Reunion

I met my friend last night in Ehime Prefecture. He and I were students at the same university and we studied English together, although I am six years older than him. He now works as a high school English teacher, so I listened to his work experiences while having dinner. He usually goes to school at seven a.m. and leaves for home at eleven p.m. However, I think his salary is not commensurate to his long working hours. I plan to concentrate on my programming lessons so that I can work as a programming engineer after I finish the course.

Care Workers from Overseas

The number of foreign nurses and caregivers are increasing in Japan after the revision of the law in 2017. On the other hand, the number of Japanese people who take nursing are decreasing. The job pays well but I heard that they have much stress than other profession which caused by the patients and their colleagues. At the moment, I haven't seen any nurses from other countries yet. But as time goes by, it will be a common situation to be cared by them. I appreciate foreigners like them who work hard in any circumstances. And in spite of the language and cultural differences. Becoming a foreign worker in another country would be a great experience. I also wanted to be like them someday who is a big help to locals of the country they are working for.

Freelancer

Now I work for an elementary school as a full-time assistant teacher from Monday to Friday. I am studying programming to become a freelance engineer in two years, according to my plan. If you become a freelancer, you can work at your own pace and earn more money if you have skills. I don’t like to be bounded to work for a certain place. Jobs of freelancers vary frequently after completing the missions. I like the style of working. I think as long as I work full-time during all weekdays, I cannot fully enjoy my life because of limited free time and salary. I will keep on studying programming to become a freelancer.

Future Plan

My future plan is as follows; 
2020 ~ 2022: I will work as an engineer in Tokyo and have a girlfriend.
2022: I will be a freelance engineer and enroll in an online Ph.D. course.
2025: I will be a lecturer at a university in Japan.
To make my future plan come true, what I need to do now is to study programming without being swayed by temptations and distractions. Most of my friends have already got married and have children. I feel anxious with my life of being single, but I just tell myself that everyone has different ideas for their lives. From now to the end of the school year is a Reuther springboard time for my next career.

Birthday Bouquet

I came back to my hometown last night to take an exam this afternoon. If I pass the oral exam and essay part, I will be hired as a junior high school teacher in Ehime beginning from the school year 2020. Last night, on my way back home, I dropped at a house to meet my friends from America. Yesterday was the birthday of one of them, so I gave her a bouquet and talked in English while eating dinner. I strongly felt that I want to be as fluent as they speak to make conversations more naturally. I will make my life-long dream of living abroad come true soon.

Tax Hike

The consumption tax in Japan will be hiked on Oct. 1st, from eight percent to ten percent. But there are several confusing changes as well. If you buy a take out at McDonalds, the consumption tax will be eight percent. But, If you dine in your order, consumption tax will be ten percent. This means the price for the same hamburger will vary depending on where you eat. Another change is that you can get reward points with cashless payments, but the offer will depend on the size of the shops. For now, a customer gets more points from small stores compared to bigger stores. I think it will take time for us to get used to the new rule.

Studying at Starbucks

I was in Starbucks for more than five hours yesterday. I ordered the same menu three times. Free-wifi is available and the cozy atmosphere is very comfortable, so I can concentrate on studying programming. I am studying programming at an online school to get an engineering job. My current profession is an assistant teacher at elementary school, but I will switch career to engineering. This is because programmers are in demand and you can earn more as you acquire new skills. I don’t have any background in programming, but I will keep studying until I get a job. My goal is to become a freelance engineer and to work at home. To achieve my goal, I will spend time on programming as long as possible.