Hello everyone, first post
I am going to be living and working in Osaka very soon, I arrive on the 14th January and will stay around 2 years, possibly more if I am having too good a time to go back to England :P And I'm sorted for a job and a place to live.
I was wondering if anyone has any tips or advice they wish they'd known before arriving or something, I've tried to think of everything but it's impossible if you don't really know what you've missed!
I speak some Japanese (enough to get by day-to-day) and will investigate those free Japanese classes I've heard of. I really hope to be fluent within a year and I think it's possible if I make the effort, right?
One question that might seem weird... you hardly ever see western girls with Asian guys... is it because Western girls are not considered 'girlfriend material' or are they just not attractive to asian guys? Have western girls found Japanese men to be as chauvenistic as I've heard they are? (no offense intended, that's just what I've read in various places) I find asian guys really attractive and would love to have a Japanese boyfriend, but I can't tolerate sexism! Paranoid or not?
Is it easy to open a bank account in Japan? And I can't wait to get a Japanese mobile phone, it that easy too? Just a case of going to the shop and getting one? is there such thing as a pay-as-you-go or is it all contracts?
I'm so excited, I've wanted to live there for as long as I can remember!