Note: This is me posting from the future, because it’s currently 9am on Friday, July 3, 2009. The weather forecast states that it will be cloudy with a high chance of showers….bring your umbrella. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Thankfully, I have arrived safe and sound in Japan. I’m currently residing in a temporary apartment that was arranged for me by the company I will be working for. It’s located within a 10-15 minute walking distance from the training facility that I will be frequenting for two weeks beginning on July 8th. This apartment is pretty big and undoubtedly bigger than the permanent apartment that I have my eyes set on (http://search.minimini.jp/index.php?action=detail&corpgrpcd=0001&premisescd=2200001241&roomcd=1&from=list&mode=area_name
) when I move to Shizuoka at the end of the month.
I began my international flight into the futures at about 12:20pm yesterday (July 1st) flying the friendly skies with ANA (All Nippon Airways). I believe we landed at about 3:30pm on Friday (July 2nd) at Narita International airport and I was on my connecting domestic flight headed for Nagoya by 6:05pm. Since I didn’t sleep one bit on the first flight over (thanks to the all the syncronized wailings of the babies and the irregular timed kicking of the back of my chair), I fell right asleep on the flight from Narita to Nagoya…even though it was only an hour flight. Subsequently, I met my native personnel manager right outside the gate and we took the train from Nagoya International to Kaneyama station in Nagoya. I was under the assumption that my temporary accomodations while staying in Nagoya were going to be located within a block of the training facility, but unfortanately, that wasn’t the case. We were both wandering the streets in search of the building until about 11:30pm….having made multiple stops to ask for directions…and what was funny, was that the first gas station that we had thought to ask for directions but didn’t because my manager was worried that the attendant might be a pervert, was actually the corner that we had to turn down..figures, haha. We only walked what seemed an extra long 4 blocks in a circle before actually finding the darned building.
I didn’t get to bed until about midnight, and of course, I woke up several times over the course of the night only to finally wake up to sunlight at about 5am…………and here I am. Just remember, Japanese instructions and maps suck, suck, suck! Google needs to get on the ball and start working on their network over here.
The plan for today is to apply for my alien registration card and acquire an affordable cell phone plan. Since I’m unable to establish a Japanese bank account at the moment due to my temporary living arrangements, I’ll have to use one of my US credit cards for the billing cycle……….well, it’s a good thing I actually brought one with me and got it authorized for international use. I’m not really happy about having to use my US credit card though because they tack on an additional 4% fee for usage….ugh! I hate fees!
Since my real work won’t begin until next week, I’ll be gallivanting around Nagoya for the time being, hoping not to be done in by my horrible sense of direction.
Until the next update, enjoy these fine and dandy pictures of my 31.41 meter quared apartment…which actually looks nothing like the chart included in the manual…. The apartment came with a bunch of amenities of which I’m scared to use because they might incur additional expenses at the end of my stay..all of which were probably bought at the local Don Quixote ($1/100 yen store). Also, since the weather is rather humid….unless you keep the air conditioner on, rooms subsequently get rather moist……..yay, mold!!
I’m starting to perspire just sitting here using my laptop, so I guess it’s time for me to go outside and start to feel overwhelmed.
This will probably be the last post I make from the US for a long, long while. Anyway, on with the show.
The big guy upstairs just loves to keep me on my toes by throwing me last minute curve balls.
Up until two weeks ago, I was supposed to living and working in Nagoya, Japan. However, it looks like I’m going to be taking my parade to Shizuoka. Shizuoka is an hour shinkansen (bullet train) ride from Tokyo and 2 hours away from Mount Fuji.
Here’s a link to one of the apartments that I hope to get in Shizuoka:
If you’ve ever wondered what paying $500< a night gets you in regards to accomodations in Japan, that would be the Park Hyatt Tokyo. Yes, this is that hotel made famous by academy award winner Sofia Coppola’s film Lost in Translation (starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson). Unfortunately, we didn’t want to pay the cover charge that was required to dine in the bar on top of the hotel, the scene where Murray meets Johansson, because we were much too broke after simply checking in.
