会うは別れの始め
"Meeting is the beginning of parting."
Towards the end of 2010, I read a book about a gaijin (foreigner / Caucasian) journalist who lived and worked in Japan for a number of years. The Japanese phrase you read above were the first words (after the title) that I read of the book. The book was riveting but horrendously tragic. And it made me afraid of the yakuza - the Japanese mobsters/gangsters/secret society that pervades every thread that makes up the social fabric of Japanese society.
At that point of time, I had not submitted my application to the JET programme (so after reading that book, I was re-thinking my decision to apply for the programme). The JET programme, or, Japan Exchange and Teaching programme, is a government (Japanese) funded project where university degree holders all over the world, who are native (or excellent) speakers of English, are invited to Japan to be Assistant Language Teachers (ALT) in the government schools. The successful applicants are treated like expatriates: return airfares, housing grants and salary are provided.
The process of applying for JET is a tedious one. The application form is long, and you have to get all copies of certificates and transcripts certified 'true copy' - which resulted in a long drive to NUS and countless calls to NIE. You will also have to write an essay or statement of purpose indicating the reasons why you want to be on JET. You have to research on the locations in Japan you want to be placed in. And this is all before one even gets to the interview stage, which many do not. Seriously. Many have been cut from the programme because of horribly written essays (http://jet-programme.com/statement.htm) but a good essay can get you an interview and help you in the interview as well.
I wrote my essay, and gave it to a (then) colleague to read. Bel, who was the one who introduced me to the whole idea of JET in the first place. I knew I would go to her because she minces no words, tells you exactly what she thinks. And she basically tore my essay apart. "Why do you want to slap yourself by telling them you don't exactly want to go to Japan?" she asked. I didn't know either. I wonder what I was thinking. I think I didn't want to sound too desperate, so I went in the opposite direction and sounded like I DIDN'T want to go. -_-''' So after she read it, I edited it, and finally she said that yes, if she were the officer, and read this essay, she would want me on the programme.
In Singapore, applications are sent in by end of Oct/Nov, depending on the embassy. Then you wait. For nearly 2 - 3 months, till end Jan, when embassy sends an email telling you whether you have been selected for the Interview.
The interview takes place in early or mid Feb. My interview went a little awry, to me. Here's what I emailed my church girlfriends after the interview:
After the interview today, I felt quite good about it. I don't think I did fantastically well, I just did well. Don't know if well is good enough; I highly doubt it, but I'm praying God will help me accept whatever outcome He gives me.
Anyway, after thinking about it more, I don't think I did very well at the interview because
1) I spoke very fast. I think I was nervous, and just very eager to answer the questions. I sometimes even cut the ang moh interviewer off!! At the beginning lah, hahahaha, then I calmed down and started thinking about the questions more.
2) I should have jotted down the questions, cos the ang moh guy had many parts of the questions in one long sentence, hence I don't think I answered ALL his questions.
3) I forgot that it was an EXCHANGE programme, and didn't talk more about the opportunities for a cultural exchange.
4) (just added now) A question went: What would you most like to tell others about Singaporeans?
I thought about it and I knew that I didn't want to talk about the melting pot culture, not its cosmopolitan community, so I (stupidly) tackled an boring area; I said: Many of my foreign friends tend to wonder why Singaporeans are so reserved / diplomatic / unindividualistic / follow the rules kind of people. I'd like to tell my students that it is because of Singapore's history, politics, and economy. Singapore is in a very precarious position. Due to it's history as a trading port, Singapore has always seen many different races living and working together. As a result, rules are needed to form a certain standard so that the different races do not misunderstand each other, rules are needed to safeguard the interests of everybody.
Likewise, Singapore now finds itself being a very different, modern country in the midst of many less developed countries; we need to be diplomatic. We need to watch what we say, we can't be selfish and just say what we want, because consequences can be dire. Because our economy relies on us, not on natural resources, again, we have to be able to accept every single foreign talent who comes to Singapore to work.
That was the sad part lah.
On the whole it was quite alright. The questions about teaching and building rapport I answered pretty well. I spoke about using technology to engage the students, and spending time with them outside the classroom to build rapport. I talked about the Japanese seeming to have two sides to them: aggressive and gentle, traditional and modern, and said that working and living amongst them is the key to reconciling the two sides.
I ended off quite well though. The Japanese lady asked if I had ever been to Japan. I said that I had, and that Tokyo was terribly busy and too bright for my liking, but Kyoto. Oh my, Kyoto was wonderful. I asked if I could show them something, and I took out my Japan Lonely Planet, within which I kept some leaves.
Whilst walking down the cobblestone paths in Kyoto, I noticed the paths were all carpeted with maple leaves of some sort. When I picked up the leaves to get a closer look, they looked ordinary and dull, but when the sunlight shone on all the fallen leaves, the leaves turned a stunning and vibrant shade of red and gold, transforming the whole place into something out of a fairytale. That was when both of them all went "Awwwwww..." lol. I told them also about how when I was in the Gion district in Kyoto, that I saw all the geishas rushing from place to place, and they wouldn't stop to take pictures with the tourists there, but when an elderly man went up to a geisha to ask her to pose for a picture, she smiled very politely, and posed for the picture, then gave a dainty bow and went on her way. I said that it was really great to see a culture that respected the elderly so much.
So, that was the interview. Not too bad huh? But I truly did not think I would get in. I prayed and prayed hard though. I prayed that God would help me bear it if I didn't get in. And then I waited. During this period of about 2 1/2 months, I think I came to understand what it meant by waiting on God. Not fully, because we aren't capable of that, but I never had to wait on God the way I did the past few months. He has been truly merciful to me.
The 11 March tsunami hit. My parents were adamant about me not going. How can a mother send her child off to die? was my mum's reply, when I asked her. The nuclear situation was volatile. The media was comparing it to Chernobyl, then the level of nuclear danger was raised to the level that Chernobyl was. Slowly, though, the news stopped covering the incident in minute detail, and my parents became less worried. I am going to prepare a powerpoint presentation on the situation though, to allay my parents' fears.
My guy friends played devil's advocate and spelt it out in no uncertain terms what could happen. I might start to glow in the dark, grow wings, or be able to charge batteries when I came back. I was to avoid them at all costs after that year in Japan. They were joking, but I think they really could see I had a tough decision to make.
End of April, and the email arrived. I got shortlisted! Then came the health check, and the Certificate of Clearance from the CID. I haven't cleared that yet, I have a fear I might not, but one thing I learnt, it's all in God's hands.
So, parting is in the books. But since parting is supposed to be such sweet sorrow, perhaps I might be able to bear it.
Comments
Post a Comment