Bad News - No Japan For Me

I just checked the USA JET website and am sad to report that I wasn't selected for an interview. *frown* Ah well, at least I tried. At this point, I'm not too bummed about it because I wasn't one of those people who were betting everything on it. I was hoping I'd at least get an interview, but I suppose it wasn't in the cards for me. At least I still have a job right?

A special thanks goes out to everyone who helped with the application and for writing reference letters. I'm sure they were wonderful. I guess this was probably a bad year to apply since there were a record number of applicants (more than 5,300). However, that's what happens when you do this kind of stuff on a whim. If I had given living abroad more serious thought, I would have applied years ago. Then again, I probably didn't have this wanderlust going on back then so traveling didn't even come to mind.

Now that I know I didn't make it, I can concentrate on other things. I am still seriously contemplating spending a couple months backpacking through Australia and New Zealand with Elle. She and I will probably have a good time just getting lost.

I have also read an entire blog written by a local guy who did a cycling tour through NZ and is backpacking it through Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It's a guy named Dug, who seems to be from Maui, and his blog is called Rompingground. He's already been gone for over a year. Amazing! While I definitely cannot live up to his long-distance biking, the WWOOFing sounds pretty interesting and a good way to learn about a foreign country and really get to know its people.

Now, I know what you guys are thinking. And yes, I am definitely a city girl (which is why I love San Francisco so much). But I think I can kick it in the backwoods as long as I'm doing something interesting like milking cows or herding sheep. I'm not sure about clearing the land as Dug did, but I'm game to at least give it a try.

So I guess the main point is that my future is wide open. (I was getting a little stressed out as Elle and I would talk about Australia and NZ but couldn't really do much because everything hinged on a reply from JET.) I plan to reevaluate the next year or so of my life and see what direction life will take me. Moving up to San Francisco is still a possibility, but I don't think I can do it without a job. That'd take some cojones that I do not have right now.

YouTube is the Greatest Thing Ever

I do not even know what we all did before the invention of YouTube. I mean seriously, I've been watching videos for over three hours now. And it's not like I'm bouncing around from one stupid video to the next. I searched a specific topic (ie. JET) and found some very cool and informative vids out there by current JETs. Amazing, simply amazing.

The info that is shared through these vids are so engaging and as a viewer you're able to learn so much. The visual nature of it all grabs your attention, even when the video editing skills aren't the greatest. Most people are still able to get the main point across. For someone like me, who is searching for info, it's awesome.

I like how there are so many perspectives on something generic like "living in Japan" or "teaching in Japan." I'm finding all the videos really helpful, especially the ones from the newbies (the people who went over in 2009). They've been there for about six months now and should be settling in. They'll have the best perspectives of the country. My favorite vids are the ones about their hometowns. It's nice to see the different locales where JETs are placed. Some look like fairly large cities. Other that I've seen are totally in the inaka (country).

As I watch these videos, I'm kind of getting anxious about not hearing about the USA interviews. The list of people selected to get interviews is supposed to be posted in late January. Um, it's late January and there's been nothing. I cannot refrain from doing a daily check of the JET website, just in case the list is there. Hmm, now that I think about it, seeing the list posted would be useless to me. I don't carry my ID number around so even if the list was live I wouldn't know if I was on or not. I better start carrying that list around.

Vegas Vacation

Is it sad that all I care about is not being at work? The count down to vacation isn't about the traveling. It's simply about not having to work. With that in mind, I only have one more day before I can relax into my vacation.

I don't fly out till Sunday and still have to do some laundry and pack. It's going to be freezing up there - probably in the 50s during the day and 30s at night. Good thing I picked up a thick jacket in preparation for Japan. At least if I don't get into JET, I'll still have made use of the thing.

I've got a tentative itinerary for the trip that is packed with shows and tours. The first night my BFF and I plan on going to the Plaza Hotel & Casino, which is just around the corner from where we're staying at the Cal. Depending on how fast we can get there from the airport, we wanted to catch Rat Pack is Back. Yes, we'll be the youngest ones there but who cares? It's the faux Rat Pack! Who could pass that up?

