By Nikki Wolin

Most people can fit into one of two categories: planners or improvisers. I’m sorry to say I have never been an improviser. So during training week when my leader asked what we were most excited for during the program, I had a list. I wanted to ride a bullet train, visit shrines in Kyoto, and have some high-quality sushi. However, the last coach in our group had a different approach.

“It’s always the random little things that end up being the most memorable,” she said. “It’s never the stuff you plan out. So my answer to the question of what I’m most excited for is, ‘I don’t know yet.’”

Here was a bona fide improviser! For the rest of the program, her words lingered in the back of my mind. Would the things that I tried to “cross off” be better than the ones I just walked into?

Now that the program is over, I do have to admit that none of the things I’d expected – sushi, shrines, or bullet trains – ended up being my favorite parts. The most I saw of Kyoto was Kyoto Station, my sushi experience was limited to 7-Eleven takeout, and I usually slept on the bullet trains (and some regular trains, too). However, all of these “disappointments” simply reflected even more fun but highly unanticipated activities. While I may not have seen Kyoto, I had a fantastic day in Okayama; although I rarely ate sushi, I enjoyed ramen, curry, and wagyu burgers with my team; and maybe the bullet train rides just paled in comparison to the destinations awaiting us on the other end.

After five long weeks, I finally had my answer: Immie was right.

The Camp

Both expected and unexpected events played out over the next five weeks, which involved one week of training and four weeks of teaching. During our first week in Tokyo, we visited Tokyo Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park (complete with an earthquake simulation) followed by three days of classroom-style training in Shinjuku. During this time we met with our teams and moved to either permanent or temporary housing depending on whether we were stationed in Tokyo. Regardless, coaches used their free time to explore sites such as the Imperial Palace, Ueno Park, and Akihabara, Japan’s anime capital.

On Monday of the following week, we moved to our first location. My team, which consisted of two leaders and nine coaches, traveled around the Kansai region in western Japan (an area that includes Kyoto and Osaka, as opposed to the eastern Kanto region containing Tokyo). We then further split in half for the second and third weeks of coaching. While my entire team taught in Osaka week one, my half went to Shiga and then Kurashiki while the other half stayed in Osaka and then traveled to Fukuchiyama. We reunited back in Osaka for week four just in time to welcome Typhoon Lan, whose scariest effect was probably just having us complete the program in four days instead of five.

Our weekly schedule involved teaching Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 5:30 pm. We had Sunday off (which we often used for day trips), then traveled to the next location on Monday to start the cycle anew. Classroom sizes ranged from a whopping 3:2 coach:student ratio our first week to a more typical 1:5 ratio. I personally found both advantages and disadvantages to co-coaching – more coaches resulted in less individual teaching time, but maximized one-on-one interaction with the students. In addition, if you got stuck you could always bounce ideas off of your fellow coach. On the other hand, teaching alone maximized your overall interaction with the students but minimized individual conversations. Additionally, support now had to come from the slightly-farther-away source of a leader.

After experiencing both a 3:2 and 1:5 ratio, I just have to say that no matter what the group size, you can always create a fun team experience. Breaks are the perfect time to get to know your students better by asking them to teach you something for a change (like whether “strawberry” ichigo is the same as Bleach protagonist Ichigo! “Is it because he has red hair?” I asked after a lightning flash of inspiration, only for my students to shake their heads sadly. Apparently they’re written with different kanji ).

I was pleasantly surprised by our housing during the program; of the seven accommodations I stayed in, five were single rooms. They ranged from the smallest being pods in a capsule hotel to the largest being private rooms in Come on Up share houses. Commute times varied accordingly, from a blissful two minutes in Kurashiki (where both the hotel and teaching venue were attached to a mall) to about forty-five minutes by train and bus.

Moving teaching venues and accommodations every week might sound stressful, but even after moving seven times in five weeks, I found I didn’t mind. It was exciting to pack up and ship out not knowing where the next train, bus, or bullet train would take you (or knowing, for the true planners out there. For the improvisers: Google Maps). It was exciting to go to a place that had no memories or associations and make new ones. And most importantly, it was exciting to know that no matter what, you would find the random little things that would make your experience special.

