all pressure, since theoretically, whatever choice we make, we were supposed to make. And when someone looses their job, we comfort them by saying that it all happened for a reason, instead of the awful truth: that maybe they deserved to be fired.

I think that this entire concept is one that we created to make ourselves happier.

Therefore, if things don't happen for a reason, then by default, it would appear that things just happen. They are what they are. This means that we should stop making lame ass excuses for things and start accepting responsibility for our choices and actions. If we don't understand things, we should explore them and try to figure them out. And most importantly, we shouldn't waste so much time looking for and assigning non-existent meaning to the past and worrying about finding our purpose in the future. Things happened in the past because we chose to make them happen. And if there is no master plan for our lives, our destinies are ours to create. Just do things that make you happy and let that be your purpose. It's kind of arrogant to begin with to even assume that humans, as one of thousands of species on this planet, are even supposed to have a purpose or anything more than to procreate and fulfill our role in the food chain/ecosystem.

So, I think that we should all just relax. Live in the present; we'll have plenty of time to worry about the future when it gets here. And hold ourselves accountable for our choices, letting both our conscience (it's there for a reason) and our HAPPINESS guide those choices.

What would that be like?

I know that this is probably super boring to read and is probably all covered in day 1 of any philosophy 101 class, but it's interesting to me and I've never taken any philosophy classes. In some ways, I feel a little bit like Julie from the Real World New Orleans...I have tons of time to sit and think, and am questioning and refining my beliefs and opinions daily. (only Julie was 9000 times more dramatic than me. And she cried a lot and was kind of annoying.)

I'm really curious to know what other people think of these ideas, so please let me know.

Why?

Albert Einstein once said that one should "question everything." He was a really smart guy and was pretty much on point with his theory of relativity, so who am I to disagree.

In fact, I've spent the past seven years or so in higher education trying to learn to become and to teach others to become a critical thinker and to ask the dangerous question: why.

Thus, it baffles my mind to live immersed in a culture that shies away from this idea and at times even seems to be afraid of it. Now, certainly, I am generalizing. And three months of living in Japan does not an expert make. However, in my attempt to learn about and acclimate into Japanese culture, I have asked "why" many a time to many a person. And at least 70 percent of the time, the responses I get are some variation of "I don't know," "just because" or "because it's always been this way."

To me, this is alarming. Or should it be? Is it okay to live in the status quo; to generally accept things for what they are without question; and to rarely ask why? If this is your culture, go for it I suppose. After all, ignorance is bliss.

And besides, asking why can be a dangerous action. While a "why" is generally followed by a "because," a because can lead to another "why" and infinite "whys" thereafter. Oh what a slippery slope a "why" can be.

But, I can't help but think that we all have free will and the ability to form and defend opinions for a reason. After all, why would we all be so different if we weren't meant to learn from these differences by asking questions? Why would we live in such a varied and dynamic world if we weren't supposed to explore it and learn from it and question it? It just seems to me that we were created to ask why. So why not?

Maybe some people never read Curious George when they were kids. (after all, everything we need to know, we learned in kindergarten) Maybe others are taking Nike's "Just do it" campaign a little too seriously. Or maybe it isn't that people are afraid of asking why; it is that they are afraid of the answers they might get.

Now there's an interesting thought to chew on.

Regardless of the reason, I still think that asking why is important, if not necessary. Particularly for those of us in democratic nations, isn't it our duty as citizens to ask why?

I just really can't wrap my head around this one.

On life, earthquakes, and Japanese hair dye...

On life...

There are days in the life of every gaijin (foreigner living in Japan) that stand out as being more special than the rest. For some, these days include the first time you are able to successfully order food at a restaurant, the first and last time you try natto (fermented soy beans), and the first time you get really lost on your bicycle and end up 2.5 hours from where you live and were trying to go. For me, today was that day!

Being my day off, and somewhat poor until pay day later this week, I decided to spend the day doing free things around my "city." So, armed with my city map that I picked up at the train station, I hopped on my little blue bicycle (which I have named Baby Blue.. very manly, I know), bought a bento for lunch, and headed toward what appears on the map to be a big temple/park to eat and study Japanese. What a nice and relaxing day in the countryside.

