Archive for February, 2006
I Think I’m Learning Japanese
When I first moved to Japan about two-and-a-half years ago, the only Japanese I knew came from Styx songs. I’ve come a long way since then. Now I know Japanese from Styx songs and commercials for Japanese car insurance.
Okay, I admit it, my Japanese is far from great; I’m barely able to hold a conversation with a five-year-old on my best days. Still, I’ve come across dozens of computer applications and websites that are useful for students of Japanese, and a few of them have even been good enough to fall into the category of “helpful to my linguistically challenged self.” Combine some of these programs and sites with a good study routine and you’ll be pera-pera in no time. (Or omit the good study routine–like me–and you’ll at least be able to avoid ordering raw beef from a menu. I think I understand why my Japanese is so bad…)
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Getting More Out of an Office Computer
As a “computer guy” (and borderline obsessive, I think), I’m pretty particular about my computer. I like to have my desktop organized just so, I like to use Firefox for browsing the web and Thunderbird for checking email, I like to keep my documents folder squeaky clean. It’s pretty hard for me, then, to use a foreign computer for any significant amount of time.
For many JETs, though, using a computer other than their own for much of the day is a necessity. Whether they don’t own a computer, don’t want to lug their laptop around or can’t lug their desktop around, a lot of JETs are stuck using an office computer at work. I’ve heard some stories about these office computers that make me wonder how Japan got such a tech-savvy image; 10-year-old PCs with Japanese-only menus and restrictions on internet use can make it awfully hard for a JET to get work (or “work”) done.
Luckily, there are some solutions to office computing woes. Here are some fixes to the most common complaints I’ve heard about using clunky office computers.
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Ureshino Attaka Matsuri
Attaka Matsuri is a festival that showcases the local art and dance of Ureshino, with various events around the town. Amongst these, you’ll be able to taste local dishes, view exhibitions at various sites and sample the unique Onsen at discounted prices. Definitely a good way to warm you up during this cold season! More info on the message board.
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A Gram of Computer Buying Advice
If there’s one computer-related question I’m asked more often than any other by JETs, it’s definitely, “Can you help me buy a computer?” Asking me for help computer shopping is like asking a junkie to please help pick out the best heroin, so I’m always happy to offer my advice. However, since my advice is usually the same, I’ll share it here for anyone who is in the computer-buying market to consider: buy the computer you need.
I doubt I could offer a more general piece of advice if I tried, so let me go into more detail. There are currently about 1.6 million different computer models you can buy. Before you buy any of them, you need to figure out what you’re going to use your new computer for. Once you have your needs figured out, you can jot down a few features your computer must have and then go looking for a good value. The problem for many JETs, though, is matching up what they want to do with their computer to megabytes of RAM, gigahertz of processing power and all the other numbers you need to know when computer shopping.
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Hi, Tech
I’m not a JET. Even though I may help out my wife–who is a JET–with the occasional eikaiwa, I’ve never been in a Japanese school as a teacher. I’ve never come up with a lesson plan about the progressive tense, never made a worksheet on gerunds, never recited vocabulary words for a classroom full of students. These are perhaps not the best qualifications for someone getting ready to offer advice to JETs.
I am, however, a big fan of technology. I’m a web designer and work on a computer most of the day, so I know a little something about technology, too. Even though I’ve never signed a JET contract, I can Google “JET contract” in two seconds flat.
As I’ve watched my wife and my other JET friends work as assistant language teachers for the past two years, I’ve realized a “computer guy” like myself (read: nerd) might have something to offer the JET community. I’ve often been able to give advice when these ALTs talk about scouring through dozens of websites to find good teaching resources, struggling with making a worksheet with pencil and paper or fretting about what kind of computer to get. No reason, then, for me not to offer this same advice–tips on how technology can help you do your job–here on SagaJET.
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