What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

Teaching in Japan... fun, boring, easy, hard, rubbish, awesome?

All of the above and hundreds more similarly narrow adjectives. I've got the time to write this blog at work, but others barely have a minute to plan the next lesson. My girlfriend and I found our jobs very easily, but our friends right now are staying with us because after six months of looking only one of them could find employment.

One thing is for sure, teaching here is really hard to predict. People lament the boredom of their "read and repeat" jobs while others solo-teach 8 50-minute lessons back-to-back.

If you're thinking of coming to Japan, BEWARE. Things may not be quite what you expect. This blog is, as I type, being created with the aim of giving you readers an insight into the various scenarios you may find yourself in, and how exactly things may progress for you.

However, be warned that you will still live in a world where the Japanese telepathically just know everything that is going on - where to be, what time, what to bring - and you will probably find yourself completely alone in the school or workplace wondering just where everyone has gotten to... or at an important event symbolising death with your clothes in front of unsympathetic co-workers...

Author:		Dom
This is Dom's fourth year living in Japan, where he is currently an elementary school ALT in Nagano prefecture. He is a co-founder of this website, its webmaster, and a wicked cool dude.