#esid

if you remember my nightlife au (featuring neil with a septum piercing and blue hair), then hopefully you’ll be excited that it can finally be read on ao3! here’s a hot sneak peek for you guys.

perhaps if neil weren't so starved for familiarity, for seeing the same faces day in and day out, he wouldn't have thoughtlessly packed his bag, stuffing everything he owned into a duffel bag with ease. six outfits, a roll of quarters, and a binder with money and newspaper articles were easy enough to pack. perhaps if neil weren't so desperate for a face that he had seen before, one that he had memories of, he wouldn't have taken the greyhound from millport, nothing, to something, south carolina. perhaps if neil was not nathaniel, was actually neil josten, he would have actually had someone to send him off.

instead, he was neil, but not really, so he thought, what have i done, and, fuck it, while staring out of the window of the bus. instead, he was neil without a family, so he ran his fingertips over the somewhat rough texture of his duffel bag in a halfhearted attempt to soothe the anxiety bubbling in the pit of his stomach. instead, he was neil with nothing, so he contemplated his next dye job and hoped to god it wouldn't end up looking like shit like the last hairdresser he had used. jesus, even if he had planned on staying, he would never have used her again.

faintly, he thought again about the circumstances that had brought him to his point. the beginning was, technically, with his birth, or symbolically, the day mary wesninski, his mother, risked her life by stealing him away to lead a life on the run. at this point, though, neil didn't quite feel ready to dredge up those memories. he wiped his palms of imagined stains absentmindedly, reflecting on yesterday's news.

read the rest here!

Hugo: *sits next to Grant*

Grant: *places drink down* how’s it goin!? Doin Alrigh? *nudges his shoulder* huh?

Hugo: I. Am. NOT. READY. To be. An E.S.I.D.

Grant: [is suprised] you’re an E.S.I.D.!? Dude! That’s Great!! You have the highest rank!!!

Hugo: I know, but I’m not ready to be one! *looks at Grant*

Grant: Hugo, you’ve always been an ESID...

Hugo: *gives confused look* what?

Grant: *turns towards Hugo* *places paws on his shoulders* Everyone is an ESID in the making. No matter what rank they have. But if they’re already an ESID... then uhhh... they’re a... hmmm *takes paws off Hugo’s shoulders and thinks* *snaps fingers* *throws arms up and out to side* MASTER ESID!

Hugo: MESID?

Grant: *points at Hugo* Yeah! A MESID!

Hi!  Yes, I would say for the most part I’ve had a good experience here in Japan so far.  But you need to be aware of my background.  First, this is not my first time living in Japan. My major in college was East Asian Studies and therefore I studied abroad in Kyoto during junior year for eight months. I also lived with a host family to boot.  Now, study abroad *is* different than working in Japan but I do believe that thanks to my study abroad experience, I’ve already dealt with the majority of the “culture shock” phase. Not all of it, of course, but you know…I’m used to being constantly gawked now.Second, I am conversationally fluent in Japanese.  Although I haven’t taken the JLPT, I would guess I’m around N3 level.  I’m placed in a relatively rural town where pretty much NOBODY speaks English beyond “hello” and knowing Japanese has saved my sanity quite a bit.  I mean, my main supervisor doesn’t even speak English.  Neither do most of my co-teachers.  I can only think of two out of the twenty or so teachers I work with who whom I can have a decent conversation in English.  Bear in mind, I work primarily in elementary, where English classes are more “let’s have fun with English” rather than “let’s actually learn how to speak English”.

Third, even though I’ve not had professional classroom experience prior to JET, I did have experience teaching people other languages.  I used to be a camp counselor at this foreign language camp up in Minnesota and having the rule where I could only speak to kids in the target language definitely prepared me a lot for this job.  As well learning how to pull fun, educational games out of my butt when lesson plans didn’t always go to plan.

I think those three things have really affected my feelings regarding my placement.  If I didn’t have those experiences under my belt, I would say my job would be extremely challenging and would probably bolt at the end of my contract. But I like my coworkers and I love my students so I’m pretty content, even if I’m in the inaka (country side).But please, please, PLEASE remember that (in)famous addage that we say in the ALT world: Every Situation is Different (ESID).  I know plenty of people who come into Japan with little to no Japanese under their belt and they excel at their jobs, even if it’s in a rural placement like mine!