Teaching with Tim

Unlike last summer, which I spent methodically tracking the reading and writing I completed each day, this summer has felt like an unstructured blur.  In just one more week, I’ll be leaving the familiar routines of Seattle for something completely new–my teaching contract with Meito High School in Nagoya, Japan, lasts for two years.  I’m optimistic and excited, but still not sure what to expect.  At this point three years ago, when I was getting ready to leave for Los Angeles and Teach for America, I had massive packets of information on what to do and what to expect: online surveys to complete, teaching instructional seminars to listen to, papers to write, and even a novel by a former Teach for America corps member to read and reflect on.  I’ve chosen to stave off anxiety about teaching in Japan by attempting to create a similar preparatory regimen for myself— I took introductory Japanese class at UCLA and worked with a tutor I found on craigslist for about ten sessions, I’ve purchased random U.S. tourist knick-knacks to give away in Japan, and with help from friends I’ve put together a nice collection of Japanese paraphernalia (maps, guidebooks, etc.).  But I still feel woefully underprepared—a feeling that I’m now trying to fight by peppering these languorous Seattle days with my own home-brewed cultural immersion program.  It looks something like this:

• Read Shogun
• Watch corny 80s-era Japanese learning videos on youtube 
• Look up Japanese bands and podcasts on iTunes
• Check out Japanese movies at library (best one so far: Kurasawa’s Seven Samurai). 
• Eavesdrop on Japanese people in Seattle’s international district
• Practice introducing myself in the mirror (Japanese for Busy People: “A typical bow is performed with both feet together, the hands flat on the thighs (for men) or crossed in front (for women), and the torso inclined at a 15- to 45-degree angle.  The eyes remain open during the bow, and the bowing person’s line of sight moves with his or her torso rather than staying fixed on the other person”).

Not exactly systematic.  I’m determined not to be an “ugly American,” bumbling around with barbaric manners and a self-satisfied grin, but I’m also starting to accept the fact that I won’t be able to avoid bumbling entirely.   And when I’m not worrying about walking straight through a paper-thin wall or tracking mud all over someone’s Meiji-era carpet, I’m spending time with friends and family, which has been wonderful.  A few photos from my recent Northwest adventures are below.   I still suffer the usual mid-twenties-life-angst (Am I going in the right direction?  Do I want to stay in this career forever? Should I go to grad. school?  Does my hair look O.K.?) but a steady hum of excitement and preparation is mostly drowning out all that existential terror for now. 

Next blog will be my first report from Nagoya.       

View of Rainier from the top of Pinnacle Peak. My friend Craig and I had a great week of Northwest sightseeing.

BIG rattlesnake spotted in Eastern Washington on a hike with my friend John. The snake rattled in a very nasty way and I think I was about six inches from getting a calf-full of fangs.

A moment's pause before taking the plunge into this frigid alpine lake in the North Cascades.