On Monday night, my sister and nieces fly in and we're planning to do a Haunted Vegas Tour that includes a seance. The reviews I read were mostly positive. I don't know if my younger niece will be down with the seance though. It might just freak her out.

Tuesday is Jersey Boys night for me and my BFF. My sister will be at a work function and my nieces will be on their own. Afterwards, the plan is to go clubbing. Know of any good spots we should hit up? We wanted to check out Minus 5 Ice Lounge at Mandalay.

On Wednesday, my sister and nieces are going to Criss Angel. I'm skipping that and will have a free couple of hours. Wonder if I can hit the Megabucks during that time? It only takes a minute, right?

We fly out on an 8 a.m. flight on Thursday. Because of this, we'll probably pull an all-nighter and just gamble or hang out. No sense sleeping for a couple hours when we need to be up early anyway. Hopefully I'll be able to sleep on the plane ride home.

777

I cannot wait to go to Vegas for an extended Girl's Night Out. I'm going with my sister, BFF and nieces. We leave in only one week. Thank goodness.

Despite the Thanksgiving holiday, I still feel quite disgruntled about work. In the past, this has indicated that it is time for me to search for new opportunities in the job market. However, since I've applied for JET all I can do is wait. And the wait is killing me.

Other JET applicants are probably stressing about getting into JET. I'm not really feeling that stress. My anxiety is just waiting to hear back either way so I know if I should start looking for another job or not. I can't very well apply to other places at this point because it'll screw things up if I get into JET.

Thus, my eagerness for a trip to Vegas is really just a diversion of the inevitable waiting. I can only hope to win millions of dollars, which would allow me to quit my job. What a dream that would be.

Waiting Game

I've been so busy this week that I forgot to check whether or not my JET application made it to D.C. Finally got around to checking tonight and it arrived safely on Monday afternoon. Priority Mail was apparently enough to get it there in time. I was not going to pay a minimum of $17.50 to go Express Mail. If that were the case, I could've done FedEx or UPS. Crazy!

Anyway, I guess at this point there's nothing more to do but wait. I am hoping the time between now and the interviews will go fairly quickly. I am really getting fed up with work and am looking forward to a vacation soon. I dream of leaving for some European jaunt and never coming back. I may just need to settle for a quick trip to Vegas with my sis. I waiting to hear whether or not my BFF can go with us.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

I did it. I dropped my JET application in the mail today. It should make it to DC next week. That's plenty of time to make the Nov. 24 deadline.

I'm not sure if they'll consider me. I think my essay came out okay, especially after I got some help with it. I wonder how many applicants there'll be from Hawaii? I guess that's hard to predict. I'd anticipate there'd be more this year because of the way things are going in the economy.

I don't have my hopes up. I can pretty much take it or leave it. I guess that's not a good thing to say but it's true. I have a stable job so even if I don't get in I'll still have something to fall back on. It's different for recent college grads without jobs. Still, I'd love the opportunity to go to Japan. It would be a killer experience.

I plan to still do some research on the country and get more acquainted with it just in case I do get selected. I'm definitely not looking forward to the interview, but I'm sure no one is. We'll see how it goes I guess.

You Learn Something New Every Day

After speaking with the volunteer coordinator at Hawaii Literacy, I decided to request for another student. Since I would really like to begin tutoring and do not really appreciate being stood up for the past two sessions, I decided to give up on my first student. He apparently doesn't want to devote the time to learn to read. This is fine with me.

I was given a new student and met her today for the first time. This should be interesting. She seems very enthusiastic about learning but has a short attention span. She's easily distracted and zones out a lot. I suppose this will be good training for JET as kids are probably very similiar.

We arranged to meet up once a week since we don't live near each other. I hope we're able to have a longer meeting since it's only once a week. However, we'll have to test out her ADHD thing. Maybe she won't be able to focus that long. I'm not sure exactly what's going on with her as far as any learning disabilities. She has a difficult time pronouncing words and even forming thoughts sometimes. I don't know if she was in any kind of accident previously or if this is just biological. We'll see how it goes.