The Random Little Things…

1.     Conversations with students

I Coached for Global English Workshop 2022 (the shorter, online version of GEC during the pandemic) and Global English Camp 2023. After these two experiences, I can safely say that the conversations with the students were always the best but most unexpected parts of the program.

During the first day of GEW last year, one of my students mentioned that her favorite hobby was kendama, a Japanese skill game that involves catching a ball (tama) with a wooden stick (ken). It requires an extraordinary amount of concentration, hand-eye coordination, and most importantly, patience. Within minutes she was showing us every kendama trick in the book, and a few that were probably out of it, too.

The skills didn’t stop there – I’ve had students who can write perfect calligraphy, who know every TWICE dance by heart, and who can fold the tiniest paper cranes known to man. Their interests span everything from Detective Conan to flower arranging to professional racing, and they aspire to be everything from wildlife specialists to Disney executives to businessmen who drive Ferraris.

However, the one thing they all have in common is that they are passionate about what they do, as are they passionate about making the world a better, safer, more fun place to be. In short, you are always learning from your students! They have amazing things to say and amazing stories to tell. Just don’t be surprised if you hear something unexpected mixed in. (One of my students suddenly asked if Arizona, my home state, had buildings. Apparently his English teacher visited over the summer, but which part remains a mystery...)

2.     Interactions with other coaches

Speaking of bragging about your hometown (Arizona happily contains several buildings), coaches come from all over, so there’s a good chance you’ll be teamed up with someone from Canada, Spain, the UK, or South Africa. Besides learning from your students, sometimes the best thing you can do is learn from your fellow coaches. For example, who knew that “pants” in the UK means underwear, not trousers? Or that Brits are still mourning the loss of the £3 meal deal? Or that Canadian colleges have high acceptance rates but low retention rates?

However, that’s not to say that a bunch of young people from different countries will always succeed by pooling their collective knowledge. After visiting a summer festival, my friend and I accidentally spent two hours trying to get back to Osaka after accidentally taking a train halfway to Kyoto. Later, one of my teammates and I bought tickets for Okayama Castle, whose informational displays were (unknown to us) solely in Japanese. We proceeded to stop politely in front of each panel just to blend in, but the entire time we were wondering whether our illiteracy was written on our foreheads, or if we’d even be able to read it if it was.

However, when things happen in a foreign country full of people you’ll never meet again, you get over them. After Okayama Castle we visited the beautiful Okayama Koraku-en Garden, which made the experience well worth it. (The part we liked the most besides the amazing ponds, streams, and overall Studio Ghibli-esque atmosphere? There were no signs.)

Despite these unexpected setbacks, you might wander into some of the best experiences of your trip with fellow coaches. You might catch a midnight jazz show, or get lost in a huge shopping mall, or have an inimitable matcha latte. Regardless, they’ll be things that you would never find on your own, and which would be much less enjoyable if you didn’t have your fellow coaches or leaders along for the ride (even if it’s on the wrong train).

3.     Rediscovering Your Life Mission

Your Life Mission presentation is about how you see yourself contributing to the world. It’s meant to be delivered by a Coach in the first few days of the program to get their students thinking about their own Life Missions, which they present on the final day. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve seen all kinds of Life Missions in my two years with Come on Out – most are career-based, with students wanting to become doctors or lawyers (or, yes, wildlife specialists or Disney executives or businessmen who drive Ferraris), but some remain more vague (like traveling around the world and learning new languages, for which a certain program called Come on Out – Japan may be helpful…).

However, I have a confession to make: my own Life Mission was a lie.

I didn’t lie about all of it – I was telling the truth when I said that I wanted to be an author and write books; I just wasn’t when I said I was sure about it. Sure, I liked to write, but did I really like to write as much as I said I did? Did I really have what it took to be an author? Was my writing good enough? As I made my PowerPoint on different types of creative writing, I was struck by imposter syndrome. It suddenly seemed not only childish to talk about being an author, but arrogant.

