Job Discussion Forums

kovac · Joined: 12 Apr 2003 Posts: 78

Before posting this Im sure many battle hardned TEFL brutes will smirk and knock it down in a self assured " i know more" kind of way....

Can I rundown my routine to see if anyone else feels / experiences the same...

11am Wake up on a one matress unfurnished apato, usually freezing cold, or roasting hot with an air con/heater that doesnt work

11:10 Brush teeth with 2 month old toothbrush and cheap toothpaste , have shower, shave with blunt razors and wash with 100 yen soap...all of the above cos I cant afford anything more

11:20 leave house and gulp down a yakult, smoke cigarette

11:30 Arrive at station, pay 720 yen to get to school

12:10 Arrive at work, buy yoghurt, juice for the day, prep for 50 mins

1:00 - 9:00 classes usually 7-8 classes ranging from kids to adults, 30mins or 1hr, etc the usual eikaiwa routine, 15 min or 40 mins break to grab a cup noodle or sup my home made soup (see below)

9:15 get train home, snooze.

9:55 Arrive at home station, go to supermarket, buy vegetables, discount bread, yakult, any other discount foods on offer and 2 cans of beer

10:15 Get home, make soup for tomorrows lunch or dinner, usually pasta or something quick and cheap.

11:00 Check email, calculate expenses, and other admin

11:15 Hit the books to study Japanese

12:30 Break, have cans of beer, watch TV, relax, etc

1:30 Get sleepy, prep teaching materials for tomorrow, iron clothes, do washing, tidy apato, hoover, etc

2:30 have a shower or bath, settle down for the night

3:00 go to bed

8 hours later...do it all again....bar days off....where

a) its a week day, all my japanese friends are working so cant meet them
b) I have no money to do anything fun
c) Im bloody exhausted of leading a monotone life and want to sleep

As a gap year job this might be ok, but anybody thinking of coming to Japan on a TEFL job surely cannot sustain this lifestyle..well maybe you can but beforehand have all ambition and soul surgically removed before you do so....

Dont get me wrong I love Japan....its a great place....but I cant believe whole Message boards are devoted to talented, intelligent people wasting thier lives away on such a crummy exsistance...its a real indicator of how crummy it is when a major moderator / contributor says
"Cook meals at home in large batches and freeze them in portions for later"...

hell are you my senile aunt !?!? how dumb is this advice !? should we even take heed of it ? of course we know how to economise in this fashion....but its sad advice indeed...It is reminiscent of American 1920's depression news reels..."before going to bed rub your legs with vaseline to prevent chill blaines !" Is this the state EFL teachers should live in ?

I chastised a child student the other day for saying in Japanese "dont call him sensei, because he isnt a proper teacher"...it summed this job up for me perfectly.....

leby26 · Joined: 30 Jan 2004 Posts: 68

Uuum, I'm not even a teacher yet, and I'M going to blast you! To quote Capergirl in another post, "Life sucks, get a helmet!" - It's called WORK - what did you really expect??

Alright, maybe its just that you haven't met more friends yet or found your niche, so just give it time - or, as you say, if you're doing this as a 'gap year' then just grin and bear it and find something else more suited for ya when you're done - hang in there Smile

btw - making large portions of food and freezing it is not desperate or a strictly 1920's activity - its just practical !!

Brooks · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Sagamihara

your schedule sounds like what some people have on weekdays.
Some Nova people, who have to work on a Saturday, go out on Friday night, get sloshed and go in to work the next day.

It sounds like you want to move up to something better. What is your education background? There is money to be made in Tokyo, but the way some people do it is by working at many part-time jobs. And by teacing private lessons, either at their apartment or at a cafe. The key is to try to minimize the amount of time you have to spend on the train.

Celeste · Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2004 12:10 am Post subject:

4nic8r · Joined: 18 Mar 2004 Posts: 68

Just wondering what you were expecting when you took this job? Try going back home, and realizing all your friends who have jobs are basically all doing the same thing.. life isn't about lifestyles of 'friends' or Ally Mcbeal... welcome to the real world.. it could be worse... the Japanese average salaryman is working twice as hard as you!~ Rolling Eyes

BenJ · Joined: 11 May 2003 Posts: 209 Location: Nagoya

twice as hard or twice as long?

