A Turning Point

A turning point in my life was making the decision to go to work in Japan in 1990. My fiance, Patricia, saw an advertisement in the newspaper seeking English language teachers in the Kansai region of Japan and having studied English literature, linguistics and education at university, I had a relevant background. At the same time, the job market in New Zealand was pretty depressed in 1990, so this opening represented a good opportunity. Well to cut a long story short, April of that year saw me getting married and May saw me winging my way to Osaka, with my wife to follow the following month.

The decision has had a major effect on my life. It saw us bringing up our children in Japan, building some strong friendships there and developing a deep love for the Japanese aesthetic. In addition, it resulted in me developing a lifelong career in ESOL.

If I hadn't gone to Japan, it is hard to imagine what my life would have been like. Perhaps I might have gone to a different country and adapted to its culture and brought up my children there, who knows? What would my career trajectory have been if I hadn't moved to Japan? Perhaps I might have become a college administrator or a librarian or something like that? It is fascinating how much a single decision can irrevocably change one's life.



Comments

  1. Mahiro AkaiMay 11, 2021 at 12:19 AM

    I'm glad to know your past! Do you have some regret or tough memories during stay in Japan? Do you want to continue to have contact with Japan in the future?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. David WoodfieldMay 13, 2021 at 9:28 PM

      Hi Mahiro, there were some tough experiences during our time in Japan. It was, for instance, difficult to find and furnish an apartment when we first arrived in Japan. In addition, it was difficult to communicate with the locals sometimes, because we couldn't speak Japanese well. We don't regret living in Japan though and we enjoy going back there for visits. David :-)

      Delete
  2. Momoka ItayaMay 11, 2021 at 1:05 AM

    My teacher Wendy also told me that she went to Japan seeking for a better life around the same time with you. From that I could image how hard it was for people in New Zealand to get a job due to depression. I am glad to hear you enjoyed your life in Japan, but since then it has changed a lot in various ways, so I hope you could come to Japan to see many new things here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. David WoodfieldMay 13, 2021 at 9:34 PM

      It was difficult trying to find a job as a graduate in the late 80's & early 90's, so indeed going to Japan to work was an excellent step for both Wendy & I. No regrets there!
      I agree with you that Japan has been changing since I left there, but at the same time I think it remains the same in some respects.
      I only hope that Japan continues to preserve its wild places - its mountains, foothills & forests and its architectural and design treasures such as its temples, temple gardens, minkas, & machiyas. Some Japanese people today seem to have little time for the traditional Japanese house.
      David :-)

      Delete
  3. Maiko NoboriMay 11, 2021 at 6:01 PM

    The big decision you did is so brave, I think, because leaving my country for a long time is so hard for me. By the way, I want to know why you went back to NZ again? And how long did you stay in Japan actually?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. David WoodfieldMay 13, 2021 at 9:41 PM

      There was indeed risk involved in going to Japan, but as they say 'no risk, no reward' and I am glad we took this step.
      I returned to Dunedin, New Zealand, in 2005. We made the move back because it was time for our kids to continue their education in English. My son now has the best of both worlds, as he has been able to complete his university education in English while maintaining the ability to speak Japanese fluently.
      David :-)

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The future: My predictions

Image
 　　　　　　　　　The future of Japan   My first prediction about Japan is that a lot of people will be living in rural areas compared to now, because of the COVID-19’s spread, people are feeling unsafe, or unconfutable living in bustling cities especially for their children. I saw an article saying that some families are moving to rural areas to live a life they could not do in cities. They grow enough vegetables, or spend more time with their children. I think this change is a positive thing because major cities are overpopulated, so if more people move to rural areas, areas can be developed, and get more attention from tourists.    My second prediction is that about 50% of the population will be people from other countries. Before the pandemic happened, it was normal for me to see different types of people shopping or living next door. I think it is a good change because we might be able to absorb many interesting cultural things from them, and they can learn about Japanese culture by l
Read more

The best way to reduce crime

Image
 I think the best way to reduce crime in the community is maintaining the public order. I am going to show three points to approach the problem. First, the police should strengthen the control more strictly. If the police can see the deep town or everywhere in cities, people don't tend to commit some crimes. And I think it's good idea to give them more heavy punishment. We can also rely on the development of technology. For example, we can set security camera or something in the place where crimes are often done. Second, I think we can reduce crime by education. Teachers can tell children how crime makes their life bad and how crime is not forgiven. Not only teachers but also parents can teach them to their children at home.  The last one is that the city office supports unstable people. For example, they can set counseling offices where people who have some problems in their family can visit. Sometimes, the city officers need to visit their houses as observers. And the governm
Read more

A Turning Point

Image
   My turning point was when I chose my high school at 15 age. When all students decided which school to take, I had not decided that yet. This was because I had two options then.   The first one was to go to the high school all my friends were supposed to go, which was not a preparatory school. The second one was to go to a preparatory school in the next city. My teacher and parents told me to choose the second option. However, I didn’t want to do that because I didn’t want to say goodbye to my friends. lol   I was understanding it was my selfishness, so I decided to take the second option. It was hard choice for me because it was needed my tough study to pass the entrance exam. And I don’t regret this decision. Luckily, I could pass the exam and make new friends there. Moreover, I was able to study very hard , influenced by friends around me. That’s why I can take this online classes now! If I had chosen the first option, I would not have been interested in English and study abroad.
Read more