JET Programme Series: Project Taiji is on… - K’sha Woodley
2024/10/23
JET Programme Series: Project Taiji is on… - K’sha Woodley
Hi, my name is K’sha Woodley, and I am a proud Vincy! I lay claim to two communities in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, namely, Cedars, and Richland Park. The former holds my maternal heritage, and the latter, my paternal heritage. What happens when a man from the Marriaqua Valley meets a woman from the coast? The end result is a girl child with very long limbs and a very long name – that’s me – a simple and down to earth human being. I am the first of nine (9) siblings. I had no say in my birth order, but I relish the fact that I am a first born, that I was born in January, and that there was a full moon around the time of my birth.
My face graced the halls of the Richland Park Government School, and the Biabou Methodist, respectively, for primary education. I reconnected with my paternal roots at the Emmanuel High School, Mesopotamia (EHSM); which I, thoroughly, enjoyed. I had Teachers who were, and are, my friends to this day, and continue to be some of my biggest champions. After EHSM, I enrolled in the St. Vincent Community College followed by one year of teaching at my Alma Mater.
My ambitions led me to lovely Trinidad and Tobago to read for a degree in Communication Studies with Gender Studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI). Upon completion, I returned home ready for work with a 'knockoff' Trini accent which I was oblivious to. I promised everyone that it would disappear after eating sufficient dasheen and breadfruit. The Agency for Public Information (API) called and I started as an Information Officer. I parted ways with the API in 2021 to pursue another of my passions – teaching – I was assigned at the St. Joseph’s Convent Kingstown. It was truly a memorable experience. I will miss my 3C girls.
Here I am, again, about to change my physical environment by accepting this new mission in Taiji, Japan. Why Japan? The answer can be found in seeds sown in the soils of my life long, long ago. Before I knew the words, intercultural exchanges, I was indirectly immersed in cultural exchanges since my childhood. Perhaps, it started with my now deceased great aunt who religiously listened to the BBC World News on her transistor radio. She didn’t own a television set – her radio was the only connection to what was then a far, far away world. Later, I started a stamp collection when I was ten-years-old. This, too, was my other gateway to the world. Over the years, I had several ‘snail mail’ pen pals who later became online pen pals after the internet took off. Also, I read a lot and that opened a whole new world, literally.
One of my favourite pastimes during my time at the EHSM was reading the National Geographic Explorer magazines in the library. They opened a window to the furthest reaches of the globe. They provided a seamless transition to my interest and appreciation for a range of cultures. Naturally, this led to dreams of travelling, and teaching English abroad although my sights were not set on Japan in my earlier years. I believe teaching abroad appeals to me because I enjoy meeting new people. Of course, I recognise the potential for self-development, new insights, and being immersed in a totally different culture. To this end, I see the JET Programme as an opportunity to ‘stretch’ myself on so many levels.
I conclude by extending gratitude to the Japanese and St. Vincent and the Grenadines Governments for their steadfast friendship ties that have ‘touched’ my life by way of the JET Programme. I look forward to meeting the people of Japan, specifically, Taiji.
JET Series: Project Taiji is on... (Japanese Embassy's Facebook)
JET Programme Series Archives
My face graced the halls of the Richland Park Government School, and the Biabou Methodist, respectively, for primary education. I reconnected with my paternal roots at the Emmanuel High School, Mesopotamia (EHSM); which I, thoroughly, enjoyed. I had Teachers who were, and are, my friends to this day, and continue to be some of my biggest champions. After EHSM, I enrolled in the St. Vincent Community College followed by one year of teaching at my Alma Mater.
My ambitions led me to lovely Trinidad and Tobago to read for a degree in Communication Studies with Gender Studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI). Upon completion, I returned home ready for work with a 'knockoff' Trini accent which I was oblivious to. I promised everyone that it would disappear after eating sufficient dasheen and breadfruit. The Agency for Public Information (API) called and I started as an Information Officer. I parted ways with the API in 2021 to pursue another of my passions – teaching – I was assigned at the St. Joseph’s Convent Kingstown. It was truly a memorable experience. I will miss my 3C girls.
Here I am, again, about to change my physical environment by accepting this new mission in Taiji, Japan. Why Japan? The answer can be found in seeds sown in the soils of my life long, long ago. Before I knew the words, intercultural exchanges, I was indirectly immersed in cultural exchanges since my childhood. Perhaps, it started with my now deceased great aunt who religiously listened to the BBC World News on her transistor radio. She didn’t own a television set – her radio was the only connection to what was then a far, far away world. Later, I started a stamp collection when I was ten-years-old. This, too, was my other gateway to the world. Over the years, I had several ‘snail mail’ pen pals who later became online pen pals after the internet took off. Also, I read a lot and that opened a whole new world, literally.
One of my favourite pastimes during my time at the EHSM was reading the National Geographic Explorer magazines in the library. They opened a window to the furthest reaches of the globe. They provided a seamless transition to my interest and appreciation for a range of cultures. Naturally, this led to dreams of travelling, and teaching English abroad although my sights were not set on Japan in my earlier years. I believe teaching abroad appeals to me because I enjoy meeting new people. Of course, I recognise the potential for self-development, new insights, and being immersed in a totally different culture. To this end, I see the JET Programme as an opportunity to ‘stretch’ myself on so many levels.
I conclude by extending gratitude to the Japanese and St. Vincent and the Grenadines Governments for their steadfast friendship ties that have ‘touched’ my life by way of the JET Programme. I look forward to meeting the people of Japan, specifically, Taiji.
JET Series: Project Taiji is on... (Japanese Embassy's Facebook)
JET Programme Series Archives