Jet Programme Series: My Real Life Bildungsroman - Rondell Balchan
2023/9/4
Jet Programme Series: My Real Life Bildungsroman - Rondell Balchan
Hello there! My name is Rondell Balchan. I would say that this is where my story begins, but it would be an incredible injustice both to myself and to you, to not start where my journey with the JET Programme truly began - around five years ago.
I was first introduced to the JET Programme while pursuing my B.Ed. (Bachelor of Education) with Specialisation in Language and Literature at The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), by a classmate of mine. Up to that point, I would describe myself as a home-grown individual, as I have always stayed “close to home” my entire life. I went to schools which were between five to fifteen minutes away from where I live in Princes Town and I attended a university campus which took me ten minutes to get to before my classes began. Most of my relatives also live close by, so family events were not even a stretch from where I live.
However, I’ll call it the divine will of God that allowed the JET Programme to come across my radar right in the middle of my university experience, because it was around that time in my life that I began considering the possibilities of what it would be like to work, study, or simply live in another country than the one I grew up in all of my life. What could I do? What kind of person could I grow into? The thoughts were boundless and they all intrigued me. Needless to say, I took the bait and applied to the JET Programme in December of 2020, albeit I was not successful, so in the spirit of determination and being a dreamer, I reapplied in December of 2022 and to my elation, I was selected for the programme.
I was placed in Nagaoka City, in Niigata Prefecture, which is located on the island of Honshu. I believe that this placement is not just a mere placement, but instead, I believe that it is the beginning of my dream of working in the combined fields of Education and International Relations coming to fruition. My heart has always been to serve others - to serve them through compassion and by empowering them in a variety of ways, be it through: food items, clothing, stationery, education, preaching the Gospel, music ministry, etc. Therefore, this is no different, as I strongly believe my placement in Nagaoka City will serve as a new window for others - particularly students and my co-workers in Japan - to see the English language and by extension, the world through, hopefully impacting them in a positive way as they journey through life.
On the other hand, it would be remiss of me to not mention some of the other things I am looking forward to doing in Nagaoka City, apart from my job as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT). There is an entire grocery list of things that I am looking forward to doing, so when I am not in a school, or in the office, there is a high chance you might find me wearing the “hat” of explorer. Some of the things on my list are: seeing the famous Nagaoka Fireworks Festival, staying in some of Nagaoka’s camping grounds, visiting the beautiful countryside, interacting with the locals and my fellow Nagaoka City JETs, which is one of the highest things to do on my list and of course, trying the many different dishes, drinks, desserts and snacks that Nagaoka City has to offer.
In recognition of this next chapter in my life, I would firstly like to thank God for leading me to this once in a lifetime opportunity, my wife, my parents, my brother and my grandparents for their unwavering strength as my many anchors in life, as well as my former lecturers of The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) for their continued encouragement in my academic and career advancements. I must further thank the staff at the Embassy of Japan here in Trinidad and Tobago for guiding me through this process every step of the way, no matter how overwhelming it may seem at times and lastly, but not least, my colleagues at the Nagaoka City Board of Education for their already warm welcome and further guidance as I prepare to make my way to them. With a heart filled with gratitude, I say, thank you.
JET Series: My Real Life Bildungsroman (Japanese Embassy's Facebook)
JET Programme Series Archives
I was first introduced to the JET Programme while pursuing my B.Ed. (Bachelor of Education) with Specialisation in Language and Literature at The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), by a classmate of mine. Up to that point, I would describe myself as a home-grown individual, as I have always stayed “close to home” my entire life. I went to schools which were between five to fifteen minutes away from where I live in Princes Town and I attended a university campus which took me ten minutes to get to before my classes began. Most of my relatives also live close by, so family events were not even a stretch from where I live.
However, I’ll call it the divine will of God that allowed the JET Programme to come across my radar right in the middle of my university experience, because it was around that time in my life that I began considering the possibilities of what it would be like to work, study, or simply live in another country than the one I grew up in all of my life. What could I do? What kind of person could I grow into? The thoughts were boundless and they all intrigued me. Needless to say, I took the bait and applied to the JET Programme in December of 2020, albeit I was not successful, so in the spirit of determination and being a dreamer, I reapplied in December of 2022 and to my elation, I was selected for the programme.
I was placed in Nagaoka City, in Niigata Prefecture, which is located on the island of Honshu. I believe that this placement is not just a mere placement, but instead, I believe that it is the beginning of my dream of working in the combined fields of Education and International Relations coming to fruition. My heart has always been to serve others - to serve them through compassion and by empowering them in a variety of ways, be it through: food items, clothing, stationery, education, preaching the Gospel, music ministry, etc. Therefore, this is no different, as I strongly believe my placement in Nagaoka City will serve as a new window for others - particularly students and my co-workers in Japan - to see the English language and by extension, the world through, hopefully impacting them in a positive way as they journey through life.
On the other hand, it would be remiss of me to not mention some of the other things I am looking forward to doing in Nagaoka City, apart from my job as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT). There is an entire grocery list of things that I am looking forward to doing, so when I am not in a school, or in the office, there is a high chance you might find me wearing the “hat” of explorer. Some of the things on my list are: seeing the famous Nagaoka Fireworks Festival, staying in some of Nagaoka’s camping grounds, visiting the beautiful countryside, interacting with the locals and my fellow Nagaoka City JETs, which is one of the highest things to do on my list and of course, trying the many different dishes, drinks, desserts and snacks that Nagaoka City has to offer.
In recognition of this next chapter in my life, I would firstly like to thank God for leading me to this once in a lifetime opportunity, my wife, my parents, my brother and my grandparents for their unwavering strength as my many anchors in life, as well as my former lecturers of The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) for their continued encouragement in my academic and career advancements. I must further thank the staff at the Embassy of Japan here in Trinidad and Tobago for guiding me through this process every step of the way, no matter how overwhelming it may seem at times and lastly, but not least, my colleagues at the Nagaoka City Board of Education for their already warm welcome and further guidance as I prepare to make my way to them. With a heart filled with gratitude, I say, thank you.
JET Series: My Real Life Bildungsroman (Japanese Embassy's Facebook)
JET Programme Series Archives