ステップアップ-STEP UP・アメリカ人講師 Jonathan ジョナサン

Looking back

2011年12月22日 (木)

Hey everybody! I hope you're all well and looking forward to the holidays. When you stop to think about this year - 2011 - what things come to mind? It was an exciting year in both good and bad ways. Of course, none of us will forget the 3.11 earthquake that literally rocked Japan to it's knees. Or perhaps the Occupy Wall Street movement that started a chain of protests around the world. But certainly there were positive things that happened as well. How about in your life? I  traveled a bit this year, participated in a few big sports events and was able to generally have a very healthy and happy year. I look forward to another year of teaching here at Step Up and improving myself and my lessons as much as possible. Take care and have a safe holiday! See you next year ~

Running

2011年10月21日 (金)

Are there any runners out there? Too be honest, I have a hard time calling myself a runner. I only ran in one event this year (the Sapporo Marathon - 10k) and I didn't really train at all. To be even more honest, I don't particularly enjoy running. At least not the first 15 minutes, or so. What I enjoy is the feeling I have after running about 5kms - that "runner's high", as it's called. That, and the feeling of having gotten some good cardiovascular exercise after I've finished. Now is the season when it's best to run. The air is cool and crisp, and the fallen leaves crunch quite satisfyingly under my shoes as I run through Hokudai's campus. If you've ever wanted to try running, now is the season! Buy a discount pair of running shoes, charge your Ipod, and try running (lightly) for 20 or 30 minutes without stopping. I bet you'll learn to like it - at least as much as I do;)

What vacation?

2011年9月3日 (土)

Hey people ~ I trust everyone had a nice rest over Obon? What's that? You didn`t travel anywhere? What`s that? No time off? Just one day? That`s not a holiday, is it?

For my Obon I traveled around Singapore, Malaysia and Cambodia for nearly 3 weeks. It was a fantastic trip. I saw many great places and had some cool experiences. Many people told me I was lucky to have such a long vacation and, to a degree, I agree with them - I am lucky to have time to travel. But this brings me to my point - should finding a job that gives a few weeks of vacation be considered "lucky"?

Or should a few weeks of vacation time be a standard part of a full time job contract?

I think we all agree the latter is better. Unfortunately, business culture (especially in Japan) insists there is no time for extended vacations. Too much work to be done. I realize many people are locked into work routines that give them little to no chance for extended travel. But if you believe like I do that life is short (and only happens once), perhaps you`ll find a way to make time for yourself.

I'm very happy to work for a company that gives its employees ample time to travel. And as best I can, I always will work for such a company. So get out there and see the world. It's your right;)