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Captain_Fil
Joined: 06 Jan 2011
Posts: 604
Location: California - the land of fruits and nuts
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 Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:12 pm Post subject: |
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A real positive in this tragic situation, is that none of the neighboring countries were devastated by the tsunami.
I'm glad to know my friends and family in the Philippines are safe.  |
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laconic
Joined: 23 May 2005
Posts: 198
Location: "When the Lord made me he made a ramblin man."
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steki47
Joined: 20 Apr 2008
Posts: 1029
Location: BFE Inaka
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| Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 11:00 pm Post subject: |
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Dumb luck, I flew to Oz on Wednesday. Was drinking in Brisbane Friday night when I heard the news.
Everyone I know is safe. Nagoya area had some shaking, but no damage. |
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Zzonkmiles
Joined: 05 Apr 2003
Posts: 309
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 5:29 am Post subject: |
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I am going to offer a new perspective on this, and I intend no malice at all.
This is the kind of event where taking language-learning seriously can be a life or death situation. I think of the Westerners in the impacted areas who can't speak any Japanese at all and how they are surviving. I also think of the Japanese who would like to help them, but can't speak much English besides "What are your hobbies?"
Perhaps when the Japanese think of learning English as an actual skill instead of as merely a hobby, the quality of their English education will improve. And perhaps because of the seriousness of the disaster, it may make some schools and companies become a bit more strict with their requirements of their foreign teachers regarding their Japanese ability because they can't afford to go through a middleman or rely on broken communication and gestures to provide their non-Japanese-speaking staff with emergency instructions.
Yeah, you can get around in Japan without knowing much besides a few greetings and hiragana, but this is the type of event that should remind a lot of you how important it is to learn the local language, not just out of respect for the host nation, but also for your own quality of life.
Best of luck to you all. |
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inuzuki8605
Joined: 01 Dec 2010
Posts: 98
Location: America
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 7:30 am Post subject: |
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| Zzonkmiles wrote: |
I am going to offer a new perspective on this, and I intend no malice at all.
This is the kind of event where taking language-learning seriously can be a life or death situation. I think of the Westerners in the impacted areas who can't speak any Japanese at all and how they are surviving. I also think of the Japanese who would like to help them, but can't speak much English besides "What are your hobbies?"
Perhaps when the Japanese think of learning English as an actual skill instead of as merely a hobby, the quality of their English education will improve. And perhaps because of the seriousness of the disaster, it may make some schools and companies become a bit more strict with their requirements of their foreign teachers regarding their Japanese ability because they can't afford to go through a middleman or rely on broken communication and gestures to provide their non-Japanese-speaking staff with emergency instructions.
Yeah, you can get around in Japan without knowing much besides a few greetings and hiragana, but this is the type of event that should remind a lot of you how important it is to learn the local language, not just out of respect for the host nation, but also for your own quality of life.
Best of luck to you all. |
Yeah, I totally get your point here. For tourists or teachers who know little to no Japanese, I have no doubt it is very difficult. Especially for teachers in charge of Japanese student and they can't really talk to the child and tell them what to do in the language that the kids can fully understand. It must be confusing and scary for everyone in an already scary situation.
But in every bad situation there is always opportunities to learn and grow. But in truth, the average Japanese person knows much more English than, say, the average American person. So my advice would be, if you are thinking about going, living, teaching in Japan at some point, please study Japanese before you get to Japan (and not just the normal day to day words either). Study words and phrases for disasters such as this, learn to ask for help, practice emergency situations in case something does happen and you need to use that. You me, it's as important as asking where the restroom is, saying you are hungry, and counting money.
Last edited by inuzuki8605 on Sun Mar 13, 2011 4:24 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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inuzuki8605
Joined: 01 Dec 2010
Posts: 98
Location: America
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 7:32 am Post subject: |
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| torontogirl88 wrote: |
Such devastating news. It makes you think how so much can be taken away from you SO suddenly.
