Q & A about moving to Japan/teaching in Japan (cont. from Rezz`s photo diary)

[yukz2daizzo]

wow, sounds like people in this thread wants to move to japan. well i think most of the people here thinks that im a soldier boy, just stationed in japan, dont know jack about how they live around here, i would say no. i use to live in fujisawa before i joined the military.

well here's my point of view as far as living here in japan. at least i can give you guys both perceptions.

before i enlisted i was working on a denki yasan, its like an electronic factory, where we solder bits and pieces of stuff for hitachi, and as a 17 year old guy working from 8-5 making 150,000 yen a month that wasnt bad, but thats not enough to get me a car. as far as visa's i just had 90 day tourist visa but i still worked though, then i would go back to the states for 2 weeks and comeback. it was a great feeling working, sleeping in the train and training yourself to wake up in the right train stop. pushing salary man inside the train at 5pm in order for you to get home too. seeing japanese girls walk up the stairs in their curled up in the waist school uniform, drooling over a gtr as it zooms by in front of you. it was different. fun i would say. i will do it over again if i can.

now be being a "soldier boy" its a different perception. some people here on base thinks that theyre god for having a Y plate. wrong. before it was such a huge deal because not a lot of japanese cops cant speak english so now they found out that camera works, it cuts off the whole confrontation thing, so we start getting charges. as far being in the military too, we are not always welcome to some of the bars, or snack.

i live on base and it sucks. its like little america in japan. thats why i get out and take the train somewhere just to see and hear japan again.

why is everyone here thinking NOVA all the time there's much more work than NOVA. something in the computers is out there too. i know someone who cant speak japanese to save his life but he still works doing networking and making enough money to afford any thing he wants.

but like demon dave said you have to experience it and see it for yourself. its different, and rezz is right, it will change you.

[Sciby]

Yukio, I'm personally considering NOVA because they're A: everywhere. and B: they seem to have an entire package and very variable shift hours, so for working tourists like myself, they would seem to be a rather good option. They're also used to taking care of westerners so they'd know the answers to the common questions. There are a couple of other english schools I'm looking at... but I won't be finished my degree until june next year... and that's if work gives me a redundancy so I can finish it internally. Long story.

On a small japanese side note, I had a dream last night that I was in some japanese mall, and some burger bar had a special, 20Y for a small burger and fries... I was even speaking in japanese to the girl at the counter... :looney:

My brain is weird. :headspin:

[Rezz]

I had a dream last night that I was in some japanese mall, and some burger bar had a special, 20Y for a small burger and fries...

Cool dream... you know, I tell me students that until they have a dream in English, they won't really totally relax with the language and speak out more. They usually don't have a dream in English until they go on a homestay or something in an English speaking country... you had a dream already in Japanese? Thats a good sign man, trust me.

[Sciby]

heheh, I asked her if she could speak english... and then I think I mumbled something like 'ni-juu burger o kudasai'... I'm not sure why I wanted 20 burgers... but I remember that the fries were dark brown/burnt.

[Rezz]

... but I remember that the fries were dark brown/burnt.

Reminds me of Do-mo kun: burnt chicken nugget.

[DaiOni]

domokun is a sentient turd

[Sciby]

Actually, that's pretty spot on, the fries were the same colour as domo kun... yet greasier.

[Rezz]

Brians back... how are ya?

[DaiOni]

good.

poorer.

[akeenan]

Also, since NOVA isn't a school per se, they wouldn't be tied to any school calendar, ie, if they give you paid holidays (I think you get 10-20py?), you'd be able to take them whenever you want. YMMV though.

10-20 per year you gotta be joking!

Word of warning if you want to work for nova dont work full time... work flexi time. flexi time is restricted to people below 30 years of age though so depending on when you come over here you may have no choice.

And yes it is a good job if you want time off but the paper work is always a pain.

[Sciby]

OKay... not 10-20 per year... 2-3 per year, then?

That's a shame... by the time I'm ready to do the move, I'll have just turned 30.

Paperwork doesn't worry me, I've got a night job as a research lab supervisor at the uni I work for... the paperwork there kills several trees a night, Nova doesn't scare me.

[DaiOni]

NO VAcation

[Sciby]

1-2 per year then? *whimper*

[Polski]

From what I've read around other forums, JET is one of the best (also one of the hardest) to get into, they provide training, accomodation, vacation, etc.

September is when they start recruiting for next year, i'm going to give them a shot !

If that doesnt work, i'm going to go to japan for a few weeks and find a job while i'm there. *Fingers crossed!*

[akeenan]

finding a job here is too easy.. there is a guy at my work who has 16 different jobs and he is saving a packet.

[Laurence]

domokun is a sentient turd  

Warning - Do not read DaiOni's post while drinking Coke!!!!

Me==:Owned:

[funkymonkey]

well he is isn't he? some alien orphan thingy

[Sciby]

http://www.rcs-japan.com

Anyone ever heard of them?

[Rezz]

http://www.rcs-japan.com

Anyone ever heard of them?

I personally haven't herad of them Sciby but give em a shot... they're well established so everthing should go really smoothly. Just bear in mind that you could be stationed far out in the country...

[Sciby]

That's the gamble, isn't it?

I'm not sure which I'd prefer, city or country. I live in a city of 70k pop now, so maybe the country wouldn't be a bad thing... although it'd be far less gaijin-friendly than the middle of Tokyo.

On the plus side, rent in the country would be cheaper, I'd be forced to speak japanese more (I assume) and there'd be more open roads.

I"m really looking forward to it, actually... the next 2 years of my life are going to be rather interesting... a year here, finishing off my degree and finishing up work, then off to Japan!