Greetings and salutations!

On Becoming A Sensei....

While the term actually means "the one who has walked the path before me," and is most often associated with instructors in the martial arts, Sensei - most simply - means teacher. This is how my students will address me and this is what I am now training to become. The authority of this position cannot be dismissed, nor can its inherent responsibilities. The fact that I will be placed in a role of considerable influence over impressionable children certainly gives me pause. I am challenged by the fact that I will not simply be teaching a child to speak English, I will have the opportunity to make a profound impression on his/her life. I am certain that these deeper issues will continue to prompt personal reflection during my time in Japan.

Training began in ernest today and the next two weeks will be very intensive. There are 14 people in my training group from the US, UK, and Australia. However, the vast majority of foreign KTC employees are Canadian. The next little while will be a barrage of paperwork, cirriculum training, classroom observations and teaching engagements. I leave for my permanent placement in Numazu (Shizuoka District) at the end of June.

Presently the gas is out in our apartment building, which means no hot water or stove. Apparently this will be fixed by tomorrow. Aside from this, I have continued to spend time exploring Nagoya, which I enjoy more and more with each passing day. Some of the most entertaining things has been watching the BMX tournaments (freaking amazing acrobats), listening to street bands, and observing the Goth girls. I'll try to have some pictures of all this up very soon. But in the meantime, here's a little video I put together of one of our adventures.

Click here to download Joe's Adventure Video

With Hope,
Joseph