Three years ago today was the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear situation in Japan, which killed 16,000 people and left another 2,600 "missing," not to mention displacing countless others. Japanese people will never forget that day, just as I will never forget it either. I wasn't there, so I have no memory of the earthquake, but I had just bought a ticket to go there the week before, and was supposed to be there 18 days later. That didn't happen, but I did go a month later than I was supposed to. And once I was there, I learned how to teach and write regularly. That means I've been a teacher for almost three years, but not three years straight. Meanwhile, the nuclear situation in Japan is still an ongoing problem.
I was reminded of that this morning by one of my students. She's not only Japanese, but she was Miss Japan second runner-up in 2007, and then later upgraded to Miss Japan 2007 when the current Miss Japan became Miss Universe. Since then she's been a TV "talent," starring in TV movies and appearing on "celebrity game shows," and traveled in many third world countries by herself with nothing more than a backpack and one change of clothes. It's always great to meet adventurous people, even if they talk about their upcoming wedding quite a bit. Anyway, at the beginning of class I found out she was in my class. I already knew her, as I'd met her at the subway station a few weeks earlier because she recognized me from the school. Today I found out she was my student, along with many other students I already knew and liked from previous classes. Then she reminded me that it was an important day in Japan that they will never forget, and I agreed, because I was well aware of the date.
To start, it would be very hard to forget an enormous earthquake, tsunami and nuclear situation in a very important country, not only because I have a personal involvement, but because it is perhaps the most technologically advanced country in the world. The whole world was well aware of the crisis for a very long time. The nuclear element coupled with Japan's prominence on the world stage made it a much longer news story than the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed just under 228,000 human beings.
Of course, I would remember the event anyway, because my friends Toshiko and Kadumi lived there. They were okay, but obviously affected by the situation. They were completely selfless during the crisis. I'm sure I would have whined a little.
On top of that, since I was planning to go there for quite some time and finally about to do it, it obviously weighed on my thoughts a little more than those of the average American, some of whom were worried about the nuclear material making its way all the way to New York.
The clincher on why that day will never leave my memory is that I bought this Japanese laptop the same day. After much writing about whatever I happened to be thinking about, organizing pictures and making sound tracked movies with them, I finally began a serious writing regimen during my third month in Japan.
You see, sometime toward the end of July they were going to make me leave and come back again on a tourist visa after denying my company's application for a working visa. I didn't know if I could come back, so I took all 61 pictures down from my wall and wrote about the one on top of the pile, which happened to be of me the year before, standing in front of the Great Pyramid at Giza. Two nights later, in Seoul, I wrote about the Bonnaroo Arch which, after three days of magic in the summer of 2007, led out into the big wide mysterious world of wonder. Upon returning to Japan I never missed a day of writing about a picture. I eventually made shapes with the pictures on my walls, which could only be placed after writing at least 1,000 words about them, because a picture is worth at least 1,000 words, or so I've been told.
Now, three years later, I am still teaching people from around the world. In fact, one year ago today, I began my first day as a teacher at the American Academy of English in San Francisco. That means I have been teaching a full class of adult English students from foreign countries for one year straight. I think that means I have returned to society, or as Joseph Campbell would say:
"The whole idea is that you've got to bring out again that which you went to recover, the unrealized, unutilized potential in yourself. The whole point of this journey is the reintroduction of this potential into the world, that is to say, to you living in the world. You are to bring this treasure of understanding back and integrate it in a rational life. It goes without saying, this is very difficult. Bringing the boon back can be even more difficult than going down in your own depths in the first place."
I'm still working on realizing my full potential, but a year later, I'm happy enough with the way the universe has allowed me to occupy a place to be within the cosmic symphony. There is always more to come though. That is, if you are alive, which is the most important place to be.
I was reminded of that this morning by one of my students. She's not only Japanese, but she was Miss Japan second runner-up in 2007, and then later upgraded to Miss Japan 2007 when the current Miss Japan became Miss Universe. Since then she's been a TV "talent," starring in TV movies and appearing on "celebrity game shows," and traveled in many third world countries by herself with nothing more than a backpack and one change of clothes. It's always great to meet adventurous people, even if they talk about their upcoming wedding quite a bit. Anyway, at the beginning of class I found out she was in my class. I already knew her, as I'd met her at the subway station a few weeks earlier because she recognized me from the school. Today I found out she was my student, along with many other students I already knew and liked from previous classes. Then she reminded me that it was an important day in Japan that they will never forget, and I agreed, because I was well aware of the date.
To start, it would be very hard to forget an enormous earthquake, tsunami and nuclear situation in a very important country, not only because I have a personal involvement, but because it is perhaps the most technologically advanced country in the world. The whole world was well aware of the crisis for a very long time. The nuclear element coupled with Japan's prominence on the world stage made it a much longer news story than the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed just under 228,000 human beings.
Of course, I would remember the event anyway, because my friends Toshiko and Kadumi lived there. They were okay, but obviously affected by the situation. They were completely selfless during the crisis. I'm sure I would have whined a little.
On top of that, since I was planning to go there for quite some time and finally about to do it, it obviously weighed on my thoughts a little more than those of the average American, some of whom were worried about the nuclear material making its way all the way to New York.
The clincher on why that day will never leave my memory is that I bought this Japanese laptop the same day. After much writing about whatever I happened to be thinking about, organizing pictures and making sound tracked movies with them, I finally began a serious writing regimen during my third month in Japan.
You see, sometime toward the end of July they were going to make me leave and come back again on a tourist visa after denying my company's application for a working visa. I didn't know if I could come back, so I took all 61 pictures down from my wall and wrote about the one on top of the pile, which happened to be of me the year before, standing in front of the Great Pyramid at Giza. Two nights later, in Seoul, I wrote about the Bonnaroo Arch which, after three days of magic in the summer of 2007, led out into the big wide mysterious world of wonder. Upon returning to Japan I never missed a day of writing about a picture. I eventually made shapes with the pictures on my walls, which could only be placed after writing at least 1,000 words about them, because a picture is worth at least 1,000 words, or so I've been told.
Now, three years later, I am still teaching people from around the world. In fact, one year ago today, I began my first day as a teacher at the American Academy of English in San Francisco. That means I have been teaching a full class of adult English students from foreign countries for one year straight. I think that means I have returned to society, or as Joseph Campbell would say:
"The whole idea is that you've got to bring out again that which you went to recover, the unrealized, unutilized potential in yourself. The whole point of this journey is the reintroduction of this potential into the world, that is to say, to you living in the world. You are to bring this treasure of understanding back and integrate it in a rational life. It goes without saying, this is very difficult. Bringing the boon back can be even more difficult than going down in your own depths in the first place."
I'm still working on realizing my full potential, but a year later, I'm happy enough with the way the universe has allowed me to occupy a place to be within the cosmic symphony. There is always more to come though. That is, if you are alive, which is the most important place to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment