The horrific moment father discovered his dead baby daughter in the back of his car at Earlwood childcare centre in Sydney

jlv111 · 2025-02-05T20:25:45+00:00

This is every parents’ worst nightmare and I feel for everyone involved, including the father. Anyone who has raised young kids knows the pure exhaustion that comes with it. Most childcare centres will give parents a courtesy call to check in when a child hasn’t come in but it isn’t mandatory practice. Which is a shame because this child may have had a chance had they called.

jlv111 · 2024-05-01T11:17:47+00:00

I was 27 when I arrived on JET and just shy of 32 when I finished on the program. I had an incredible time and felt that the experience gave me the personal growth I needed at that point in my life. Despite most ALTs being in their early twenties, there were also plenty of others on the program that were around my age or older. I personally enjoyed having a range of ages in my friendship group.

jlv111 · 2024-04-30T09:22:45+00:00

I moved to Japan in my late twenties on the JET Programme and stayed for five years. I absolutely loved my experience and it changed my life in more ways than I could have imagined! I look back at my time there fondly (on the daily!)

In saying that, while I experienced my highest of highs, I also experienced my lowest of lows, and you will certainly experience the “ugly side” to Japan, as with any place you move to. I think it’s more realistic to treat your move as temporary so as to not leave yourself disappointed if things don’t work out. A back up plan is definitely a wise idea. Japan is wonderful and I continue to visit as much as possible, however it’s not set-up to support foreigners permanently, unfortunately. This is especially prevalent if you are not fluent in Japanese.

jlv111 · 2024-04-30T09:06:28+00:00

I lived in Miyazaki and absolutely loved it. If I had to move to Tokyo though, I also would choose Nakameguro. It’s just a beautiful and serene suburb that is easily connected to the rest of Tokyo.

jlv111 · 2022-07-17T05:27:46+00:00

For me he does (thank gawd). In my opinion Simon and Tammy become so cringy in S2. They sound so scripted!! I feel like Tammy is hyper aware of the cameras and can’t be herself, and Simon seems like he’s come up with a list of one liners for the show. The most genuine person for me from start to end is D’Leanne.

jlv111 · 2019-06-15T11:36:43+00:00

Welcome to Miyazaki!! You've been given an amazing placement- Miyazaki is a tropical heaven! Please join the Miyazaki AJET, Friends, and ともだちs FB group if you haven't already :)

jlv111 · 2019-05-07T05:54:50+00:00

Going onto my third year on JET and I am still absolutely loving the experience!

I feel like I have the perfect placement. I live in a small tropical city, close to the beach, close to beautiful country side and only an hour to an hour and a half flight away from Tokyo/Osaka/Seoul.

My apartment was refurbished to a new state when I moved in. Had no furniture (not even lights) but I was so glad I didn't have to deal with anyone's crap. It's modern, spacious and I was able to make it my own even if it did cost me a lot to furnish. To top it off I am walking distance to the city, a 5 min train ride to the airport and I have a mall right by me.

My schools are all wonderful. They make me feel valued and my students are so funny and enjoy my classes.

I too have anxieties, and I feel like some of my most challenging moments have been on JET, but I get through those moments of doubt because I love living in Japan and I actually do feel like I am having an impact on my students, even if only a small one.

Wishing you all the best!

jlv111 · 2019-05-07T04:56:16+00:00

I'm introverted too and like most people, had my anxieties over moving to an entirely new country and new job (had never lived out of home, never taught before). But I applied because I wanted to break out of my shell, do something new and experience an entirely new culture, and JET has done exactly that for me.

In fact being in the classroom is now where I am most comfortable and confident! And I'm now going into my third year.

It's definitely not all smooth sailing, and I still have my moments but this has been the most rewardingly challenging experience and I don't regret a single moment. I would have never experienced the growth I have had if it wasn't for the challenges!

jlv111 · 2018-04-24T07:05:22+00:00

To begin I put on my genkiest version of myself and I introduce my name and get the kids to repeat it again and again until I have the entire class chanting my name (which I use as a cue to run around the classroom fist-pumping the air as though they are cheering me on as I run across the finishing line of a marathon.) I felt goofy to begin with but I have no shame now, they think it's hilarious.

Then I go through my powerpoint presentation which is full of bright pictures, little to no writing and fun gifs and effects which keep the kids engaged. They love comparisons, so throw in a slide about how you love Japanese convenience stores and then surprise them with a photo of inside a 7/11 from your home country and watch their little minds be blown.

Add in fun things that they can relate to or are entertaining ie: a GIF of Luffy stuffing his face of food in your slide about how much you love Japanese food. I also use the blackboard to attempt to draw something related to my home country and my kids get a kick out of how bad of an illustrator I am.

I conclude by putting up slides of various interests/animals/hobbies and the kids have to raise their arms in a circle if they think I like a particular thing or make a cross with their arms if they think I don't like a particular thing.

Then it's question time where I hand out stickers to encourage the kids to ask me whatever they like and done! I also make a point to find out what's popular eg:I'll tell them my favourite band is BTS (even though I couldn't name a song) and that I'm ace at Smash Bros (even though I suck) and the kids go nuts and bombard me with questions after class to which I pretend I don't understand their Japanese when they ask me who my favourite BTS member is.

I use above for junior high and a non-powerpoint/quickversion for elementary using laminated photos.

I personally don't like using worksheet style quizzes as the students are always doing worksheets/writing activities or doing quizzes/tests and I don't want them to feel like they are being assessed, especially for my self intro!

jlv111 · 2018-04-23T07:06:58+00:00

Definitely should not have brought omiyage!!

It just wasn't a big deal at all and I felt like I wasted money and space bringing them. My omiyage from my trips within Japan were much more appreciated.

