2010, Taking Chances Pt.2 No Regrets

It's not over until it's over, but I may not want to write anything in the last moments...lol So I'll write them at the year end and keep moving forward.

Since I've been here, up until now, I have no regrets. Everyday I'm learning so naturally I did things out of my character at times, I made plenty of mistakes, but it's all part of the learning/growth process. I also learned valuable lessons, and met people that I hope I can keep in contact with no matter where we end up in this world.

I haven't really been too detailed on my blog. Usually I just wrote about what I did during the week and my ambitions. I really didn't want to write a lot because I would say I'm a very extreme or intense person, so I didn't really want to share too much of my inner thoughts, even though it may have made the blog more interesting. A lot of my stubbornness and "intensiveness" created a lot of motivation for myself, but it could have also been a set back during my adventure because it could prevent me from meeting people, or from seeing other methods to my goal. The good thing about me being stubborn was I never wanted to stop learning even if it meant making mistakes until I got what I wanted to learn right.

Also, I feel like I should share more of my background just so you get a better idea of where I'm coming from. My background and past experiences/travels have definitely shaped a lot of my decisions and my perspective on a lot of things here in Japan. Maybe I will write about that more in a later post.

The only thing I hope I didn't interfere with too much is my parent's dreams as well. I wish I could repay them everything so that their dreams could come true as well without too many problems. My parents always back me 100% in everything I do, whether I fail or succeed, but this is something huge that I could not have done without them at all.

No matter where I end up, I'm never giving up, and I'm going to put everything I've got into everything I do as usual until I succeed. Always aim high! Some say my expectations and my goals are too high, but nothing feels better than reaching those goals even if it takes a long time, reaching smaller goals in the mean time, so keep going!

Have a happy and blessed New Year! 良いお年を！

lol Just how I feel :p

2010, Taking Chances Pt.1 Job Hunt

As the year winds down, I can truly take this time to reflect on 2010's happenings. 2010 was definitely a year of taking chances for myself and also my family. We don't know how things will turn out, but we are all taking chances, chasing our dreams.

I initially started out my language program planning to study here for two years. two years probably would've been just enough time for me to not only excel in Japanese, but also to find a job here in Japan doing something in IT or business. After a few months, two years turned into one year because I realized how fast the money was going, not even mentioning living expenses.

Probably the first few months I really devoted to mainly just studying. Once I got settled, I wanted to venture and experience the place, because I was coming to the realization that this may be my only chance to have this experience, and I didn't know what was next in store. So I played hard, I studied hard, and I began my job search.

Despite not feeling like my Japanese was "ready", I still look for jobs because I felt like that was the way I would improve as I prepared for interviews and polished up my resumes. The way I see it, the economy is basically the same everywhere so the fact the Japanese economy was bad didn't deter me, I felt like I would get the same results anywhere, besides the language barrier, that I'm slowly knocking down. Just to be safe, I've been applying to companies in America, England, and Japan. I can legally work in American and Great Britain why I focused mainly on those countries outside of Japan. To sum everything up, I had a few interviews for great full time positions in America and Japan, but unfortunately I didn't get the jobs possibly because of my location or my current skill set.

I still have three more months to wait for replies and see what else is out there, but if all else fails, I'm preparing to return back to the West. If I have to return it means I have to start from zero in a way, but I've gained a lot of experience here, and has probably strengthened my love for learning languages in general, my love for other cultures, and my decision to live in another country unfamiliar to me even if it's not supposed to be right now.

I'm not giving up, I'm still going to be searching for jobs, but I'm just going to let life happen and see what happens. I still have just enough money to last me for the three months and buy a plane ticket. Yes, money goes fast! If I stay maybe I can use the money I don't buy a plane ticket with to get a small apartment or something.

Young Veterans Again!

Young Veterans gets a feature on OutAroad! Click here to read more...

Roaming Around Kansai

Yesterday I bought a one day pass that allowed my to ride the train all day for 2,990 yen. I had nothing to do and I didn't feel like staying in the house so I just rode the train all over Kansai. I enjoyed the scenery and occasionally dozed off...lol I got off a few times to stretch my legs, but for most of the day I just stayed in the train since it's cold :) It was fun.

Christmas is Coming Soon!

