Our guild is up!
Name: ???
Pass: 2099
It’s hosted by me (Kain) so if you can’t find the guild, just find me and I’ll be in the guild.
Keep it classy gentlemen!
Thanks for your input, I highly appreciate everyone’s feedback as each day passes I feel little more confident on possibly making the move. I am not shy of other cultures, in fact my family is all over the place as far as ethnicity goes(I got koreans, africans, aussies, and whites all sharing the last name.(makes family get together’s a lot more interesting like a “family U.N. reunion”) Also I was in the military for a number of years and have been to Ireland, Germany, Iraq, etc. And because of experiencing different cultures has opened my barriers to anywhere I’d like to go. I don’t get home sickness as I would rather live in Iraq then go back to the midwest(maybe a little too much exaggeration but you get the point). At the moment, I have a quiet life, not really much of a social life anymore, and have been in a “life gutter” for a few years now.
I know the negatives of Japanese culture as I can sometimes see it in my mom’s own eyes(she’s korean and has stuck to a lot of old ways) So I can imagine the expression on her face, if this becomes a reality, when I tell her I’m not only going to live in a different country but Japan. Though that news will be held until I am 100% certain. But I did tell my younger sister the possibility this mourning and even she was like WTF.
And no matter where anyone goes, there will always be some BS involved, I have accepted that, but that shouldn’t prevent me from living my life how I want it.
As for the language barrier, I am somewhat a complete NOOB when it comes to Japanese. But I have always said to myself, if I did this move, I would make it a priority to learn as much as possible so I can at least have a somewhat solid foundation and won’t be completely lost in the soy sauce. And to add to that, I would change my lifestyle a lot to accommodate the vital time to absorb the language and eventually make it my second language(mom stopped teaching me korean at a very young age but she took the blame…) Plus I have been starting to take a gander at Japanese. Being 26, I have grown over the last 6 years and can commit to the tasks at hand.
So in a nut shell, I know I am very capable of starting a new life somewhere, somewhere far far away, and as these days keep passing by I get more eager.
Zinac, I didnt know you applied for JET. Where did you request to be located?
played ssf4 ae since i dont know, noon-ish till 6pm… am taking a break now, going to a bounenkai later with my lab partners.
7730 BP, Rank CC+
Not too bad… but then again, there werent any top level player just now(beginners to intermediate level mostly), but i guess most of them were still at work…
Lol, my coworkers don’t speak English. If I can’t speak it in Japanese, I’m boned. I’m also (tho not always a good thing) the main teacher in some of my classes, meaning I have to use my Japanese when explaining something. Do or die right there.
But every situation is different of course…
When I get a card and can actually get out of the inaka and play the game, I’ll sign up for the guild.
I’m pretty sure that the JET Program wouldn’t send anyone who doesn’t have any Japanese language skills to a school where nobody speaks functional English outside the school curriculum. Of course you got your experience from study abroad, and you’re pretty well-versed in the language, so they sent you to that kind of situation knowing that you could handle it, I’m sure. In almost every situation as a JET Program ALT, you’re at a school where the teachers know a decent to good amount of English, and they are responsible of taking care of everything that you need… from bills, to setting up utilities and phone, down to everyday matters that’s difficult for a foreigner to get through… at least for the first 1/2 year or so. Some ALTs can get really spoiled, especially if there’s a large ALT community in their area.
That’s why I think study abroad is better… because there’s no hand-holding for the most part, and there’s more responsibility for you to learn the language. I could be wrong, but you definitely have to fend for yourself if you’re in a smaller school that’s not in a big city like Tokyo, Osaka, etc. Also, you’re already in study mode with your classes, so I’d imagine that all that dedicated time to study would do you a hell of a lot good.
But if you just want to get your foot in and don’t have a way to pay for tuition overseas, teaching is probably the best way. However, there’s always talk that English schools and programs utilizing foreigners as assistant language teachers are diminishing in areas all over Japan… so you’re really going to have to work hard just to get here in the first place. It’s far from impossible, but it’s becoming more difficult it seems.
BBQ: Probably this is the best time for you to come. Nothing holding you down in terms of job or relationships. Desire to live in a different environment. Looking for new challenges. I wish you luck, man. You’ll figure out soon enough if this is what you want to do.
Was@A-cho from 1 pm till 10 pm, place was crowded. Also only 4 machines up and running, the other 2 will get converted to super tomorrow.
Something like 4 k bp, 22 wins out of 32 matches. Sporting alternate outfit nr 2.
There were a lot of good players there, luckily I didn’t face them too often 
I hope A-cho will upload soon, they have some fun vids. VERY nice Makoto play. She scares me.
BTW I joined the guild.
Also upped some vids to my youtube channel, after a few vids my phone said it had not enough battery power left to record more. I had 3/4 bars power when I left the house…
SSF4 AE Day One. 10582 BP Rank B 70/76 win rate (92.11%)
Clutch wins here and there. Too tired now, have to wake up for an early class tomorrow, gah.
