A Brief History of ( My Time in) Japan

Hello, friends. I'd like to take the time to give you a little history about myself. This is primarily for the benefit of new found friends and colleagues that I've encountered and continue to encounter through my involvement in the JET Alumni Association (JETAA). The Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program provided me with the opportunity to teach English in Japan for two years after I graduated from college.

I recently took on the mantle of Representative for the Dakotas Sub-Chapter of JETAA USA. One of my responsibilities with this position is maintaining communication and participation, as much as I'm able, for North and South Dakota. And that brings me to the brief history of my life after college when I lived in Japan. I'll sum up with a brief paragraph on where I'm at today. Yes, I realize that one paragraph is a very small amount of space to summarize where a person is in life, but it will serve our purpose today.

First allow me a chance to introduce myself. I graduated from Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota with an English / Creative Writing degree in 1998. That same year I entered the JET Program and began working at Ohito-koko in Ohito-cho, Shizuoka-ken. I spent two years teaching various classes, including Oral Communications A and B to a total of 600 students covering the three grade levels at Ohito-koko.

Ohito-cho was located on the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka-ken. I say was because it has joined with some other surrounding towns to form Izunokuni-shi. I lived in a beautiful valley which ran the length of the peninsula. One of the things I miss the most about my home in Japan is the presence of mountains on either side of me, rising up and then falling down to touch the shoreline of the Izu. Ohito-cho was a very rural location, consisting of about 15,000 citizens.

During my two years I managed to experience a lot of Japan, though I felt like there was far more that I missed out on. One of the first experiences that I went through, a few weeks after arriving in Japan, was to climb Mt. Fuji. About 125 JETs started out together at 11 pm on the last weekend that the mountain was open to the public. Thanks to the cold wind and rain that we struggled against all night there were only about 25 of us that actually finished the climb. Of course, thanks to the aforementioned weather, we did not get a chance to see the sunrise from the top of Mt. Fuji. And no, I don’t think I’ll try it again.

I also managed to visit Kyoto, Tokyo, Nagoya, and Hiroshima while I was there. This, of course, means that I had opportunities to visit such memorable locations as Kinkokujin, Akihabara, the Olympic Arena, and the Peace Museum. I also had the great opportunity to learn join Kyudo and learn this traditional art from some of my own students. They got a real kick out of being able to teach me the proper way to hold the bow and arrow, and the proper stance to use when aiming and shooting. It was also a good chance for them to stretch their English skills outside of the classroom.

Now let’s fast-forward briefly and let you know a little bit about my post-JET Program life. I live in Sioux Falls with my wife, Rihoko, my 4-year old son, Christopher, and my 1-year old daughter, Nanami. My wife is originally from Atami-shi in Shizuoka-ken, and we try our best to make it back regularly to visit with friends and family. I am an unpublished fiction writer and lover of the English language. I currently receive a regular paycheck from a large company in Sioux Falls in exchange for the daily use of some of my brain cells.

Watch out for Double Trouble!

I just wanted to drop a quick blurb about two extremely talented authors, Philippa Balantine and Tee Morris. Here is an opportunity from Dragon Moon Press to get a free PDF download of the most recent novels by these two writers in anticipation of 08/08/08. The Double Trouble campaign is promoting Digital Magic, by Philippa Balantine, and A Billibub Baddings Mystery: The Case of the Pitcher's Pendant, by Tee Morris.

These two authors are well know for the prequels of these recent releases. Chasing the Bard is a recent podcast novel release by Philippa Balantine. And Billibub Baddings and the Case of the Singing Sword is a recent podcast novel release by Tee Morris.

I encourage you to support these authors as the print release of the Double Trouble books become available for purchase on August 8, 2008. And, if you take advantage of the free PDF versions of these books go ahead and get the word out about them, including your own review, on you blog, podcast, or website. These two authors are among many talented writers out there that deserve to have their voices heard...beyond their podcasts, that is.

R.I.P. Mr. Cassette

Check out this article from the New York Times on the death of cassette tapes. Though they haven't been used in the music industry in a long time, publishers had continued to utilize cassette tapes as a medium for audio books. Apparently that has come to an end.

Do You Censor Yourself?

I've been catching up on my Google Reader content lately and came across this wonderful article by acclaimed Brave Men Run author, Matthew Wayne Selznick. He received a response from one of his readers concerning some of the content in his book. Mr. Selznick then delved into the question of whether author's should be concerned about the content of their works offending their readers. I love his response, and you should read it in its entirety in his article, The Author's Responsibility.

As a Christian I know that I will encounter different things in the books and stories I choose to read that I may find offensive. That is the risk I take as a reader. Most of these things I take in stride as an avid reader and aspiring author. I know that many of the things we encounter are there to help us define ourselves as humans. Especially in the case of the characters in Brave Men Run, who display many of the character flaws you come to expect in teenagers. As others on Mr. Selznick's website have stated, a teenager who never does anything wrong is not believable. That is true of character's of almost any age.

In my own writing I never try to apologize for the things I've written, or the actions of my characters. If people disagree with what I'm writing they can put the book down and find another. And if reading my material changes peoples' personal opinions of me...well, I guess they'll have to learn to accept the way a human mind thinks, including mine. I know I've accepted it, and am grateful for the different ideas that flow through me during the creative process.

Mr. Selznick, congratulations on an incredible novel in Brave Men Run. And thank you for not worrying about any one's opinion but your own.

Randy Pausch Passed Away

I don't know if you've been following Dr. Randy Pausch or not. He passed away today at age 47.

Writing Resource: Backspace - The Writer's Place

I just stumbled across a new website for writers. Backspace - The Writer's Place appears to be a very nice resource. I have not had the time to do more than peruse some of the links that they have available. I'll give you more feedback in the future. In the meantime, if you happen to peruse the site first, drop me a comment with your thoughts.

Free Stuff from TOR Books!

TOR Books recently launched its brand new website. As I understand it, prior to this site being launched they were using an interim site where they were preparing people for their grand new look. On this interim site TOR was giving away free stuff. Free electronic copies of books and fantasy and sci-fi art. Well, now that the new TOR.com is up and running they've decided to make all of the free stuff that was available previously available again...for a limited time. If you are interested in free electronic books by some great TOR authors, or some incredible fantasy and sci-fi art then check out the Freebies Bonanza post from their website. The freebies are only available through Sunday, July 27, so get over there now.

Incidentally, I haven't had time to dive into their new website but, at first glance, I do like their new format. I'm thinking I might stop back again sometime.

Enjoy the free stuff!