First Day Impressions on an Online Japanese Class
It's a post about what the title exactly says so let me be self-absorbed with this one. On a previous post I shared how I enrolled in a Japanese Class and below is a summary of the first impressions and reflections.
We had our meeting in a google classroom and first roll call was reciting our introductions in Japanese. We read the lines and substituted the details with our own information as far as breaking the ice for introductions.
We were only 4 in class and I got to know a bit about the backgrounds of my classmates. The common interest is having a liking for Japan and the prospect of living or working there. But there's always this person that stands out by proclaiming they did an advance self study and were way ahead of what we were being introduced.
Sensei asked what made us enrolled in this class and I was just mentally busting a mantra:
Please don't say "to watch JP porn without subtitles"
Please don't say "to read raw ecchi manga"
I ended up saying I want to watch JP movies and read manga without relying on English translations. Sensei gave a short pause looking at some corner of the screen which I assume was probably a form that details what her student's wrote on the application for the class. She looked at the camera then at the form then back at the camera in quick glances, then said thank you for sharing. She knows.
It's just the first session and getting to know stage, sit down please. Not wanting to stand out, I just purposively stutter and tried to sound unsure while reciting speaking just to fit in with the beginner vibe. I just let the other person raise their hand often whenever the teacher asks something which I'm sure everyone else already knew but were too shy to answer back. The good old classroom days atmosphere.
The rest of the session was spent on knowing the regular greetings and basic context when they were used. We're expected to do the numbers, time, and simple grammar next.
Seems like a chill class overall. The scope of the lessons are something you can self study, just search "Minna no Nihongo" as the recommended reference material for beginners then add Hiragana and Katakana. What I'm really after is the certification because it doesn't matter how proficient you are if you got no certificates to prove you walk your talk.
I think there's a Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET Program) in a lot of countries but the one highlighted to us by Sensei was the JET Program for Philippines which led me to read more about opportunities in the rabbit hole. I think this could have been a life changing scenario had I knew about this program years back before proceeding through medicine but things have been complicated since then.
It's really a good program to get into for aspiring new teachers that seek a future outside the Philippines.
There's constantly a dilemma between shifting careers for the sake of greater opportunities. I know the rational move is likely tossing away more than 10 years of my life learning health care services in exchange for another profession I just learned within a year. But there's a lot tying me down to this profession beyond familial piety, consider it somewhat part of the whole identity I've known myself getting tossed out too.
It's not like no one else within my social circle could give me a straight forward advice on what I should be doing. Its fucking easy to get advices from people you didn't ask for especially when it's not their life you're living. Just as how pesky relatives constantly recommend going abroad for opportunities they wouldn't even dare committing to in their lifetime. Would you honestly take advice from someone that doesn't practice what they preach?
A lot of the skill sets I've been have been tied to health care so maybe I could land a job as a caregiver but that isn't the same as nursing or physician. It's like switching an entire new persona when you've been conditioned to live in a suit stitched up by familial expectations.
It's just weird that I started this whole thing for kicks and giggles that I ended up asking more serious questions about what I should be doing with my life.
Thanks for your time.
It’s obvious that you had an interesting time in your Japanese class for the first session. I think watching movies will help to improve your understanding about the language. Keep it up!
Nice, you gained a lot of realizations and what ifs and let you think more about your future. If being a physician or a nurse is what you're comfortable doing, then pursue that route. But don't be tied to the place where you are most comfortable. Try to also think globally, outside the comfort zone, because that's when you will start growing, and this unknown will now become your new comfort. You know that, I don't need to tell you about that anymore. LOL Not my life but I want to bother haha
JET program is usually full of applicants and the screening process is so hectic, not everyone can be granted the opportunity to come to Japan. You're better off with the health care route I think since Japan is in need of nurses... (just my guess, I don't have proof). You usually start as caregivers or nursing assistants, and I think to be a nurse, you need to pass an exam. Not sure, I think you can dive into this rabbit hole too. 😅
Anyway whatever your decision, leave health care and pursue another profession, I think that's okay. Don't think about the wasted years of learning med, think about the years you'll soon waste if you keep on being in med but you don't really want to. Don't mind what other people say (oops including me haha), it's not their life anyways. So do what you want to do, you still have a lot of years ahead of you. Some people change careers 30s, 40s or 50s and that's okay! What you just learned in college may not bring you to where you will be in the future. As long as you're passionate on something, then go for it.
Kung maka advice. LOL
Pag iisipan ko pa, who knows how my application at the hosp turns out, I wouldn't want to close doors on a maybe pa like coming back to work on my regular job. If I do comeback to work on my regular job, it's now for different but solid goal defining reasons than going with the flow but if I don't go back to the same job, it'll be this route. Gusto ko lang may closure before I leave things and it's going to bother me moving forward.
She wants you now.
Soon~
Haha did you smirk or keep your composure? I know it was playing in your head, haha.
Well it's good it has drawn some interests from you. It's now beyond the kicks and giggles and can be of use to you or the very least to others you share it with.
I poker faced it since it was weird to be laughing randomly without others knowing the context. She was cool about as far as I can tell and nothing eventful happened after that.
Nice read, it's always nice to learn other language. More opportunities would come. I also want to learn other language but I have too much things on my plate right now haha maybe soon.