I suggest trying to find a job where you can reduce your daily work by one or two hours and just relaaaax/ do something you enjoy/ see new places... whatever to make you feel alive. Because what you are citing there sounds like standard day in x country, not Japan.

Oh and improve your diet! You must be wasting away... Smile

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

In case anyone is interested, kovac started this thread as a spinoff to what was written on the other one entitled, What am I doing wrong?

In it, he wrote that he was a web designer:

essequam · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 7 Location: Japan

My 2 cents worth, don't wake up 5 years from now and wonder why you didn't get out earlier.......
I went to art school, it is particularly depressing if you know that your creative energy is going into planning lessons but the students are paying to be entertained by a performing monkey not to learn.

On a less depressing note, you are a professional web designer, my Japanese friend is starting up a new IT business why don't you talk to him about some freelance work or just ideas on how you can go out on your own. I think my email is listed on this site.

kovac · Joined: 12 Apr 2003 Posts: 78

essequam - I most certainly will email your colleague....despite being constantly encouraged to drill, elicit, drill...some students just want entertaining...I don�t mind it, I�m the first one to admit my shortcomings, but one thing I do well is "jovial entertainer"...Before coming to Japan I had written several essays/ articles for local newspapers, was a published musician regularly collaborating with other musicians, did open mics at my local comedy club but here, I just don�t have any time never mind the energy for it.

Leby26 - my, my where did one get that little quip from ? Oh yes you were quoting someone, someone else I hasten to add, before you aren�t here yet (I�m not one to lord the "im here your not")...but yes I am aware life sucks and get a helmet, I�ve had a helmet, a bit of a bashed up old tin can affair it is too what with cash money despotic managers taking pot shots at it, seagull managers p*ssing on it, nepotistic H&R managers outsourcing it, and plagiarist colleagues stealing it.....and when a little bird chirps some pithy hackneyed clich� like "if life gives you lemons, make lemonade *^_^*, life is cacky-poo get a helmet ! =) " more often than not I have pulled that helmet off my head to bludgeon their useless skulls...have a nice day you shallow half wit...with flowers..and puppydog calendars and other little quirky pick me ups that would adorn your desk in some menial job that you, your mother and other mindless drones that were pointlessly brought into creation with a misconstrued notion that you might make a difference.

Whoo sorry, I really went off on one with that last bit�.its those darned little clich� quips that do it�..

Brooks � Give it a name�.less time on the TRAIN ! I do want to move up to something better�but as many posters failed to notice�.there are just NO OPPORTUNITIES ! One of the key points I was trying to bring to peoples attention�.eikaiwa as a whole does not offer any opportunities whatsoever, no opportunities for substantial saving, no opportunities for a life, no opportunities for career progression, etc�..But thanx for the advice, though I haven�t enough guts to ask my regular students if they want private lessons (I�m determined to avoid clich�s here � see below)

Celeste � Yes, yes lest we forget, your parents and oh lordy those that came from that bedrock of good old fashioned nose to the grind Teachers�yes�back in tham there days Teachers shore had a hard time, layin those railroad tracks, pickin cotton, under that hot southern sun, holy heck not like those US or Uk teachers�.sittin sunning themselves on the porch with their fancy ways, suppin that home made lemonade�end of the day�.As teachers I don�t think we should have to lead such a crummy lifestyle�.Canadaian, UK, Australain, or American,�.I�m sorry for being sarcastic, ( I just liked the slavery metaphor�heck I�m an English teacher�.forgive me) my primary goal here is to study Japanese, and regrettably I have no opportunities for it whatsoever

4nic8r � wOW CrAzY NicKNamE..its gr8�ALLY MCBEAL ? FRIENDS ? I�m tempted to commit suicide right this moment if any emotion, opinion or lifestyle I convey could be likened to the lifestyles, opinions, emotions contained in those shows (though, I always thought a Chandler & Joey 3 part mini series would be slightly entertaining�)

As for salarymen�.the hours are long�but�.ever had a good natter with one ? They may start early in the morning, finish late at night, but there is a lot of snoozing, paper shuffling and aimless mouse shaking goes on, and this came from a guy who had worked for IBM since its inception in Japan, escalating to heady heights.