However, after delivering my Life Mission presentation four weeks in a row, I slowly started believing it. (You can only shout out, “I want to be an author!” so many times before you actually start convincing yourself.)

During the farewell retreat in Chiba, I was discussing the topic of Life Missions with a fellow coach when he said, “I could tell you were a little nervous about presenting, but once you got going I could see how passionate you are about writing. You really love it.”

I’d always thought the Life Mission presentations were for the students to get them thinking about university and beyond. I never really believed they could be for us, too. After all, we were the ones who were supposed to have everything figured out. We were the adults.

But after hearing those words, I realized that maybe it was important for everyone to have a Life Mission, regardless of how old you are or if you actually stick to it. Even if it’s not strictly true, it reminds you of what you love and why you love it. It reminds you of what got you excited about living in the first place.

Overall, what I learned from GEC is that it doesn’t matter if things don’t go exactly to plan. Plans fail, and maybe it’s better if they do. After all, it’s the random little things – talking to your students, talking to other coaches, and having an honest conversation with yourself – that end up being better than you could ever imagine.

By SAM O’BRIEN

As one grows older, it becomes more and more likely that they hold a wish to travel back in time to talk with their younger self. Oftentimes, this desire is rooted in regrets, and the purpose of the visit is to warn oneself, to try and change the course of a river whose curves have already been sailed. Occasionally, the opposite is true: life turns out to be better and more interesting than anticipated. One wants to travel back to reassure their younger self that what they desire is not unattainable, but rather directly in front of them. They want to dispel the perpetual haze that surrounds our present and reveal a future that is both unexpected and satisfying. This is more in line with how I am feeling right now.

Almost exactly two years prior to me writing this very sentence, I was accepted into the Global English Workshop, now Camp, as a coach. My acceptance came in the midst of the pandemic, so when I affirmed my desire to participate, I was fully aware that the program would be run virtually. This fact saddened me a little, but it didn’t dash my hopes at all. Though my physical body would not be there, I would still have the chance to experience Japan through meaningful conversations with students. I was in my final year of college, completing a degree in linguistics, and I was thrilled to have an authentic language exchange experience. The twin miracles of fiber optic undersea cables and ridiculously good online administrative staffing would combine to convey me and hundreds of other coaches, for a couple hours of the day (whether it was 2 AM or 8 PM), to thousands of webcams all over Japan. For three consecutive weekend-long programs, we convened at the same times and met with the same groups of students. The time we spent together was brief, but the ground covered was comparatively vast: we discussed where we lived and how we spent our time; we shared the experience of our school lives, connecting what we loved to study with who we were; we worked together to think about global issues on both a personal and global scale; and all the time between was spent growing closer through whatever games worked over the internet or the random conversations spurred on by curiosity. 

It was difficult at times, though, especially on the first days. I was always uncertain of whether I could form a connection with my group, and this uncertainty would grow if I had particularly quiet students. I was just as nervous as they were; how were we going to open up to one another? What if we just sit there for 5 hours straight saying nothing at all? Fortunately, that feeling is never lasting. There were silences, yes, but those were just opportunities for more icebreakers or more time spent simply acclimating. Nervousness is natural and overcoming it together can bring people a lot closer than expected. My first year in the program showed me that others felt the same kind of desire to learn and to grow as I did, and that we could use this shared desire to help each other become more aware of ourselves and the world. It’s funny now remembering that I did all of that while sitting down in my quiet apartment, alone, save for the faces on my laptop’s screen. The workshop was a unique job and one that demanded a lot out of me. I consumed many Red Bulls and nearly as many microwavable burritos. I would spend my break time walking the empty early morning streets of Los Angeles, wondering what SDG I would discuss with my students next. By the end of every weekend, I was nodding off while playing Jackbox in the staff social Zoom meeting. I am thankful for the world it opened, but I will admit that it was an isolating time, due mostly to the time differences between everyone. It wasn’t until my second year that I really started to get to know other coaches and leaders, but I was happy I spent my first year catching my bearings and learning the ropes.

