My New Doctor

All kinds of thoughts floated through my head as I waited to board a plane heading to Tokyo. I felt nervous anticipation, excitement, a hunger for new experiences, bittersweet memories, and an adrenaline rush. I was thrilled that I was about to embark on a new journey in life and that I would be teaching English to high school students in Japan! "We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open,” said Jawaharal Nehru. Moving to Japan and starting on a new path through life was truly going to be an adventure that I would never forget. I was ready to go to the Land of the Rising Sun! The JET Program would change my world forever, but challenges lay ahead. I would have to adapt to a different culture, food, customs, and a language I did not know. I was going to be living in Osaka, Japan and I knew that it was going to be very different from my home in Denver, Colorado. I knew I could manage most of the changes, but was a bit worried about how I’d communicate with the most important person of all, my new diabetic doctor in Japan.

Learning another language is always strenuous, but add that to moving to a country where you do not even know how to ask, “can I have that to go?” and it brings on a whole new challenge. In the past, I had traveled to many countries and learned the basic phrases in the local language, but living in Japan as a resident was going to be an entirely different experience. Mark Twain once said, “The existing phrasebooks are inadequate. They are well enough as far as they go, but when you fall down and skin your leg they don't tell you what to say.” I knew it was going to be difficult living in another country, especially because of the language barrier. But, since I was placed in a big city, I thought I could still communicate with people using English and the few phrases of Japanese that I knew. I was in for a huge surprise when I went to the hospital for my first doctor’s appointment and no one spoke any English. I could not even ask the front desk staff where the doctor’s room was located. Luckily, my liaison and sister were with me and were able to assist me in translating Japanese to English.

Even before I arrived in Japan, I had made arrangements to visit a diabetic doctor, Dr. Tanaka, in one of Osaka’s big public hospitals. I was happy to learn that Dr. Tanaka spoke English, so I would be able to communicate with him. I knew it would take me time to learn how to say, “I have a fever,” in Japanese, so until I increased my knowledge of Japanese, I planned to speak in English. My father and sister were visiting me at the time and decided to accompany me to the hospital for the doctor’s visit. In addition, the Board of Education liaison accompanied me to the hospital to ensure that my first doctor visit went smoothly. As I approached the hospital front desk with my liaison, she spoke quickly to the receptionist in Japanese and then explained to me that my appointment would begin at 11 am. The hospital staff informed me that I would have to wait for a long time to see the doctor (anywhere from one to three hours) and they gave me a pager which would vibrate when it was my turn to see the doctor. As my father, sister, liaison, and I sat in the lobby of the hospital, waiting to see Dr. Tanaka, we decided to have lunch in the sandwich/coffee shop inside of the hospital. Just as we ordered our drinks and lunch and settled in for the long haul, the pager began beeping and vibrating and it was time for us to go to see the doctor right away!

All four of us went inside the doctor’s office to visit Dr. Tanaka, but to our surprise, a Dr. Hosoi greeted us! We were all confused as to why I was meeting Dr. Hosoi and not Dr. Tanaka. Through various translations from the nurse to the liaison and my sister, we learned that my doctor would be Dr. Hosoi from then on and not the elusive Dr. Tanaka. I had built up an image of Dr. Tanaka in my mind for over one month. I thought he would be a short, slim, and older Japanese man with a deep understanding of how to best treat diabetic patients. To my amazement, I was introduced to Dr. Hosoi who was younger, taller, and wore glasses, not at all like the doctor who I had imagined. My new doctor greeted me nicely and I finally relaxed as we discussed my medical history. Dr. Hosoi spoke English well and I was relieved that I would be able to speak to him with confidence. In addition, Dr. Hosoi also had a deep understanding of the best treatment options for diabetic patients. Somehow we were able to communicate across language barriers through translations and I forgot my worries.

The one thing I love about Osaka is its people! Osakans are some of the friendliest people on Earth (and that is not an overstatement) and they will go out of their way to help you! Even though I am still learning Japanese, Osakans make an effort to speak to me in English and elementary Japanese. I appreciate how Osakans go out of their way to assist me when I need help! I now visit the hospital without my Board of Education liaison, but the hospital staff makes an effort to assist me by speaking to me in English and Japanese.

Helen Keller once said, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” I believe that my experience in moving to Japan and learning Japanese has been one of the biggest adventures of my life! Every day living in Osaka, I experience a new adventure, whether it is visiting the doctor’s office, traveling to Kyoto to see Nanzenji Temple, or making new Japanese friends!

I always dreamt about living in Japan ever since my sister participated in the JET Program five years ago, but it is surreal to actually be experiencing Japan for myself! I had been interested in Japan ever since my sister worked as an ALT in the mountains of Gifu prefecture. My sister frequently sent me photos and e-mails describing the festivals she attended, the beautiful scenery (including pictures of astonishing cherry blossoms), and the awe-inspiring temples. I visited my sister while she was living in Japan and since then had wanted to participate in the JET Program. During my train travels through Honshu, I explored the important and beautiful temples of Kyoto, admired the scenery of the Japanese Alps in Hida, stared at the skyscrapers in Nagoya and Tokyo, and felt the warmth of the Japanese people. I enjoyed meeting the teachers and students at my sister’s school, in northern Gifu-ken. At that point in time, I did not know that one day I would move to Osaka and meet amazing people and teach English to great students.

I truly enjoy listening to and understanding people, and I hope to gain more knowledge of the Japanese culture, customs, and traditions by studying and learning Japanese. As I learn Japanese, I will increase my confidence in speaking and will gain more of an understanding about my surroundings. I have already signed up for Japanese classes at the local international center and am learning new words and phrases everyday! In the future, I hope to be able to speak to the front desk staff at the hospital on my own and explain who I need to see and for what reason, without substitute hand gestures and broken Japanese phrases!

Mark Twain once said, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” I know that twenty years from now when I look back on the past, I will be happy that I lived in Osaka and discovered my passion for teaching English to students in Japan.

As I stand looking at the clear night sky and the beautiful skyline and bright lights of Osaka from my balcony, I cannot imagine my life any other way. Every day I set out to my high schools and enjoy teaching the students English. I look forward to seeing my students smiling faces and those who are eager to learn English. Although I face new challenges and difficulties, I also am learning how to overcome these and discovering new things every day!

Great Travel Quotes

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." -- Helen Keller

"Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living." –- Miriam Beard

"A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it." –- John Steinbeck

"When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money." -- Susan Heller

"Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter." -- Izaak Walton

"I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them." -- Mark Twain

"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open." -- Jawaharal Nehru

"A man of ordinary talent will always be ordinary, whether he travels or not; but a man of superior talent (which I cannot deny myself to be without being impious) will go to pieces if he remains forever in the same place." — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

"Don't tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you have traveled." — Mohammed

"Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by." — Robert Frost

"I should like to spend the whole of my in life traveling abroad, if I could anywhere borrow another life to spend afterwards at home." — William Hazlitt

"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware." — Martin Buber