I live in Japan!

[booiebee]

OMG. I love Japanese people. I could go on for hours about how much i love them. I especially love Japanese anime!! It's my favorite thing to watch ALL. THE. TIME. lol. sorry if i seem crazy.

[atheistwithfaith]

Originally Posted by booiebee

OMG. I love Japanese people. I could go on for hours about how much i love them. I especially love Japanese anime!! It's my favorite thing to watch ALL. THE. TIME. lol. sorry if i seem crazy.

[SSJup81]

Hey all again. I was just thinking about expenses, and trying to get an idea as to how much all of them may come to. Of course there's no way I'll be able to get an accurate amount or figure, since I still don't know what the rent is going to be (given the area, though, I may end up with free rent *crosses fingers*), but it's nice to start planning early, I always say. I've always been this way, especially with expenses. I don't like to overspend and all that and like to save for a rainy day.

Anyway, after getting to Japan, I know I'll need Internet at least, and probably a phone. What are some good, reasonable deals for obtaining a decent Internet connection? I'm bringing over my laptop, and I don't have a cell phone or anything, so it'll be easier to keep in touch with those here at home through something like Skype, which is terribly cheap to use if making calls to land-lines. Which would you all consider to be the best reasonably priced, one?

Originally Posted by Nyororin

A quick search tells me that Metformin is also available, and is available in 5 different "brands" including . I would be willing to guess that a few of them are generic.
You should be able to present your current medication plan to a doctor and have them continue it and monitor you properly to change anything if necessary. Diabetes isn`t uncommon at all in Japan.

I've heard that people over there have had Diabetes, just not as much as in other places.

Sorry I sounded kind of snappy with that - there are a lot of people who really do wait until the last minute to start looking into this kind of thing even when they`ve had plenty of time.

You didn't sound snappy at all, but seriously, anyone who would wait until the last minute to do something like that is just nuts! lol

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by SSJup81

Anyway, after getting to Japan, I know I'll need Internet at least, and probably a phone. What are some good, reasonable deals for obtaining a decent Internet connection?

NTT offers a number of plans that tend to be the easiest, in my opinion, because there is no other company involved. They can hook things up at the same time as you have your phone hooked up. And, obviously, they are everywhere. I can`t say that they`re the cheapest or the best though. However, there are differences in coverage for companies, plans, etc based on where you live so I can`t give a good suggestion there.
We personally use So-net through Commufa - no NTT at all even for the phone.
Yahoo tends to be popular as they do pushy sales events EVERYWHERE, but I have never heard a single good things about their prices, reliability, or service. Only the opposite (very slow - ie. <2Mbps even though it`s a 50Mbps plan, frequent problems, outsourced service that has no clue, mysterious additional fees and charges, etc).

With what we use, we get 88Mbps steady on a 100Mbps plan.

I'm bringing over my laptop, and I don't have a cell phone or anything, so it'll be easier to keep in touch with those here at home through something like Skype, which is terribly cheap to use if making calls to land-lines. Which would you all consider to be the best reasonably priced, one?

If the area where you will be living supports FTTH, it might be good to look into Hikari Denwa - the fiber optic phone services offered. I have found the price to be similar to that of Skype and have it as my main phone line. I think right now it`s $0.022/min to the US, straight from my home phone.
I`ve never bothered with Skype as the prices are no different and no one I call uses Skype to take advantage of their Skype to Skype rates.

[SSJup81]

Thanks for all the information there. That's definitely something to consider.

Interesting alternative to Skype, too. I have Skype and my family does and they're the main ones I'd actually bother calling to talk to anyway. Other people, I'll stick to e-mail or a messenger. lol

Edit: Oh yeah, this is a bit off topic from what I'd asked about earlier. I want to give a present to my former Japanese teacher since I am leaving. Can anyone here recommend a nice gift to give her to show my thanks for when she did used to teach me?

[Anikisama]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

Well, as far as a life story goes... My mom was a total piece of crap - selfish and certainly didn`t care about me. She was one of those women who dates a bunch of guys, milks them for everything they`re worth, and then dumps them. She was NEVER at home, and wouldn`t *let* me go to school as she "wanted to go out that day" and needed me to watch my brother and sister. It was an almost everyday event. Life really REALLY sucked.

