The crippling blow came in June, when the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry ordered Nova to partially suspend business because of false advertising. The penalty, which included a ban on long-term lesson contracts, caused student enrollment to plummet and sparked the closure of several schools. Paychecks began coming in late.

That’s interesting to read given the timing of taking Financial Techniques for Tourism Development this summer. Not everything can be accounted for in a business plan, and even though a company had been operating successfully for 26 years doesn’t mean it’s immune.

When the big ones fail, they fall hard. From Australiann Teachers High and Dry in Japan:

At least 5000 foreigners, 2000 Japanese staff and 400,000 students at the private English-teaching chain have been left in a precarious financial position by the move, which could herald one of the biggest corporate collapses in Japan’s history.

I feel badly for my friends who remain, but I know some saw the ‘writing on the wall’ and got out and or made other employment plans. There are others who are still in a bit of a pickle, and I worry. I also worry about the Japanese staff, especially those I knew well from MM. They can’t pick up and go home, this was home.

Luckily for the teachers who wish to go home, reports have surfaced of both Qantas and Korean Air offering a break for cash-strapped teachers. Good to see people not taking advantage.

From Western teachers in Japan face redundancy as Nova language schools close:

Thousands of foreign teachers including 900 from Britain face redundancy, financial misery and eviction from their homes after the collapse of Nova, Japan’s largest chain of English language schools.

I think that shows the biggest change. When I first went to Japan in 2001 it was a haven for Aussies and Kiwis due to the strong Yen. They could make good money. The Yen had fallen recently and it was no longer the amazing deal it had been, but it still drew people keen for a fun way to pay off student loans, learn about a new culture, teach and travel. Will this end the eikaiwa in Japan? Of course not. Students still want to learn English and say what you will about McEnglish, there was a reason it lasted as long as it did. I just hope whatever company steps into the void will not make the same mistakes.

There are rumours that Nova will find a sponsor, but I doubt it. 50billion Yen is a big hole, to say nothing of a lack of trust from students and employees

I remember when I first learned the proverb from one of my students the first time I was in Japan, but I forgot about it until I read it this morning in The Blue-Eyed Salaryman.

Cover included because I can’t even begin to tell you how much attention it garnered this morning on the platform waiting for the train. I love the “salaryman” font myself. I haven’t gotten too far into the book yet, but in many ways it reminds me of The Accidental Office Lady, which I read earlier this year.

So when talk of well dwelling frogs came up was back in 01-02. I remember asking a student if she ever tired of the crowds in Tokyo and she said it was all she knew, she’d never ventured further than Kamakura, about 50 km from Tokyo.

I guess the same applies to a question I frequently ask of those who never leave their home town. I can understand leaving, and realizing you prefer home, but how do you know that if you’ve never left. I guess when you have nothing to compare it to, what you have is perfect.

Anyway, I love this book. Perfect blend of interesting but not too taxing on the brain.

Nova Collapse Feared is certainly an attention-garnering headline, but it doesn’t say anything new. The fact that students are turning up having not been notified that their school closed is very symbolic of Japan. In that sense, I’m not surprised that information hasn’t been more forthcoming… it’s not the Japanese way. As for the staff, it’s sad. I was never living week – to -week while there but I knew many people who were down to their last Yen in the days/hours before the 15th of the month and I can’t imagine how that sector is fairing.

While it doesn’t seem that the MM Centre is on the verge of closure, I still can’t imagine  the changed landscape of not seeing a Nova on every corner. I’d imagine MMC is one of the most costly branches due to the technology employed, however I see it remaining open because it allows them to centralize staff while at the same time reaching students all over Japan.

While it wouldn’t be fair to say that a lot of people went to Japan after graduating college, or even that a lot who did worked for Nova, I think the possible closure would represent a big change for Japan and those interested in teaching English. I also feel bad for the students – there are other schools but Nova had the benefit of location and convenience. Also, many students didn’t seem to see the downside of Nova. I can’t count the number of times I’d meet Japanese in different part of the country who were seemingly awed by “Nova no sensei.”  English lessons weren’t cheap and the possible closure of a school as large as Nova is going to drive prices up and make it harder for those for whom English was a hobby.

I didn’t love Nova and they weren’t perfect, but part of the reason I went back when I returned to Japan in November 2005 was because they’d always done what they’d promised for foreign teachers: they arranged the visa, arranged housing and paid a set sum on time. To me, those were selling points. I also said I’d rather go with the “devil I knew” because none of the eikaiwas are perfect.

Stories are flying about people being evicted from their apartments because NOVA hasn’t paid the rent and branches closing. Going to be interesting to see what happens over the next few months. I’m glad I’m no longer there but I know people who remain so I hope it doesn’t go too bad too quickly. I’m hoping to return to Japan to visit, I can’t imagine not turning the corner and seeing a Nova branch every three feet. To me they’re a part of the Japan landscape as much as sushi, karaoke and love hotels.

Finding a lot of friends from my first trip to Japan on Facebook was fun. Some I remembered but didn’t know how to reach, some I’d forgotten about and others I knew through other friends. I’ll always have good memories of the first time in Japan because it was a wonderful opportunity and I met a ton of people. I learnt if I could do a year in Japan, I could do anything. Plus I saw some places I never would have seen and kicked the travel bug into ultra high. I don’t regret either stint with Japan/Nova but I wouldn’t teach there again.

