Alex Quinn's Japan Journal

1/31/2005, Staying another year

Today was the deadline for telling them if I'd be staying another year.  Why on earth they make you decide a whopping 6 months ahead of the time you'd be leaving, I have no idea.  I find it a little sadistic.  And, they do it in the dead of winter when everybody is hating the place.  Well, not hating the place.... but... well, it's a lot nicer here in the summer than right now when it's frosty cold inside my apartment and inside the schools, everyday.

Anyway, I did decide to stay another year.  I thought I'd put in a little bit about what led me to this.  It was hardly an easy decision.  For many people, it was quite easy.  Either they love it here and have nothing going on back home, or they're tired of the place and are eager to get home to their other life.  I'm somewhere in the middle.  Here's my lists.

Reasons to stay one more year

• Akemi.  No surprises there.  We're having an awesome time together.  I'm in no hurry to force any big decisions with her.
• Co-workers are really nice to me.  They make this place a really fun place to be.  I think I've got the best JET teaching job in Hyogo prefecture (state) and probably one of the best in Japan, at least as far as work environment and teaching experiences.
• Stable paycheck.  Go back home and I've got to spend __ months looking for a job and paying rent/food/etc with a credit card.  I'd rather stick around and save up some money to cover that time when I finally do get back.
• Stable insurance.  Health insurance in the US stinks.
• George W. Bush.  No surprises there, either.  Only 1083 days until January 20, 2009, the next presidential inauguration.
• Stay here, and I can travel some more.  Already been to Malaysia.  Many more places on the list.  With JET, I've got 20 days of vacation a year (with restrictions) and I'm in the middle of Asia with lots of fun places to visit.  Go back home and I've got to work a job for a year before I can get 5 days of vacation.
• Learning and using Japanese is lots of fun.
• Learning Japanese cooking in Japan is lots of fun.
• I can study for the GRE better here than I probably could back home.  I teach 18 hours a week, at most.  Currently, I'm teaching 12 hours a week.  Add another 5 hours of prep, and you see I'm actually working about 23 hours a week.  So, the rest of the time I'm at work, I can do things like work on this journal, practice piano, etc.  That frees up my time at home so I can study or whatever.  I think I'm more likely to succeed on the GRE, and thus get into graduate school, if I stick around here.  Originally, I planned to come here for one year, take the GRE in November 2004, apply for grad school in December 2005, leave Japan in July 2005, and start grad school in September 2005.  That whole process is now pushed up a year.  By staying here another year, everything stays relatively simple.
• To start a new job at Nordstrom or somewhere else and then leave for grad school in September would be a hassle and a little unfair to the company if it's a real career-type job.
• Teaching is actually pretty fun, especially the first graders (Freshmen).  They have lots of energy and enthusiasm.
• Before it got freezing cold here, I was pretty fond of this place.  I'm sure I'll warm up to Japan again when Japan warms up for me.

Reasons to go back home after one year

1. My mom has multiple sclerosis (MS) and is alone.  She has various issues that pop up from time to time.  In December, she has an MS flare-up.  In January, her water main broke.  I'd like to be home when these things pop up, so I can help out a little.
2. I miss everybody back home.  I call people back home a lot, but it's no substitute.  I really miss hanging out with my people in Seattle.
3. I'm generally homesick.  I miss beautiful Seattle very much.  Seattle parks.  Seattle coffee shops (El Diablo, Fremont Coffee / Sophia's, Cafe Ladro, Mr. Spot's Chai House, etc.).  Downtown Seattle (strange, but true).  My old neighborhood, Queen Anne.  My mom's house.  Nice neighborhoods.  Sidewalks.  (Aioi has very few.) Seattle restaurants.
4. If for some reason, I don't make it to grad school, this time away from my real career (software development) will hurt my career.  It won't hurt my grad school chances, but next time I apply for a programming job, they'll ask me why an English teacher is applying for a programming job.  There are stories to support this fear.
5. Although my rent is cheap (≈¥9400, ≈$94/mo) here, everything else is expensive.  My salary covers everything I need and then plenty, but it still burns to pay ≈¥1000 (≈$10) for a 4 oz steak, ≈¥4500 (≈$45) for a 20 minute cab ride, ≈¥600 (≈$6) for a latte.  Not to mention, my school makes me pay for everything home-related short of the air I breathe, including a new air conditioner (≈650), new tatami mats (≈$1000) when I leave, all furniture (≈$600), toilet repairs (avoiding this one now), and daily bus fare of ¥1280 (≈$12.80/day, ≈$2500/year).  Fortunately, I know of an inside deal that cuts that cost in half.  But still....
6. I'm cold right now and I expect to be cold every day for the foreseeable future.  They don't insulate walls in Japan, so it's hard to keep a building or even a room warm.

Anyway, I signed the paper saying I'd be here another year.  So, that's where I'm pointed, anyway.  Here's to another year here in Aioi, Japan.

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