American in Japan

Where are you living right now?

Japan	22.2%	[ 4 ]
America	38.9%	[ 7 ]
Germany	0.0%	[ 0 ]
Australia	0.0%	[ 0 ]
Canada	0.0%	[ 0 ]
Mexico	0.0%	[ 0 ]
Space, I don't wanna live on Earth ever again!	11.1%	[ 2 ]
Other... (Please post!)	27.8%	[ 5 ]
Total Votes:			[ 18 ]

[Jello4ever]

Hey everyone! I am not very active on Gaia currently. It has been months since I have been on. Hopefully that will change soon! Maybe you can convince me (;

I am a senior and participating in a work study in Japan. I am participating in a blog for my university about students who are abroad.

I will be in Japan until the end of July and am really looking forward to my time here.


I have been here for 3 weeks and have not been homesick yet. (Which should probably be a concern for my family....i might just decide to stay!)

Anyways, I am an assistant language teacher (ALT) at a high school and university currently. I studied Japanese, international studies, and TESOL at my university and am trying to put all three to good use. So far, it's working out!

I was wondering if you wanted to chat about YOUR experiences in Japan; the good, the bad, and the ugly!

Also, if you have some time to swing by my university's blog, and check out what's been up, that would be pretty cool.
http://oilersabroad.wordpress.com/

[TLew ET]

depends on all where you go. are you going to mainland japan or you going to countryside like Kyushu?

[Icysnowgirl]

Homesickness rarely hits that early, but for some it might. :3

I'd like to chat here first, learning a bit more about your situation before I chat much about my own experiences.

[Jowee Massacre]

dramallama

[Jello4ever]

I live in a small city. It has an Aeon Mall and beautiful country views. It only takes about 2 hours to get to Tokyo.

Icysnowgirl: My situation is awkward. I am a student from America, but to the students at the university I am assisting at, I am a teacher. There is a disconnect between us currently. They are unsure if they need to approach me as a teacher or if it okay to befriend me...and I honestly don't know which I would prefer. At the moment, I have befriended some of the international students but I really would like to be closer to some of the natives as well.

The teachers I work with have been very kind to me and I enjoy their company. They treat me as if we are the same though and I think that is making it difficult for me to try adapt to the hierarchical roles in Japan. One teacher has even pointed it out that he should be much more strict with me, but since I have taken courses on teaching english he also looks to me for many answers on his own performance. (Though he could be teaching me at the same time, using reverse psychology.)
My age, along with my outgoing mannerisms, is contributing to a sense of growing uncertainty. I still love being here though, everyone has been kind to the beikokujin.