Not so! In Japan, there are generally no road names, and thus, no street signs. While some highways have numbers, signs indicating which number highway you are on are few and far between. So, despite my best efforts, I got lost. Really really lost. I stopped and tried to ask 5 different people for directions, but they were all terrified to talk to a foreigner and were little help. One elderly woman even ran away when I tried to ask her. It was kind of funny for me.

Anyway, after 2.5 hours of cycling through the mountains and rice fields of the Japanese countryside and thinking I was on the right track, I realized I was in an entirely different gcityh not even in the same direction as the park/temple I was trying to get to. I was so determined.. Iwas a man on a mission, but at this point, I gave up. I found a bench to eat my lunch, and then cycled the 2.5 hour route back home. What a wasted day.

My legs are so tired and sore now.

So my question is why! Why have an entire country without street signs? Maybe it is one of those cultural differences that I just donft understand, but seriously! Wouldn't it be so much easier for EVERYONE to get around if there were at least a few signs to guide you??

Other than my accidental adventure today, this week has been pretty chill. I had a picnic with all of my codomo (child) students and their parents yesterday in the park near my apartment. It was really fun and I even cooked and made 21 bento boxes for their lunch.

I also made some really good decisions about what I will do the rest of this year regarding my job/living situation, and about what my next move will be after this year. All in all, it was a good week.

On earthquakes...

On Friday night, I experienced my first earthquake in Japan. It happened around 9:40 at night as I was waiting at the train station for my train to come to go home from work. It was just a baby earthquake, but it was really exciting for me.

Thatfs all.

On Japanese hair dye...

It's blatantly obvious to anyone on the street that I am not Japanese. Everything about me from my hair, to my clothing, to my skin color screams outsider. This leaves me with two options: 1) do my best to study culture and styles here and try unsuccessfully to fit in, or 2) to have fun with it.

I have chosen option 2. Since there is absolutely no chance that I will ever blend in here, I might as well have fun and experiment with different clothing styles and looks. So, that is exactly what I have been doing. I even tried dying my hair. Last week, I tried "crimson brown" and as of today, my hair is "cool ash." It's kind of fun. (in case you were wondering, cool ash is my favorite so far)

On to the whole point of this seemingly random blog...

While my daily adventures, earthquake experience, and recent style/hair color experimentation may seem completely unrelated, I have blogged about them all together for a reason: to show what a different person I have become here.

Those of you that know me know that I am anything but a nature person. I am a hyper-organized urban t-shirt and jeans kind of guy with a low threshold for change. But not here; not now.

My living situation here has forced me to change nearly everything about how I live. Who'd have thought 4 months ago, before I left, that I'd become the type of person that goes to the river (and in the river) nearly every day; someone who owns and uses a bicycle daily; someone who doesnft freak out or panic despite being truly lost in the middle of another country or while experiencing an earthquake; someone who now says things such as "the river is looking low today," and "it looks like the rice is about ready to harvest;" someone who is no longer scared of bugs; and someone who is totally happy living a traditional Japanese life style???? Not it!

But it's true. With the exception of two things, I am as happy as can be here. J

(The two things are the insane obstacles to even trying to find a boyfriend in rural Japan, and my employment situation. Hopefully both will be resolved soon.)

Car accident!!

Almost daily, drivers and passengers of cars stare at me as I walk from the train station to my school in Seki. They aren't malicious stares, but stares of interest and curiosity, as I am fairly confident that I am the only caucasian foreigner that has been to Seki in years.

Anyway, as I was walking to work today, I noticed a female driver of a minivan driving slower than normal and staring at me. I turned and gave her a quick smile and then kept walking. A few seconds later, I heard the sound of metal colliding with metal and glass breaking! It turns out that this woman drove right into the car in front of her because she was staring at me!

Luckily nobody was hurt and the damage to both cars was relatively minimal. I know that it isn't my fault, but I still feel really bad. Apparently it is dangerous to be on the road when I am in the area here haha.

Not to make light of a serious story, but my friend Duc pointed out that at least now I can say that I really have "stopped traffic" haha

I heart student affairs

For years, I have gone back and forth, constantly changing my mind about what career I want.

Finally, I am sure...I'm a student affairs junky. (yeah, I was somewhat sure before, sure enough to get a masters degree in it anyway, but now I am 100% positive)

Here's some proof: Since moving to Japan...