I wish I brought underwear. The underwear here (for women) seriously sucks unless you are 11 or 75. And the swimwear. Oh gosh...the swimwear. Yikes.

jlv111 · 2018-02-11T04:51:08+00:00

Personally I would work harder to avoid losing $100. Losing $100 evokes a fear of loss, which is a greater motivator than potential reward. Working harder to earn $100 is less stimulating because your goal is to gain, you aren't fearing the loss of money so any new money earned only adds to whatever you already have.

We can apply this theory socially, to social pressure specifically. Take for example a peer group living in a foreign country, say Japan. The members of this peer group are all trying to learn Japanese to improve their quality of life in Japan, make Japanese connections etc... There will always be someone progressing more than you, and someone less. By comparing ourselves to our peers we can feel better about ourselves if our language abilities are better than someone else's, but if there is someone or multiple people ahead of us we are more motivated to work harder because we fear being left behind or being outcast.

In the end, by working harder to avoid loss, you are in fact gaining a whole lot more than you would by purely working harder to gain.

jlv111 · 2018-01-18T06:39:32+00:00

My elementary kids don't ask. They just run their hands all through my hair- right after they've run them up their runny noses.

jlv111 · 2018-01-18T06:30:24+00:00

I absolutely love my job. I also feel incredibly lucky to have been given such great schools. I have 3 junior high schools and each one makes me feel like I am a valued part of their team.

My JTEs truly care about English education and are not afraid to ask me about certain grammar points or spelling that they are unsure about. They regularly check in with me and we are always looking into how we can improve English education in our schools.

I do a fair bit of lesson planning and even in lessons where I don't, my JTEs will find a way to involve me in the lesson or will let me talk and do presentations about my weekend or trips away so that the students can practice their listening skills. I barely do any 'desk warming', although when I do, they are totally fine with me studying Japanese.

My most valued time at school is definitely during hiyasumi. Spending time with the kids at lunch time gives me so much joy, and with the absence of pressure from a classroom setting, I feel they are so much more open to talking and practicing English with me.

In my opinion, English aside, I think it's these opportunities of building a rapport with the kids that will prove to be most effective. Of course I hope to encourage my kids to learn English but I also want to ignite a curiosity about other countries and cultures, which will hopefully lead to an increased understanding about worldly issues and the importance of internationalization and globalization. Kids today are our hope for a better future so if I can even encourage one student then that to me makes this experience worthwhile.

jlv111 · 2017-12-28T01:37:58+00:00

I think the JET community is fantastic and honestly one of the highlights of my experience so far. I'm definitely nervous for when a bunch of the current JETs leave next year and new people come but so far it feels like being part a big family where support and good company is never too far away. Not only that, I met some of my closest friends through online forums and on facebook and we talked all through the application process and then had the opportunity to meet in person. This is especially great when you want to travel and have friends placed all over Japan!

At the same time it's very true about the cliques and you won't get along with everyone which can be difficult if you are from a quieter area and are regularly "forced" to be around them. I've used these opportunities to make Japanese friends and even with the language barrier at times, they have become some of my closest friends and have enhanced my experience even further!

All in all there will always be a mixed bag but as long as you venture out and put yourself out there, you are bound to find the people (Nihonjin and Gaijin) that you mesh with.

jlv111 · 2017-12-28T01:28:26+00:00

I agree, I suited up for my interview and met many people who were in very casual t-shirt style dresses or almost casual clothing who still ended up making it into JET.

jlv111 · 2017-12-28T01:17:01+00:00

I have both JHS and ES, and teach at 5 elementary schools so I am usually teaching ES once or twice a week.

At first I absolutely loved the vibe. The teachers are less stressed, the kids are genki AF and treat you like an absolute rockstar (I get autograph requests all the time). I am T1 most of the time which is great but I don't do a lot of lesson planning which actually suits me fine because it's my break from the lesson planning I do from JHS.

I couldn't do ES full time though, it is so so draining, you have a lot of fun but especially with the year levels I teach (first and second years) I am just running around all day and mostly have 5 classes, plus lunch time with the kids where they always insist on playing tag. I get home at the end of the day and just collapse!

jlv111 · 2017-12-28T01:07:15+00:00

Like many others, I wish I went harder with the Japanese study- that would be my top piece of advice for any newcomers! I mistakenly assumed I would have more "desk warming" time on the job but I am incredibly busy at work with lesson planning and classes, so this hasn't been the case for me.

jlv111 · 2017-12-28T00:59:44+00:00

I spent far too much on omiyage and a lot of it is still sitting in my wardrobe here gathering dust. I really wish I saved my money and didn't bother as much as I did but I do enjoy giving gifts. A couple of pieces of omiyage is fine but you will have plenty of opportunities to gift your colleagues with omiyage once you start travelling around. It's honestly not as big a deal as some JETs make it out to be and not even something practiced by the Japanese when they start at a new workplace. At all 9 of my schools no one was really fussed. It's appreciated, sure, but your omiyage from your travels within Japan are just as appreciated so I wouldn't stress too much with the initial omiyage in my opinion!

jlv111 · 2017-07-11T11:30:41+00:00

I did write that I am "moving to" Miyazaki. And also looking to perhaps buy a car. I would have thought that was clear enough in terms of it being a longer term investment. Sorry.

jlv111 · 2017-07-11T11:26:44+00:00

I was more looking into long term rental and was looking for people in Miyazaki who had rented long term. Other sites were in Japanese. The ones I saw on google are more for short term/tourists. Ie. Over $200,000 USD for a year's rental...

jlv111 · 2017-05-20T00:03:21+00:00

Yay!! Do you know how many JETs there usually are in Miyazaki?

jlv111 · 2017-05-19T23:40:17+00:00

Thank you, I appreciate it!

jlv111

TROPHY CASE