In The Business of Chasing Dreams (part 2)

Last week was just like this week, weather-wise. Hot and humid. Back in May and June, I used to sometimes forget that I was in Tokyo. I’d be lost in my train of thought or something, and for a moment I'd think about how I hadn’t seen such-and-such a person for a while, and that I should call them and see if they want to hang out.

And then I’d remember “Oh yeah, I’m halfway around the world.” In a way it’s a very good thing. It means that I feel so comfortable here. And it means that for a brief moment, I had mentally taken a ‘vacation’ from Tokyo and mentally, I was back home in Canada.

But that doesn’t happen often these days. When it’s 36C and the humidex is around 40C, I don’t feel like I’m in Canada at all. I walk 15 minutes to the subway station, and already my T-shirt is literally soaked in sweat. The constant, unrelenting funk of the Tokyo summer serves as a clear and constant reminder that yes, I am in a foreign country and I have to learn to deal with that.

Sure I can and do use the air conditioning when I’m inside, but the kind of cold, canned air that comes out of those things is no substitute for a beautiful warm summer day with lots of fresh air. My friend told me that this intolerable weather will last until October. I sincerely hope she is wrong.

To make me sweat even more, I had two job interviews last week. Going to a job interview means wearing a suit. In my case, a black wool suit. And just to make sure I’m extra comfortable, I have to squeeze into my new size ten business shoes. (My old business shoes wore out. I’m actually a size eleven or twelve, but size ten was the largest size I could find that was affordable).

One job interview was with a company called IES, for a position in as an ALT (assistant language teacher) in an elementary school. The other was for G-Communications, for a position as an English teacher at an eikaiwa (English conversation) school. Either job would be great for me, because either job would enable me to get the sponsored visa I so desperately need right now.

On Tuesday of last week, I had the IES interview, and I charmed the pants off those guys. Both the manager and the company president loved me, and thought I’d be perfect for the ALT position. So I had a good feeling about it.

(Side note: Also on Tuesday, for those that know her, I met my friend Masami who was visiting from Calgary. She seems like she’s doing very well.)

Then on Thursday of last week, I had my interview with G-Communications. It didn’t go quite as well as the one with IES, but still I think I could present myself in a positive light and show them how I’d be an effective language teacher for them.

But still I worried. For both of the positions, “bachelor’s degree” was clearly stated as a requirement for the position. For the interview with IES, I danced around the subject of my schooling with a finesse that would make Fred Astaire blush. As for the interview with G-Communications, he asked me if my diploma would be enough for immigration, and I told him straight up “These things are determined on a case-by-case basis, but because I have a three-year diploma, I should be OK”. But I realized that there wasn’t much else I could have done. I need that work visa, and if I shy away from every position that says they require a degree, I’ll never get anywhere.

So on Thursday night I got a call from IES. The guy said “I really want to hire you” but he asked again about my school. He said unless I have a university degree it’s “impossible” to get a visa. I tried to explain to him that what I have is perfectly fine for immigration, but he wasn’t convinced at all.

And I realized that now it wasn’t just about the degree. Now he doesn’t trust me, because he feels that I lied to him about my credentials. If I lied about my credentials, what else could I have lied about? So I can’t blame him for being angry.

This call came about 5 min before I was supposed to see a student. So needless to say I was a bit rattled when I was trying to give the lesson. I was watching my dream fall apart again before my eyes. No visa means no long-term stay, no steady job, and no chance to do anything I had planned to do. I began to despair. In the middle of September, when my visa runs out, should I just pack up and go home? If IES won’t hire me, after having such an amazing interview with them, what chance would I have anywhere else? My mind went on and on with this, so when I got home on Thursday night I was no mood to pack. That’s right, Friday I moved to my new place.

(to be continued)