Peter - kun

Today I went to another ALT’s house to pick up some money I was owed. When I entered the house the ALT’s supervisor was there. This particular ALT said _____ sensei, this is Peter-kun.

I looked at him in a funny way but let it slide. As I don’t get on with this ALT that much anyway I though that it was in my best interests not to say anything. I knew it was purposeful though and I knew that this ALT wanted to show his supervisor that he felt he was dominant. I thought it was ridiculous BUT as I say, I let it slide.

We talked for a little bit before his supervisor left. As his supervisor was leaving she said “Goodbye Peter Sensei”. The ALT corrected her and said “No, no, it’s Peter-kun”…I looked at the ALT and said “what the fuck are talking about ______-kun”. His supervisor realized what was going on and said bye. The ALT passed it off as a joke. If I truly believe it was meant as a joke, I don’t think I would have a problem with it. However the way this ALT works I don’t think it was.

The thing that frustrates me is that this ALT wanted his supervisor to believe he was superior to me. I think this ALT is very pretentious, if he thinks he is superior to me and very arrogant to say such a thing. Had I not intervened this would not have been ‘a joke’. His supervisor did not understand this as a joke. Maybe the ALT thought I wouldn’t understand what he was saying and that I wouldn’t know he was talking down to me. Unfortunately for him I did understand.

Now this brings to mind a few things. WHY DOES THIS ALT THINK HE IS SO GREAT? Why does he think the sun shines out of his arse? To be honest, whatever he thinks, his head is so far up his arse there is NO room for the sun to shine. I would like to tell this ALT that he is doing the same job as me, we went through the same selection process and on a ranking system, if there was one, we would be at the same level. He has a Bachelors degree, as do I. He teaches classes in Japan, as do I.

WHAT MAKES HIM THINK HE IS SUPERIOR?
WHAT MAKES HIM THINK HE’S WORTHY ENOUGH TO ELEVATE HIMSELF ABOVE ME?

I think there are many people like this on JET. They think they are a lot more important than they are. They have been in Japan for too long. They are used to being treated as kings and speaking down to people. It is all very well to speak down to your students but to speak down to your peers is not acceptable. You maybe be a big shot in Japan but in you’re home country you’re (probably) a nobody. I think people should keep things in perspective, know their true place in society and be happy with it.