Christmas is coming soon! It will be my first Christmas in Japan! From what I've heard though Christmas here is more of a couples celebration, so a lot of couples go out to eat and do things together. I will probably go to dinner with some friends on Christmas Eve and then maybe take a day trip on Christmas or just read all day...lol

Depending on where I am, I'm usually spending time with family or partying or both. :)
I've been lucky enough to experience Christmas in America, Jamaica, England, Portugal, Germany, etc, and now Japan! My best Christmas and New Year's are always in Jamaica, there's always a lot going on, and it's warm.....just right :) I will definitely say yes, different parts of the world have there own version of Christmas or different traditions, especially house to house may differ.

Mommy or somebody can you send me some sorrel please ....lol

神戸ルミナリエ！Kobe Luminarie

From December 2nd until the 13th the Kobe Luminarie was held. The Kobe Luminarie festival is held every year to commemorate the 1995 Hanshin Earthquake. Every night the streets were packed with people going to see the lights. I went a few night ago, snapped some pics, and came back to my room...lol

忘年会！！Year End Party!

Last Friday was our school's year end party. Myself and another classmate from Finland were the MCs for the night. It was a lot of fun!! We ate a lot, and played some fun games. It was also a good chance for students to meet some Japanese people. At the end, we all exchanged gifts :)

おいしそう！！

Everyone trying to get out of the human knot! They were eventually successful! Playing pass the gifts.

The games I wasn't in charge of I was busy playing so I don't have pics but they were all fun!!

人生は海みたい

最近いろいろがあって人生は海みたいなものだっていうことにに気づいた。
一瞬上がったり下がったりしていて、一つづつの波に乗るしかないあるいは溺れ死ぬ。
人生と同じだと思います。人生の中にいろいろな状況に置かれています。一瞬いい状況もあるし、悪い状況もあるし。どんなに悪い状況でも自分の見方を変えれば、自分の人生の成り行きも変えられると思います。どんなに大きい波がきても乗れるようになります。
海もきれいだし、人生も美しいし、そこで人生の波に乗り、人生を満喫してください。

Kanpai!!

This weekend I had a chance to go to the Suntory beer and whisky factory in Kyoto with a few of my teachers and one of my roommates.
They show the process that they go through to make the beverages, and at the the end of the tour you get to drink!! It was a very "educational" experience. You get to learn the science behind beer and whiskey, and then you get to try the finished product.
It was a nice long day of fun and drinking and fun and drinking. :-)


This is where the storage room where they store the whiskey after it has gone through the whole process. The smell in this room was like heaven! lol

Fall is Beautiful

As fall is winding down, (I think) everyone is rushing to see the last of the colorful leaves. In Japan, fall leaf viewing is one of the big events in the fall. There are even special places where people can go to have a "special" viewing of the fall leaves near temples and places with a lot of nature. From where I live I have a beautiful view of the mountains behind my house and that fine with me. :)

I actually did go to Kiyomizu dera, a Buddhist temple in Kyoto, to have a special light up of view at night. It was crowded! Especially since it was a holiday.
I've been doing a lot of traveling especially to Kyoto so I have been able to enjoy from the train or just walking around places.
This is another good place in Kyoto :)

I'm Back!!

I know that it's been a while since I've posted anything but I'm back! Sometimes there are bumps along the journey and you just have to figure out how to handle things appropriately. During my break, I took a lot of time to reflect on a lot of things and realign myself back on my path. I feel refreshed and ready to take on the world again! I'm still hungry, and I'm still trying to devour that Japanese!! Look forward to more posts again.

Norwegian Wood

Lately I've been reading Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami, which was a recommendation from one of my teachers. Haruki Murakami is probably one of the most famous authors in Japan right now. In 2009, he just came out with 1Q84, which is now on it's 3rd volume and on my list of books to read. Also, I'm late, but I just found out that there will be a movie Norwegian Wood based on the novel coming out in December, which I'm excited to see. I'm not a big fan of movies based on books, however, there have been a few times where I like both the movie and the book. So I will definitely be checking out the movie, even if I haven't finished the book yet!

おとなになっているかな．．．

最近な、失敗だらけから俺の人生はどうになっているかわからへん。

失敗しないと、成長できない、という考え方があるのに、たまに失敗は取り戻せない。それで大人になっているかなって。自分の人生の中でたまに悪い判断で馬鹿なことをするし、それで人生はくるしくなるかもしれへん。でも、たぶん一番重要なのは自分の失敗から学ぶことです。自分に起こることは理由があるんだと思っています。
最初は忘れようしても、忘れられない。ただ時間が経つにつれて、忘れて始める。だけど、いつもレッスンとして心の中に残っておいて、それから人生の困難に遭遇すると簡単に解決することができる。

たしかに他人の失敗から学べるけど、自分の強さ、自分の才能とかを見つけるために、たまに自分の失敗しかない経験しなきゃと思う。それなかったら人生は簡単すぎるし、意味がない。

俺はどんなおとなになっても、がんばる。

最期まで諦めない。

Back to School!

