Japan has an extraordinarily low crime rate. Living in Japan for the past 2 years I have never had a crime committed against me. I will happily leave my shopping on my unlocked bike outside a shop while a pop inside, in the same way many others would leave their cars running outside. I have … Continue reading
Are vaginas obscene? That, I guess is the 2,5 million yen question. Genitals have always been a taboo for as long as I can remember. Whether you were a naive child playing “Show me yours, I’ll show you mine” in the alleyway behind your house, remembering the first time a kid told you what a … Continue reading
“I’m sick of being friends with people who I only have one thing in common with: my race.” This might sound like a quote from someone who is spending a long stretch in prison, but the situation this person was in was quite voluntary. She’s an ex-pat in Japan. When moving to the other side … Continue reading
Recently in Japan, a law was passed banning the possession of childhood pornography, bringing Japan in line with most other developed nations in terms of their child protection laws. This is good … but, Why is possession of child porn legal in a country that is so prudish that it pixelates out where the head … Continue reading
This article is just a very general overview of what the dating scene is like for foreigners in Japan. Of course people have very different experiences while living in Japan. But this is just to give you a basic idea. The amount of female assistant language teachers in Japan is only around 30% which is … Continue reading
I have written briefly about racism in Japan before, and I got hugely slated for it as most people told me that if I didn’t like being racial abused in Japan, then I should just go home. They have a point. I would like to firstly say that I don’t think that Japanese people are … Continue reading
Once again what I am going to say here will be seen as shocking and controversial, but I before you judge me in an outrage please note this is all from personal experience. The BBC released its report last year on the best places in the world to live as a woman, places in the … Continue reading
Looking through my spam folder the other day there was something that caught my eye. Usually, I ignore automised messages from websites asking me to advertise, host a guest post, buy SEO advice etc but this one caught my eye. It was from the website http://www.loveinjapanese.net asking for an honest review. As a foreigner in … Continue reading
After the great response I got from Peter Lee’s guest post about TEFL careers in Singapore, I realised that there is a calling out there from people who want to see what it is really like working in various different TEFL destinations. Starting with what I know best: Japan. Japan is certainly tempting as a … Continue reading
People, myself included, are more than happy to cry out about the problems with the Japanese school system. There are the pressures of the system, with its constant tests and 12 hour school days, that have lead many Japanese children to turn to smoking or drinking to cope as well as the hikikomori who turn … Continue reading
People were really angry about my last post that I wrote claiming that I don’t believe the ALT system in Japan is working. I think mainly people thought I was attacking the whole idea of having foreign teachers in Japan, which I wasn’t, I just don’t believe how we are currently implemented is working. Here … Continue reading
In this post I am going to be a gigantic hypocrite and tell you that I do not believe that the system in Japan is working. That the importation of hundreds of foreign English-speaking “teachers” is not a good thing, and to some consequence could be damaging to what is already a flawed system. Reinforcing … Continue reading
While many consider working for a private company as a cop out for those who couldn’t get past the strict regulations of JET, Private companies provide a simple flexibility that the JET programme cannot provide, and is often a better option for those who have a clear idea of what they want from their Japanese … Continue reading
There are so many different options available to budding English teachers in Japan, that it can be hard to decide what to go for. While it is easiest to work out for yourself which you think is the best for your personal situation. There is no “best” way to teach in Japan. But I will … Continue reading
T is for “TEFL countries” As I recently mentioned in my last post I am moving. When I first found out I had lost my TEFL placement I was devastated when I later found out that I had a 6 week break between contracts I was ecstatic. Because we know that any sort of length … Continue reading
N is for “New Job Titles” This post is meant to be an informative view of what it is like to be an ALT at a Junior High School in Japan. Please keep in mind that not everyone’s experiences differ widely but this should give you some sort of general overview of what the job … Continue reading
H is for Horrible things that happen. I have some big and perhaps for those of you who don’t know me, surprising news for you. George on the Go is on the go again! That’s right it seems as soon as I’ve settled somewhere I am immediately on the move, however, this time it’s not … Continue reading
I recently wrote an article about how TEFLing is the most wonderful thing in the world. I know though that it has it’s problems too. To give a balanced view, I decided to write this article too. Don’t think I have a bummer on TEFL now, because I don’t, but there is always room for … Continue reading
This is Part 3 in a 3 part series. Find Part 1 and Part 2 here. What are your options? There are literally hundreds of TEFL jobs out there. Many are posted online on websites such as http://www.eslcafe.com which offers courses and job placements and is updated daily. Of course as with all placements you … Continue reading
This is part 2 of a 3 part series. Find Part 1 and Part 3 here. To TEFL or not to TEFL? There are as many TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course options available as there are people who want to do them. With hundreds of different online and practical TEFL courses out … Continue reading
This is part 1 in a 3 part series. Find Part 2 and Part 3 here. Teaching abroad is one of the most fulfilling, exciting and rewarding careers available to young people. Most would-be-teachers are not keeping to the safety and comfort of the West, but setting their sights further a field to the East … Continue reading
I live in Japan. I work in a Japanese speaking school. I want to learn Japanese. You think there would be nothing getting in my way, but you would be sadly mistaken. While I am now getting more into Jpop and terrible Japanese TV shows of people enjoying food, I’m still not really in a … Continue reading
1. The Kids Energize Me Of course I don’t mean this in a “witches from hocus pocus” way, where I capture them and try and suck out their souls to grant me eternal life (that wouldn’t make me a very good teacher now would it), it’s just that when I’m around them, when I teach … Continue reading
Wakan Wakan is a free to download software which is of many uses in learning Japanese and Chinese. Firstly, there is a list of all 6355 kanji to browse through at your leisure. When you click on each one you can find out the reading, the meaning, the stroke count, and a simplified version. Then … Continue reading
As a person I like to think of myself as fairly ambitious. For 2 years now my main ambition, the thing I’ve been looking forward to, working towards, and ultimately doing everything I could do to achieve has been to live in Japan. As of October 14th 2012 I achieved that mission. As my plane … Continue reading
George On The Go 