JET interview, revisited

So last year at this time I was not only freezing in my heatless apartment in Pittsburgh but I was also trying to prepare for my JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) interview at the Japanese Embassy in Washington, DC. Actually, my main source of anxiety was not the interview itself but rather getting to where I needed to be. The night before my interview my flight to DC was cancelled twice due to an ice storm in Pittsburgh but thankfully I made it out of the city only a few hours later than I was scheduled to. I stayed with Lisa who at the time was doing an internship at National Public Radio and also had a JET interview that day. I was dropped off in the city six hours before my interview and 30 blocks away from the embassy. I killed most of that time by scribbling away in my journal in the corner of an Au Bon Pain. Anyway, soon after putting my suit on in a nearby Starbucks bathroom, I got to the Japanese Embassy. A few other people were there waiting for their interviews, including Lisa. I wasn't really nervous as she and I sat and talked while waiting to be called into the interview room. Eventually, my name was next on the list and I walked though a door and was faced with a panel of three people that I spoke with for about 30 minutes. Here are the questions that I was asked:

-Please explain how you first got into teaching.
-In what ways did you shape the kids that you were tutoring?
-Have you ever studied any other languages?
-Do you think that you will be able to adjust to Japanese food?
-What is your opinion on how Japan is dealing with nature conservation?
-Please name and describe the three best things about Pittsburgh.
-What will you bring with you to Japan to share with your students as well as remember your life back home?
-Please talk about any issues concerning the relationship between Japan and the US.
-What would you do if you were asked to do teach very banal lessons day after day?
-I was then asked to do a ten minute self-introduction on the spot.

I'm happy to say that I walked out of the embassy feeling like I nailed it. I called my mom to tell her the good news and then got a nice cup of coffee and sat on a bench near DuPont Circle (even though it was freeeezing outside). That night, Lisa and I planned to go out and see a bit of the city but instead we stayed in, put on a documentary, and crashed very early in the evening. We did get to see some good museums the next day and I even snuck into the NPR building to see firsthand where all the 'magic' goes down.

The waiting period over the next month and a half was pretty awful. All that I knew was that in early April I'd either be shortlisted, an alternate, or rejected. I didn't resign my lease in Pittsburgh and knew that one way or another I was heading out of the city and, if possible, landing a job abroad. During the first week of April I got the email that had been waiting for since I turned my written application in sometime in November. And now I'm sitting on my tatami mat, drinking coffee and listening to King Crimson albums back to back and I've got to say that, as of now, I'm pretty content.

Of course I'll have to apply and interview for other jobs after this one (at some point) but I think that the whole JET application process really puts one's nerves through the ringer. I don't think it would have been so bad if the waiting periods were shorter (or maybe less vague on the dates that we'd be receiving important information). This may be the first time in my life where I'm not too worried about my next step, although I think about it a lot. Who knows what will come up between now and the time I say goodbye to Japan, whenever that may be.