Still havent tried the new characters… maybe tomorrow…
I really appreciate the insight, I wasn’t aware so much was done for you. To be honest it’s actually relaxing, haha, because I’m personally not looking for a kind of full immersion immediately. That’s the position I really wanted to express my opinion on- I don’t really want that full immersion as I’d much rather take my introduction to the country at a slow and easy pace to see how I feel about it. Of course I wouldn’t want my hand held forever.
but I know a study abroad situation wouldn’t be for me, I’m already heavily in debt from my past academic history, the last thing I really want is more debt. The way I see it, is an opportunity to just get my foot in just as you said, without having to drop as big as a commitment as pursing an educational goal.
Funny enough I’ve actually had a lot of experience teaching English to newcomers to the language. I’ve worked in academic assistance where I would help teach English from the bare minimum basics all the way to essay writing. I’ve been doing this for the past couple years, when I then heard about the JET program and was like “huh that’s funny, kind of similar” haha.
Of course I have to see if I am even considered. Does anyone know much about the acceptance process and such? I’d love to hear from anyone with prior experience. I’ve stayed pretty pessimistic for the most part :lol: though a friend of mine was like ‘oh yeah they accept anyone’ wasn’t really a credible means of relief haha.
If you have a bachelors, and you’re from the states, then you’re “qualified”.
The process for JET takes a while but it’s worth it, imo.
Kunai - Yeah, that’s true. However, I didn’t think the teachers were responsible? I have a go-between at the boe that pretty much sets up everything for us and takes care of us in that sense…either way you’re completely right that they wouldn’t have sent a newcomer with no JP skills to my position.
Anyways, I’m going to a-cho after work today, meaning I’ll be there around 8:30 or so. I’ll prolly play both super and BBCS2, and maybe AH3 also, haha.
So… I got a B on my Japanese final. I was so happy cause I didn’t study as much as I should’ve. But hell yeah on that B!
Dont be too happy yet! I know a lot of people (including myself, sometimes) who aced most of the japanese tests(by studying enough or not) and such, but when it comes to the real deal, communicating and all, still gotta learn the hard way by actually practicing and using the language on a daily basis. But yeah, congrats on the B still hehe
Yeah. My biggest problem is not having anyone to communicate with. Shit sucks. I try to practice writing while I’m bored, especially in my other classes… But to verbalize it? I’m so ass. :\ But thanks.
ssf4 ae related stuff:
so just now i checked the rankings and…
I Ranked 21st in Japan, 2nd in Kanagawa, 2nd in Abel. LOL its gonna be fun seeing how big those numbers will be after a few months
Lol I ranked 4th yesterday at A-cho, sick. Right behind 3 top players???and ??.
What’s up with the animal names - Meh it seems ?? removed ? from his nickname…
Just had our Japanese final exam on Wednesday. Started out with a moderately difficult Kanji section, and I’m feeling good. Turn the page, and it’s “Translate the following passage”
A page a half of Natsume Soseki’s 3rd night from the ??? with a very limited word bank. lol
Fucking asshole teacher.
good shit, your vega must be really good then(iirc you play vega?)… i think imma just play at my local arcades during weekdays, sure there are gonna be a lot of players who i can beat, and a few that gives me trouble, and even fewer that can beat me constantly… ill head to a tougher arcade on weekends to face stronger players. not going to care much about win rate lol its all about levelling up
Kooper: Basically, the most difficult part is the online application process IMO. It’s pretty long and detailed… I remember it took me a few weeks or so to set up. When you get past that part, you have to travel to a city in your region to interview for the job. The interview was a little scary because there’s about 4-5 people in the interview. Only one of the 4-5 peeps ask you the questions, though (in my case at least).
If you get in, you gotta jump through tons of hoops from acceptance notice to the day you leave Japan. Stuff like setting up a passport (if you don’t have one), getting fingerprints, paperwork on top of paperwork, etc.
JET is probably the best way to sample Japan. As long as you fufill your year of work, you be paid fairly well and you’ll get reimbursement for your plane ride home after you’re done. Most JETs average about 1-2 years, and there’s definitely no hard feelings with schools if you decide not to renew. You also will be able to stay for the length of your contract without fears of losing your job suddenly, or fears of your school deciding not to pay you (private English schools have a penchant of doing that during rough times). You’d have to do something highly illegal to get fired/deported, like get caught smoking pot, stealing, etc.
As for difficulty of getting in the program? Depends on the region you live at. They decide their regional candidates after the regional interviews. It could be competitive, or it could be wide-open.
If I had money, I would have done study abroad… but being a JET was probably the only way (and the best way) I could have gotten in Japan, given my situation. Sounds like this could be right up your alley, too.
Nah I’m not that good, I really need to take stuff to another level. Today I had 1 win 6 losses @ A-cho, they tore me apart. Guess I didn’t bring my A game too, but the opponents were too strong for me as well.
I will probably play much @ Namco tower here, and go to A-cho when I feel good/lucky
Kansai peeps - Monte in Osaka has AE for 50 yen a play. The bad news is that it doesn’t support the IC cards. As a result, I don’t think too many really good players are going to go. But it’s good for just getting some cheap games in, or practicing with an alt character.
The no IC card thing kinda sucks tho. I got a 21 game win streak that only counts for my personal pride.