Now, some of you remember that during my last trip to Japan, my trip to Mt Fuji was interrupted by a category 4 typhoon. You know, I don't know how often Japan experiences category 4 typhoons, but I'm starting to think they're a dime a dozen around here! Whine whine, gripe gripe. Anyway, I figure there will be other party opportunities where I don't have to brave high winds and blasting rain, so I'm just gonna batten down the hatches tonight and chill with some friends I've made in the apartment complex. Boring, but temporarily necessary.Here's some eye candy of just standard sights on the streets of Tokyo.
The weather's been pretty cruddy lately - October is the rainy season, as the cold fronts move in from out of China. So the grayness you see in these photos is, yeah, pretty indicative. Kind of oppressive, really. I have visited Shinjuku pretty regularly this week, though, so that's been a good time. Shinjuku station is still obscenely full of people. They didn't change that.
Outside Ikebukuro station - I guess if you've seen one glowing, psychadelic electro-canyon, you've kind of seen them all.
Update on the job hunt - no, still haven't been contacted back. I've applied for all the jobs in Japan with American companies that I can find, and even finding a place to apply for jobs on websites of Japanese companies is not often feasible. I figure my odds of finding a job here is pretty slim at this point. However, I've kind of contemplated on my situation this week, and made a discovery. I'm not at all sure that I want to work in Japan anymore. Sad but true. The little things about this country really get to you after a while, and life is really quite a bit more difficult when all is said and done. And that's for a native, that's not even considering how much more work I would need to do to solidify the language, and build up a reputation for myself, which is hard for a foreigner. And the daily conveniences of America are not to be sneezed at. It really is amazing how much you take a clothes dryer for granted until it's gone. And in civilized countries, you only have to MAKE the bed, not disassemble the stupid thing and put all the pieces in a closet every day. Bottom line, being in Japan is fun, but life in Japan is kind of a struggle, especially for a Gaijin. And I compare that with the kind of life I could have in the States after I get a masters degree, and the two really don't compare. So... I guess what I'm saying is that for now I've decided to stop applying for jobs. I've already applied to several, and some of them looked promising - if I actually hear back from one, then I'll do a re-appraisal of my situation. It's also entirely possible that I'm just frustrated from a period of re-acclimitization, and it's all uphill from here, but at the moment, I'm just that. Frustrated. So I'm'a say forget it with the job hunt for a few days, and just go HAVE FUN IN TOKYO! I know, what a crazy idea.
Starting tomorrow. Tonight, weathering the storm.
3 comments:
Be safe! Do the Japanese fill their bathtubs (or whatever) with water ahead of a storm the way we do in New Orleans?
Stay dry--Hurricane parties are a fine La. tradition. And if the electricity goes out, you get to cook up all the steaks from the freezer on the Hibachi (uh, sushi?).
Sounds like reality is setting in, on the job hunt. Have you tried contacting Mitsubishi or Fuji? Also, just a gentle nudge--you might contact the American Embassy, while there's still time for them to respond/help. It would be an interesting tour, if nothing else.
Enjoy your time in Tokyo!
Dad
We missed you at the Final Mikey Halloween Party. It was, as expected, epic.
Take a break if you need one but don't give up on yourself, Jeff. There is always some "uphill" time when you move to a new place or start a new job but if you do get a job there, you'll get the hang of it fast. Good Luck!
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