* I find myself reading every student affairs related article that I can get my hands on, for fun, not because I have to.
* I find myself using phrases like "take it to the source" at work.
* I find myself trying to infuse non-academic learning outcomes into each English lesson I teach. (This week's focus is going to be discussing controversy with civility)
* I miss RA training!!!
* I am constantly creating "passive programs" in the lobby of my school.
* I use student development theory and identity development theory to try to encourage my students to study abroad. (generally, they have no idea what I am talking about)
* I am working on developing a way to implement a standards model based classroom behavior management system.

Basically, this all means that I am a giant nerd. But, it also is super exciting to for the first time feel absolutely confident about my career path.

On a related subject, I am also 100% sure that I never again want to work for a for-profit company/school. Selfishness/greed, be it corporate or personal, is totally disgusting to me. I'm a giver, not a taker. =)
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Another great weekend!

This was another nearly perfect weekend in Japan! Initially, I was planning on going away for the weekend to the beach with some of my friends. However, earlier this week, for no apparent reason, I decided that I didn't want to go, so I didn't.

I think that part of it is that my introverted nature is a lot stronger here: I spend all day being super genki and extroverted, so in my precious free time, I tend to want to go off and do things by myself more. Maybe the other part is that most of my friends here so far are my friends through my neighbor, and although they are all very nice and great fun, I kind of want to make my own friends. Or maybe I'm just slowly becoming more hermit like as I get older...who knows.

So, back to my great weekend... Yesterday, I had intentions of going to do some sight-seeing, but this weekend is a holiday here, so places are all super crowded. So, instead, I went down to the river and found this amazingly beautiful beach nestled in a cove of bamboo trees. I spent the morning there just relaxing and studying Japanese. Then, I headed off to Nagoya and went to the Osu Kannon Temple, did some shopping, and then somehow ended up at a free music festival in the middle of Sakae. I met tons of really cool people and heard a really great Japanese hip/hop band called Nobody Knows+.

Then, I headed to a gay bar called Nan*Nan. It was so hard to find because there generally are no street names in Japan, but was well worth the trip, as it was full of hot twenty-something J-guys. They were all very nice and I made a bunch of new friends.

Today, I made a long list of things to do, and not only did I do them all, but I also did tons of extra things, like re-tile the entry way to my apartment and make a chair (I'm like the gay Martha Stewart of Japan). It's such a good feeling to get things done. (I miss being busy all the time) I spent the afternoon at the beach, and even got over my fear of rivers and swam across to the other side. (well, more like waded, but still)

I have done many ridiculous things since moving here, but today was perhaps the most ridiculous. I found a used microwave for only 2000 yen (about $18) at a second-hand shop. I bought it, and then took it home. The funny part is that I took it home on my bicycle haha. My kid's bicycle hahahah! It was quite a challenge and I must have looked ridiculous, but who cares. It's not like a blend in at all anyway haha.

I think that I'm really starting to be happy here.

Internet!!!!!!!

After over 2 months of waiting, my internet modem finally arrived this morning!!!

I was so excited that I could barely sleep, knowing that the delivery man would come between 8 and 12 this morning. When he finally rang my doorbell, I was the happiest person alive. I was so excited that I even gave him a hug. haha In and of itself, this was weird, I admit. However, it was probably more weird considering that I was still in only boxers and a tshirt, and couldn't explain in Japanese just why I was so excited. Needless to say, he left very quickly.

My smile quickly dissapeared when I realized that all of the many instructions are in Japanese. I thought the hard part was over!!!

Anyway, after 30 minutes, I was finally able to get connected.

It's sad that internet is so important to me, but I can honestly say that this day ranks among my top 3 since I have been in Japan.

Great weekend!

This weekend has been really great so far. In fact, all week has been great. Yesterday, I started the day by cycling to the riverbank so that I could relax, get tan, and study Japanese.

The river is so clear and is lined with bamboo trees of all different shades of green and yellow: it is so beautiful.

Then, I had a day-date (yes, a DATE!!!!) with a really great Japanese guy from Nagoya. It was one of those great first dates in which you have so much in common and so much to talk about. I feel like we really hit it off, but given that we live about an hour apart, have many cultural differences, and speak two different languages, it is way too early to tell if this will go anywhere.

