Rant. (10/20)

Okay, I usually prefer posting pictures over writing words for a couple reasons:1. A picture is worth a thousand words, and 2. it’s easier to upload a photo than to write something lucid. However, I think I will try the whole writing thing a bit more.

Likewise, I also prefer not to write about my work or personal life for a couple reasons: 1. I don’t find it that interesting, and 2. I don’t really feel comfortable going on about my life online where everyone can read it.

Nevertheless here’s a little update on my life as an ALT in a little town in Hokkaido.

So I work at two different junior high schools that I rotate between every week, one which I love and one I don’t like as much. So the first one is close to my house, the kids are brilliant (in both English and general wittiness), they like to talk to me and we have fun in class. The other one I have to take a train and then walk to get to (thus my day is longer), a lot of the kids have unfortunate academic/familial circumstances, they suck at English (except for a few exceptions) and they don’t really seem interested in talking to me. We don’t have a bad relationship by any means, just not as good as I do with the kids at the other school. Now that’s probably my own fault as well, so I’ve been trying to get myself to reach out to the kids at this school more than I’d have to at the other school, but it is hard. I won’t lie, working with kids isn’t exactly my forte, but I guess it’ll be rewarding once I do get a good relationship going with them.

That aside, my job is okay. Sure there’s other things I’d rather be doing (read: spending money rather than making money, ie. trips, food, etc) but again there are a plethora things that I’d rather not be doing as well. Likewise, Hokkaido is turning out to be pretty fucking harsh (it’s cold as hell already, and everything’s fucking far apart from each other), but it has its charm as well, although we’ll see how I feel at the end of this month when the snow hits.

I guess my biggest complaint right now is that I feel like I don’t have any time to do anything. Well in the evening I do usually have free time (aside from nights I have kendo practice or other commitments), but I miss having the freedom to go someplace during the day on a weekday and take advantage of the daylight which will only become scarcer and scarcer. Welcome to the working life, I guess. In the grand scheme of things, I am fairly content. Some details could be improved, but I think I’m generally heading towards a right direction.

Gamba!