Is Japan the right choice right now?

Question:

About a week ago, i was offered a teaching position in Shikoku island, Japan. But since then i have been given nothing but grief and guilt by my family and friends as they keep telling me ill get radiation poisoning, get sick, have no children, or even die. I keep telling them that Shikoku is nearly 500 miles away from the radiation incident and the likelihood of radiation isnt too high.

Although ive looked into it (extensively), perhaps i need to hear some outside opinions on the situation. Should i go to Japan and teach? Is radiation really a concern in Shikoku?

any advice would be great

Answer:

You asked this question a few days ago, and I gave you a perfectly reliable website (from the Ministry of Education) which tells you what the radiation is in Shikoku.

So, it seems to me that you are really freaking out about leaving your family and friends. This is normal. But, maybe what you need to do is talk to a counselor, and air *your* concerns about going to Japan. And not all this peripheral stuff about radiation and whatever . . . because you and I both know that's not what the real problem is. A counselor can help you decide what concerns are normal, and what concerns are a little bit exaggerated.

Personally, I think it's a wonderful chance to expand your horizons and meet some new people. However, if you are going to freak out in the first week or so at your position, you'll go through a lot of heartache trying to get back home . . . where you'll have no job waiting, and a lot of chaff for quitting.

That said, I know a woman with extreme anxiety disorder who did have to leave her teaching position after only a couple of weeks in Japan. It was a very hard decision for her, but she was able to get her ducks in order and leave in a week. As far as I know, she's doing OK now. (She was throwing up daily from the stress of being in a strange culture with a strange language.)

Most people do OK, but only you can judge how you will react. But remember, there are always choices. If you choose to quit now, there are lots of choices out there. If you choose to quit two weeks into your contract, there are choices out there to get you back. If you choose to stick it out to the end of your contract, then there are a whole bunch of new choices waiting for you (-:.

But please don't blame your (understandable) anxiety on the radiation. That's really not the problem. And too many people in the West are freaking out about something that's really a non-issue for anyone outside of Fukushima.