Anyway, after that, I took the train to Gifu and met up with some other teacher friends of mine and had a big party at an isekaya there, followed by more drinking, dancing, and good times at a karaoke bar.

This morning, tired and slightly hungover, I took the train to Seki, where some of the mothers of my young students are going to take me to lunch for an okonomiyaki party.

All in all, this weekend has been the perfect combination of rest, sun, drinking, food, romance, and adventure: one of those times when I am so glad that I am here.

Oh, and I have been studying Japanese very hard, and I am proud to say that I am now able to read and write both katakana and hiragana! (This is marred somewhat by the fact that I still have no idea what it is that I am reading or writing, but it is a huge accomplishment none the less.)

Peace out!
C

The internet is FINALL COMING!!!!

I got nofication that the telephone people will be coming next Thursday to install the infrastructure for my ADSL line. This means that all I have to do is wait for the modem and cables to arrive in the mail next week, and I will be online in no time!!!!! I can't wait!!! The countdown has begun!

BTW, living without internet for 2 months has been the hardest part of living in Japan. Sad, isn't. Who knew I was such an addict?!

I miss Gypsy and Freezone!

Well, first, I just need to say that I LOVE Nagoya! Going there on Sunday was exactly what I needed!

I achieved my goal of finding the English bookstore.

I achieved my goal of finding the Outback Steakhouse, and having quite possibly the best bacon cheeseburger and baby back ribs of my whole life.

I failed at finding a hot Japanese boyfriend, but I did go to my first gay bar in Japan. All I can say is that I MISS GIPSY and FREEZONE!!!!! This bar literally was the size of a closet and had about 10 old guys in it. At first I was freaked out, but then ended up having a great time and making new friends. I got the low down on how to spot the gays in Japan from them: basically I am on the lookout for guys with messanger backs, shorts, and stylish hats. Hopefully I will test this theory out soon.

I realized also that the reason I have been having such a hard time here is that I have not had any control over my circumstances. Being a control freak, this is a bad thing. Everything from where I live, to what I wear, to when my A/C got fixed was controlled by someone else. But, being able to go to Nagoya on my own and have a great time all by myself, I realized that I do have a lot of control afterall, and this thought has made me very happy.

That's all.

Oh, and last night, I accidentally ate an 11 course meal at a restaurant in Kani. Seriously...11 courses!

1.5 Months in!

So, first, thanks to those of you that put up with my whiney culture shock ridden phone calls last week. Thankfully, I am doing much better...it appears that the first wave of culture shock has passed...for now.

This week has been pretty uneventful, except for the fact that I nearly died. No, not really. But I did have a really high fever....103.4! I'm better now though and all is well in the land of the sideways ponytail.

I have been doing a lot of thinking recently, mainly because I spend countless hours in between lessons just sitting around doing nothing. And I have come to some interesting conclusions:

First, I have decided that I am going to write a book. About what, I have no idea. But I think that I generally have some pretty interesting thoughts, and what better to do with them, then to put them in a book that nobody will ever read. This way, when I leave Japan and people ask me what I did while I was here, I can say that I wrote a book, in addition to having taught
English and gotten really lost.

Secondly, I have decided that I want to buy a Burberry umbrella. Yeah, I know that that is super hypocritical of me since I am constantly judging others for their ridiculously extravegent and superfluous purchases, at least in my head. However, lots of people have them here, and the more that I see them, the more that I want one. So, once I have a bit of money saved up, I am totally treating myself to a super gay, but not gay in Japan, Burberry umbrella.

Third, I have decided that I need to stop watching so many Sex and the City DVDs. When you catch your internal monologue starting to say things Carrie Bradshaw style, such as that "I found myself wondering...," it is time to cut yourself off cold turkey. Maybe there is some kind of patch that I can buy.

Fourth, and most importantly, I remebered what a strong person I can be and this has totally inspired me to attack this culture shock crap head on, and to make the best of this experience. Seriously, there are people so much less fortunate than me that would kill to even have the opportunity to do some of the things that I am taking for granted here. I owe it to myself to get every ounce of enjoyment and knowledge that I can out of this experience, and so I shall! No more whining. No more complaining. No more negativity. From now on, I am going to be the happiest damn gay foriegner that Minokamo, Japan has ever seen.