I took a short summer Japanese course at a local university (with money from my grandparents, while secretly staying in a friend`s dorm room for the length of the course - my mother would NEVER have paid for anything for me.) when I was 15 and I found it really easy. I also got along really well with the teachers and exchange students who would volunteer for the class. I`m a fairly shy and polite person, so I guess I just "fit in". That pretty much started my dream to go to Japan - It seemed like somewhere that I could be me and find happiness.

When I was 16 I graduated from high school (I took HS classes from 6th grade and did summer school in HS for two years) - and got a job. I explained the home situation to my boss and they would give me a second fake pay slip each month so that my mother would only be able to demand all of that money. (Like half?) I secretly saved the rest.

I had originally planned to stay with a friend in Osaka, but his mother became seriously ill and we had to cancel it... Another friend I had made online offered to ask their mother (In Aichi) if she would be willing to put someone up for a few months - she agreed and I jumped on the chance. I turned in the life insurance policy on me, combined the money with what I`d saved, and bought a ticket just before I turned 17. At the time it was like $1800... I saved up all the money I made in the 3 months before I left, and had around $600. $500 to pay for room and board, and $100 to spend. That was it. I stayed in Japan for 3 months the first time, went home for a few months and repeated (Although the second time I stayed with friends I made the first trip...) and, well, before I knew it, here I am. :P

I`ve been pretty broad with the descriptions, so if there are any details you want to know ask away.

All up until saving up and going to japan is what my life is like. Instead, i'm living with some good friends that offered to put me up.
I envy you for making it to japan. I really wish i could go and live with my aunt in tokyo.

[globetrotter36]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

If you actually want to learn Japanese and have a life... Do not, I repeat, DO NOT be an English teacher in Japan.

Hope you won't mind me chiming in here Nyororin but for me that must be the only sensible statement I have heard. I have had graduates and lecturers amongst others who should know better tell me to teach English illegally which I won't do. However, I don't see any avenues available for me to live in Japan - great pity, love the sound of the language and would like to know more of the culture.

I'll probably be back with some questions and real sorry to hear of your home life - had a good few problems myself.

[Sukai]

Hello, sorry if my question has already been ansered but I read the thread for a couple hours but had to give up and skip to the last page.

I live in the UK, and even though I'm still only 15 at the moment, I am hoping to go to university after I finish college (which I start in September). At uni, I would like to take Japanese Studies; a 4 year course which includes one year studing in a Japanese university. I thought this would be a good idea as it merges spending time in Japan, learning the language and culture and the degree needed if you want to live there perminantly which I do.

However what I'm wondering is, would having a degree in Japanese Studies be of any advantage at all when it comes to applying for a job there or will any ol' degree do?

By the way I am very impressed by the length of the thread and am very grateful to everyone who has posted on here as it has all been very useful to me.

[SSJup81]

Originally Posted by Sukai

Hello, sorry if my question has already been ansered but I read the thread for a couple hours but had to give up and skip to the last page.

I live in the UK, and even though I'm still only 15 at the moment, I am hoping to go to university after I finish college (which I start in September). At uni, I would like to take Japanese Studies; a 4 year course which includes one year studing in a Japanese university. I thought this would be a good idea as it merges spending time in Japan, learning the language and culture and the degree needed if you want to live there perminantly which I do.

However what I'm wondering is, would having a degree in Japanese Studies be of any advantage at all when it comes to applying for a job there or will any ol' degree do?

By the way I am very impressed by the length of the thread and am very grateful to everyone who has posted on here as it has all been very useful to me.

What type of a job do you want, though? That's the main thing. The Japanese skill will be good and all, but you have to keep in mind that there are Japanese natives already there that can already speak the language fluently, already know their own culture, and have skills outside of just those. Seems having those two skills wouldn't be enough. What type of a job do you want, even if Japan wasn't an option?

[Blitzwing85]

I think it wold be fascinating to live in Japan. I'll have to read through this thread later when i have time.

It's unfortunate regarding your reasons for going in the 1st place but still, it must be really great living out there.
I dislike the Uk and would love to emigrate. I considered Canada, but my preference would be Japan.

The problem i have is i think it's easier to go with nothing in a sense.

I have a mortgage, loans etc so right now i'm a bit stumped as to how to go about it. Unless i sell the house, and move back with my parents which would allow me to save mega money...then quit my job and mvoe out there and look for a job.
I'm trying to learn the language.