Being in the English language business for roughly 20 years in Japan, I was able to do some pretty darn cool stuff. I remember when my student, Tadashi, a Pioneer engineer, brought in the first palm sized cellphones into my class and told me to call anyone from anywhere but only in Japan and they didnt work while moving like in a train or in a car. I remember promptly going into the toilet and calling my wife and saying listen to this while flushing the toilet. Did you hear that? No, there isnt a telephone in the toilet, Im using Tadashis keitai denwa as they were called at first. This was in 1994. My first bill was over $300 bucks so I chunked my first cell phone lol! We didnt get them here in the U.S. until a few years later. Then in 1998-99 I was able to create an amazing self study English course on CD-ROM with some technology that just wasnt out there yet. Some of the top engineers like Sato-San and Morita-San of Toshiba, helped put it together. It was LETS BEGIN and I wrote all material and lesson content. I even provided the voice for the lead character Takeshi. He who was a young Japanese businessman who wanted to learn enough English to accomplish a fairly successful business trip to the U.S. My forte was Business English and I taught the President, Vice-President, Former President at head office and I also taught at their other facilities in both Kawasaki and Fussa on different days. I was their English ace in the hole. I also had a bi-weekly section in a company newsletter. They gave me several assistants to get any and all translation or materials I needed. They really took care of me with all kinds of perks outside of the ridiculous salary and mansion (luxury apartment) they leased for me on Chigasaki beach. I only lectured, taught, developed curriculum 25 hours per week. However, the traveling was over 30 hours per week and that was an average of 6 hours per day, zig sagging across Tokyo, south Tokyo, west Tokyo. Thats why I had to get the hell outta of Godzillas neck of the woods. Too damn stressful. But I wouldnt trade those experiences/memories for anything in the world. I still have dozens of photos of those guys. Even some of the CDs, only $100 each, anyone interested in learning survival business English? ;)
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 18:50:12 +0000
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