That's all. There have been other interesting thoughts/decisions, including a 1.5 hour attempt to develop a model in which I can implement the standards process in my classes. (you can take the guy out of campus housing, but you cant take the campus housing out of the guy haha)

However, I wont bore the one person that has maybe actually been bored enough to read all the way down this blog to this point with such nonsense.

Tomorrow, I am off for my first adventure in Nagoya. My mission: to find an English bookstore, a hot Japanease boyfriend, and an Outback Steakhouse that is rumoured to exist in Sekai. Wish me luck!

C

half-nakedness!

Hi y'all!

As many of y'all know, this past week or so has been really hard for me. Culture shock has set in in a major way and I am not at all digging living out in the middle of nowhere, aka rice fields. (I think part of the kanji for the name of my city actually means rice field). Anyway, I am doing a little bit better now, mainly because I was able to actually leave Minokamo and go down to Kyoto for the weekend. I just got back this morning on the train and had to run home, take a shower, and then go straight to the station to go to work, which is where I am now.

Kyoto was pretty cool even though it rained the entire weekend. Between the near constant rain or the ridiculously high heat and humidity, the weather here is down right miserable. Coming from the desert, being in the rain every day is a huge change to say the least.
In Kyoto, we watched the Gion festival, which I eventually found out consists of hundreds of half-naked Japanese men screaming and carrying floats parade-style down the streets.

Basically, my asian fantasy come true. Only in my fantasy, they are carrying me. haha

Anyway, I am at work now, but I dont have another class for another 3 hours and I am way too tired to focus on lesson planning or anything productive. Talk to y'all later.

Update from Japan!

Konnichiwa!

Today, my manager is away at a meeting, so I actually have a chance to use the internet!!!

Things are still going pretty well. However, I have definately begun to start feeling the pains of culture shock. Honestly, it's not so much culture shock, as it is extreme annoyance at how long it takes to do seemingly simple things here in Japan. For example, my air conditioner is still not fixed (going on 4 weeks now).

I did however sign up for cable and internet at home. Unfortunately, it won't be set up until mid-august, which kind of makes me want to cry. haha

The weather just keeps getting hotter and hotter. I never thought I would say this, but the humidity is so awful here that I actually wish that I were back in the desert!

I've been hanging out with a lot of new friends and exploring the area lately. I even went and saw Mission Impossible 3 on Sunday. I've also been having a great time laughing about all of the funny incorrect english that is around Japan. For example, girls everywhere walk around with t-shirts with english words that make zero sence. Even the sandwich at the convenience store is funny. The slogan reads: We bring you the flavor of the wind in the meadow. Personally, I have never tasted the wind in the meadow, but apparently it tastes like a ham and cheese sandwich. haha

Minokamo, where I live, is growing on me. I did some exploring on Monday and it is actually quite nice. Super small, but nice. I also met another foreigner from Australia last night that lives in the apartment right next door to mine. She is really nice and I think that we will get along well.

Now that I have my cell phone set up, please email me at:
christhomas12@c.vodafone.ne.jp

I will receive the email on my phone instantly and can respond sort of like instant messanger =)

Well, I had better be off. Today is my busy day for kids lessons so I need to eat lots of sugar and drink lots of caffeine before hand to get through the day. haha

Hello from Japan!

Hi!!!!

I:ve been in Japan for about 3 weeks now and I:m having a pretty good time. (no, I haven:t confused an apostrophe with a colon...the keyboard is layed out different here and I:m too lazy to learn where the right keys are haha)

Anyway, things are pretty good. The place where I live is out in the middle of nowhere and the place where I work is even smaller. My apartment is the smallest yet. But, it is really cute and is fine for one person. I will post pictures of everything soon.

I love my school and my students. I only have about 25 students and most of them are young children or their parents.

Outside of school, I have managed to make a few friends and have begun to get situated. I finally have a cell phone and a bank account. This week, I hope to get internet set up at home and satellite tv.

My free time is spent exploring the area (I bought a used bike), going out to eat and to parties with my new friends, and trying to sleep. (my futon is the least comfortable thing ever!) Thankfully, a friend of a friend has leant me a bed to use for while I am in Japan.

