It's official: I'm going far far away, once again. This time, Japan: an isolated nation filled with cutting edge technology, rich culture, and Pokemon.
As usual, the above video is related. It's the theme song for everything I'm feeling at the moment. I'm going to a foreign land, thousands of miles away, where everyone will look, sound, and perhaps smell different than me. Even the chorus line, "Lordy don't leave me, all by myself" is relevant to how I'm feeling. It reminds me of the fact that I'm going to be away from all my close friends and family for at least a year. And maybe more, depending on where my journey takes me.
A year ago I started looking into opportunities that could take me abroad; teaching English was the most popular way to do this. I began to investigate opportunities located in Korea, Mexico, Spain, China, Costa Rica, Guatemala and of course, Japan. At first I was hesitant about applying to these programs. What if I didn't like it? What if I was wasting my time? What if I don't make enough money to pay off my student loans while I'm teaching? What if something happens to my family while I'm away? What if, what if, what if. After months of careful research I found the ideal program for me in Japan: The JET Program.
I applied to the JET Program along with two of my close friends. After assembling all the application materials and writing our Statements of Purpose we sent out our deliverables and hoped for the best. We knew our chances were slim though, considering how the program had a low acceptance rate of about 15%. After months of waiting the three of us found out together that our days of toiling away at the application process were not going to be awarded. Neither of us were given an interview for the position and it was a dark day for everyone. "How could they not accept me?" was what we all thought to ourselves. Nobody I knew could understand why, after reading my Statement of Purpose, they wouldn't take me in for at least an interview. The universe works in mysterious ways.
After a day of living in remorse I was able to snap myself out of my "the world is ending" pattern of thinking. After all, my next plan of action was to apply to another program in Japan just in case I didn't get into JET (but I won't mention the name of the company here). That company has accepted me for a full-time position beginning in May and it's going to change my life forever. I'll elaborate more on this tomorrow. For now, have a read of the Statement of Purpose that didn't get me into the JET Program. I may not have gotten into my Number 1 Program, but sometimes life throws us a detour and it's up to us to make the most of it. For now, I am happily content.
JET Statement of Purpose
(November 2009)
I walked into an elevator in Japan occupied by a local Japanese couple and wanted to go to the third floor. I faced the Japanese couple and said, “san, onegai shimasu.” They looked at me confused, unsure of what I was requesting. I repeated again, “san, onegai shimasu.” They looked at each other, laughed, and then pressed the number “3” button on the elevator. At the time I couldn’t understand why they were puzzled. The answer came after I woke up.
I have never been to Japan. The story above was a dream I had recently: my first in Japanese. I started learning Japanese this past August from a book called “The Everything Conversational Japanese Book.” For the past three months I have been teaching myself how to speak and listen in Japanese. “San, onegai shimasu” sounded like “three please” to me in the dream. After asking a friend what I did wrong he told me that I forgot to add the word “gai” to my request, which would have indicated the floor of the building. I had only been learning Japanese for a week when this dream occurred and my subconscious brain was already practicing and making mistakes while I was asleep.
Learning about different cultures of the world is just as important as learning about our own. I realized this last year after living in Hong Kong for four months as an exchange student, and also while traveling to nearby countries like Korea and the Philippines. After becoming interested in JET I began teaching myself Japanese in order to prepare myself for another cultural immersion in the near future. As an aspiring JET participant I want to promote cultural exchange on all levels, to facilitate deeper levels of understanding between Japan and America.
Japanese is not the first language I have tried learning on my own. My heritage is Mexican-American but my parents never taught me Spanish; I had to learn it on my own. In college I took Spanish courses that were not required of my major: business. I was shy to speak Spanish and struggled with learning it. However, after making many mistakes and learning from them I was able to pass a third level college Spanish class, attaining a lot of practical usage while living around the greater Los Angeles area. Therefore, I am acquainted with the difficulty and frustrations that accompany learning another language. This will allow me to better relate with my students in Japan as an ALT.
As a member of a renowned speech organization, Toastmasters International, I have learned how to speak properly when delivering speeches. Not only will I be fearless when presenting material to students in class but I will also be able to teach them techniques such as enunciation and how to speak with confidence. Prior to being a Toastmaster I developed an outgoing persona as a student leader with the Latino Business Student Association (LBSA). I spoke at meetings, assisted fellow students with homework, and helped plan events. Engaging in these activities helped me get out of my comfort zone and helped me become a leader.
I enjoy meeting new people everywhere I go, especially while traveling. In Hong Kong I met people from all over the world, including Japan. People from Japan spoke to me in English; however, it wasn’t as easy to communicate with them compared to somebody from China or Korea (where English is also a second language). Based on these interactions I could tell that the Japanese could use more help with their English education. When I found out about the JET Programme and its mission of promoting international exchange I immediately recognized myself to be well suited for it. Compared to other teach abroad programs JET has the best reputation for providing support and memorable experiences to its participants. In today’s global economy the world is becoming smaller and cultural awareness is becoming more important. As an internationally conscious individual I feel it is necessary to embrace this movement.
My desire for wanting to participate in the JET Programme is simple and straightforward: I’m dreaming of Japan, and based on what you first read, I’m not exaggerating.
~Anthans
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