fingers crossed.

There are a million and one reasons why I would love to live and work in Japan. On the one hand, I feel very fortunate to be able to say that I have had many travel experiences in my lifetime. However, I have come to realize that seeing the world from the perspective of a tourist is one, which is undeniably limited. A perspective, which, more often than not, fails to wholly satisfy a traveler’s desire to experience and learn about the local culture and the local way of life. Based on that, I think it is safe to say that with regards to a country such as Japan, whose history, and culture are so rich, so complex and so deeply rooted in day-to-day life, such a perspective would only successfully uncover –at most –the tip of the historical and cultural iceberg that Japan is, if that. And that is why, as a young adult of half-Japanese origin, to be able to have the opportunity to be immersed in the richness of the Japanese culture and way of life –with which I have always been fascinated –living and working in Japan would truly be an experience of a lifetime.

The possibility of teaching English abroad –in Japan –has been an idea I have been considering for a while now. Granted, being away from home for an entire year is a somewhat overwhelming endeavour; however, I believe I am well suited for such a position. As a recent university graduate whose main areas of study were English and Philosophy, I am confident in my proficiency in the English language, as well as in my ability to teach it to others; I consider myself mature, responsible, organized, reliable and outgoing; and I thoroughly enjoy working both, individually and collectively, as well as meeting new people and learning new things. Furthermore, I have a sufficient amount of volunteer, as well as, employment experience working with children, youth and adults in both, academic and recreational settings. My experience ranges from helping school children with their homework assignments as an English and Mathematics tutor, to being a summer camp youth counselor, to teaching swimming lessons as a lifeguard and deck supervisor at a public pool. With that, I feel I have a good, stable foundation, relevant to this teaching position, upon which I intend to build and contribute to with anything and everything new I am able to learn.

Finally, what I hope to accomplish from living and teaching English in Japan is, first and foremost, to establish a successful relationship with my co-workers, as well as with my students –whatever age group they may be. On a more personal note, I truly believe that my involvement in such a program will be highly instrumental in allowing me to discover who I am and what I am capable of, especially with regards to living away from home for the course of the year. Also, living and working in Japan will provide me with the resources to learn and practice speaking, reading and writing in Japanese, as well as with the opportunity to experience the local people and the local way of life, which will, in turn, allow me to learn about Japan from the perspective of a local, rather than from that of a tourist.