Things are still very cold here in Japan but I have adjust much better this year than I did last year. The weather has been clear some days and others are full of clouds and rain threatening to soak me on my walk to the train station. I've learned to keep an extra pair of socks in my desk just in case it rains. My shoes often get soaked and I hate having cold wet feet all day long. Thing are as usual at school and the students continue to challenge my Japanese knowledge on a daily basis. I enjoy it because it forces me to think about how English is viewed by them and how I as a learner view Japanese. A decent teachable moment for us all.
Thinking about the fact that I only have a few short months left in Japan I have began to wonder if I have made the best of my time here. I know that I have not seen much of the country, but the language and culture of the Kansai area are now a big part of my life. I've become more comfortable speaking with people in Japanese, even if Im wrong and I know I can only improve with time and practice. I have also began to study some basic Spanish so that when I return home I am better able to communicate with students and parents of that linguistic background. It cant hurt my trek through Spain either. I look forward to how being a language learner can improve my views of teaching culturally diverse students and I think it will make me a better teacher as a whole.
Living here alone over the past year and a half has shown me a great deal about myself as an individual. You may never know who you truly are if you do not let yourself be alone sometimes. Away from the normal and easy things in your day to day and trying to survive out of your comfort zone. Its a challenge that I am grateful I had the opportunity to encounter. I feel confident and comfortable in my own skin and I am less concerned with material things in my life. One of the biggest changes I believe I see in myself is my views on relationships and my approach to a realistic and meaningful relationship. Not just with a significant other but with friends, family and peers. I feel as though I understand things a little better and have a lot to grow on as well as reflect on.
Life is a wonderful journey. Im luckier than some to have made it to where I am and done the things Ive done. Many have done more and many have done less, but Im happy with the choices Ive made in my life up to this point.
Its a pretty sweet ride.
Enjoy it
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