Home / Main / PA Jan 06
Contents:
1. Re-contracting (and an important note about our contracts)
2. PA system - confidentiality and counselling
3. Winter Blues - Keeping yourself healthy and happy during the long Toyama winter
4. Contact information, useful numbers, getting info out to the ken
5. Suggestions, questions, whatever
1. Re-contracting
As you know, I sent an email out to you all a couple of weeks ago about re-contracting. Hopefully you know one way or the other what you're going to do, but if you are still sitting on the fence as I know many people must be, here are a few things for you to think about.
Do you have a good sense of your goals? What do you want to do in the future, and would another year on JET fit in with that? Could you do something towards a future career during another year in Japan (i.e. distance learning, brushing up on language skills) ?
Probably the hardest position to be in is if you are enjoying your Japanese experience but want to pursue your career etc back home too. Think about what you would do if you stayed for another year. Then think about what you would do if you went home. Which seems like more of a priority at the moment? Most importantly, which is going to make you happiest?
These are just a few things to consider if you're still deciding (or have made the decision but are wavering!). Please feel free to contact me (or your RRs!) if you're still undecided.
IMPORTANT! Many JETs think that it's their right to stay on JET for up to 3 years if they want to. However you need to remember that the re-contracting decision has to be mutually agreed upon by both you and your contracting organisation. Our contract is only year to year. They couldn't force you to stay for a second or third year just as you can't force them to keep you. A JET's contract may not be renewed for a variety of reasons. They might give you a variety of reasons, some above board and some not. If your CO decides not to recontract you, they have to give you valid reasons. If you find yourself in a situation where your CO is not recontracting you, please make sure you get an explanation as to why, and contact us if anything sounds suspicious!
2. PA System - confidentiality and counselling
I just wanted to put in a quick reminder about what the PA system can and cannot do.
We're here primarily to provide support and information for the JETs in the prefecture. Although I can't claim to be a professional counsellor and there are limits to what I can do, I have had training over the last few months and if anything comes up, either at work or in your personal life that you need someone objective to talk with about, please feel free to call me. Everything you say is entirely confidential...unless you are breaking the law in some way!
We are here to get information out to you, but we are not an information service. You have a lot of information already - the general handbook, your insurance policy handbook, and also the Toyama handbook which you can access from the website. You might think I'm a bitch for always yelling "check the handbook!" but seeing as over half of the calls and emails I get are for information you already have, maybe you can understand my reaction! Please please please check through these 3 things before getting in touch for info.
I've said this before a few times and I think I need to say it again. We cannot force your school to give you nenkyuu during term time or if they feel that it will mess with the normal running of the school. (Yes, this does include opening/closing ceremonies and summer camp stuff). What we can do is contact them on your behalf, and act as a kind of mediation service between you and them. This also applies if any other kind of dispute were to arise. Nenkyuu is always a really sensitive issue between schools and ALTs but hopefully we can help you work to some kind of solution that makes everyone happy.
3. Winter Blues - Keeping yourself healthy and happy this winter
It's cold, dark, and the post-holiday blues combine to make this time of year the most difficult for JETs. It's important to keep yourself both physically and mentally healthy and here are some tips:
Making your apartment more comfortable
We are paid well as JETs, well enough to account for a little extra money in our heating bills during the winter months. You can afford to keep your apartment (or at least part of it) warm. Beware though as electrical heating (aircon and electric heaters) can chomp through the electricity and leave you with a massive bill. Kerosene heaters are supposed to be the most efficient way to heat your apartment. You can purchase a new heater for around 10,000yen and although kerosene is more expensive this year, you should be able to buy enough kerosene (from most petrol stations/home centres/supermarket carparks!) to last a couple of weeks for about 2-3000yen. There are some safety concerns, such as opening the window to let air in (!) however I think the new heaters are better. Ask at your school. You may also need to check that you are allowed kerosene heaters in your apartment (I'm not).
If your apartment has wooden floors then you might want to think about buying cheap roll-out tatami from a home centre type of store. Tatami is a very effective insulator! Other insulating tips include buying a material called "dannnetsuzai" 断熱材 which is used to cover those big glass doors that your probably have in your apartment. It's special plastic that keeps out some of the cold and keeps in some of the heat. A roll that will cover two large windows should cost about 1000yen. Cheaper, but not quite so stylish is to go for the bubble-wrap option (konpouzai 梱包材).
