i don't really remember dreams very often. oh, i'll have flashes of bits and pieces but very rarely do i remember most of one.
the other morning, i woke up and the dream i had had was so vivid in my mind....while the coffee was brewing i wrote it down on a piece of paper....it was that good.
the best thing about this dream....is that it has gotten me to thinking about the future and what i want for my boys. actually....it has sparked another kind of dream.
there is a long, drawn-out explanation as to why i am not too terribly thrilled with the higher-education system here in japan. while it may work for many....i'm going to do everything i can to tie up the boys and take them to the states for university encourage my boys to look elsewhere...to know that they have other options.
maybe that's why i had this particular dream....i've been thinking a lot about issei and what his future holds for him.
he is now in the second year of junior high (8th grade for those of you in the states). next year, his last year of junior high, will be spent preparing for the incredibly difficult entrance exam into high school.
if he passes, he will be allowed into the public school system...which is free.
if he doesn't pass....it's a very expensive private school for him.
the pressure really is almost too much....already.
when kids here enter high school, the main goal is not to graduate, exactly, but to pass the even more difficult entrance exam (yes, another!) into university. it seems to me that, once you pass that university entrance exam, it's all pretty much downhill from there.
yes, i know. there is more to it, but that is how it basically seems to me.
anyway....i've been milling over in my head different scenarios about issei's future.
angsting, if you will.
it has not been very much fun.
until....the dream.
in this dream, issei graduated from high school
(not sure which kind of high school it was at this point, but, i'm going to keep the positive thoughts flowing and say it was a public school!!).
(not sure which kind of high school it was at this point, but, i'm going to keep the positive thoughts flowing and say it was a public school!!).
he had not taken the very long and difficult and expensive university exam because he was not planning on attending a university here in japan.
he went to denver, colorado.
and here is where the dream got kind of fun.
he went to denver, colorado.
and here is where the dream got kind of fun.
he was living in the basement of my cousin and his wife's house. they live in a great place very close to downtown denver.
they have an apartment in the basement of their house that is perfect for one person.
he was working in a japanese restaurant that is so close to their house, you can almost see the sign....well,
the bigger one that is on top of the place.
(we went there the last time we were there, so issei knows of this place.)
my cousins, my aunt and uncle, good friends we met from here and another good friend of mine from university all live in denver or very near and he was spending time with all of them.
he was taking classes at one of the universities nearby (there are many!) and he was even taking a class
taught by one of my friends from high school (who actually does teach something science-y at one of the universities!).
the thing is this: my boys and others like them from families where one parent is from the states have a bit of an advantage...they have american birth certificates.
they have social security numbers.
they ARE americans.
i haven't checked into the details and all that is involved, but i can't help to think that it has to be easier to go to the states to live and study than it would if they were full-japanese.
what an opportunity this would be for them.
not only would they be in a place where they would be surrounded by family and friends, but....
they would be in a place where it would be easier to use their multi-lingual abilities...
where their bi-culturalism would be more easily accepted.....
or at least....
that's what i'm hoping.
the best thing? i mentioned this to issei and he was actually thinking about it.
asking questions about it.
the seed has been planted.
now, it's up to me....and "my village".... to make sure that he knows this is
an option that he can use...if he wants.
and oh, how i hope he wants.
they have an apartment in the basement of their house that is perfect for one person.
he was working in a japanese restaurant that is so close to their house, you can almost see the sign....well,
the bigger one that is on top of the place.
my cousins, my aunt and uncle, good friends we met from here and another good friend of mine from university all live in denver or very near and he was spending time with all of them.
he was taking classes at one of the universities nearby (there are many!) and he was even taking a class
taught by one of my friends from high school (who actually does teach something science-y at one of the universities!).
the thing is this: my boys and others like them from families where one parent is from the states have a bit of an advantage...they have american birth certificates.
they have social security numbers.
they ARE americans.
i haven't checked into the details and all that is involved, but i can't help to think that it has to be easier to go to the states to live and study than it would if they were full-japanese.
what an opportunity this would be for them.
not only would they be in a place where they would be surrounded by family and friends, but....
they would be in a place where it would be easier to use their multi-lingual abilities...
where their bi-culturalism would be more easily accepted.....
or at least....
that's what i'm hoping.
the best thing? i mentioned this to issei and he was actually thinking about it.
asking questions about it.
the seed has been planted.
now, it's up to me....and "my village".... to make sure that he knows this is
an option that he can use...if he wants.
and oh, how i hope he wants.
5 comments:
Issei is lucky to be in the dual-cit. position! The educational process sounds "interesting" to say the least. What happens if they can't get into a public school and their parents can't afford a private school? Enquiring minds would love to know!
yeah....so would we. we have been talking about that and kiyoshi says that there are ways....scholarship ("recommendation") is one way, but that is for the really smart kids. there used to be loans that parents could take out....and while regular high school kids are NOT allowed to work, some special consideration is given to kids who canNOT pay for school. there was a big meeting among the PTA of private schools here in the city last year....parents were trying to get some financial assistance to help pay the up to $1000 a month fees (that's a ballpark figure!) Not sure what came of that but they pointed out that, as public schools were getting more and more competitive, those kids that do not make the cut and still want to study need some help.
Believe me...we'll be looking into this in the next fe months...because, to be honest....we can't pay that!!!
and yes....the educational process is, to say the least, "interesting". ;-)
I haven't written the post about this yet, but I have a friend of my son's staying with us this year who is from Hong Kong. By the time your son is ready to come hear, I'll be an old pro! So send him to Chicago! hahaha!
wouldn't that just be amazing!
That really would be going "away" to college! In the best possible sense of the word.
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