I hope I don't come across as insensitive here - but how do you think this will affect teachers who are applying to Japan? or the teachers who have already received offers and are expected to leave in a few months? Any possibility of those offers being retracted? |
Just got an update from my company about our training in two weeks. Everything is still a go!! ^_^ No one was rejected!! |
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cat mother
Joined: 22 Sep 2009
Posts: 62
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 8:38 am Post subject: |
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I'm in Utsunomiya. There hasn't been any real damage, only one fatality in the entire prefecture (when the roof at the Honda plant in Haga fell down), some areas are without power, but it's slowly coming back.
The only real problem I can see is gasoline shortages. By now I think all gas stations are dry and closed. Some hope to get deliveries tomorrow, but nobody really knows.
Some supermarkets are kind of bare, but it's mostly the cheaper goods that are sold out.
There are still some aftershocks, but not as severe as yesterday.
At least in Tochigi life is getting back to normal.
PS. People seem totally unconcerned about the nuclear plant problems. |
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seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 9:12 am Post subject: |
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| cat mother wrote: |
| The only real problem I can see is gasoline shortages. By now I think all gas stations are dry and closed. |
I heard that they doing petrol rationing where I am to try and prevent this. I think the limit is 20 litres.
And I just got a call telling me that I should fill up today if I had a car because petrol is going up slightly as of tomorrow. |
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lostdegaine
Joined: 16 May 2004
Posts: 35
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 9:23 am Post subject: |
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| Is anybody out there in Nagano Prefecture? I�m particularly interested in how the area around Matsumoto fared. From the maps it doesn�t look like the severe effects of the earthquake were felt that far west. |
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rich45
Joined: 26 Jan 2006
Posts: 127
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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| lostdegaine wrote: |
| Is anybody out there in Nagano Prefecture? I�m particularly interested in how the area around Matsumoto fared. From the maps it doesn�t look like the severe effects of the earthquake were felt that far west. |
I was teaching near Matsumoto when the earthquake happened...it was just minor tremors. Then I was woken in the middle of Friday night by the second earthquake, although that was a quick jolt, as opposed to the first one which was more like a continuous, gentle rolling motion. No damage around here as far as i can tell. |
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cat mother
Joined: 22 Sep 2009
Posts: 62
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lostdegaine
Joined: 16 May 2004
Posts: 35
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 4:58 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the info about the Matsumoto area Rich45. I taught in Hirooka many years ago and just wanted to know if things were okay in the area.
I have fond memories of riding my bicycle into Matsumoto past the asparagus fields. |
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namdak
Joined: 22 Mar 2005
Posts: 620
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ruby_silence
Joined: 27 Oct 2008
Posts: 31
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| Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 2:22 am Post subject: |
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| inuzuki8605 wrote: |
| torontogirl88 wrote: |
Such devastating news. It makes you think how so much can be taken away from you SO suddenly.
I hope I don't come across as insensitive here - but how do you think this will affect teachers who are applying to Japan? or the teachers who have already received offers and are expected to leave in a few months? Any possibility of those offers being retracted? |
Just got an update from my company about our training in two weeks. Everything is still a go!! ^_^ No one was rejected!! |
I'm flying out TOMORROW! Interac said the only thing to worry about is that the train ride from Tokyo to Yokohama will be more than twice as long. I'm very lucky my placement is doing relatively well. |
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inuzuki8605
Joined: 01 Dec 2010
Posts: 98
Location: America
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| Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 2:51 am Post subject: |
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| ruby_silence wrote: |
| inuzuki8605 wrote: |
| torontogirl88 wrote: |
Such devastating news. It makes you think how so much can be taken away from you SO suddenly.
I hope I don't come across as insensitive here - but how do you think this will affect teachers who are applying to Japan? or the teachers who have already received offers and are expected to leave in a few months? Any possibility of those offers being retracted? |
Just got an update from my company about our training in two weeks. Everything is still a go!! ^_^ No one was rejected!! |
I'm flying out TOMORROW! Interac said the only thing to worry about is that the train ride from Tokyo to Yokohama will be more than twice as long. I'm very lucky my placement is doing relatively well. |
You were placed in Yokohama? LUCKY~~~~!! My boyfriend lives there... |
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