You might find that your apartment gets a bit damp at this time of year. You could go out and buy a dehumidifier but if you don't want to spend the money then there are a couple of options available to you. Keep your bathroom fan running after you've had a bath or shower - I leave mine on all day to dry it out. Also to stop your clothes going nasty, I recommend buying the tubs/packs of dessicant that can be found in almost all home centres/hyaku en shops. It's usually a translucent plastic tub which has a grille on the top and white stuff in the top half. One brand has an elephant on it and it's called "mizutori" (水とり) I keep them next to my sliding doors and in my wardrobes to prevent mould...
Suriving the winter blues
For first years, coming back from winter vacation usually well and truly signifies the end of the honeymoon period with Japan. It's difficult to come back from either a beach somewhere or your family to a cold dark country where things are often hard!
The "winter blues" can hit people in a variety of ways - lethargy, sickness, loneliness and depression, just to name a few of the cheerier ones!
Winter can be extremely isolating, especially for rural JETs. At this time of year it's important to think about each other. Is there someone who you haven't seen for a couple of weeks? Do you know why? It would be a good idea to call up and check that they're ok. Try to organise regular meet-ups with people in your area - whether it's dinner or coffee, and take the opportunity to talk about what's going on in your life and how you're doing.
Another way to beat isolation is to get on the phone. Many of us have YahooBB and calls to other users are entirely free. You can also use cheap/free online services through your computer if you buy a headset. British JETs - check out the handbook for info on a phone company that lets your family call Japan for pretty much the cost of a local phonecall.
Although it's cold outside and it's the last thing you feel like doing, it's important to get exercise to keep your energy levels up. If you don't want to (or can't :( ) do winter sports then you can either try to work out a little in your apartment, join the gym, or stay late at school and do some exercise with a club or invade the gym for a little while.
Make sure that you're getting enough sleep! Simple I know but I know how easy it is to fall into the trap of sitting up late at night and then feeling like crap the next day. If you're feeling depressed then it can often disrupt your sleep patterns, but it's important to regulate it as much as possible to avoid making things worse. Eating well is important too. If you're lacking in fruit and veg you might want to think about taking vitamin supplements to boost your immune system to avoid catching anything from the kids at school!
Depression is a very common problem for JETs all over Japan at this time of year. It can be easy to slip into feeling down and then not be able to come out of the other side again. Again, this is something that it's important to talk about - either to your friends or to me. This is something I've learned a lot about over the last few months and I now know a lot about recognising symptoms and working to feel better again. I'm always here if you want to discuss things.
Winter seems especially long here (I think), but it's worth remembering that it is only temporary and soon it will be spring and time for hanami and other fun. Keep warm and keep healthy until then :)
4. Contact information, useful numbers, getting info out to the ken
My contact information is at the bottom of every email I send out. You should also have the meishi (business cards) with the information of your regional reps, adrianna, Tsukashima sensei and Okazaki sensei. Info is also available in the downloadable version of the handbook (check the website).
If you don't want to talk about problems/issues with your friends or people from the PA system, there are a variety of people you can call.
You can call the JET Line (03-3591-5489) from 9am-5.45pm or the AJET Peer Support Group (0120-43-7725) from 8pm-8am. You can get advice, counselling or just just chat with other JETs who have faced similar setbacks and challenges. They have many resources and can put you in touch with professional counsellors and doctors if necessary. This service is also confidential.
Another note about getting info out to the ken - if you want to, please send an email to Adrianna at the tnb address toyamatnb@yahoo.com before or as early as possible on Thursday. If you've missed the TNB and you need it to go out ASAP please email me. Please don't "reply-all" to mass emails like this because it doesn't include the whole ken, only the group that you're alphabetically included in.
5. Suggestions etc
This is the first time I've done this after thinking about it for a few months. I'd like to know what you think, if you have any ideas etc etc. One thing I was thinking about was a Q&A - i.e. if you have a question that you want answered and think it would benefit other JETs then you could let me know and i will include it (anonymously of course).
I'm also going to put a "PA" bit on the website in the next week or so where I will archive the information that I send out to you.
OK That's it from me for now.
Take care!
Chiara