2021 was such an enriching experience for me that I was fully committed to doing it again in 2022, regardless of whether it was in person or virtual. I was graduated, had begun living in a new apartment in Koreatown, and had a hosting gig at a wine bar: it was time to hop into those ethernet cables and travel to Japan again. This time, I was excited to try my hand at being a leader, which meant that instead of being responsible for a group of students, I would be responsible for a group of coaches, each with their own group of students. Given that the program would still be run virtually, my responsibilities differed slightly from those of a physical program. Similarly to the physical counterpart, I was tasked with maintaining the connections between students and their coaches, though in this case the connections were internet-based rather than emotional. Days (and by days, I mean late nights and early mornings) were spent hopping around different Zoom breakout rooms and watching coaches slowly coax the timid students out of their shells. Occasionally, I would join in myself and spend a few minutes getting to know a group. As a leader, my interactions with students had less depth, but I was able to talk to a much larger number of them than ever as a coach. 

I also got to see the program on a macro level. Before, I was a part of a group that was itself part of a larger group of groups. Now, I was on the outside of the larger group and thus able to take in its full breadth. I was better able to connect with the other coaches and learn about their lives and interests because I did not have to worry about my own group. The ability of the staff at Toshin and Come On Out to connect these brilliant minds and facilitate a weekend of growth and enjoyment impressed me greatly. Problems were identified and dealt with with such relative ease that one was likely to forget just how many moving parts there were. I felt less nervous overall because I had done the program the year before, so I was able to focus more on meeting my fellow participants and building relationships with them. I am most grateful for my co-leaders (shout out to Shih-Wei and Cassandra!!). Their dedication and kind hearts made every weekend so fun and fulfilling. Some nights, the program would be over, and our homeroom would hang out in discord until very very early the next morning. I may have regretted those sessions the following morning, but in the moment, I never wanted to leave. My second year of the Global English Camp was just as rewarding as my first, albeit in different ways. I saw a lot more of the inner workings of the program and got a better sense of the program’s motivations, as opposed to merely its methods. After its conclusion, I felt an even stronger conviction to keep walking down the GEC path. It was up in the air whether 2023 would still be online or a return to the real world, but I was determined to participate once more.

My best piece of advice for folks if they ever participate in an online program like GEC is this: TRY NOT TO WORK AT A RESTAURANT, ESPECIALLY ONE THAT DOES BRUNCH, WHILE DOING AN ONLINE PROGRAM THAT REQUIRES YOU TO BE AWAKE UNTIL THE EARLY MORNING. One would hope that their manager would be understanding of a situation like this and change the schedule accordingly, but one should not bet on this hope. GEC 2022 was a very good experience for me, but the life I had to live around it was nigh unbearable. By the end of the third weekend, I was reporting to duty at the restaurant at 9 in the morning, about 4 or 5 hours after I had finally gone to bed. I stood at my spot in front of the entrance with deep bags underneath my eyes and irritation in my voice. I was able to do both, but at the cost of my sanity and emotional health. It wasn’t such a bad thing, however, because the stress of it all motivated me to quit that job and pursue other forms of work that were more in line with my interests. Fortunately, after a month or two of looking, I was hired as a data analyst for a writing software company. It was a contract position, so I knew that I had flexibility when it came time to do GEC. So I waited patiently as the team's email updates slowly trickled out the information. I watched as it went from “potentially in person” to “tentatively in person” to “probably in person,” and my excitement grew. One day, an email contained a link to an interest survey, one where returning coaches could let the team know whether they were still interested in doing the 2023 program and what their loose availability was. Along with the Global English Camp, this form also advertised a program known as “On Your Mark,” which was being held in the spring. I had never heard of it before, but according to the information given to me it was a weeklong program similar to GEC, where students would have the opportunity to learn from overseas counselors. Despite not knowing much more than this, I decided to apply. Just a little over a month later I received my acceptance and learned that the program was definitely going to be in person! I honestly couldn’t believe it. At that point, I just thought I would be doing something online like in years past, but it was real and I was actually going to go to Japan.