YouTubing the Night Away

Why am I up at 1:15 a.m. when I have to go to work in several hours? Well, at first it started out as well-intentioned research for JET. I was watching videos made by a girl (intro2the1) who has been in Japan on JET for over a year now. She's got a channel called Dear Life Japan, and it's pretty insightful stuff about basic things in Japan. I like that it's not only about her school life. She also covers issues in real life, cultural differences and even societal topics like abortion and suicide. It's really good stuff.

Now, for about the past hour or so, I've been listening to David Choi's videos. The boy can sing man. Gotta support the Asian talents out there, right? I came across this video he made of his grandparents and uncle singing a Korean folk song. I have no clue what they're saying, but they sound good to me. They are so cute, especially his grandmother. Here's the video:

Back To School Blues

I feel like I'm back in college and have a paper to write that's due in the morning but continue to put it off. I promised myself that I'd work on my statement of purpose for my JET application today. However, I didn't get started till about 10:30 p.m. tonight, and I'm still working it out as I type this.

While procrastination was a motivating factor, it's not like I was a complete slacker today. I did work on the JET application itself and updated some of the information. Some of the questions are tricky and I'm not sure where certain information should be entered. I'll still need to review it before turning it in.

Getting back to the statement of purpose . . . It's only a two-page essay about why you want to do JET, what you bring to the table and why they should pick you. You'd think it'd be simple, but it's not. On one hand, I feel like I don't have enough space to write all the things I need to write. On the other hand, I feel like I'm rambling on and on about things that don't really connect with each other. Definitely need to work on the transitions.

I have to get through at least draft one of this thing because time is ticking down. I'm still waiting for one letter of reference to come in, so I have a bit of time. I'd like to get through with this as soon as possible and move on with my life. There's no use stressing over this application, you know? Just submit it and see what happens.

JET Orientation

For weeks now I've been mumbling about this JET Programme thing and haven't really explained it much. Since I just went to this Q&A session tonight, I figured I might as well get into it now.

JET is basically a government-sponsored program that recruits English-speaking people to teach English in Japan. They connect applicants with schools, boards of education or prefectures that are looking to hire an assistant language teacher to help their English language teachers in the classroom. The contract is usually a year and you're able to renew up to about five years.

The application process is pretty extensive and used as a way to weed people out. After tonight's orientation, this fact has been confirmed. The essay portion is also an important part used to get through the masses. At the Q&A session, we had a brief intro to the program and watched a video with testimony as to how great the program and experience is.

We were also able to ask three former JETs about their experiences in Japan. Two were stationed in Okinawa and the other one was in Sendai. They didn't really enlighten me much as I've already done some initial research online. They were mostly positive about everything and encouraged us to apply. I guess you wouldn't really want anyone but cheerleaders talking to potential applicants though, right?

Some interesting facts I learned tonight: There were 81 complete applications from Hawaii to be an assistant langauge teacher (ALT). This position makes up over 90 percent of all applicants. There is another position called coordinator for international relations (CIR), but you really need to know your Japanese as you'll be working within the government. Of the 81 people, 48 were interviewed and 22 were selected to go to Japan. That's pretty stiff odds. About 60 percent of the total applicants got to the interview section and about 27 percent actually went.

At this point I'm neither encouraged nor discouraged to apply. I think I'll go ahead with it and see what happens. I really need to work on my essay since I haven't even started yet. I also need to update my resume so I can send it over to the people I have asked to write my letters of reference. You need two of those. I also need to research Japan a bit more and get a better feel of locations and where I'd like to be placed. The location request may or may not be given to you.

Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii Orientation

Last Saturday I went over to the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii and had a brief interview and tour. The girl I met with basically asked questions about my background, interests and motives for volunteering. Then she showed me around the gallery and the behind-the-scenes areas. I start volunteering this Saturday and opted to stay the entire day.

When I first faxed my volunteer application form to them, I was surprised because they called back within minutes. Perhaps that's not all too surprising in this economy though. Another interesting thing is that they asked me to bring my resume for their records. I found that very strange - like it was an interview for a real job or something. Are volunteer requests always handled this way?