I�m well aware life could be worse, a lot, lot, lot worse..I could think 4nic8r would be a good nickname to use on a webforum

BenJ � nice�thanks, an honest bit of reality check, it could be x job in x country�I guess I just came here with high expectations��whatever to make you feel alive��hey what a guy huh ? really refreshing,Ben�come gimme a hug you big optimist you ! (and I don�t mean that sarcasticly despite the previous acidic veihment diatribes)

Glenski � Up from the depths, 20 storeys high Glenzilla ! Glenzilla !

Glen �what do you do ? I�ve seen various postings on this site as an authoritarian on all things TEFL ? I garner that you have served your time in that field�but what now�? Obviously not a TEFLer ? Retrospect always offers luxury�so bear this in mind.

Ok, point 1 despite paying out of my pocket for a CELTA, I�m not qualified to teach, daily I feel my brain decay at the lack of mental challenge this job offers, a real teacher would be challenged, nonetheless in my classes I am not offering a sub standard educational experience�so why should I adhere to those penny pinching measure�.hell man..I just want a snickers or a kitkat about that 8:30 time in the day, I need a boost, why should I have to look at the change in my pocket �its ridiculous ! And 45 mins a day to prepare a meal�what can I say I�m a good cook, good food takes time to prepare�a little bit of this, a little bit of that, some seasoning, etc�I�m not living life in Japan as I would back home (believe you me there is a BIG drop off)

Point 2 � I knew from the word go things would be sh*t biscuits�but really�this bad�.I met a French guy who washes dishes for the same pay and half the time (but he is fluent in Japanese)

Point 3 � its not a gap year�.everyone else makes skimpy wages and as such every other job like those you mention are swallowed up by the multitude of those in similar situations�these type of suggestions �get a PT job�, �teach private students� , �get a proofreading job� sound like suggestions an old aunt suggesting selling firewood to some 7 year old who needs extra pocket money while the other kids on the block have battened down every other money making opportunity.

Point 4 � why else be here ? I met countless other TEFLrs who have no interest in learning any Japanese culture�.�umm what are you here for ? kicks ?� I feel like saying�If I sacrificed my study I would surely go INSANE ! � man cant live on bread alone�.that applies on both a metaphysical and physical sense

And umm a Clint Eastwood quote�really�a metaphor for the �slim pickins� us �darnamit gold diggers� are looking for ?

1.Get another job�easier said than done�can I have yours ?
2. Hours are long and I know they are eikaiwa�just missing 9 to 6
3. Umm 2000 yen a day savings�arithmetic ! that�s to include, travel and food !
4. Studied 3 years and immersion usually reads as folks who can order in a restaurant, I need *proper* eloquent Japanese.

A point really missed for my original posting is "road to nowhere"...eikaiwa just offers no opportunites ! Anybody who has worked in the Eikaiwa field and has made a true career, then tell me different and I will paint my bum blue and declare myself a badger

rossiter joe · Joined: 28 Jan 2004 Posts: 25 Location: Gunma, Japan

Boo Hoo!!

Your schedule sounds a little draconian (not your work schedule, but what you do in your free time). A regular day for me (at a private Eikaiwa in a small city) is:

8am get up drink coffee, read the newspaper, watch news, do anything I have to do.

12:30 go to work (2 minutes by car)
1:30 to 10pm; teach an average 5 50 minute classes / 1 hour 40 minute lunch break: usually go home for lunch
10pm -12 eat watch TV \ go out \ do whatever
12 go to bed

Weekends: go skiing, go to an onsen, go to a movie, tour around, go to the beach, blah, blah, blah....

Save money; not a ton, but better than if I was a high school teacher in Canada. Gotta hate those taxes.