I could fill a whole two other essays with my experience at On Your Mark! It was a time of many firsts. Not only was it my first time in Japan, but it was also my first sleepaway camp. It was a week packed with activities, sights, friendships, exercises, and emotions. If you want a great overview of what it was like to be a counselor, you should definitely read my friend Belle’s blogpost, "‘I’ve Got a Dream!’ - On Your Mark Spring 2023 Experience." I feel very lucky to have met her and so many other amazing and talented people through OYM. Unlike the previous two years, I was in the same physical location as my co-counsellors, meaning that we could build our friendships by actually doing things like taking walks in the forest, having a barbecue, or exploring the city. I have a shy nature, but I never felt anxious while staying in Fukuoka. Everybody, from the counselors to the staff to the students, made me feel so welcome and valued. I felt as though they opened up a part of me that had been closed without my realizing it. I felt better about myself and the things that I was capable of doing. I was not reborn, but redefined. I became more like myself. Like GEC, it was demanding work: the days started early and went late into the night, but it never felt like too much because of all the support. By the end of the week, we said our goodbyes with tears in our eyes because we had all helped one another redefine ourselves in some way. The fact that it was face-to-face was very empowering to me. I had only done programs like this online, so I was still unsure of how this one would operate, but I saw the same principles being demonstrated: responsibility, amiability, timeliness, and attention to detail.  OYM was a wonderful opportunity to experience what overseas work is like, especially the travel portion. I didn’t know what the program was until late last year, but it far surpassed anything I could have expected. Doing it strengthened my dedication to GEC even further and gave me a taste of what a non-virtual program could be like.

Now that it is June once more, preparations for GEC 2023 are well underway. In fact, a month from now, I will be in Japan again, acting as a leader for another year. I had no expectations when I participated for the first time in 2021. I knew that the program was in line with the kind of career I wanted to have, but not much else. I didn’t know how to teach this kind of content, I was nervous about my ability to connect with kids, and I had never left the country for more than a week. I could not imagine myself as I am now, having done two programs online and one in person. So, I want this time to be different. Again, I am sitting on the precipice of something I have never done before. This time, though, I have a sense of how things will be. I have done similar work now. I have met and grown with dozens of students; I have worked with dozens of talented graduates and undergraduates; and I have spent dozens of hours behind a computer screen talking on Zoom and Discord. I know now to greet the unknown with my hands open and to be willing to accept anything from experience.

By Isabelle Lao - Ngo

While getting off work after a busy afternoon, the last thing I expected to see when I checked my emails was a notification asking if I could join the Spring 2023 On Your Mark camp in Fukuoka, Japan. With so many unanswered questions, I immediately responded “Yes.” 

Coming into the program a bit later than the other overseas counselors, I remember struggling to catch up. I had a general idea of the program’s goals, but before I knew it, it was time to fly to Fukuoka.

Now, this was my first time in Japan, and I had only heard of Fukuoka once because a student of mine from the 2022 Online GEC lived there. I had no idea what to expect from the camp. To be honest I was still a bit confused about the program. Once arriving in Japan, the first thing I noticed were the brilliantly colored vending machines, tiny cars (relative to American vehicles), and clean roads. Being in a new country was disorienting, humbling, and exciting. Fukuoka was full of life as I admired the beautiful water and greenery. I was shocked by the culture of diversity and inclusivity among the locals as well. As a foreigner, I felt so welcomed. One thing that surprised me was how I could see and feel the Japanese history embedded within the city. Fukuoka was considered more country-side compared to urban Tokyo. The traditional architecture juxtaposed gracefully with the stunning natural beauty. 