All right, so I’m gearing up to start recording solocasts, be it audio or video, but before I do, I need a little warm up. In remembrance of the tiny little site that started it all The Experimental Life (now The Wondercast), I present to you vintage Kyoto Kitty fr. the Experimental Life episode #31(circa 2006)!
Show Notes for Experimental Life episode #31 (originally recorded on June 18, 2006):
Last minute thoughts before I depart for my very first venture to Japan
Obscure game of the week: Rhapsody
The Experimental Life makes to #1 on the LibSyn charts.
For those of you who are curious about what a run-of-the-mill gaijin apartment looks like, please read on.
Apartment A (walking distance to Sakae (downtown Nagoya)):
A typical 1 room apartment (equivalent to that of studio here in the states) measuring 20 square meters. It’s furnished with the following:Features: Refrigerator, Aircon, Range, Unit bath (hopefully, it includes a shower head), Flooring, Carpet, Refrigerator/Freezer, Full Kitchen, Utensils Cutlery, Drapes (amazing! I intend to replace these with some sort of Sanrio-esque themed drapes that I can find at the local Daiso).
And, from the pictures, it looks like the unit also includes an eating table and chair (at least, I’m really hoping it does)!
The monthly rent is about 58000 yen (roughly $580) not including utilities.
At least with this unit, it looks like if you were to get creative with the furniture layout, you might be able to fit in a tiny couch fit for a munchkin or one of those Japanese heating tables. Or, maybe, a rabbit or pigmy monkey cage? Yeah? Yeah??
Apartment B (about a 30 minute train ride to Sakae (downtown Nagoya)):
This also a 1 room apartment that measures 15 square meters, but instead of sporting a standard layout, it resembles most closley an over-sized closet/hallway. However, this unit offers what I assume is a very, very tiny little veranda to take smoke breaks on, if you’re into that sort of thing that is. It’s furnished with the following:
Refrigerator, Washing machine, Aircon, Range, Shower, Unit bath, Veranda, Flooring, Aircon/Heater, Refrigerator/Freezer, Full Kitchen, Utensils Cutlery, Drapes
I’m curious as to why this one include “shower” in the description when the previous one doesn’t…hmm…looks like I’ll be showring with a wooden bucket using water I have to boil from a kettle.
The rent for this unit is 65000 yen (about $650) not inlcuding utilities.
Ths one is pretty narrow and if you didn’t have claustrophobia already, I’m sure you’d develop some sort of mental condition. I don’t think there are many different things you could actually do this place to create a cozier atmosphere thanks to its limited space….unless you invest in a tiny hammock or something.
Update: I’ fnally got around to adding the Kitten Kaboodle page to this blog. Keep checking for more updates.
At the popular request of z357x, I’m going to post some of my art. While some of you may have stumbled upon my DeviantArt link inconspicuously located right over there on the right-hand side-bar, it’s very easy to think that I only take perverted pictures of sexy little anime figures that come in all sizes, shapes, and ages. Haha, well, I kid you not! I am able to draw! Well, at least I’d like to think so. While I’m not very good yet, I would like to become better. Maybe I’ll have plenty of time for that when I’m not on my hands and knees trying to instill American slag into the impressionable youth of Japan’s tomorrow.
Here’s a little sketch from December 2006 (yes, from 3 years ago):
This little kitty is going to the Electronics Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, California. Unfortunately, I won’t be around for the Big 3’s (Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo) press conferences on Tuesday! Argh! If only I had known sooner! At the Game Developer’s Conference this year, Nintendo passed out pre-release copies of Rhythm Heaven for the Nintendo DS. I’m pretty sure at least one of those companies will probably be handing out something nifty.
I haven’t been to E3 in nearly 5 years. I wonder if E3 really is going to return to its original fantastical fame this year instead of the snoozefest it turned out to be that last two years. Well, I’ll be sure to set my nose for swag and be like a trick or treater on Halloween. Hopefully, my press badge will give me a little more leverage
Ah, this past Friday marked the end of my working in the healthcare industry. I feel a real sense of relief. While it wasn’t the best paying job, the wage was decent considering the work load. I’m happy to be out of the hospital though due to many reasons.
