Sean arrived the same week that graduate school began and life has been a blur of getting his paperwork in order, starting class, applying for jobs/internships and organizing our apartment.  I have a list of experiences that I'd like to write up as blog posts which will make for some therapeutic and fun writing as well as a nice change of pace from research papers and presentations.  But in the meantime, here's a brief glance at some of the things we've been up to:

Graduate school - I'm taking the minimum course load this term (ICU runs on a quarter system) because I'm a bit nervous about getting back into academia and also because I'm taking Japanese.  The three classes are: Peace and Conflict Studies I, Ideas on Peace and Research Design and Methodology.  Each class meets once a week for three hours and requires a lot of reading and writing outside of class.

Japanese class - I'm the only one of the fellows who decided to keep going with beginner Japanese because the time commitment is fairly intense. I have Japanese class three times a week in the mornings for about four hours each time.  The class focuses on reading and writing with some speaking and I spend hours outside of class trying to write the characters correctly.  The homework load for this class is very rigorous and there is some kind of assessment each time we meet.

Teaching - I was accepted to work as an English instructor at a nearby university.  On Thursdays, I teach four classes (90 minutes) in a row.  I also have one or two private students that I meet with for about an hour once a week.

Writing Support Desk - I was hired to be one of the fifteen writing support tutors at the library.  We offer help to undergraduates writing papers and essays.  This term, since I'm new, I am just going through orientation and doing several observations but I like the job so far.

Virtual Student Foreign Service - One of the opportunities I'm most excited about this year is working as a virtual intern for the State Department.  I'm working directly with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and am helping with digital storytelling of the Fulbright program.

Volunteering - The Mitaka (suburb of where we live in Tokyo) community has done an incredible job of reaching out to foreigners and making them feel at home here.  They also are very successful at connecting international students and residents with local volunteer opportunities.  I'm involved with an organization called "Glocal" (Global + Local) and MISHOP (Mitaka International Society for Hospitality).  These groups set up volunteering events, social mixers and small trips for locals and expats to get to know each other.

Rotary - One of the benefits of being on a Rotary fellowship is the amazing support and connection that the organization offers. I have a local host counselor Rotarian here that helps me out with many things in daily life, takes me to Rotary meetings and meets me at networking events.  It has been very special to have my own Rotary family here in Japan.

Friends - It's also been a huge advantage to be in the fellowship program because I've become close with my cohort of nine other fellows.  We hang out together and I've gotten to know them quite well. There are also some fellows from previous years who are still around and have given valuable advice.  Sean quickly joined some ultimate frisbee groups and has met some male spouses of other fellows to hang out with.


So far, my biggest challenge has been time management and also getting used to having an intense schedule with early mornings and late nights.  I'm trying to remember how to de-stress and have started jogging around campus and also going to yoga.  It has been a huge help to have Sean here as emotional support and as soon as he finds some work we'll be on our way.

Thanks for following our journey and more coming soon!

1 Comment

1. Anonymous on October 25, 2015 at 8:38 PM

   Oh my gosh Sarah, it sounds like you must be insanely busy!