Chelsea's Japanese Capers

28 year old American Senior High School ALT with the JET program. This is a blog about my time spent teaching English in Japan

[chelseainjapan]

At my second special needs school I work with an older man who is brilliant and has a deep knowledge of English grammar and idioms. His final lesson plan for me ended with this. Today is my last day there, I'm gonna cry so much.

[chelseainjapan]

😍 last days of class have started! Just finished my last class with my most difficult group. It's difficult because there are a handful of students who truly want to learn and try so hard to engage in my lessons but they are drowned out by the crazy, hyperactive, and always chattering other 2/3 of the class. Two of the good ones gave me this note at the end. 💕

[chelseainjapan]

I did some English pronunciation recordings for Japanese entrance exams. Cherushii Sensei is famous!

[chelseainjapan]

Last visit to one of my special needs schools this week, and last visit to the other one next week. The farewell cards have started coming. I'm so sad!! (Excuse the strange English on these, they are special needs students and can't understand nuance - they were just copying song lyrics and direct Google translations)

[chelseainjapan]

Mindfulness

I'm reading The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thick Nhat Hanh and it has been eye opening and helpful in dealing with the stress of leaving Japan and embarking on a new life in New York City. I really recommend it. Mindfulness takes real dedication and effort and I'm not very good at it yet!

[chelseainjapan]

23 days

Until I leave Shimane 😭🌧😥 Gotta eat all the Japanese food 🍣🍘🍱🍡🍙🍜. All of it.

[shadow-kat-13]

[Only Yesterday]

[yrbff]

(by elaina wahl)

[jamiekins2012]

Needed this.

[bluedragon-silence]

@aimtoothpaste - for you

[chelseainjapan]

Last days

My last days in Japan are winding down. It’s a time when I am trying to stay focused on the bigger picture, and realize that there are so many lasts that I won’t ever do or see again after I leave Shimane. Small things, like the laughter, confusion, and encouragement of a person on the other end of the line as I try to stammer my way through a phone conversation in Japanese; the wet detritus smell when I go exploring the grounds of an empty shrine; the tug on my sleeve of an elementary-aged special needs student as she innocently asks me for a hug in Japanese; the nervous whispers of shy academic high schoolers trying to mutually agree on the correct English in a sentence they want to say to me.

All things I’ll carry with me as I go.

[missmentelle]

At age 23, Tina Fey was working at a YMCA. At age 23, Oprah was fired from her first reporting job.  At age 24, Stephen King was working as a janitor and living in a trailer. 

At age 27, Vincent Van Gogh failed as a missionary and decided to go to art school.   At age 28, J.K. Rowling was a suicidal single parent living on welfare.

At age 28, Wayne Coyne ( from The Flaming Lips) was a fry cook. At age 30, Harrison Ford was a carpenter.  At age 30, Martha Stewart was a stockbroker.  At age 37, Ang Lee was a stay-at-home-dad working odd jobs. Julia Child released her first cookbook at age 39, and got her own cooking show at age 51. Vera Wang failed to make the Olympic figure skating team, didn’t get the Editor-in-Chief position at Vogue, and designed her first dress at age 40. Stan Lee didn’t release his first big comic book until he was 40. Alan Rickman gave up his graphic design career to pursue acting at age 42. Samuel L. Jackson didn’t get his first movie role until he was 46.

Morgan Freeman landed his first movie role at age 52. Kathryn Bigelow only reached international success when she made The Hurt Locker at age 57. Grandma Moses didn’t begin her painting career until age 76. Louise Bourgeois didn’t become a famous artist until she was 78. Whatever your dream is, it is not too late to achieve it. You aren’t a failure because you haven’t found fame and fortune by the age of 21. Hell, it’s okay if you don’t even know what your dream is yet. Even if you’re flipping burgers, waiting tables or answering phones today, you never know where you’ll end up tomorrow. Never tell yourself you’re too old to make it. 

Never tell yourself you missed your chance. 

Never tell yourself that you aren’t good enough. 

You can do it. Whatever it is. 

[technoelfie]

This is so worth reblogging!

[nordiskstormhatt]

Thank you!

[pearl-princess]

I’m glad this came up on my dash. I’ve been getting anxious about this issue since my birthday is tomorrow.

[chelseainjapan]

Update

Ohio Tumblr!

Wow, it has been so long since I have written a real post. A combination of being very busy and being more thoughtful of my online footprint is to blame. Since my last post a lot of cool stuff has happened. Here’s a taste:

- I got accepted to the Science Education PhD program at Columbia University in New York City and I am starting in September, 2016. I am beyond stoked. Also I am scared and could easily vomit at any moment if I think too much about money for school. Hopefully a PhD from an Ivy League university will be worth the heavy financial cost.

- I made a website like a real grown up professional person, complete with real grown up professional person photo www.chelseabrunner.com

- My mother visited me in Japan during the peak cherry blossom bloom.

- I signed up for the JLPT N4 in July.

- I am going to Hong Kong for Golden Week.

ijou desu (that's all!)

[jeremybdavis-blog]

[gothhabiba]

ah yes, my favourite foreign language feel, “I know what all of those words mean individually but not together like that”

[wunderhorntanz]

not to forget its twin “i know (roughly) what you’re saying, but what are those words?”

[blagdogs-tveiter-tot]

Plus the secret triplet “I managed to get your drift but I don’t know how to answer you”.

[willthatfitinmysuitcase]

as well as the red headed step-child “I only understood one word… what do we do now?”

[chelseainjapan]

Toasted sesame salad dressing

I just want to put it on every food item.

[chelseainjapan]

652 kanji

I knows them.

[chelseainjapan]

My neighborhood combini suddenly closed for renovation. This is not OK.

[msmisfortune]

This is the most horrifying fate I can think of!

[chelseainjapan]

Dijoubs, it's open again. Just in time for the snowy weather, I can reignite my conbini hand warmer, omu rice onigiri, and vitamin C shot addictions. All is not lost.

[nihongogogo]

If you're in Japan

And have warm winter clothes you don’t need in a size that’s bigger than a Japanese large (UK 12 or bigger, US 8 or bigger I guess) and would like to donate them to refugees then send me a PM. I know a charity looking for donations. The weather is freezing and I’m sure whoever receives them would be grateful.