JET Programme Series: One year on the JET Programme - Knikkoliev Seebaran

It has been one year of my crazy, exciting and sometimes moody experience in the JET Programme! For me, it has been a rollercoaster of emotions and experiences. But overall, I can honestly say that I am living the dream I’ve always envisioned. I prayed for the opportunity to be in Japan and to help others; and here I am. There were a lot of things I didn’t expect but I have learnt patience, consideration and mostly about understanding cultural differences. I really haven’t encountered any major problems “fitting in” and I attribute this to my “beautiful smile” and “sparkling personality” (as indicated by almost every Japanese person I met). In fact, I’m always complimented by Japanese people that I am easy to talk to and most people understand my English. I try to speak English very slowly because I know the feeling when someone speak to me very fast in Japanese. Enough about me being awesome. Let me give you a quick summary of the things that I’ve experienced during my time in “the land of the rising sun”.
 

My first 3 months in Japan were very challenging. As I reflect on that time, I appreciate everything that happened. I honestly think that I had to experience those moments to become a better and stronger person. For the first 2 months, I was unable to get internet access, a phone or complete any important documentation because there was an issue getting my Japan Resident Card which I needed for any legally-binding contracts. Luckily I had a lot of assistance moving forward. The Board of Education (BOE) for my area was very helpful and very lenient about my situation. Although, in this time and age, it’s hard to live without being constantly connected to the world, I really needed those 2 months to reset and reflect about moving forward with the JET Programme and it also gave me the time to really plan for my life in Japan. By the 3rd month, I was finally settled. During all this time, I met my ALT group, made new Japanese friends and experienced so many things, it was like going through a hyper drive Japan initiation.
 

My initiation into the job itself was the most interesting. Interacting with co-workers (my teachers) was very different than with the students. When interacting with my coworkers, I usually felt a sense of discomfort, even though, both parties are friendly. I still don’t clearly understand why Japanese people are afraid to speak English but they expect me to be an expert in Japanese. I did my best to make their interactions with me easy by being honest and open about my level of Japanese and my lack of knowledge of the culture. It was interesting but most of the time I didn’t have to use Japanese, instead I used my 10 years of skills in Charades and Pictionary that I played with my friends during usually drunken house parties. With the flick of the wrist here, the twitch of a finger there, and voila, my idea got across. The validation of “そうそうそうそう” (‘sou sou sou sou’ meaning ‘yes yes yes yes’) gave me the boost of confidence that I needed not to be afraid to practice my Japanese and anything that I didn’t know, refer to “these hands” for further clarification. The same strategy I used for my students but I try my best to use more English with them since my job is to be an English Teacher Assistant. I’ve never thought that the day would come where I, the person who hated English as a subject when I was young, now has to make English fun for others. It’s also interesting how eager my students are and how willing they were to try to speak English, especially when they know very little. Since I mostly teach Elementary Schools, the student’s vocabulary is very limited to “Hi, my name is….. I like…. See you”. Although it’s less than what the adults know, the children aren’t afraid to practice multiple times to get it right.
 

Free time in Japan have changed me. When I'm not working, I use my free time to do whatever I enjoy. During that time, a “normal” adult would utilize the opportunity to organize their life, complete chores and prepare for the future. But that’s only 30% of my free time. The other 70% is me doing random things that are challenging and enjoyable because I have the time and money. I take advantage of any opportunity to experience small pieces of Japan. It has been very interesting when there's a random festival in the city, a mixed cultured party or a nomikai (drinking party) going on. I’ve taken part in school festivals, drank Sake with my co-workers and partied with my ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) group for my area. The other positive side of my free time is that I started going to the gym, putting in extra time in studying Japanese language and constantly meeting new people almost every day.
 

I really never expected anything special when I came to Japan and part of me is extremely grateful that I didn’t. I believe that having any kind expectation from the new and unique experiences, can destroy it. I find that I make more friends and have more fun when I stick to my life’s motto, “do unto others’ as you would have them do unto you” (The Bible - Luke 6:31)”. This always keeps me humble and kind.
 

For the new and future JET participants, you should know that to enjoy Japan, you need to fully embrace the culture and the people to really appreciate it. You need to be willing to find joy in everything and you need to be ready for adventure wherever you find it. So, here’s to another year on the JET Programme in Japan!


JET Series: One year on the JET Programme (Japanese Embassy's Facebook) 


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