I'm curious to see what kind of work they give me. On my form, I checked off numerous departments in which I'd like to help. One of the categories was to be a docent at their exhibit. I gotta say that I'm not really keen on doing that. However, I figured it was the best way for me to learn the historical and cultural aspects quickly and thoroughly. If I'm expected to regurgitate this info to visitors, I've gotta know my stuff.

My main reason for wanting to volunteer at JCCH is to learn about the historical and cultural part of the Japanese American experience in Hawaii. I want to apply to teach English in Japan through the JET Programme, and it'd be interesting to compare local Japanese customs to traditional Japanese customs. I'm sure there are many things that are similar but a lot more things that are different.

Hawaii Literacy Orientation

I went to the Hawaii Literacy orientation today, which was held at Barnes & Noble in Ala Moana. It was an informational session for prospective volunteers and is mandatory if you want to become a tutor. It was scheduled to be two hours long but was just a bit more than an hour. Everything was pretty interesting and I'll be contacting them to sign up for the tutor's training classes.

Before you can become a tutor, you have to take four four-hour long classes. I don't think it'll be that bad. Once that's done, they try to match you up with a student (all 18+ years old) who matches your criteria. You can request different things, such as that your student lives near you, your student's age or if you would like a male or female.

I'm also planning to contact Hawaii Literacy about their ESL program, which is separate from their adult literacy program. Maybe that'd be a good one to volunteer at too? The adult literacy program that I'm doing is just that - adults who cannot read or have trouble reading. They all speak English so it's not ESL. The ESL program will be able to expose me to what it is like to teach someone who is not from the US and who may speak only a little English. This will definitely help prep for teaching in Japan if I make it into the JET program (Yes, I realize I keep mentioning this but have yet to really write a post explaining it. I promise to do this soon).

Night Before Surgery

Tonight's the night before my Visian ICL surgery. I don't feel anxious, excited or nervous. I feel fine. I've felt fine since last week's pre-op check up. Hopefully this translates into a restful sleep tonight. To be honest, my mind has been stuck on researching the JET Programme more than the upcoming eyeball surgery. Ever since I decided I'm going to apply I've been a little obsessed with trying to get more information. However, I suppose that's a topic for another blog.

Getting back to the Visian prep, I've been instructed to drop antibiotics into the eye that will be operated on (left eye). This started on Sunday and I'm doing one drop three times a day. That's not too difficult if you time it out at breakfast, lunch and dinner. I started on Sunday and today's my last day. Tomorrow I'll probably resume the drops and add an anti-inflamatory drop after the surgery. I already received the two drops as well as a regular re-wetting drop when I went into my pre-op visit. I was also prescribed another bottle of antibiotic drops, which I picked up at Straub last week. I believe I'm supposed to be using it until all the drops run out. This will repeat next week when I do my other eye.

Prep for the surgery is almost non-existent. I was instructed not to eat or drink anything after midnight tonight and make sure I have a ride to pick me up after the surgery. Since I don't need to be at the doctor's office till 10 a.m. and they said I won't be able to leave until about noon, I figured I'd better eat up tonight. I went out with my brother and his fam to CPK at Ala Moana. We had the spinach and artichoke dip, Chinese chicken salad and the cheeseburger pizza. Everything was delish. Hopefully that'll last me until noon tomorrow.

Tomorrow I also have a post-op visit at 1 p.m. to check that everything is okay with my eye. They'll be checking the pressure in my eye. I suppose if it's too high, that'd be bad. Other than that, I think I'll just need to keep my pirate's patch on for the rest of the day and continue wearing it each night when I go to sleep. I don't have my pirate's patch yet but assume they'll give it to me before letting me walk out of surgery.

I hope this surgery works well and I come out of it seeing 20/20 or better. That would be wonderful. Having needed vision correction since the fourth grade and wearing contacts since the fifth grade, this will be a great relief and provide a certain amount of freedom. I'll definitely post an update tomorrow night with any news. Wish me luck!