JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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- 秘書及び業務サポート
- 加治金属工業株式会社, Tokyo
- Salary: ¥4.0M / Year
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- English Instructor (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe)
- Berlitz Japan, Inc. (ベルリッツ・ジャパン株式会社), Kansai
- Salary: ¥125,000 ~ ¥250,000 / Month
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- ALT - Mie Prefecture - Yokkaichi City - June start
- NPO法人グローバル教育推進機構（GLAD), Mie
- Salary: ¥230,000 / Month For a full working month. Some months differ.
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sakurala
Tokyokawasaki: I plan to retire here so I pay into the pension plan. If you don't plan to be a long-term resident, I can see why you would opt out but some countries have an agreement with Japan to transfer pensions across boarders.
And anyway, it does not matter the percentage of foreigners...this is an issue that may effect our friends and loved ones in the future. I feel really bad for the people that paid into their pensions for years on end and once they have reached the finish line, there is nothing for them. I hope they fix this issue ASAP as it can be something that will cause serious issues to this aging society.
Posted in: Which way after AIJ?
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sakurala
Hahaha, this is halarious! I could see how this would be useful in Japanese apartments and even some houses.
Posted in: Noiseless KaraOK
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sakurala
Cos: I am talking about my high school which was for ages 12-18. Not uni. At uni I tried to eat better because I saw how I was ballooning due to my previous bad habits. Also, I do think that some Chinese food is healthy but they way it was implied was that it would rather be eaten than the healthy food that was being served in the school. A lot of take out food isn't really that healthy.
KariHaruka: That is great that YOU balanced it. However, a lot of people don't and will suffer a lot from their habits. Also, some might see what you chow down on and not know about your excercise routine so think they can do the same.
I just think that it is a step in the right direction to not only educate kids on healthy heating but actually reinforce it by limiting their junkfood intake at school. There is no need to give kids the option when they aren't responsible enough to make the right decisions. That's why a lot of things have age limits (driving, smoking, drinking etc)
Posted in: Join the food revolution
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sakurala
...forgot to mention it. But by what you said in your previous posts, it looks like you also dodged the healthy bullet in order to go get Chinese food every lunch. Perhaps you should reflect on your habits and then think about kids who may have had less food education than you would fare with all the choices they're given.
Posted in: Join the food revolution
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sakurala
KariHaruka...I am sure that you are a healthy individual making good choices for yourself. You may even teach your kids how to eat healthy and make sure they do at home. But the problem is, when the kids are left to decide for themselves. Most kids would choose something unhealthy even if they are educated about healthy food. Why? Because to them it seems like a treat and if it is at school, the parents won't find out.
I know. I did the same thing when I was in school. I ate healthy breakfasts and dinners (which I cooked) but once I got to school, I always had a donut and cola. I knew that it wasn't healthy but at that age, my self-control was rather lacking. That is why a lot of people think it would e good to have healthy options at schools and to remove food that may be too tempting to say no to.
Posted in: Join the food revolution
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sakurala
My contract with DOCOMO is almost upand I am thinking of switching to AU just to get an iPhone. I have had so many problems with my android powered smart phone that I think I may have to just pass on them. It's a shame because I like the service I get with docomo.
Posted in: Docomo unveils 19 new mobile devices
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sakurala
Amidalism: It depends on what they are trying to enter university for. If it is just to finish it to get a job in Japan than it is probably fine. If they want to get into acedmia full-time, publish papers and do extrensive research, then they should probably be looking to at least go on an exchange program or 2.
Posted in: World's top countries for higher education ranked
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sakurala
I don't see why people need to get my pet nutered if it is unable to get out and breed with something else. But, for those who decide to keep 2 of the same species of opposite sexes, it should be encouraged unless they are planning to breed them responsibly.
I think people need to look at the root of this issue, which is more than likely a mental issue. People who are hording pets need to get therapy and support. Once they feel ready, then people can help for them get rid of their pets by giving them to shelters or loving homes that would be better able to take care of them. If you just take away the animals right away, they may end of in the same position again very quickly.
Posted in: Pet hoarding at the local cat house a growing problem
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sakurala
It is frightening how many people have just accepted being fat as a part of their life. If they could see the health and mental benifits of getting some excercise and eating healthier, maybe they could change. I think it is a very small percentage that is obese due to a health reason rather than being obese for the lack of proper discipline. Hopefully more countries will look into ways of preventing people from over-indulging on foods that aren't meant to be consumed on a regular basis.
Posted in: 42% of U.S. may be obese by 2030: study
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sakurala
Alphaape: why do you think some women are on welfare? Some can't hold down a job because of a medical condition be it physical or mental. I am just suggesting that some women may be very happy to take the pill for free so they could once again get back on their feet and get back into the workforce. Once they get working again I am sure they would gladly pay for their own pills. Yes, I know it is a small minority which would be helped, hence why they don't mention its other benifits, but every unemployed person counts and if the fix is simple,why not help them.
