What is/was ESID about your placement?
ESID (every situation is different) is a popular phrase to describe the JET experience. So, what makes or made your placement ESID?
I requested and was placed in a rural location: a mountain-valley town that was home to a ski resort in winter and hiking/camping in summer. Although my housing was mostly subsidized, I needed a winter-capable car for the heavy snowfall.
Being a rural ALT, I think my BOE was less-strict and saw JET differently. Two examples of ESID:
I didn’t have to use any vacation leave as long as I travelled inside Japan. My supervisor told me JET also meant me learning about Japan. I just needed to apply in advance, get approval, share what I learned and, of course, bring back omiyage (they actually said this). I didn’t abuse this privilege and I was never denied a leave.
After re-contracting for a second year and mentioning I’d likely stay for a third, my BOE offered to pay my tuition to attend a Japanese language school in Tokyo for a few weeks over the summer - I’d arrived with almost no Japanese but had been learning quickly through living in the inaka.
What about you?