Well, I realize that this blog is super random and not organized at all. But, I just wanted to post something to let everyone know that I:m doing okay here and to keep y:all updated.

I hope that all is well with everyone. And please keep sending me lots of messages...I:m a little homesick now, and without internet or English tv, feeling pretty disconnected from the outside world, so they really help.

Cheers!

Chris

Japanese Job Interviews are Crizazy yo!

So, I've been working hard trying to find a new and non-sucky job for when my current job ends in January. I've had 2.1 interviews so far, and they are all really strange! I'm not sure if it's a cultural thing, or if I just have bad luck.

Phone Interview 1: (language school in Toyohashi) The man called me almost 10 minutes after the interview was supposed to start with no apology. The interview was conducted by a Japanese man and he seemed to be making up the questions as he went along. He asked completely irrelevant questions, such as what type of foods I like, but NEVER once asked me anything remotedly related to teaching, my education background, or my previous experience. It was as if he just wanted to chat and make 45 minutes of small talk with someone in English. (I removed myself from consideration for that position)

Interview 2: (public high school in Nagoya) The interview was going great, but about half-way through, the man started asking me questions in the third person. (ie, What does Chris think about that? How would Chris feel about that? etc...) I wasn't sure if he was doing it to see if I would correct him as part of the interview or if he is just strange. All I knew was that Chris felt uncomfortable. (despite the strange interview, it is a really good job and they said they would let me know at the end of the month. It's already the 29th, and no call so far, so it isn't looking good ...I guess I was supposed to correct him haha)

Interview 2.1: (American non-profit organization in Yokosuka) Last Friday morning, a man from the organization called me to offer me an interview for Monday, the 30th at their office. I gladly accepted, and he said that he would send me an email in a few minutes with the time, directions, etc... The email never came. So, the following Monday, I called their office to "confirm" the interview, but the man was out of the office, and the secretary said he would call me or email me in the morning with the details, but nothing. I called again on Thursday, and spoke to a different secretary this time who promised the same thing. Still, nothing. So, now it is Sunday night here. He called 2 times this EVENING but didn't even leave a message. I figure either he is calling to cancel or to finally give the info. But, it takes about 5 hours to get to Yokosuka from here and costs about $200 roundtrip, so either way, I'm not going. If they can't even schedule an interview properly without problems, it doesn't speak well of how well their organization is run and its leadership.

I really hope that future interviews go a little better than these. My experiences so far aren't exactly encouraging.

Vancouver!

I finished my training in Vancouver today...finally! I'm pretty tired from it, but I learned a lot. And most importantly, I am really excited about going to Japan and teaching. I even got to teach a few practice lessons, which was very beneficial, and made me realize that I can actually teach English and not suck too bad at it.

My very first student told me that I look like a famous American movie star haha.
I found out that I will be teaching lots of kids' classes, which is awesome. They also showed me a diagram of my apartment and it looks like it is going to be super small. It says I have a balcony, but we'll see. It basically looks like it will just be one room with a bathroom, kitchenette, and washing machine. That is definately going to take a lot of getting used to.

I leave for Japan tomorrow morning and although I am dreading the long flight, I am really excited. Wish me luck!

Japan, here I come!

Japan, here I come!

I finally found out my address in Japan! I will be living in an area called Minokamo Shi. Don't know where it is? I didn't either...but there's a map below. =) Minokamo Shi: picture the night life of Las Vegas combined with the culture of New York City. Okay...so probably not. But as long as there is a Jimmy Johns Sandwich Shop and a gay bar, I'll be fine haha. j/k

I'm finally all packed, and I leave for my training in Canada on Sunday afternoon. This week has been really hard as I continue to say goodbye to those I am close to, and I'm sure that these last few days will be the worst. But, by this point, my excitement is building and I have largely made my peace with it.

I have the best friends in the world, and I know that no matter where I am, y'all will always remain my friends and be there for me. =)

I'll be adding stories and photos to my blog frequently while I am in Japan, so check back often. Who knows...there may even be a few stories about a gaysian or two (wink wink) haha.

Top Model

Okay...so maybe this is just me, but I find it really innappropriate that the season finale of America's Next Top Model is taking place inside of a Thai temple. I'm not even Buddhist, but I know that these temples are considered extermely sacred to the Thai people, and I find this super offensive and disrespectful. These temples were built to pay homage to Buddha, not Tyra Banks and the next cover girl model.

