In search of sunrise

Wednesday. 28th of September, 2011. Sunny.

After 4 years, I have finally done my last day of teaching.
I have quit teaching. I am starting on a new journey.

What prompted my resignation midway through the school year?
For various reasons.

Being an English teacher, there isn't any job security. Contracts are renewed on a yearly basis. If a city decides that your service is not needed anymore after a school year, you are left at the mercy of the dispatch company. The company might choose to put you in another school, subject to the approval of the school, or cut you loose.

Being an English teacher, you are assigned one school or a number of schools. I have five. All the schools I go to do not have the necessary material to facilitate a proper lesson. I carry the material to the schools. Every day, I put more than twelve kilograms on my shoulder to go to schools to teach the kids. Truthfully, I do not teach, I entertain. The students switch off, talk or disrupt the lessons when they are not entertained.

Being an English teacher, there isn't much opportunity to climb the corporate ladder. I was only given a ¥3000 yen increment from last year. I can put in all my heart and effort, but all I can only be is an English teacher with no job security. I need to pursue my other interest and take on new challenges.

Being an English teacher, you are subjected to observation by the city board of education and the company. I had an observation just before the summer vacation. The students in the school are awkward and generally not co-operative. I had the misfortune of having my observation with one of the worst classes. It was not perfect but I thought the students participated well and it was average or above average. So I thought.

I was called into the office the following week for a lecture. I was told my teaching method was wrong. I was threatened that the city might not want me back if I did not buck up. I was made to sign a note acknowledging that I had been counseled and that I would improve. This was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

Last year, I was praised by the schools and the city board of education for being earnest, doing interesting lessons and being well liked by the students. Now, I was made to sign a note to admit that I am inadequate. I arrive in schools thirty minutes earlier every day to prepare lesson plans, I carry a heavy load on my shoulder to school every day and I teach six lessons every day (total number of lesson hours per school day). I felt that all I was doing was not being appreciated. Something has to change.

During the summer vacation, I started on a job hunt. I landed a job. It pays better than the English teaching job and I do not need to worry about yearly contract renewals. I have a proper office, a proper desk, a proper computer and a proper title. I feel like a proper person now.

The four-year stint in the education system had been a very good learning experience. I learnt the Japanese way of people-to-people relationship, I learnt how to talk to people, I learnt a lot of the Japanese language.

I learnt that there are always other places that would appreciate me.

Tuesday. 18th of May, 2010. Sunny.

Too fast! Too soon! Too quickly!
Time passes too quickly!

Right!

It's been months since I last updated. Anyone misses me? Don't answer that!

Well, I moved.

A new prefecture, a new city, a new place and of course, a new job. Not quite. Same job, different company.

Why did I move? Why did I get join a new company?

The previous company lost the contract for my old schools. I was actually assured of other schools but as time wore on, nothing materialized.

I had to find something before I officially become unemployed - with no schools to go to, the company doesn't give me a contract. Reality.

I sent out six applications. One gave me an interview. I got hired. Not the easiest interview and I should have done pretty well! *I think!*

One other company called me later to offer me a position at a far flung location for a lower salary. I was already happily employed!

I was in quite a pinch before I landed the job. My old apartment's contract was ending in two weeks. I did not have a guarantor and I did not know where my next job would bring me. In short, if I did not get a job, I become jobless and homeless.

It was all a blessing in disguise, for I got a better job and got to move to a better prefecture (in terms of preference). Not all is well though... Read on.

So the new place... It's not exactly new. It looks good on the outside but...

The walls are thin; I can hear the person next door laughing EVERY BLOODY NIGHT. EVERY! Did I say EVERY BLOODY NIGHT? He is laughing now as I type this out.

There are even cockroaches! ******* ****! One even got into my shoes! ******* ****!
I felt a lump in my shoes after walking a distance. ******* ****! I emptied my shoe and it was a dead ******* cockroach! ******* ****!

******* ****!

The new company offers quite good working conditions. I get quite a bit of free time but I can't drive to school. Some safety/insurance issues. Maybe with the schools, maybe with the company. I don't know.

However, I get fully reimbursed for transport to and from school. Not too shabby. Only that I have to squeeze with people on packed trains. I have to top up my train pass every few days with a few thousand yen. I just topped up ¥10000 today. I think it should only last a week.

Actually, I have been meaning to update but I was kind of lazy. OK, very lazy. I was thinking of cleaning up my place first before taking pictures and putting them up. As you already know, I am lazy. Lazy to clean up. ┐('～`；)┌

My other room turned into a wardrobe room.

