My name is Tsietsi Monare, a descendant of the greatest hunter-gatherer tribe to walk the surface of the earth. An African of both the blood and the soil, first of my name and probably an owner of a piece of fertile land somewhere in South Africa. I am a first year ALT in Nagasaki city. Before I was an ALT I was a weather presenter for the national broadcaster called the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). Apart from being on TV regularly, I also enjoyed working with the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) as a climate change communicator and trainer of other weather presenters across the African continent.
Coming from a country as racially divided as South Africa I must say I somehow prepared myself for all kinds of treatment based on my skin colour. Much of this preparation happened subconsciously because I didn’t really sit down and psych myself up for racial discrimination. Almost eight months down the line and to my delight I have not experienced any racial ills from Japanese or other people different from my skin tone. In fact, I have found nothing but generous and united people. Most of the Japanese people I met upon arrival were pretty much ready to help make my stay in Japan much easier. From my JTEs to the BOE staff to even the EEIs (Elementary English Instructors), I felt that I already had a community of people that I could rely on. I knew Japanese people were kind but did not anticipate the extent of their kindness.
The one thing that gets to me about Japan is the insane bureaucracy. The need to follow the rules to the letter even if those rules make things more difficult. But there is nothing we can do about that. It is about as difficult to discard the rules as it is to get students to realise that making a mistake does not sentence you to a life time of ridicule and embarrassment. I just do my best to abide and set a good example for the kids.
Apart from being stared at or having my hair touched (mostly by elementary school children) I have experienced varying levels of curiosity from Japanese people. For example, one night at a bar, a Japanese lady kept leaning closer and closer to me. At first I thought it was because the bar was a bit small and that she was just trying to find a space to sit comfortably. Lo and behold I caught the lady sniffing at me and found that very strange of course. I knew I had been showering regularly but, I couldn’t help but check if maybe my underarms weren’t perhaps screaming. So after asking the lady (politely) why she was sniffing at me, she simply said she was curious as to what I smelled like. Go figure!
One of the best things about being a POC is that a lot of people are genuinely curious about where you come from and why on earth you would want to come to Japan. It is of benefit to me because I have found that answering these questions over and over has taught me so much about my country and my people. I am encouraged to teach students about South Africa and the many cultures we have. This has in turn proved to be an amazing cultural exchange for me because it has forced me to expand my knowledge of my origins. I am learning as much about my country as I am about Japan and I totally love it.
Probably the most important advice I can give you is to just be open-minded and flexible. That will help you to adapt quickly and move on in the right direction. The list of advice I can give is endless but, may not always apply to you because really; EVERY SITUATION IS DIFFERENT.
by Tsietsi Monare, 1st year ALT in Nagasaki city
