Backtrack #21: Just A Lot of Heartful People (Ingrid Lezar, Uchiko ALT 2008-2011)
What’s your name, when and where was your placement, and where are you from originally? I’m Ingrid Lezar (née Strasheim), originally from Stellenbosch, South Africa. My placement was in Uchiko […]
Backtrack #20: Native Speakers are Fast (Emily Gurvis, Matsuyama ALT 2010-2012)
What’s your name, when and where was your placement, and where are you from originally? My name is Emily Gurvis and I was an ALT in Matsuyama-shi from 2010 to […]
Backtrack #19: Aloha Spirit (Eliot Honda, Uwajima ALT 2009-2012)
In 2009 I was fortunate enough to be placed in Uwajima, Ehime. I had little to no knowledge of this small port city. I had never even been to Ehime, […]
Backtrack #18: So Many Happy Days (David Leeming, Matsuyama ALT, 1995-1997)
My time in Japan seems so long ago yet it feels like yesterday. My journey onto the programme was probably like many of you, as it was far from being […]
Backtrack #17: Bridges Were Built (Jessica Shepherd, Matsuyama Central SHS ALT, 2011-2015)
What’s your name, when and where was your placement, and where are you from originally? My name is Jessica Shepherd, and I was placed in Ehime on the island of […]
Backtrack #16: A Small Window into the Greater World (Tom Schmidt-Makino, Yawatahama & Matsuyama ALT 2002-05)
What’s your name, when and where was your placement, and where are you from originally? Tom Schmidt-Makino. I was initially placed in Yawatahama in my first year on JET, and […]
Backtrack #15: Expect the Unexpected, and Prepare to be Unprepared (John Moraes, Toyo ALT 2004-2007)
In 2004 I moved from Wellington, New Zealand to Ehime, Japan with a suitcase, a backpack and five words of Japanese in my vocabulary. It would not be overstating things […]
Backtrack #14: Ships, Towels & Mikans! (Michael Dziesinski, Imabari ALT 1997-2000)
What’s your name, when and where was your placement, and where are you from originally? My name is Michael Dziesinski. I was an Ehime JET who was placed as an […]
Backtrack #13: The Most Inaka Place I Could Think Of (Bruce Baird, Matsuyama ALT 1992-1993)
What’s your name, when and where was your placement, and where are you from originally? My name is Bruce Baird. I was just about to graduate from college (Columbia University) […]