When you want to sleep in, but find yourself waking up 30 minutes before your alarm and just can't get back to sleep. Then, even though you don't have time, the only other person awake in the house stops you to have a 30 minute convo about...student loans, even though you really have a million things to do. Because you don't think you have to be into work early, you take your time and decide to try that new route to work that's supposed to be faster, but you get lost and go 15 minutes out of your way and of course googlemaps don't include topographical maps that would have shown you the two EXTRA mini-mountains this "faster" path includes. Then the second you step in the door at work, you're told that you're suppose to be subbing for another teacher...making you 1 hour late. Assuming you would have time to eat when you got to work, you no longer have time, leaving you to help watch 23 3 year olds on an empty stomach. All the while wondering if you just forgot, or if this is a matter of miscommunication.
The kids seem exceptionally resistant today and you find yourself having to physically pick them up or drag them around...only forcing you to expend more energy which only reminding you more and more that you haven't eaten yet. It's sunny today, which means park time before lunch. Hoping to get the easy job in the sand box, you now realize why there's always a large pile of sand in front of the shoebox...as child begin dumping, flinging, tossing sand all over you (I guess I will have to wash these pants before I return home in 4 days).
Lunch rolls around and though you're trying to enjoy your first meal of the day at 12:40, it's difficult when the children seemed to have smeared half their meal on the table in front of you. Not to mention the lovely lunch time conversation regarding pee and poo. Because you were planning to get some paperwork typed up during the day, this now leaves you trying to get it done after the day, leaving you at work far later than you expected...and left to lock up even though you are supposed to be heading to a private lesson 30 minutes away...or, in case you have no sense of direction, 1 hour away. Nothing like riding a bike with half empty tires from Azabu to Roppongi to Ebisu to Yoyogi (about a 7 mile LOOP which should have only been 3mi)...in the middle of traffic, literally through Shibuya station (one of the busiest places to be in Tokyo during rush hour). By the time I arrived for my lesson, I felt like a diabetic going into shock, I was shaking so bad.
On the bright side, I didn't have to go to the gym seeing as I got in my butt and leg workout. It shouldn't be too hard for tomorrow to be better.
The kids seem exceptionally resistant today and you find yourself having to physically pick them up or drag them around...only forcing you to expend more energy which only reminding you more and more that you haven't eaten yet. It's sunny today, which means park time before lunch. Hoping to get the easy job in the sand box, you now realize why there's always a large pile of sand in front of the shoebox...as child begin dumping, flinging, tossing sand all over you (I guess I will have to wash these pants before I return home in 4 days).
Lunch rolls around and though you're trying to enjoy your first meal of the day at 12:40, it's difficult when the children seemed to have smeared half their meal on the table in front of you. Not to mention the lovely lunch time conversation regarding pee and poo. Because you were planning to get some paperwork typed up during the day, this now leaves you trying to get it done after the day, leaving you at work far later than you expected...and left to lock up even though you are supposed to be heading to a private lesson 30 minutes away...or, in case you have no sense of direction, 1 hour away. Nothing like riding a bike with half empty tires from Azabu to Roppongi to Ebisu to Yoyogi (about a 7 mile LOOP which should have only been 3mi)...in the middle of traffic, literally through Shibuya station (one of the busiest places to be in Tokyo during rush hour). By the time I arrived for my lesson, I felt like a diabetic going into shock, I was shaking so bad.
On the bright side, I didn't have to go to the gym seeing as I got in my butt and leg workout. It shouldn't be too hard for tomorrow to be better.
Hey! I couldn't find your email so I'm contacting you here. You have a great blog and I see that you are a tall female teaching in Japan. Well...I'm a tall female trying to teach in Japan...hence me contacting you. I am pretty determined to teach English in Japan. I have a friend that taught with OES, so I am going to apply there. But do you know of any other schools or programs I should apply to?
ReplyDeleteAny other tips or pointers I would greatly appreciate. Thanks so much for your help.
Best,
Katie Moore
So I assume that you've abandoned your blog for whatever reason. A shame, I really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! I didn't know anyone was really reading this other than my friends. I didn't abandon it, just changed jobs and couldn't write anymore. I'm going to try and update it, but it'll be slow going as I'm super busy with my new job.
ReplyDeleteKatie, there are many places looking to hire, but the job market is flooded right now. Some places like Gaba and ECC are always hiring. They're very large and legit companies that take care of their employees. Right now I've also heard many places are cutting back on their hours and wages, making it near impossible to survive. Look around on Gaijinpot, good "English schools Japan" or "Eikaiwa" and then just start visiting the company websites and applying through the site directly. Good luck!!