So I've been back to school for about a week now. It's good to be back to see the new people and just get back into the groove of school. Now I'm in E class, which is the upper level intermediate course. It is very challenging, but it's fun! On Friday we will have a BBQ or picnic to welcome the new students. Can't wait!

I can't remember if I've posted a picture of my school, but here it is.

Back from Tokyo Pt.2 Day 2

On my 2nd day in Tokyo one of friends was able to show me around Tokyo. So I went to all of the famous places like Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Harajuku and the like. Since this was my first real time in Tokyo, it felt like the movies, especially seeing and being able to walk through the famous pedestrian crossing in Shibuya....lol Unfortunately it was a rainy, but we made our way around doing a bit of window shopping and stuff like that.

Tokyo in general, is really too crowded for me, but it's where everything in terms of company headquarters and stuff like that. Ideally I would like to stay in Kansai, but I'll go where the opportunities are as well!

Also, I was fortunate enough to get to take a class at Waseda University on Telecommunication and Broadcasting Art or something like that. lol It was long. That's all I will say about that. It was good to see what the campus and stuff was like though.
Well, here are a few pics!
These are pics of Shibuya.
This is near Harajuku.This is Meiji Jingu (Meiji Shrine).

Back From Tokyo! Pt.1 説明会！

I just got back from Tokyo a few days ago. It was definitely a great experience! I only spent two days, one day at the seminar, and one just checking out a bit of Tokyo.

As far as the seminar or setsumeikai, it was very interesting. The company deals with business intelligence and stuff like that which is directly up my street since it is some of what I studied in university. In university, the same company came to give presentations so I was fully aware of, even if I couldn't understand every word, what was going on.

The flow of the program was first there was an explanation about the company and what they do, which was about 2 hours or so.Then, we were able to ask questions to recent hires. I was a bit nervous to speak at first, but I got over that real quick and shot a few questions. Afterward we took a 10 min. break and then took a series of tests including math and just basic reading comprehension in Japanese and a small portion in English.
By the way, math and in Japanese! I haven't seen math since I took Calculus II in my freshman semester, which now is a long time from now...lol I would say I definitely took longer than everyone else, since I don't read and comprehend that fast yet...lol

What I will say helped me is READING on my own. I have a few business and programming books in Japanese that I will dabble in when I'm in the mood. Just being able to recognize that I heard some of the same words from those books during the presentation, was a big motivation. So keep reading, even if you don't understand it all yet. One day it'll all come together. Take it from AJATT. Alot of times people look at me like, "Why are you reading that?" or "Can you understand everything?". However, it's more about just reading what you want to read or doing what you want to do in general. Even in your native language you don't understand every word that you come across, but you still have some level of understanding of the message. So keep reading, keep learning!

Overall, it was just a great experience! If I did well on the aptitude test, I'll be back in Tokyo soon! :) Regardless of the result, I'll be back in Tokyo soon :)

Video of the Week

This week was hard to choose. I just had a vibe telling me to post some stuff I used to listen to. I don't really post up Reggaeton and Dancehall stuff just because the stuff I like/liked rarely has videos or I just wouldn't post it for other reasons :P

Anyway, enjoy!

Goin to Tokyo!!!

In a few days, I'll be going to Tokyo!!!I'm only going for about two days or so, but it's for a good reason. I'm going to a setsumeikai (説明会・せつめいかい） for a company that I have been eying for a long time...lol

What is a setsumeikai?
If I translate it literally it means explanation meeting. I'm not very familiar with them, other than what people have told me, but from what I understand it's basically a big gathering where the company talks about what they do and stuff like that. For many companies, this is the first step of their recruiting process.

At the one I'm going to, there will be an explanation for about two hours and afterward there will be an aptitude test. In order to sign up for the setsumeikai I had to answer a few questions. I don't know how much weight they put on the questions, but I don't think my answers were adequate. I just wanted the experience of going to a setsumeikai. You never know what could happen!
We'll see how it turns out!!

Completion/Graduation Ceremony

On Friday, we had the Completion/Graduation Ceremony. I'm not exactly sure but maybe about 6 or 7 people graduated. Most of the students that graduated spent about a year, and boy does time fly. I wish them the best in whatever future endeavor they have. Some will return to their country, but some will stay in Japan and make a life of their own here.