The actual campsite was about a 20 minute drive from Hakata station. It wasn’t too tucked away from the city, but it could overlook Hakata from a peaceful distance while being surrounded by nature, shrines, and temples. Upon arriving at the camp, the Japanese counselors embraced the overseas counselors as family. I was pleasantly surprised at how welcoming everyone was. The first two days were mostly introductions, rehearsals, meetings, and team bonding. During break time the counselors went to see the iconic 41-meter-long reclining Buddha in the Nanzoin Temple while bonding over matcha soft-serves.  

The schedule for the week looked full, so I wasn’t expecting much besides working to provide an amazing experience for the campers. However, there’s something about spending 24-hours-a-day for a week with strangers that truly brings about a special experience. Throughout the week I gained so many lessons and memories through thought-provoking discussions and stimulating activities with campers and counselors. Here are my 5 main takeaways from the camp. 

1. Don’t forget your purpose! 

One of the first lessons we learned on the first day of the camp was the difference between having a goal and having a purpose. Goals can change, but as long as you don’t forget your purpose, you can go far in life. Later in advisory session while talking to my campers, I asked them to share one goal and purpose they had. But as a counselor that was supposed to provide guidance and advice, I was struggling to answer this myself. In this way I was grateful that the camp’s lessons allowed me to step away from my current life struggles in America and reflect on what my own purpose was.

2. Remember the world is your oyster!

One of the activities campers did on Day 2 was to create a world map and learn about different parts of the world. The goal of the activity was to help them realize just how vast and amazing the world was. I was assigned to present on Eastern Europe, an area I knew almost nothing about. But after researching and presenting I found myself extremely curious about borscht. 

3. Experience creating a social impact! 

Through all the guest speakers and counselors sharing their personal life stories, I found one common theme - the importance of creating a social impact. Whether it was through a pop-up food tent to help feed communities during difficult times or a global education tool to help students from various backgrounds get into university, hearing these stories empowered the campers and myself to think larger than ourselves. 

4. All students can have big dreams!

Before the OYM camp, I had a preconceived perception about teaching students in America vs Japan. I knew American students were rather vocal in sharing their thoughts and opinions, and I thought Japanese students would be more reserved. However, I was surprised at how open and thoughtful the Japanese students were in sharing their own ideas. I soon realized that all students have an innate desire to learn and dream big. There was no difference in the admirable dreams of American vs Japanese students. Instead, it reminded me that students around the world have beautiful dreams to share and deserve to achieve them.

5. Make your mark!

On the 5th day of the camp, all campers presented their three-minute speech about their dream in front of everyone. There were future doctors that wanted to open hospitals in underserved populations. There were future chefs that wanted to implement healthier food policies for school meals. There were future manga artists, makeup artists, and novelists. There were future teachers that wanted to build schools to give other students a chance to say “I’ve got a dream!” As I sat in the crowd teary-eyed, listening to each camper’s unique reason for their dream, I began to reflect on how to apply my newfound global perspective to my own purpose. 

(If you couldn’t already tell, the theme of the camp was “I’ve got a dream.”)

As a counselor, I thought my job was to help the campers. However, I didn’t expect the campers to have such a large influence on myself.  We discussed so many topics to just stimulate our minds to think differently. Not only was I intellectually stimulated through the guest speeches and activities, but I was also emotionally stimulated. In one week I surprisingly became very close with some of the Japanese counselors, despite the language barrier, and made some of the best friends whom I still laugh with today (although this resulted in me ugly crying at the airport when I had to go). I even appreciated the 7am radio taiso exercises outside in the freezing cold and have thought about implementing this in my own morning routine. 

The camp was intense, starting at 7am and ending at 10pm everyday. It was an emotional rollercoaster, and I didn’t expect to have made such impacting memories. At the end of it I was exhausted, but I was happy and fulfilled. I came out of the camp with a more global and open mindset. The feelings we shared during that one week will probably stay with us for years beyond the camp. To say this experience was life-changing would be an understatement, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.