Back home

I'm back home after a fun, cold, warm, memorable trip to Florida to attend our daughter's graduation from Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL. The first few days that we were in St. Augustine it was beautiful and in the 70s-80s. Graduation day (in an unenclosed amphitheater) was cold and rainy. I thought we'd freeze to death. Even my husband and mother in law (Alaskans, via Minn.) were cold. And we didn't pack clothing for cold weather. But it was still a nice graduation with an amphitheater full of happy parents and graduates. A few days after graduation, it warmed up. At Epcot on Wed, it was back in the mid 80s with beautiful blue skies.

My daughter is the one with glasses, looking at the camera....a very happy girl!

Congrats Neko, I know you are very proud of her. What is her major if you don't mind my asking?

Congratulations to you, your daughter and family.

It's a happy moment, I'm sure.


"Congratulations...

Now get a job! "

Just saw this on Imgur...

Thank you all. She has a dual major--Elementary Education (K-6) and Exceptional Education (K-12)

Yes, she needs a job! The schools apparently don't hire for the new school year until later in the summer. But she is signed up for substitute teaching and already has had several calls to sub for the remaining school year. It's not a full time position, but it at least gets her in the classroom, which is a start. I really do not know the prospects of a job offer for her to teach full time for the 2013-2014 school year, but I am hopeful.

Digital media and music.....would be difficult.

Flagler is a liberal arts school....it was a perfect fit for my daughter but liberal arts majors have it tough in this economy. Education isn't exactly promising right now but I cannot imagine my daughter being anyplace other than in a classroom full of kids.

I hope she doesn't need this button for long.....Please give her my congratulations.

Look into the DOD school system also. She can go to most military bases over seas if she's interested in that. An friend's son has been teaching in Japan for at least 7-8 years and loves it. Of course, he got married and now has 2 children. Another friend has been teaching in Okinawa, Guam, Escambia County, Italy, Virginia, and now Spain..

Congratulations, Neko... Happy Mama! She is a adorable and looks exactly like she did in my imagination (isn't it weird when that happens?). From everything I know about her she will have no trouble getting or staying employed... she's a hustler, doesn't like to be idle, and really wants to work.

Glad you all made your trip safely!

Jake, she would love to teach in Japan. It is an option she's keeping in mind. She attended a Japanese preschool for 2 years (she was the only foreigner in the school at the time) and then later, when we went back to Japan for a 2nd tour, she attended a DODs school from 6th grade through graduation. The problem with DODs is that to be in the federal retirement system, you would need to stay with DODs for your career. Although she loves Japan...I should say that she LOVES Japan.....I don't know if she wants to spend an entire teaching career overseas. And there are actually fewer and fewer DOD schools as bases overseas have been closed. Do you know where your friend's son teaches? My daughter went to and graduated from Zama American High School on Camp Zama.

Joani and Riceme...thanks!

I'll ask him where, what grades, and things like that and let you know...

Teaching in Japan is a great job. I think all overseas DOD teachers start off at least as GS-11 and they receive a generous housing allowance plus a cost of living allowance. Japan is full of history and great places to see plus from Tokyo you are an easy flight to many countries in that part of the world. And Japan is a great place for kids...very safe country. Honestly, I would not mind going back to live in Japan for a couple of years...this time just hubby and I. Before, we had both kids on our first tour and then on the second tour we had just our youngest with us. Our kids got to see places that they otherwise would never have seen and I think that has been a great influence on both of them in their lives. But with just us as empty nesters now, it would be a different experience. I hope your friend's son is taking the advantage to travel and experience all the great things in that part of the world.

KUDOS NEKO..............job well done!!!!

Thank you, Storm.

nekochan wrote:

Teaching in Japan is a great job. I think all overseas DOD teachers start off at least as GS-11 and they receive a generous housing allowance plus a cost of living allowance. Japan is full of history and great places to see plus from Tokyo you are an easy flight to many countries in that part of the world. And Japan is a great place for kids...very safe country. Honestly, I would not mind going back to live in Japan for a couple of years...this time just hubby and I. Before, we had both kids on our first tour and then on the second tour we had just our youngest with us. Our kids got to see places that they otherwise would never have seen and I think that has been a great influence on both of them in their lives. But with just us as empty nesters now, it would be a different experience. I hope your friend's son is taking the advantage to travel and experience all the great things in that part of the world.

Maybe one day when you have some spare time on your hands, Neko, you could write some posts about Japan. Pictures would be good too.

I am interested in the eccentricities of the culture... differences between our culture and theirs. Are there no gangs? I read about gangs like the Tongs, 14Ks, WOs and such, but they're all Chinese aren't they?

Japan doesn't have the gang problem that we do. They do have the Yakuza (Japanese mafia) that runs the Pachinko parlors and a lot of the nightclubs and such. I am sure there are small time type gangs there. I remember that a "gang" of some sort was breaking into vending machines when we lived there....and it was a foreign gang...I think Chinese. One thing about Japan being an island nation is that they have a lot more control over immigration than we do here in the US. Also, foreigners are easily spotted and identified in Japan. They are not a melting pot like we are. But I am afraid there are very bad financial times coming for Japan. With an aging population, a negative birth rate and a very low immigration rate, they are facing very tough times over the next 20 years.