Full of Support

Well it's been about 6 months since I've been in Japan studying in language school. After 6 months I feel like I can talk about things that I've observed first hand at school after giving them lots of thought.

Probably the biggest thing that I like about Kobe Toyo is the support. The teachers and staff are there whenever you need them. Whether you want to talk about something you don't understand in class, whether you want help with your personal goals, or you just want to chat, they are always there. They never hesitate, and will be right there to sit down and talk with you about whatever.

You will definitely become familiar with the teachers after a few months, especially since you have a main teacher and 4 others that will rotate throughout the week.
Also, everyone is very cheerful. Coming to an unfamiliar place, or going from being able to communicate your every feeling and thought to not even being able to the most simple things can be frustrating. The teachers definitely help make this transition a bit easier by being patient and just being there.

The time is going by so quick!! I'm looking forward to a new semester in a new challenging class :) The new semester starts October 12, so the new students should be on there way!

Final Exams

This week and last week we've been having final exams.
Last week's final exams were based around conversation. So we had a basic conversation test, a keigo test, and a presentation.

I will say I did the basic conversation test and keigo test on the fly, no studying because I feel like in real life you don't know what people are going to say to you or what words they're going to use, so just let it be natural as possible.

As far as the presentation, we had to introduce a city we've been to. I prepared a presentation about Athens, Greece, which is beautiful, and if you haven't been you should definitely go to Greece. Surprisingly I was able to remember my spiel with not much trouble. This was definitely a good exercise, because I feel like I really want to improve my speech.

Starting tomorrow, we'll have a series of tests. First, kanji, then grammar, and then probably the last test will be a placement test of some sort to see which class we will place in for the next semester.

Then Aki yasumi!! Fall Break!

海

海のどこが好き？
海の自由な感じ
一か八かな感じ
どこが始めか
どこが終わりかわからない
海はどれくらい深いの
海はどれくらい広いの
自分の心の深さくらい
自分の心の広さくらい
海の波が好き
現実逃避できる
波のリズムで
夢を追いかける

Gotta Run!

Probably since I started university, I got in the habit of running about 2 or 3 times out of the week. The biggest reason is just so I can keep a mental/physical balance going. When I was younger I used to do sports, but I stopped liking the competition. Especially because I sucked, and people don't give you opportunity when you suck...lolYou just sit on the bench and watch the game, no sweat, no dirt, no adrenaline.

So I mainly practiced on my own, or played with friends, so just as I would start to feel like was getting good at something I would loose interest mainly because it was always about winning and not about the personal and team development, which I think that's one of the reasons sports are there.But to be fair, I guess it is about winning too :) lol

Anyway, since I've been here I've not stopped running. I usually run from my place to the sea, and back nonstop. It used to take me about 50 to 40 min. but now I can usually do my route in about 30 min. The feeling afterward is priceless! Not to mention I get the best sleep ever afterward.

Here are pictures of the halfway point. Simply beautiful, nice breeze, ocean waves, people holding a meditation, fishing, exercising, doing martial arts or just spending time together. I'll definitely be out there in a few hours!This last picture is facing the direction of my house and the mountains.

Job Hunting!

I know I just wrote a few posts about me recently getting a part-time job, but that is not the end! Probably since the beginning of the summer, even before that, I've been looking for full-time jobs. Before June, I was probably looking on and off, but since July when I'm not in school or not studying, or at work, or playing :), I'm looking for jobs.

It's funny, when I was in university since I knew I was coming here, I never really focused to much on looking for a job. I went to a lot of career related events, especially thanks to my major, but it wasn't time. However, now I understand why everyone was running around like a chicken with their head cut off. lol While everyone was always talking about their jobs and internships, especially the last semester, I had my eyes directed at Japan. :) Now that I'm here, I'm definitely ready to see what is out there. It's time, so it will all work out.

As well as putting in applications to places online, I'm also considering trying to join the regular crowd here for job hunting just for the experience. I have my Japanese resume ready to go! The only thing is that my connections are not as big since I'm not going to a university here, and that's probably the biggest part of job hunting in Japan for students. So if you want to work in Japan, you may want to consider finishing your degree here or something along those lines. That way you can properly do job hunting.

Most of my friends have all gotten jobs for next spring, which I'm not surprised at since they're all pretty bright. :p Having gone through the process here, they've given me a lot of advice on what to do, and are always there when I need help.

