One: Before

Late last year a friend and I travelled to Japan for 3 weeks. On the plane back, I felt strange. That first night sleeping in my own bed was unlike any other feeling I’ve had before. The house where I had grown up, the one where I’d had birthday parties, taken family photos, ball photos, videos of me returning after travelling abroad and surprising my parents, left me with an itchy feeling beneath my skin. That house no longer felt like home. I knew I had to go back. And in the paraphrased catchphrase of that same friend’s favourite show: this is that story.

It’s the first week, or more accurately the first 4 days, back in Japan and although it began with nerves and stress it has ended with nerves and stress. So, I guess not much has changed. Except now I have seen Nagoya and now I have met two beautiful and vibrant young women with whom I share a terrifying amount of personality traits. Trust me, we are colour copies of each other, albeit with different skin tones (it’ll take photographic evidence for that joke to land, see below).

My return to this incredible country began at the beginning of this year, with the process of finding a job, one that would suit my experience, my goals, and my likes. At first I looked in the publishing sector, no luck. And to be honest, no interest. I wanted something that would provide me an opportunity to live and work in this country as an independent and not as someone whom is dependent on me – such as a low-level internship or assistant. Maybe in the future when I crave the stability of an office job I will be more steadfast with my approach to that industry however for now that desire lays dormant.

It was in January this year that I discovered TEFL (Teaching English Foreign Language) and the 168 hour level 5 online certification course The TEFL Academy offers. Included in the fee of $395 AUD is a 2-day 20 hour workshop conducted by an experienced teacher (in my case John) from 9am-7pm on both Saturday and Sunday. The course has 11 online units and 3 assignments which impact the grade of your certification. I aimed to finish all the units in a matter of 2 weeks. This goal was achievable and achieved, however the assignments took a little longer. The daunting task of completing a lesson plan and writing in ‘actual’ teacher language gave me pause. These two tasks never having been asked of me during my Bachelor of Arts, and my worry of not doing them well, and then not finding a job and then being depressed because I couldn’t do what I wanted and then never being able to do what I wanted… well, let’s just say an anxiety spiral was an imminent and looming threat. But, to my persistent credit, I finished (a little over a week ago, I admit) and my certificate is arriving any day now. I am now qualified to teach English as a foreign language in most countries around the world. It is regulated by Ofqual; a UK government department and is awarded by TQUK. TQUK are an examining organisation that offers international accreditation for training course providers. The TEFL Academy is a TQUK Platinum Approved training centre.

Through TEFL I realised I could utilise my strengths and abilities – those being that I love to sing, dance, educate, and talk to little kids – in an environment that would pay me to be myself whilst also arming me with even more skills I can take with me into my future. I decided I was going to be an English teacher and, overly ambitious and excitable, I began to apply for jobs prior to completing even my second assignment.

Onto the TEFL Academy jobs board I went, and off my application did send.

A recruiter named Tomoko Tamaki, of self-founded Tamaki TEFL Recruitment (TTR) left a voicemail on my mobile a little over 4 hours after I submitted my application and now, 3 months later, I sit in an apartment in Nagoya at 8pm the day before my training with Peppy Kids Club (PKC) is due to start.

How did I get so lucky?

It’s hard to describe the wonder that is Tomoko Tamaki, I have known her for 3 months and already she has been the reason a lifelong dream is coming true. How many people do you know that you can say that about? She is passionate and intelligent and she is one of the most genuinely kind and helpful people I have ever met. Sure, assisting recruits in finding the right work for them is her occupation but for me, and everyone else she has been with through TTR (just look at her Facebook page), she is seriously next level. From replying to emails even during the week of her wedding, to calling from London excitedly the minute she hears good news, she is always there, every step to share in your happiness and to guide you and reassure you. Tomoko Tamaki, is one of the reasons I am so lucky, of that I have no doubt. I have said it before, and I will continue to, thank you Tomoko.

Back in February we had our first phone interview, following that I had a petrifying 2 hour video call which included a 10 minute demo lesson in which I taught verbs that were too complex for the age group I chose and the language I used was too difficult for them to understand. And despite all of this, and the rough day personally the interview went well and Tomoko assured me I did fine, actually she said I did very well (brag), she forwarded her recommendation on to PKC and I was to be contacted by the end of the following week whether or not I was successful.

I was a nervous wreck. The Monday of that week, I stress baked. I procrasti-baked. That’s ‘procrastinate baking’. I made over 100 meringues, so as to burn more time I added food colouring and made them all different colours. They tasted terrible. But that same day, as I walked my dog around the park near my house that evening I got a call. The smile and that feeling of excitement didn’t leave for days, even now residual joy remains. I haven’t felt happiness like that before. Such overwhelming pride for myself and who I was and what I could accomplish, I swear, gives me heart palpitations. I understand what dying from happiness would feel like; it’d probably be a good way to go, just so you know.

Together, Tomoko and I continued my next steps of document collecting; including sorting my police clearance and sending my COE application and Letter of Intent to Head Office.

After receiving my accepted COE from Head Office, I went to the Consulate-General of Japan in my city and applied for my Entry Visa with a passport photo, my passport, and a completed Visa application. I returned a week later to pick it up.

Usually the process of applying and interviewing and being offered a job moves a lot quicker than the 3 months it took me but because I graduated in November last year my Bachelor’s degree only arrived in the mail in March and I had to submit the official certificate it pushed back my starting date. As soon as I had scanned and sent the image everything began to feel a lot more real.

I told the family I worked for that I was leaving, told my family I was leaving and started to imagine my life in a new country. I ordered a new passport (my 5-year child one was due to expire this year), I put my car up for sale (still hasn’t sold) and the week before I left I was assigned to a city in Japan. I had my final chat with Tomoko and began to pack. Which I definitely should have started earlier.

I confirmed my flight (yes, the one I booked before I’d even been sent a contract and was warned not to book in case I didn’t get an offer. I decided I would just go for a holiday if I did not get the job) and checked in online.

#travel #japan #abroad #teaching #english