Again...

My husband and I both applied to the JET Program this year with the hopes that at least one of us would get in. I tried not to think of what would happen if we both got put onto the alternate list, it's like putting your life on hold. But naturally the result that I was hoping for the least is what came to pass.

So now we have a whole year (or maybe less) of waiting to hear back from JET that one of us is needed, it didn't happen last year so I'm not holding my breath. I'm wondering if we are just not what they are looking for, that seems likely. But maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised, expect for the worst and hope for the best.

Ohisashiburi ne?

I can't believe that I went an entire year without blogging. I'm more up to the task to blog this year, there are more interesting things going on in my life anyway. Most of last year consisted of being isolated at home with my toddler, being very uninspired and unproductive.

This year is very different. My red-haired firecracker of a boy is two years old this month. He's now talking in several word sentences and exploring his world like never before. Now is the perfect time for us to pursue our goal of getting to Japan.

Cute kitty obi in Japantown SF

My husband an I spent last Tuesday driving down to San Francisco in order to go to our JET Program interviews on Wednesday. This year we both applied and were given interviews so there is a possibility that we could be in Japan as assistant English teachers by the end of the year. I think I did pretty well overall, I'm pretty rusty on my Japanese language but I was confident for everything else. I feel like I couldn't really have done a whole lot better so they will either want me for who I am or they will think I'm just not right for the job. Either way my outlook is much more positive right now. I'm working as a Graphic Designer, being a lot more creative at home and have a lot more ideas that I'd like to share with everyone. So hopefully this is just the start of more great things to come.

Still waiting...

Wow, I am getting lax about keeping up with this blog. Sorry, sometimes I just don't have anything interesting in my life to talk about, and I'm not really interested in this just being a mommy blog.

I do have a few interesting things to add to my previous post. The first is that after all the crazy application process for the JET program my husband got an interview. This meant heading over to San Francisco, which I certainly didn't complain about.

This is one of the first times we've felt justified to splurge on a hotel room for a couple days, which we booked in our favorite part of SF, Japantown. We generally go there once a year or so but with my son being a toddler it was sure nice to be able to run up to the room whenever we needed to. I had plenty of time to explore the mall and have several fairly authentic Japanese meals, so even though my husband was a ball of nerves it was quite enjoyable for me.

That was in February, between then and April there was another period of waiting. Brian fretted and I got it into my mind that we probably weren't going and started thinking about other things. Then lo-and-behold we got a notice April 2 that he is now on the alternate list. This basically means that he neither got into the program nor has been rejected. He is on a list of candidates who will replace anyone who decides not to go or drops out of the program.

Guess what that means, MORE WAITING...uggh...

Maybe there's a chance

So we found out from my husband's professor that nobody from UNR (our college) has gotten into the JET program in several years. He told us to not get our hopes up, or to put all our eggs in one basket. I think this just made my hubby more determined. He has decided to set up a resume on Gaijinpot.com and will probably apply for other positions if he doesn't get an interview with JET. He's also thinking of substitute teaching in the US if the Japan thing doesn't pan out at first.

I'm kind of mixed, I'm trying to psyche myself up for moving to another country without setting myself up for disappointment if we don't get to go. Our plan is to put all our things into storage while we are gone, so I figure this is my opportunity to cull a lot of the crap we have accumulated.

My family are also really mixed about our desire to leave the country for a year or more. Some of them are very supportive of our desire to experience amazing things while we are still able to, and others are apprehensive that we are taking our son out of the country and away from his family. I think this is actually the best time for us to do this, Saru-chan is too young to have much of an issue with pulling up his roots or culture shock. The Japanese love children and I am pretty sure that he will be adored. And more than likely we will be back before he starts school and really needs to adjust to where he is living.

Either way we are going ahead with the application process, so only time will tell.

Here and back again?

This week the JET Program posted their application online. My husband and my original plan, before getting our BA, doing the study abroad program and having a child, was for both of us to apply and live in Japan for at least a year. When I first returned from my study abroad program, I wanted nothing to do with this plan. I was very tired and shell shocked and needing to be home for a while. But as time has passed I find myself missing many of the day to day aspects of Japan. So recently we have decided to go ahead with a modified version of our original plan.

So my husband is applying for the JET Program this month, he is working on all the parts of the application process and the craziness is beginning. It isn't really an option for me to apply with him since there are a lot of factors involved, the possibility that we wouldn't be placed together, the need to find childcare for O (which I'm not sure I would want to do anyway), and the fact that I still haven't resolved my degree so that I can graduate. I am hoping that the degree problem will be resolved before we go (if we go) so that there is a possibility I could get a part time job outside of JET.

In the meantime I am doing a lot of research about JET and living in Japan, but it is actually a bit hard to find information about bringing a family. I think that is because most JETs are young and single. There are also a lot of varying factors, such as not knowing where exactly where we would end up if he is accepted. It would be really nice if we can end up near Nagasaki since we already have friends and familiarity there, but we won't know until it happens. So I figure that I will share my experiences so that others will know what we go through.