Snow hates people
There's a DL Facebook group? Will have to look into that when I'm home.
Argh. Stop being so complicated and fit into a nicely contained, easy-to-understand package, Snow.
Japan and stuff
Late to this, but I wanted to chime in that I think you'd do really well in Japan, especially after having met you in person. You are far more qualified than about 90% of the JETs I currently know.
That being said, the reason the people who would be more qualified to be teachers and thrive in Japanese culture do not make it into the JET program is because the JET program is all about missionary work. Not literally American religion, but they want the 'American spirit' to be prevalent in Japan so that all of us westerners don't seem quite so strange and foreign to Japanese people anymore.
...Apparently they think the best way to do this is to expose Japan to the most abrasive (yet somehow socially competent) people possible... but at least they're being abrasive on Japan's home turf, so that's not as threatening as if it were to happen in, say, New York City.
That said, if you ever want a chance at actually getting into the program, you need to apply every year until it happens. The JET board looks at your application attempts and apparently skipping a year isn't good for your chances.
Also, just to continue the culture of being abrasive, your chances improve if you intend on either leaving Andrew behind for the entire time you're in Japan, or just going ahead and marrying him so that he's legally bound to you and can tag along and live on your posh JET paycheck. I discovered the hard way that JET interviewers are very interested in what you intend to do about your personal life.
Tyler the amazingly out-of-touch furry.
But was he wearing cat-ears? The T-shirt is hilarious, but for the image to be complete, he has to be wearing cat-ears.