October 2015
Ah October. The one month of fall in Japan. Leaves are changing, autumn festivals are happening, and Halloween is heading our way! I hope to see your pretty faces at the Block 6 Halloween Party in Osaka!
In my first year of college, I was incredibly excited for Halloween (okay, okay; I’m incredibly excited for Halloween every year): our “residence hall†(yay pretentious small liberal arts universities) had a decor theme of Peter Pan, so I decided to dress up as Tinkerbell. I was going to be decked out in lots of sparkly green things. Unfortunately, my body had other plans. On a Thursday maybe a lot like today (and mere days before Halloween), I had to drag my fluffy pink bedding onto the floor so I could more easily go and expel not so sparkly green stuff (even once there was nothing but bile left in my stomach). In the morning, after talking to my panicking, lovable, hypochondriac roommate and crawling to the health center, I was informed I’d need to go to the ER. While my parents were freaking out, I instead acted like a kid in a candy store while at the hospital. Who cared that I was having an appendectomy? I got to see the machines and environment that I strive to someday work in.
To prepare yourself for other such uncontrollable happenings, consider attending the Disaster Preparedness event put on by AJET and JETAA. Reserve on the Google document by tomorrow, October 2nd. Our very own Rackle Beaman has written an article previewing the event for your reading pleasure, as well as advice on teaching. Other articles this month include a kettle korn recipe, a review of the breath-taking Ogasawara islands and an overview of some Shinto deities, the third part of Sometime Last Week, musings on the fairness of life and a seasonally appropriate short fiction piece, and a review of the horror-prison themed restaurant The Lockup and cosplay advice. Our alumni this month is Belinda Kyle, an Australian who went through five years of JET and is still in Japan teaching.
Sometimes, you’ll run into bad situations in your classroom, your personal life, your appendix, or your cat’s litterbox. In these trying times, attempting to view the glass as half full is good for your mental health (though, to be technical, glasses are always full. Air molecules exist. #YesAllGlasses!). You’ll learn a lot more about classroom management in less than ideal times. Your character will grow tremendously after overcoming setbacks. You’ll never have to worry about appendicitis again and you’ll get cool little scars. Your cat could have defecated on the carpet instead. It’s like getting stuck on the side of the road with a broken down car and waiting for your knight in shining armor (or a tow truck). I’m gonna choose to marvel at the stars.
Brittany Teodorski
