News:

And we're back!

Main Menu

Japan calling

Started by Josquius, April 20, 2011, 09:43:27 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Jacob

Okinawa is pretty cool from what I hear, though I've never been.

I can probably point you at some resources once you're about to go, as one of my good friends went native there as an ESL teacher.

HisMajestyBOB

Okinawa was nice, but it's definitely not what you'd want if you want an urban area.
Plus, the food is meh.
Three lovely Prada points for HoI2 help

Monoriu

Quote from: HisMajestyBOB on June 15, 2011, 10:23:08 PM
Plus, the food is meh.

Yeah.  Okinawan food is a bit different from the real Japanese deal.  It has its distinctive dishes, but there is not much in terms of variety.  Japan proper/mainland has much better food. 

But Okinawa is very popular now as a tourist destination.  HKers love to go to Japan, but are afraid of the radiation leaks in Fukushima.  Okinawa is the furthest away area from Fukushima while still being in Japan. 

Monoriu

The biggest problem with the Japanese is they are afraid of making mistakes.  So they avoid speaking Engish if they can.  We once checked into a hotel in Okinawa, and the hotel manager felt compelled to explain the hotel facilities to us.  He drummed up enough courage to utter a few English sentences about the pool, then turned to his computer to have a mental break.  He was so nervous that his voice and hands were shaking.  After about 30 seconds of pretending to type something, he struggled to find words to describe the restaurants.  The computer was again his salvation.  Then he went on about the spa, before escaping once again by staring at the keyboard intently, while gasping for air.  At that point we got up, thanked him and went to our rooms.   

MadImmortalMan

You'd think English would be such a big deal in a place like Okinawa. With the big foreign presence there and all.
"Stability is destabilizing." --Hyman Minsky

"Complacency can be a self-denying prophecy."
"We have nothing to fear but lack of fear itself." --Larry Summers

Monoriu

Quote from: MadImmortalMan on June 15, 2011, 11:01:37 PM
You'd think English would be such a big deal in a place like Okinawa. With the big foreign presence there and all.

In my experience, Okinawans are indeed much more willing to speak English than the average Japanese.  Japanese hotel managers in Tokyo or Osaka won't bother to attempt to introduce their facilities to us at all  :lol:

HisMajestyBOB

Also, Okinawa has great scuba diving and snorkling.
It's definitely worth a visit, and wouldn't be all bad if you had to teach there.
Three lovely Prada points for HoI2 help

Caliga

Quote from: Jacob on June 15, 2011, 09:57:20 PM
Okinawa is pretty cool from what I hear, though I've never been.

I can probably point you at some resources once you're about to go, as one of my good friends went native there as an ESL teacher.
+1

Ex-girlfriend did the ESL thing for a while, and Okinawa was her favorite posting in the world.
0 Ed Anger Disapproval Points

Viking

Quote from: Tyr on April 20, 2011, 09:43:27 AM
I got a letter from the Japanese embassy today.
Apparently I'm shortlisted for the Jet programme.
Just so long as I get my medical forms in on time (damn you easter, damn you slow results processing) and the police don't attribute any crimes to me I'm going to be moving to Japan come August to be an assistant language teacher.
A well paying, interesting job in a country I've always wanted to visit....
I am: Happy.

We have folk here who've lived in Japan before right?

I was an AFS exchange student in Japan for a year, if you want to discuss anything just PM me.
First Maxim - "There are only two amounts, too few and enough."
First Corollary - "You cannot have too many soldiers, only too few supplies."
Second Maxim - "Be willing to exchange a bad idea for a good one."
Second Corollary - "You can only be wrong or agree with me."

A terrorist which starts a slaughter quoting Locke, Burke and Mill has completely missed the point.
The fact remains that the only person or group to applaud the Norway massacre are random Islamists.

Josquius

Quote
Why?  When I was there, I had the strong impression of Okinawa as essentially a "Japanese" Hawaii.
Super hot weather, cut off and isolated from the rest of the country, overrran with American soldiers, historically not even part of Japan, a huge chunk of the population don't speak Japanese as a first language.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on June 15, 2011, 06:41:18 PM
When does the spring semester start? April?
IIRC the Japanese school year starts around then yeah.
██████
██████
██████

The Brain

Quote from: Tyr on June 16, 2011, 04:45:11 AM
Quote
Why?  When I was there, I had the strong impression of Okinawa as essentially a "Japanese" Hawaii.
Super hot weather, cut off and isolated from the rest of the country, overrran with American soldiers, historically not even part of Japan, a huge chunk of the population don't speak Japanese as a first language.

... the emperor was "born" there, ...
Women want me. Men want to be with me.

BuddhaRhubarb

Quote from: HVC on April 20, 2011, 09:48:06 AM
Quote from: Tyr on April 20, 2011, 09:43:27 AM
I got a letter from the Japanese embassy today.
Apparently I'm shortlisted for the Jet programme.
Just so long as I get my medical forms in on time (damn you easter, damn you slow results processing) and the police don't attribute any crimes to me I'm going to be moving to Japan come August to be an assistant language teacher.
A well paying, interesting job in a country I've always wanted to visit....
I am: Happy.

We have folk here who've lived in Japan before right?
Congrats :)

and we had one that i know of, but Buddha bounced. You might be facebook friends withhim and i'm sure he'd be happy to give advice if you PMed him there.

or here. I don't know a lot about JET, other than afaik it's similarly compensated to the private schools.(not much at first but decent eventually) and the hours for foreigners are pretty easy. pm me for more detailed questions.
:p

Caliga

Quote from: Tyr on June 16, 2011, 04:45:11 AM
Super hot weather
:huh:

The average high temperature for the entire year is 25 C and for the hottest month is a mere 31 C.

How on EARTH did you people manage to conquer India!? :bleeding:
0 Ed Anger Disapproval Points

Josquius

Quote
... the emperor was "born" there, ...

ey?

Quote from: Caliga on June 16, 2011, 11:40:28 AM
Quote from: Tyr on June 16, 2011, 04:45:11 AM
Super hot weather
:huh:

The average high temperature for the entire year is 25 C and for the hottest month is a mere 31 C.

How on EARTH did you people manage to conquer India!? :bleeding:
That is very hot even in bulk numbers let alone considering, from what I've heard, this is a very hot feeling 30 degrees.

We paid the Indians to do it for us whilst we sat in the shade and drank tea.
██████
██████
██████

garbon

Quote from: Caliga on June 16, 2011, 11:40:28 AM
How on EARTH did you people manage to conquer India!? :bleeding:

I don't think it is far to place Jos as the typical Brit.
"I've never been quite sure what the point of a eunuch is, if truth be told. It seems to me they're only men with the useful bits cut off."
I drank because I wanted to drown my sorrows, but now the damned things have learned to swim.