Good and Bad

In the absence of desire, "Good" and "Bad" don't exist!

Bearing that in mind...

THE GOOD STUFF ABOUT BEING THE JET ON IZENA:

1. The natural beauty of the island. Birds, trees, flowers, endless oceans in every direction, hills and mountains, other islands in the distance, jagged cliffs, crashing waves, coral reefs bursting with sea life, sandy beaches, wondrous night skies... you name it, it's here.

2. Getting to hang out with kids. I haven't really hung out with kids much since I was one myself. There's a lot to learn from them. Mostly they just want to have fun... which is fun.

3. I have one of the best jobs in the world. It's almost totally stress free, but it also makes a difference. Just my being here vastly broadens the scope of these people's experience. The kids speak better English by working with me, but they also get to know someone with a really different appearance and cultural background from them. They might otherwise have never gotten that chance.

4. Island culture applies here, so I can wear pretty much whatever I want to work. On a hot day, shorts and a T-shirt works just fine.

5. I'm learning Japanese really fast. Only a handful of people speak any English, so if I want to communicate, I don't really have a choice.

6. There is a lot of opportunity to participate in athletic events (marathons, triathlons, other local sports events). I'm getting in pretty good shape. I ran 10km with some steep hills in 52 minutes the other day, and I feel like I can go much faster. It's a good signal that I will destroy my personal records in the marathon and half marathon.

7. Basketball Club Night on Mondays and Thursdays. Playing with Japanese people is very different from playing your average playground game in the U.S. They never foul. Nobody hogs the ball. People clap for each other after points and say "nice shooto." We play with a clock, scoreboard, and jerseys. I get all the rebounds. :)

8. I like riding ferries. We have a great ferry here. It even has a room with carpet, blankets, and pillows to lie down.

9. Kyuushoku. That's the school lunch. It's really good, and there's hardly ever the same meal twice. All the food here is good. I hardly miss American food at all. Except for NYC street pizza. And falafel with hummus... mmmmm

10. Life is easy and simple here. I don't need a car. Everything I need is taken care of. I get paid plenty to live on, and don't have to pay taxes.

11. I have a lot of free time. So far I have been using it to get in shape, study Japanese, explore the island, and watch "The A-Team" on Hulu. But over the next year I'll invest some of that time into a creative project or two.


THE BAD ABOUT BEING THE JET ON IZENA:

1. Not having someone I can communicate with freely. Despite being around people all day, it can get frustrating and even downright lonely. I'm getting closer to people here, but it takes time to develop relationships, and that's compounded by the cultural differences (Japanese people usually don't talk about personal stuff) and the fact that we don't speak the same language. Even the best English speaker on the island, the English teacher, has limitations on her ability and sometimes we miss each others' meaning and have breakdowns in communication.

There were other shitty things about this situation at first, but they aren't shitty anymore. For instance, not having access to shopping beyond what is available in our small supermarket and other small shops initially struck me as a huge problem. But since I got my house set up comfortably, I really don't miss shopping at all. It would be nice to have more food variety, but there is a lot of positive in not being a constant consumer of more. I've found that my urges to buy things (that I used to indulge right away in the U.S.) go away after a day or two, and I get along just fine without buying what I was sure I absolutely "needed." Right now, the thing I want is a new bicycle, but the "I need it right now" feeling about it passed and I'll just get it when the right bicycle comes along.

There are also things that can go on both lists, like the fact that there are less than 1,800 people here, most of whom are way beyond my age group. On one hand, it's great because I'm part of this exclusive family of the island, and I get to be more involved in the community. On the other hand, one of my favorite things to do is sit and anonymously people watch. Out here, I'm about as anonymous as Barack Obama. I like that feeling of being "famous," but often I'd like there to be a larger pool of people to meet. I'm taking it all with a smile (mostly...) Good and Bad.