The kitchen which cannot be called a kitchen.
Cooking is not quite possible.

The toilet that even a contortionist may have
difficulties due to its ~~small~~ tiny size.

Roman blind from Ikea. Very dope.
For me. I am dope.
Not the stupid dope; the good, cool dope.

Hides the not so dope window. I am still dope!

My room, my bed. New one. I threw the old
one away because moving it is too expensive.
I bought the same bed again. (*´Д`)

My workspace. Right! Notice the Ikea floor lamp?

Moving here, I've been going out more. Perhaps too 'more'. Going out more means spending more. That doesn't sound good.

Gotemba premium outlets!

I got an Armani Exchange jacket and some Bennetton tees.
ヘ(^_^ヘ)(ノ^_^)ノ

I really have to watch my ¥ very closely. I'm going to watch them now...
In the meantime, you can transfer money to my bank account 1034-6....

Thursday. 7th of January, 2010. Sunny

Too fast! Too soon! Too quickly!
Time passes too quickly!

It's the last day of the winter vacation today.
I go back to school tomorrow! *ugh*
But then, I will have a long weekend.

Monday is a public holiday.
成人の日. Coming of Age Day.
It's a holiday held annually on the second Monday of January to 'congratulate' those who have reached the age of twenty.
For the rest of the populace, they get a day off.

I went to a friend's place for a gathering on New Year's Eve.
After that, we went to 乗蓮寺 (jorenji) to see the Tokyo Buddha,
the third largest Buddha statue in Japan, and to pray for a good luck.

Meeting place - Ikebukuro station

Japan - the land of vending machines

Last day of operation for Wendy's Japan
A line of people waiting to go into Wendy's...
The restaurant *tsk tsk*

Walking up, I saw...
I know her :)

Entering the courtyard

Guarded by angry deities on either side
Who wouldn't be? Guard duty on New Year's Eve...

People waiting to make their New Year wishes
Throw a coin, make a wish

Monks praying to the Buddha

Tokyo Buddha - 東京大仏
Third largest in Japan

ぶつけないで下さい - Do not knock

Up close and personal

Incense urn - sweep the smoke over your body for good luck

Got myself an amulet (お守り) for good luck
This is for bringing good fortune to the whole family
There are other amulets for other purposes like studies and safety

Like the 57842 other Japanese festivals, there were food
stalls that sold usual Japanese snacks at unusual prices
I bought a bottle of milk tea... from the vending machine. ¥120

It was an interesting way to start the new year.
How did you start yours?

Thursday. 31st of December, 2009. Windy.

The last day of the decade, the last entry of the year.
How will you spend this last day? Who are you spending it with?

Happy New Year.
In Japanese - あけましておめでとう (akemashite omedetou)
Or in short - あけおめ (ake ome)

Thursday. 24th of December, 2009. Sunny.

I know this person who is really into shopping. He really enjoys buying stuff on the internet. Recently, he re-discovered the joy of shopping in real mega malls.

He showed me what he got. I must say, he has got good taste. Really.

Since he likes shopping so much, maybe he should consider setting up a blogshop. Maybe I'll suggest it to him. What do you think?

Oh, by the way, winter break starts today.
Happy holidays... to me.

OK, ok, and to you.

Thursday. 10th of December, 2009. Sunny.

In life, there are different kinds of challenges. There are different kinds of people. There are those who sit around, wallowing in self pity. There are those who take the bull by the horn and forge on.

I used to be one of the former. However, life was not particularly bad to me. I had a job (which I resigned from). I had enough to eat. I had a roof over my head. I had no reasons to complain. But like every young Singaporean, I was not contented.

Life is not about self pity, complaints and complacency. I saw the pitfalls and stepped out of my comfort zone, landed in a place where I had no friends, no family, no means of subsistence.

Life is like a file; a file which contains what you can do, what you have achieved, your goals and what you need to do to achieve these goals.
I do not claim to be successful, for I am not. But I am happy to say that I have achieved what I set out to do a little more than two years ago.

Back then, I knew that things would not be easy. But I did not think of giving up. I knew what I could do, what my handicaps were, how I should overcome these handicaps. These are what anyone with a will is able to do.

I have come to another stage where I need to discover what else I can and need to do to move forward. Once again, I need to step out of my comfort zone and confront the unknown that lies ahead.

It's nearly time to update my file.

Until then, my new winter ensemble.