[Sangetsu]

The majority of ekaiwa teachers in Japan begin teaching just out of college. Many have never worked at a "real" job before. Quite a few are socially dysfunctional who think that living and working in Japan would be better than living and working where they are.

These people have little experience in life outside childhood and school. Then they arrive in Japan not speaking the language, not knowing the customs or manners, and not understanding that as much as they may not have been able to fit into society in their home countries, it's even more difficult for them to do so in Japan.

This is just a generalization, but it's fairly representative, and describes those teachers who spend more than one year in Japan. Most ekaiwa teachers spend only one year here, and then return home to move onto bigger and better things.

As for myself, I'm not exaggerating about my upbringing. I grew up living in motels, foster homes, or was simply homeless. I dropped out of school in the 10th grade and went to work doing whatever job I could find to eat. I worked in a junkyard, at a carnival, and I painted addresses on curbs for donations. I was 3 years old when I last saw my father, and though my mother was not a bad person, she was terribly irresponsible. I more or less raised and educated myself. I got my high school diploma when I was 22, and began university when I was 24. I didn't arrive in Japan until I was 40. But I have no complaints, any other life would have been too boring, and would have left me as soft as some of those about who you complain.