reality check

i think i previously blogged that JET is renewable yearly up to a total of 5 years, and in light of the not-so-favourable monetary returns (really, it's not as attractive as it seems at first look, as you really must factor in the fact that i dont get CPF, bonuses and increment), i'll probably stay for 2 years if they want me and then seriously reconsider whether i want to stay any longer than that.

however, i dont think i mentioned that the Osaka City Board of Education - ie, my contracting organisation - only allows us to recontract twice. in other words, the maximum i can stay is 3 years, with the reason for this given as they wanting to give more pple the opportunity to work in Osaka. hence, i sort of decided that if all goes well - if i like it there and if they want me to stay - i'll probably just stay for as long as i can since the chance is there and work on JET for the full 3 years that i'm given.

i was telling YT this today (and i think she's the first person i've told.. i dont think i've ever spoken about this to anyone since i found out that the max is 3 years) and she said that i seem all prepared to stay for a few years when she thought that i'm going to go there and take things one step at a time (ie, year by year). and something along the lines of me appearing like i'm confident that i'll like it and will want to stay for longer than a year. haha.

it came quite as a surprise actually, cos when she said that it did occur to me that in the midst of all the packing and preparation, i've sort of forgotten the fact that i may well hate it there and not want to stay. i'm certainly thinking as if i'm going to be there for more than a year, considering all the plans i have for my apartment like putting up stuff on the walls (i've actually already prepared a selection) and other decorations to make it more comfy, as well as things like buying a teapot that i can "nurture (育つ?)" by brewing green tea in it often.

well. i dont know! i'm not even there yet and i have lots of plans. none of it important ones (unfortunately)* like how i might use that experience to build my future career or find a husband, or stuff like what my work could be like and how i'm going to do it to the best of my ability (the latter perhaps because i take whatever job i do seriously? heh) and so on. but lots of small ideas like where i want to travel to and how to try to prevent my waistline from expanding too rapidly. :P

that was a good reality check. thank you! haha. at least the possibility that i really may not like it - and that the Osaka BOE may not like me! - was reintroduced into the picture. while the current perspective is that 1 year is ok but 2 years would be ideal for me to say that i've lived and worked overseas with some authority and confidence and since 3 years is the most i can stay so i might as well do so, it's good to remember that man proposes but god disposes!**

 

*: and that's yet another problem, because these are, as i said, important!!

**: it may not be obvious, but i'm trying as far as possible to use Standard English on this page (i'm not saying anything regarding obscene sentence lengths though, nor about my copious use of parentheses and dashes). thus, i overcame the urge to write what first came to mind (and that was what i really wanted to write here, in huge font no less) - 人算不如天算!