All good things...

Well, it's official: I am now done with grad school and my assistantship. Today was really anticlimatic since I didn't walk at graduation. In fact, I kept forgetting that I was even graduating all day.

I think that this next week or so is going to be really difficult as reality sets in that I am leaving.

It's going to be hard to be without my job and to not be a student: two things that have in many ways defined who I am these past two years.

My friends are all leaving one by one to go home to their families for the summer, while others are moving into their first apartments or celebrating graduation with their families and friends.
I'm super excited for them, but at the same time, I think I'm feeling really left out of the excitement.

Oh well. Shouldn't I be more excited about my new job and moving to Japan?

Sigh...

I'm done!

Yay!!!! I'm done with my masters degree!

(okay, well not officially until May 13, but I'm finally done with all of my course work)

Almost over!

Yay!!!! The Rebel Achievement Awards and the Campus Housing Banquet are finally over! I totally love event planning, but it feels really good to have that weight lifted off my shoulders. (and not to toot my own horn, but tonight's event rocked!) I'm also especially proud that I managed to only cry a little, even during the really sentimental parts.

All I have left to do is to turn in a paper, do a short presentation on it, and close down my building.

I can't believe it's almost over!!! Who knew that I would not want to leave this place so much!? Can't I just stay here in my cute little apartment with my job and my students and friends forever?

I'm sad =(

Back in Vegas!

After accidentally taking off my shirt while going through security and possibly getting hit on by the female security worker this morning and then patted down by a not-so-friendly male security worker, I have made it home safe and sound.

Time for a much needed nap.

San Diego Made Me Fat! Can I sue?

I got back last night from a super fun weekend trip to San Diego (and after getting lost, Tijuana, Mexico).

Number of meals consumed: at least 15 in 2.5 days...I stopped counting. I'm such a fat ass.

Realization of the weekend: The San Diego Ikea showroom is my dream home.

Another important realization: Mexico ROCKS!!!!! So do Cuban cigars!

Funniest part of the weekend: Accidentally ending up at a Mexican drag show with Michael Jackson.

Animal attack of the weekend: The big blue bird that tried to take Andy out at the San Diego Zoo.

Most over-used phrase of the weekend: "oh, me gusta!"

Other random highlights: beef jerky, mating flamingos, 20 bucks in Mexico, rooftop hot tubs, our names in lights at the Mexican border, and most importantly, seeing the world's largest upright thermometer in Baker. Good times. =)

Downsides of the weekend:
1) Waking up in my apartment in Tonopah this morning was just not as exciting as waking up in the luxurious Omni Hotel. Where's the pool? And my complimentary orange juice outside the door?

2) After eating pretty much non-stop all weekend, none of my pants fit any more =(

Lovin' San Francisco

Peace out Sin City!

Bored and on spring break, I decided to flee the city of sex, gambling, and drinking, for a short and unplanned trip to San Francisco, aka Gay Mecca.

I've been here for about two days, and so far, I'm having a pretty good time. I've been to the California Academy of Science, China Town, some great stores, Japantown (big surprise haha), the Asian Museum of Art, and a few other places. I also got an amazing massage and have met some pretty cool people. (I've also met some pretty rude people which I had to school about proper museum and aquarium etiquette, but that's a whole other post haha)

My trip however has been oddly without the drinking, partying, and clubbing that usually fills 20-something trips out of town. Sigh…I'm so old beyond my age. haha

Anyway, as I was eating sushi and reading my People magazine during lunch today at this wonderful Japanese restaurant, I though to myself: How great it is to be able to just pick up and go on vacation; to be able to follow my whims and dreams with no attachments or restrictions; to know that I have made a difference, and will continue to create change. I felt so truly blessed and fortunate to have exactly the life I want.

Yet as a sit here in a luxurious hotel on yet another vacation with limitless options ahead and an impending move abroad, I somehow find myself yearning for attachments and limitations to ground me. Am I living life, or am I escaping? Am I being brave and adventurous, or am I just lonely?

Hmmm…

Deep thoughts: far too deep to contemplate while on vacation…I think I'll watch Harry Potter on TV instead.

Peace