Are you an English teacher? (2 cents in 2 minutes)

Not sure I exactly made my point in this brief vlog, but my guess is you'll catch my drift.
Sometimes when I walk around campus, I have to remember that I'm not Japanese. That all the other people passing my in the halls, wether they've met me or not, basically know who I am and why I'm on campus.
This can be disconcerting at times, but after 6 years of living here, I'm pretty much used to it by now.

How about you? Do you live in a place where most of the people around you are "like you"? Or is there lots of diversity?

Thanks for watching!
-Jason

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• Japanese
• Japan
• university
• JET
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• ALT
• teacher
• English
• foreigner
• American
• sensei
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[SanfranciscoUB]

I was in Japan on my Ghost Protocol-0 spy mission and no one talked to me which was very comfortable for my spying mission. :D

[myargonauts]

@SanfranciscoUB excellent - I'm glad it's all going to plan... :P

[Limastudent]

At least people are talking to you. When I was there I was avoided like the plague. Rarely did a stranger talk to me. I was so heart broken about that when I arrived in Tokyo. I thought people would be interested in a young blonde woman, but at that time ( ok, a long time ago) I was shunned and it really hurt and added to my loneliness. In fact, eye contact was avoided. Hard.

[myargonauts]

@Limastudent other foreigners avoided you or Japanese folks or both? Yeah, it can be socially isolating at times, but I think nowadays, Japanese people are finally getting over their shyness/trepidation about speaking to foreigners and interacting with us.

[Misha0angel]

Are there lots of exchange students at the university you teach at?

[myargonauts]

@Misha0angel Sadly, no. I think the lure of rural Japan is not as enticing as the lure of schools in Osaka or Tokyo.

[Krimson]

@myargonauts hmm wonder whats better, teach in korea or japan? if you like both culture : < its hard to choose...wonder if could do both eventually? XDD

[EvilOtakuEmpire]

i am not looknig forward to being called an american all the time......

[nikkei325i]

@Limastudent I agree with myargonauts. When exactly were you there if you don't mind me asking? From experience (as of my visits from 2006 to 2011) the younger generation is MUCH more open about foreigners and perhaps are are even willing to approach you to ask for a picture with them. Moreover, I feel like so many younger Japanese are studying abroad or at least going abroad by high school that they are much more open minded than the older generation of Japanese.

[markshmily]

Just for fun I'd say I was a spy but I wasn't allowed to talk about it. :P

Oh and I'd wear sunglasses all the time. lol :P

[lankeysob]

@myargonauts Ok cool thanks! Got a few more semesters left until I'm going over to teach, "hopefully." Was just curious about how you do your lectures. Anyways, Thanks!

[MrOonter]

I think it's just the opposite for me. I mention that I'm an English teacher and I end up with benefits. I swear, to this day, that I passed my driving test on the first try because I talked about being a teacher.

[Limastudent]

@Limastudent Just a personal view into the historical evolution of Japanese views towards foreigners. It may be of interest for younger followers to understand that with each generation comes great change but the background was not often so nice.

Still, the most interesting years of my life were in Asia.