Posted in: New Zealand offers contraception to women on welfare
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sakurala
Tmarie and Cleo: you both have good points. I think that if a women wants to become a mother, she should know what she is signing herself up for. It means that there will be times (always?) when your life will feel that it is being interrupted. There will be times when you don't feel that you are doing your best or that you aren't meeting others standards. That is bound to happen. But the point is, that people should be aware and try to do their best if they choose to become a parent. This is even true for those who are pressured into being a parent, because in reality, they are still making that choice. If a woman really was opposed to having children, hopefully she would be able to find a loving supporting spouse that would have the same desire. Those are the women who tend to be in professional jobs such as doctors, who would like to continue on their carreer path. They may not get to the top of the workplace ladder but if they are happy in doing it, and work hard enough, maybe they can help pave the way for other women like them. Life is a series of choices, and each one you take, only you can be held accountable for it.
Posted in: The curse of the perfect mother
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sakurala
Alphaape: Like Cleo said, they probably just suffered in silence. But during those times, most women were either working in the fields, their cottage industies or stay at home mothers and not expected to go to a specific job for a specific set of time each day. So, if I were vomiting all morning but got the strength to tend to my corn in the afternoon, I would be out there doing it. But there is no way at the present moment that I could go to my job and expect them to just leave me alone in the bathroom for 4 hours and then let me continue to my work where I may faint in front of 40 unsuspecting students. Therefore, I am happy that the pill gives me the oppurtunity to work and keep full time employment. I am quite sure I would be fired if I called in sick for 3 days every month...and then, or the irony...I would have to go on welfare.
Posted in: New Zealand offers contraception to women on welfare
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sakurala
Haha, David, you cracked me up! When I think about Pakistan, health issues aren't really on top of the list....But I guess he knew the risks and still went anyway.
Posted in: U.S. says it will not deal with al-Qaida over kidnapped aid worker in Pakistan
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sakurala
A well written article but I think the author needs to remember what she says in the end: everything is a choice. Some people choose to put their work first and not have children. A majority balance work and raising kids. While some women choose to put their children first. It is every woman's choice and as long as she is happy in what she chooses, and her family supports her, I don't see what the issue is. Is it that other women are angry at the stay at home moms that work to perfect the bento and spend hours and tonnes of money taking their kids from activity to activity to give them a full life? I personally don't think I could handle being a stay at home mom, but I don't think that people should look down on those who choose to do so.
Feminism seems to forget that women still have choices that they may persue that run counter to their hopes of a female ruled world.
Posted in: The curse of the perfect mother
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sakurala
Smithinjapan: I agree completely! Some people would love to have affordable or free birth control in able to prevent pregnency when they aren't feeling ready for it. I was very lucky that when I was in university there was a sexual health clinic that gave me free ''samples'' of the pill that I was already taking. I told them I didn't have enough money that month but really wanted to keep taking the pill. For people like me, it could be a lifesaver! (NOTE: without the pill I cannot leave my house for 3 days a month on the count of passing out and vomiting...oh the joys of being a woman!)
Posted in: New Zealand offers contraception to women on welfare
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sakurala
Scrote: The Eiken/STEP tests at certain levels have a speaking component. Also the new TOEFL test has a speaking compenent as well. I have helped JHS prepare for the Eiken tests several times, and with a bit of practice, the vast majority have passed...some even have passed the pre-2 level.
Posted in: Why are Japanese so bad at English?
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sakurala
Yubaru: That is exactly my point! The school didn't prioritize English. I was given a full class every week which meant they even had less time to learn the grammar properly and practice it with their JTE. A lot of students were enthusiastic about me being there but they just didn't have the base knowledge they needed because the JTE was rather incompitent along with not having enough time.
However, at the same time, I was teaching at another JHS 4 days a week. Over there, they had already implemented English 4 times a week as a rule years ago. They also had me teach all the students but usually once every other week so the JTE had more time to teach, drill, review and then speak with me. It works a lot better that way.
Posted in: Why are Japanese so bad at English?
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sakurala
Yubaru: You may be correct about it being 4 times a week now. But for the past 3 years I taught at a school which only had English 3 times a week. And of those 3, 50 minute sessions, one was completely mine to do as I pleased...which meant 2 hours of textbook English a week. That school had the lowest English scores in our city.
Posted in: Why are Japanese so bad at English?
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sakurala
Yet again, love the article. Perhaps some things are exaggerated but I the idea is right. I am very lucky that the junior high school I work at has prioritized English. It is 4 times a week with tonnes of homework that requires original sentences and my classes are mainly speaking.
But I can completely sympathize with the students who can't do English...I studied French for 3 years and I would be hard pressed to go beyond greetings at this point. It was solely because I never really applied myself to the language. However, German was much more interesting to me because of the chance to go on exchange so I worked hard for it and found that my 1 year of study already got me past my French level.
So, I guess the trick would be finding a way to inspire students to want to make English a priority and give them ample oppurtunity to use it.
Posted in: Why are Japanese so bad at English?
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sakurala
It's sad that so many people have thought about suicide but I don't think that this is purely a Japanese thing. Many people in developed countried contemplate it for various reasons like pressure from their family, work, relationships or because of a mental illness. I hope that more people feel able to talk to their friends about this very serious issue in order to get help. Even having someone just listen to them may help out a lot. I know that if one of my friends wasn't there for me a few years back, I wouldn't be here today.
Posted in: Over 25% of Japanese in their 20s have considered suicide