4nic8r · Joined: 18 Mar 2004 Posts: 68

Well, ok that was my bad.. I should have said longer... I know of the 14 hour days where internet games, a mandatory nap, reading newspapers, or coffee talk seems to be the status quo in the office.. harder.. well.. we don't really have that hard of jobs once you think about it...

I think it's funny how we as western's are observed as lazy because we aren't in the office 14 hours a day... i know as I'm sure the rest of you would agree I'd prefer to do all the afore mentioned office routine things in the comfort of my home.... but then again.. we don't have to live with the entire family, so probably it is a good thing to stay out of the house all day... nothing worse than having to stay home and listen to a crabby grandmother... no thanks!

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

well, kovac, your acidic comments really set the tone for responses. I'll try not to stoop to your level.

Let's see. You missed my point entirely about the daily cooking.

What do I do? I teach English at a private high school and do scientific (and other) proofreading on the side. I used to teach at a language conversation school. I have also done a dozen private lessons per week. For what little else it's worth, I have also taken part in a TV documentary (no, not on English teachers). I mention this last one simply because I got paid for it. And, as you are probably aware, I proofread resumes (for nothing) and allocate lots of advice to TEFL teachers and those who aspire to come to Japan, whether to teach or not. I also have published a few articles online related to teaching English in Japan, and I have written a few FAQ sections for various web sites. I am not an authoritarian on "all things TEFL", but I certainly know a heckuva lot more than you. I have no need for "retrospect".

Brooks · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Sagamihara

well Kovac, you can`t have my job, because I am staying.
At the least you need a MA in TESOL and years of experience.
I will admit that I am lucky to have the job that I have, and that is why I have not moved on. Partly, I got my job through the recommendation of an influential person. But not only. I was able to have a phone interview while I was living in Warsaw. In my case, my school made an exception. But with other people, they would make them do the interview in the USA.

But still, I have been at the school for over three years, and my contract keeps getting renewed, so I must be doing something right: I work, I am a self-starter, and I try to keep humble. I can`t say that of a lot of people in Japan. A lot of people fail to check their attitudes at the door and walk around with chips on their shoulders. A lot of people have a sense of entitlement.

As my uncle says of Lockheed Martin (where he works), "the people who don`t get along with other people are the ones who get laid off." So that means going to enkais when you`d rather pass, and by complaining at certain places only: at the bar with a glass of beer.

My boss calls some of the teachers who work at my school "teacher tourists". They come and stay varying amounts of time, but often less than two years. They don`t like that. They like people who have gaman, and who don`t break their contracts.

Basically I paid my dues. I did an internship at the American Language Center in Rabat, Morocco, I taught for a year in Casablanca, I taught at a Polish university and at a Russian one.
I felt that I would need experience before coming to Japan.

In fact, I was going to stay in Poland, but I lost my job because the new boss decided that it would be cheaper if my job went to part-timers, and because I am American (they preferred British teachers).
Did I complain? Yes, but I applied for a job at my current school, and I was offered a job so I took it.

4nic8r · Joined: 18 Mar 2004 Posts: 68

Right on Brooks.. I like your analogies... pay your time, you reap the benefits.. what a lot of people don't realize is that making connections in the country you're in really helps.. there's a time for fun (drinking/socializing), but there's also time for work and making business contacts.. what kills me is that people who go to any means neccessary to get out out of going out with the natives after work, who don't realize that they have many connections to offer... plus, socializing with them can help you learn the culture, language etc... I think most people who take the natives to be uneducated or a waste of their time deserve to be stuck with the sh*t hours and jobs... I'm not saying this about the op, but people out there just don't have a clue and complain when they don't get the good jobs... you don't have to pucker up to your boss, but make your contacts you'll be able to move on to bigger and better... don't people remember these basic things from back home?

essequam · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 7 Location: Japan

kovac wrote; "Dont get me wrong I love Japan....its a great place....but I cant believe whole Message boards are devoted to talented, intelligent people wasting thier lives away on such a crummy exsistance..."

Kovac, you do go on a bit but some of what you say gets to the core. This is the ultimate existential question 'Am I wasting my life?'
I probably am(wasting my life) writing responses on this forum. I going out, it's Friday night!