I’ve puttered around the neighbourhood a bit. Found the aforementioned shop for dinner last night and lunch this AM, forgot how cheap food is here. Made an interesting tuna/pasta puttanesca and passed out aroud 5pm last night. Woke up at 7 trying to figure out if I’d slept the night or not and passed back out until midnight when the bladder woke me. Woke around 8am and kinda vegged as I woke. It wasn’t jet lag so much as having pulled an all-nighter after two days of little sleep.

Books read so far this trip:

What Color is Your Jockstrap? -Jennifer L. Leo
The Sun in My Eyes – Josie Dew

I need to slow down or I’ll finish all my books before the 12 hour train trip and flights home and that’s not allowed.

Off to study some more Czech, I didn’t lose nearly as much as I thought which is good. Picking more back up as I walk around the neighbourhood. Things like a Lego sign are a good clue that ‘hradcy’ means ‘toys’ and other words are similar enough to English like a sign that read ‘delicatess’. Lots of Italian products in the grocery stores, of which there are three within a few block radius, so that makes cooking easy.

During my two years Down Under, I eventually made it to the real outback, fed kangaroos by hand and even held a koala at an animal sanctuary. However, nothing ever embodied the Australia of my imagination more than that one-hour walk through the gum trees, driving a handful of wandering Herefords home.

In Spain it was the vendors. In Australia it was the drive from Brisbane Airport up to the Sunshine Coast. I’ll never forget that first feeling, or waking the following morning in Australia. I’ve got the moments from Japan, Prague and England as well, but Spain and Australia are at the forefront of my mind.

It’s also funny how what you imagine of a place at times bears little resemblance on the place you visit. When I first landed in Japan and we took the train from Kansai to Nankai Namba I remember being awed at these huge apartment buildings and panicking at whether my apartment would have an elevator. I came to know and love Osaka, but I was always finding little treasures. Hidden shrines, small gardens. Not the Osaka of photographs and imagination. It comes back to authenticity, which Dawn Drew (see below) touched on. What is Authentic Japan?

The same can be said for memories having a bit of rose-tinted glasses. I think it’s a natural tendency to remember the good, and gloss over the not so good. I don’t think it’s bad though, I think it’s a sign that for the most part, the experience was a good one.

Last night I had the opportunity to hear Dawn Drew of National Geographic Traveler speak at the Grossinger Lecture. It was an interesting presentation on geotourism, but it didn’t wow me. She had quite a few of Steve McCurry‘s photos, which were phenomenal. Good material for a discussion on geotourism, but there wasn’t anything new that she told us. She touched on authenticity, I think it’s this season’s buzz word. Someone in the audience raised a good question on whose sense of authenticity does a destination’s ‘authenticity’ rely on. I think whoever answers that question will be in high demand for speeches. Still it was a fun evening and a bunch of us went to Bond 45 until far too late following the presentation. It was a good evening.

And now, back to reality. Three and a half presentations in the next few weeks. Gettysburg should be the most worrisome but right now I’m focusing on the Applied Research presentation since it’s on Wednesday. I shouldn’t be nervous since I’ve lived my research and know the aspects of it inside and out at least as far as current research is concerned and am interested in the topic but I’m still worried. Tuesday will be fun. Glamping, flashpacking and jetrosexuals. Nah, no interest in those either. This has been a fun semester, but I’m ready for a break.

On admin matters:

• gave up on having carianne.org have contact. The main page redirects here. I’m actually considering letting the domain go. Kind of sad… I’ve had that domain for a long time.
• Speaking of long times, Technorati’s ping has been broken forever. I thought it was just me until I went looking for help in the forums. Why I care, I have no idea.
• Thanks thelostglobe for the link!

Thanks – got it – that is a very fine, thoughtful review; would you please let the reviewer know how much it is appreciated? The author Lesley Thomas was very gratified to read it, and would like to tell her that she is working on another book about women in Lapp and ancient Norse cultures.

E-mails like this are part of why I love doing the review for Front Street Press. Although Far Eastern Press seems to be a bit bigger than Golden Quill Press/The Write Source was when I worked with them on Tell it to the Future, there’s just *something* about working with small publishers. I really look forward to reading more of the author’s work. I know even less about Lapp and ancient Norse cultures than I did about Inupiaq culture, but I look forward to the book. As I said when I first mentioned this book, it’s interesting how books, fiction or not, can get you interested in new cultures.

I found the blog via one of my usual haunts, in my All stars but it was the title: What you should know about getting a tattoo on the road that caught my attention.
Often, when travelling people make decisions which they wouldn’t usually do in their normal life back home.

Ordinarily, I’d say that was a good thing, that it’s one of the good things to do while travelling, but it really made me think about the tattoo issue. When I was in Fiji I met a lot of travelers headed ‘the other way’ aka back to the US after a semester or so in Australia or New Zealand and many had the Southern Cross tatooed on their feet. Now I’m totally for “whatever floats your boat” but it seemed there was a fair degree of herd mentality going on.

I wavered before getting my tattoo in Japan, not because I was concerned about wanting it when I got home-it was a tattoo I’d been talking about for years-but because I knew a tattoo could cause some problems while in Japan. In the end, I had my tat done here 5+ years ago and I’ve never regretted it for a second. It’s a subtle souvenir of Japan: Round I. And I was able to use onsens in Kyoto and at Fuji-san without any issue.

At other times on other trips I contemplated other tattoos. I even had the artwork done for one but didn’t have it done because I was sunburned. By the time I was no longer sunburned, I kind of forgot about it. There’s still one I’m contemplating, but if I end up getting it, it will probably be done here. We’ll see.