For one, during my time there, I felt no urge whatsoever to draw. Looking back, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such a long drought where I didn’t even want to doodle in my sketchbook at least a little. I guess it must have been the vibe that lingers in a hospital. It’s not exactly a positive environment and who actually goes to the hospital by choice, right? While working in retail, I would often be inspired by the fashion trends displayed by the mannequins, fellow co-workers, or customers. Yet, in a hospital, everyone’s wearing white doctor’s coats or garishly detailed scrubs. I’m hoping that during my time off, I’ll be able to let my creative juices flow once again. I’ll finally get to dust off my sketchbooks.
Another negative point, aside from the increased exposure to highly contagious viruses and bacteria, I wasn’t really able to interact with other persons of my own age group. Blagh. It’s not a really good place for a social network unless you’re already married with kids and own your own house. A point which I’m very far from right now.
But, there is a light at the end of this tunnel. I’ll be flying over the Pacific Ocean making my way to Nagoya, Japan as an English teacher for ECC in the Chubu region. I have to say that the timing of my placement and my being laid off at work couldn’t come at a better time. I have just over a month to wind down and enjoy myself before I fly away to a new job in a new land.
What adventures will the land of the rising sun hold for this little Miss Mew Mew?
Note: The events listed in this entry happened ]a month ago in the beginning of April.
All right. *whew* Let me take a nice deep breath before I let loose on the shenanigans that transpired over the approval of my professional registration for FanimeCon 2009.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I had completed the on-line application for a professional membership access pass to FanimeCon which occurs at the end of May. I thought everything would be nice and simple like with my experience with WonderCon just a few months ago. With WonderCon, all I had to do was show up to the booth and present my business card. With Fanime, you have to fill out this form and wait for an approval notification via e-mail. At first, I found it surprising that they didn’t ask for any credentials, but since this is supposedly a “con for fans by fans”, I figured maybe they were a little lax about it.
However, this morning I received an e-mail notification that my application had been denied. Yes, you read that right. Denied. Please continue reading for a copy of the e-mail that was sent to me:
Hello,
Thank you for your interest in attending FanimeCon as a Professional member, but the membership that you have requested has been declined.
The reason(s) for this is/are below:
- Unfortunately, your website (XXXXX.com) covers video games and we require our Press and Industry professionals to be more related to Anime and Japanese culture.
If you wish to correct this, you may reply to this email with the correction. Please do not reapply for a professional membership through the website.
I scoffed at this response and was flabbergasted by the apparent ignorance that seeped from this response. You’re trying to tell me that videogames have nothing to do with anime? Are you kidding me?! I’m completely speechless. Quite unsatisfied and perturbed, I promptly sent a response which I will share with you all:
Dear XXXXXX,
Thank you for your prompt reply in regards to my request for media admittance to Fanime 2009.
You are correct in stating that the website that I represent is related to videogames, however, we also cover the many nuances of Japanese culture. More importantly, it’s hard to deny that both anime and manga have heavy influences in regards to video game development. Many voice actors who work with anime series (both US and Japanese seiyuu), for example, often find roles in some of the most best-selling games in the business. Some of your featured guests, Reuben Langdon and Keith Burgess, are shining examples of the relationship between anime and videogames. I’m very sure that you are very familiar with their long list of accomplishments and works that I do not need to go into any further depth.
I would like to ask you to please see the included links of past articles for some evidence of how anime/manga/cosplay contribute the diversity of the XXXXX.com site:
I would like to kindly ask you to reconsider your decision as this would be a great opportunity to be able to share the success of Fanime with the demographic that XXXX.com has to offer.
Thank you for your time.
Best regards,
XXXXX Kitty
I received another reply in regards to my aforementioned e-mail and this dude goes on to say that “FanimeCon will reconsider your application”. Here he makes it seem like it has to go through a committee, but in fact, the committee is comprised of one person - him! UGH! It almost seemed as if I was given an ultimatum because he was quite insistent on knowing especially when my coverage of the convention would go live. Nevertheless, after another exchange on my behalf, my application was finally accepted.
Or, so I thought! As of this past Friday, my admission has been revoked. Stay tuned for more!! I promise you that this will be interesting.
I think that I’m going to take a little time to compile a compendium of my figure collection and it will be called the “Kitten Kaboodle”. For now, have fun taking a look at the latest addition to my fun figure family.
