Japanese Temple

49. Question : Can anyone recommend resources for finding jobs teaching English in Japan? I’ve been looking at the possibility of teaching English in Japan next year. I’ve seen things where you can go with just a bachelor’s degree and no foreign language experience. The problem is, the JET program deadline has passed, and I’ve heard Aeon and Aclipse (and recruiters like that) are somewhat illegitimate. Can anyone offer first hand experience about a program they have done (or no someone who has done a program) that they can recommend?

Answer : JET is closed for Spring 2010, but it might still be open for Fall 2010, and definitely for Spring 2011. AEON is legit. It’s a huge company with branches all over Japan. Try out ECC, Geos, and do a bit of searching for other “eikaiwa.” Some of these places do recruiting outside of Japan. Check gaijinpot.com for a daily updated source of jobs mainly for native English-speaking university grads. Unfortunately a lot of them require you to actually be in Japan at the time of application, but not all of them. Also check out Ohayo Sensei, who put out a bimonthly list of job ads. (You can also post your own job wanted ad for free). The crappy eikaiwa was NOVA, but it doesn’t exist anymore. However there’s a new company which is basically starting it up again. It should be completely different management, but I’d still stay away from that place. I’ve heard too many bad things about them, and that was before they suddenly went bankrupt, leaving hundreds of people out of work, stranded in a foreign country. Interac is a good company, where you do the same job as most JET people, minus the nice government paycheque. Still quite decent pay and to some, this kind of job is “the” English teaching job in Japan. Right now is the hiring spree as Japanese schools start their year in April. Other companies follow suit. So don’t delay. Do your searching and send out your resume today. If you wait a month it will be slim pickings. Most positions will be filled and it will be that way for month.

Oakland

50. Question : Tips for my trip to the bay area? I’m taking my kids to discovery kingdom/great America (ages 1 1/2 & 5) in mid April & planning to stay for 4 days and explore the San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose area. I’ve never been there. Any suggestions on how to make the most of out of my trip, hotels, restaurants or any tips on places to visit, what to do & what not to do, areas that I should stay out of…etc are greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your input.

Answer : Since you have young kids this could definitely be more of a difficult trip for you! There aren’t as many rides for little kids at those parks but I think they have added more since I last went. A lot of places in Oakland are not very nice areas, known for being a prettty rough area. If you’re driving, it might be faster to get some places in San Francisco than taking public transportation but if you’re not familiar with the area & the parking it could get confusing. The kids might like to ride on a cable car (I wouldn’t generally use it as a mode of transportation but it might be cool if you’ve never been). It’s easy to get it on it at Powell & Market St (Union Square) and it can take you down to Ghiradelli Square and near the Wharf. Depending on where you’re staying, you could take Bart right to Union Square, shop around or eat and then hop onto the cable car. There’s not really a whole lot to do at Ghirardelli Sq. though, there are some shops & things & Boudin’s bread making factory is right around the corner. (It’s been a while since I’ve been there but I’m pretty positive you can walk from there to Pier 39 (Fisherman’s Wharf). Boudin’s is a good place to eat near there and pretty much anywhere on the pier has good seafood. At Golden Gate Park there is California Academy of Sciences which includes an Aquarium, a Planetarium, a ‘Rainforest’ and some Natural History. It was recently redone & when I went there were people of all ages, though the older ones understood more there was still plenty for the young ones to look at if you want to include something educational.

This was my response to someone in their 20’s: (just for extra info)

Seriously, if you can’t find something to do here then you aren’t going to find anything to do anywhere else! Even though there is really something for everyone, I think it’s especially a great place for young adults. If you like to party then there are always the nightclubs & raves. If you’re into music there are always tons of concerts to go (from big names to the little ones) of every style. There are even a lot of free music events, festivals, something is always going on and it’s cool to just walk around Haight. There’s Fisherman’s Wharf (Pier 39) which is pretty touristy but it’s still something to do and the place to go if you like fresh clam chowder in a bread bowl. There’s tons of shopping to do, mainly around Union Square. Right near Union Square there is Chinatown which is a good place to go if you want some real Chinese food & to see the shops. There’s the Ferry Building which has a farmers market and is close to AT&T Park (Giant’s Stadium). There is always Ocean Beach, not to be confused with North Beach(which is actually Little Italy and has no beach). There’s the Presidio if you like historical stuff and plenty of art museums to go see. The marina is pretty if you walk down there and there’s grassy areas where people hang out, it’s pretty expensive to live there though. You can also see/walk/drive the crooked street in the world (Lombard St.). If you like science then there’s the new California Academy of Sciences and the Exploratorium. There’s also a bunch of places to go in Golden Gate Park besides the CA of S, like Japanese Tea Garden and the DeYoung Museum. There’s also Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge to see (boring in my opinion..guess it’s cause I’ve seen it so many times). If you’re not into touristy stuff and you just like to hang out then there will still be tons of things to do. There are tons of great restaurants everywhere so you’ll find something even for the pickiest eaters! There’s always parades and unique city events. & you can always check out the nearby cities (like Berkeley…great place!).

Hopefully this helps…good luck on your trip!