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Re: Sense a tone of loneliness... (Reply to this comment)
by kedsand1
Flash,
Well, fortunately for me, I wasn't the only JET on Hirado; I became friends with a Canadian named Daniel (whom I mentioned in previous installments), and that friendship got me through some lonely times. I also had my buddy John from UCLA days, but he lived several hours away, so I only saw him every two or three months. Near the end of my year in Hirado, I also became better friends with David, a mutual friend through Daniel. Ironically, there was an ALT named John on neighboring Ikitsuki island, but he had a condescending manner to him and Daniel had to demand that John give him the house key that Daniel's predecessor had lent John during the previous year. Can you imagine what it would be like to know that another foreigner (whom you had never met) had a key to your place and you were a new teacher in a strange country? Credit to Daniel for extricating himself from that situation.
Anyway, to respond to your comment, I wasn't entirely lonely, though I did get lonely from time to time. I am an introvert by nature, so the solitude wasn't bad most of the time, and I always had basketball practice so those guys were a source of companionship. But, there were days when I really needed someone with whom I could speak native English. Daniel was a big boost in that regard, and my future wife was a good friend over the phone, as well. To be honest, one of the primary reasons I didn't renew for JET was that Daniel was leaving and I wasn't looking forward to whoever was coming to take his place, especially when I heard it was another British guy who loved to drink (apologies to any Brits out there -- this is what I felt at the time). At the time, I knew I wouldn't connect, so (along with other reasons I will discuss in a future article) I decided not to renew my contract.
For most JETs, loneliness is part and parcel of being in the JET Programme. Unless one gets well connected with, and gets along well with, neighboring JETs, or if one starts dating someone, the JET Programme can get very lonely very fast. As an only child and an introvert, I suppose that my assignment was what I could handle most of the time, but I had my bad days. Interestingly, after I left JET, returned to Japan, found a job, and then came to Christ, I had a wonderful church community of foreigners and Japanese people with whom I could connect. It was during my second stint in Japan that I felt less lonely and isolated.
In contrast, I had heard of JETs being assigned to islands off the coast of Kyushu that were three or more hours away by ferry. I would meet some of them during mid-year Nagasaki-ken conferences; those people really had to battle loneliness and depression.
Thanks again for your comment!
KEDSand1
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Aug 03 '09
2:28 pm PDT
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Sense a tone of loneliness... (Reply to this comment)
by flashfriday
After reading all of these articles I detect a sense of isolation and loneliness which I guess is to be expected. You mentioned early on that you made some JET friends, but it sounds like you were pretty much cut off when you went to your primary assignment. You seemed to adapt very well to your foreign surroundings, but I'm sure you learned a lot about yourself during your time in Japan. I'm looking forward to hearing about your time in the hospital.
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Aug 03 '09
8:40 am PDT
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Re: Can't wait!! (Reply to this comment)
by kedsand1
mrkstvns,
Thanks for your comment, and for reading my Japan articles!
Country hospitals are interesting places. But, just to give a little bit away, I came out of that country hospital just fine. Actually, it was a great experience!
Stay tuned.
KEDSand1
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Jul 31 '09
7:11 am PDT
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Can't wait!! (Reply to this comment)
by mrkstvns
Adventures in a Japanese country hospital, eh? NOW that sounds promising!
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Jul 30 '09
2:52 pm PDT
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