It feels a bit nerve wrecking but good at the same time, preparing up for interviews and stuff like that again. This is it, this is where I'm going to build. No matter where you are, or want to go opportunity is definitely there. I didn't fully have a plan when I came, but I'm slowly just following my path as it is illuminated. Everything will come together, piece by piece. In good and bad times, opportunity is there my friends.
Yes, I love it here. Di place nice! :p

夏の最後の花火・Summer's Last Fireworks

Last night I met up with some friends in Osaka to do what I would say is the last fireworks for the summer. All summer, there were firework shows, and people doing there own fireworks. Around now, the sale of fireworks definitely slows down.
Fall is coming. You can definitely tell because the wind is picking up, and it was hard to light the fireworks last night...lol

From nezumi hanabi(rat fireworks) to senkou hanabi (sparklers?) there was a good variety of fireworks to choose from.

It's like magic!

Yes Smile, Yes Yurt!!

Yurt is the name of the restaurant that I started working at. I didn't know but "yurt" actually has a meaning...lol It is actually a tent-like home that nomads live in or something like that.Yurt is definitely a stylish restaurant/cafe with like a European/American twist to it. You can get anything from curry to bbq to different kinds of deli salads. It's delicious!! Also drinks are all 500 yen, alcohol included!The restaurant opened up last Friday, and it looks like it's been doing well from then. I stopped in for lunch yesterday, just to better study some of the food :D, and the place was jam packed!It's located right behind my school. The area where it's located is perfect because it's in the shopping district as well where a lot of people work. So people go there between/after work and to take a break from shopping.

I'm working in the hall of the restaurant. So that means, greeting people, taking orders, serving food and drinks, and rotating washing dishes and stuff.

Probably the best aspects of this experience is being able to deal with people, and getting to work in a Japanese environment.Everyday I get to meet different people. I usually get the opportunity just to chat with them as well as my co-workers. Before, since all my friends live mainly in Osaka, especially when I first got here, I would just walk around just to see who I could meet...lol I would chat to people at the supermarket, or just sit at the park and chat to whoever I happened to stumble upon. I still just chat with random people when I feel like it, because it's fun...lol

Also this job, gives me the opportunity of dealing with Japanese people in their regular everyday activities. Going to a language school, I would say that it's hard to meet Japanese people besides the teachers, and language partners that are affiliated with the school. Unless you're willing to jump outside of your comfort zone and just chat with people outside of school, go out on the town a bit, or you already know people living in Japan, it can be hard to meet people. Some people will come up and talk to you, but maybe because you look different, or because they want an English speaking buddy or w/e. But they might be weird....lol j/k (no I'm not) lol

Everyone at my job is about in the 20-30 age range including the bosses so that's pretty cool. I'm the only foreigner so that's cool as well. So yes, everything is in Japanese, and not much is broken down for me only, so I have to be on my P's and Q's all the time.

Also, there are a lot of cultural things that are not in books, or that you don't learn at school that you definitely learn on the job. For example, different salutations , things that are acceptable to say and do. I think language school is pretty lenient when in comes to stuff like this, just taking in account that people come from different places and they want to accommodate the students to some extent.

I love this job, even when I make mistakes! I'm glad that they give me this opportunity. Everyday I'm learning and growing and hopefully everyone can learn from this experience.

If you happen to come to Kobe or are in Kobe, check it out!! I usually work nights! :P
The windows can be folded back so you get a full tentish feel..lol It's pretty cool.

Back 2 School

Yesterday was the first day of school after Summer break. After 2 weeks we will have final exams or something like that, and then we will have Fall break! During that period probably new students will come in for the Fall term starting in October.

I don't know if I can say I was happy to start back, mainly because I feel like I just got here yesterday, and now it's already September.

As far as my progress, I feel like school is a lot slower. It is good to reinforce the things that I learn outside of the classroom, but it feels a bit too slow and watered-down for me..lol
Spending the whole summer just hanging out and being in my Japanese environment, whether with friends, or at work, maybe I couldn't see any growth in my Japanese because of the learning curve but maybe there was just a little :) At work and play is probably where I'll get my full meal of Japanese everyday :)

This will be another progressive semester!

Speaking of Japanese Language School, there is a manga called Nihonjin no Shiranai Nihongo, which is now a drama. This is probably one of the first mangas I read, but it makes more sense once you actually understand, because you can get the humor of the mistakes that people make when learning Japanese. If you have a chance you should check it out. It's basically about what a Japanese Language School is like. It covers everything from the crazy things that students say, to even the teacher not knowing the answer to some questions about Japanese or Japanese culture and student's responses. It's a bit exaggerated, but I can definitely relate to it since I'm going to one. lol