(no subject)
Well I'm updating my journal for the first time in what feels like a really long time. I had a really good time in Shikoku, visiting Ritsurin Park and Yashima in Takamatsu, Konpira in Kotohira, the Iya Valley, Kochi Castle and the Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial, Takamatsu and Naruto (even though I didn't get to see any of the famed whirlpools ><), Korakuen and Okayama Castle in Okayama, and of course the famous Tottori Dunes in Tottori. The week ended with a trip to the San In Beach Party on a small beach outside of Tottori City where we partied all night while listening to amazing music and eating some delicious food. It was nice to be able to see several regions of Japan I'd never seen before, and it's always great to see Jen again, one of the first friends I made when I arrived in Japan for the first time 4 years ago and now one of my closest friends. Despite the chaos that it brought me this week, I'm really glad I went.
One of the most surprising things the trip did was remind me of all the reasons I really like Japan. Public transportation that can take you anywhere and everywhere in a blink of an eye. Gorgeous natural scenery. Deep religious roots. And of course, a ceaselessly fascinating history. Of all of those, Hokkaido really only has the scenery, and I'd trade scenery for religion and history any day. I'm an indoor book-reading scholarly sort of person, not a mountain climber. Anyway, for those who take advantage of it, Japan offers an incredible amount of freedom for exploration and discovery. Would I really have the same amount of freedom back in California? I doubt it. I'd need a car again, that's for sure, and many of you know how much I hate driving. I'd also be under the gaze of my parents, who have occasionally stated they disapprove of my existence as as whole, let alone aspects of my way of life. I'd rather *not* have to deal with them.
So now I'm starting to think I might want to stay in Japan a little longer... at least for a while anyway. I have a job interview in early August in Tokyo, as well as a translation exam I'm working on right now. The translation company attempted to make the exam harder by picking the most obscure game they could think of and then going ahead and changing the names of characters and items to supposedly make it impossible to figure out what it is. Too bad obscure RPG's are my lifeblood, and I figured out what game it was almost immediately. I mean, seriously, the game has a magical little humanoid boy in it. How could I have NOT played it? But I haven't gotten around to finishing the test yet though, because after Nintendo and the other test I had to take, I've lost a lot of confidence in my translation ability... I just don't know if I really have the skills or not. I'll get around to it though.
Most intriguing, however, is the response of one of my friends on Mixi. He's very big into the doujinshi scene here in Japan, so on a lark I asked him if he knew of any translation opportunities in that field. If, for example, doujinshi writers and artists would be interested in having their work translated or if that's a stupid idea. At first he didn't answer me so I assumed that meant "That's a stupid idea," but just yesterday he sent me a message titled "Emergency Message!" At first I thought he was in trouble or something, but in actuality he was asking me if it would be alright if he passed my e-mail address to a friend of his, who just happens to run a video game company focusing on TRPG's. "A guy like him just might have a place for you in his company," my friend said. "At any rate, even if he doesn't, he'll probably know exactly what places *would* be interested in you, so I'll get in touch with him." Holy cow! Who'd've thought goofing off on Mixi would get me connections like this! And I thought I was being an annoying foreigner bothering everyone. Then again, I make an effort to make constructive comments on my Mixi friends' blog posts as much as possible, precisely because I feel like I need to make it clear to them that even if I am a foreigner, I do actually read and care about their posts and about them as people. It's hard to tell for sure what they actually think of me, and of course when I'm in a down mood I assume they all find me a huge bother... but objectively looking at their responses... I can only assume I'm pretty well-liked, despite being a loser foreigner whose Japanese is less than perfect.
But no, my situation is not perfect right now. I don't have any confirmed jobs, and I have to be out of this apartment by the 31st. Before that, I have to decide whether to take the one way plane ticket my office is required to give me if I leave Japan within one month of the end of my contract, or if I should start looking for somewhere permanent to live in Tokyo. With no job, it's hard to tell which is better. As of a couple weeks ago, it looked like my prospects in America were much better than here, but now it seems the tables have turned and I have more opportunities in Japan than back home. But I still want to travel, you know? I still haven't seen nearly any of the world. Never been to Yosemite in California. Never been to the Grand Canyon. Never been to most of Europe. Never been to South America. Never been to Southeast Asia... I feel like I've never been anywhere, especially with all the people around me who have been jet setting around the world since they were little. I'm afraid that if I get caught in the Japanese work schedule, I won't be able to go anywhere at all. And that'll kill me, because I'm the kind of person who constantly needs to be moving around to feel comfortable.
So... I don't know. I don't really know anything. I hope something becomes more solid soon, because I'm seriously running out of time.
Final Fun Friday is tomorrow. I hope it goes well, but even if it doesn't, it's the last one anyway. If it sucks, it sucks. It'll be over.
One of the most surprising things the trip did was remind me of all the reasons I really like Japan. Public transportation that can take you anywhere and everywhere in a blink of an eye. Gorgeous natural scenery. Deep religious roots. And of course, a ceaselessly fascinating history. Of all of those, Hokkaido really only has the scenery, and I'd trade scenery for religion and history any day. I'm an indoor book-reading scholarly sort of person, not a mountain climber. Anyway, for those who take advantage of it, Japan offers an incredible amount of freedom for exploration and discovery. Would I really have the same amount of freedom back in California? I doubt it. I'd need a car again, that's for sure, and many of you know how much I hate driving. I'd also be under the gaze of my parents, who have occasionally stated they disapprove of my existence as as whole, let alone aspects of my way of life. I'd rather *not* have to deal with them.
So now I'm starting to think I might want to stay in Japan a little longer... at least for a while anyway. I have a job interview in early August in Tokyo, as well as a translation exam I'm working on right now. The translation company attempted to make the exam harder by picking the most obscure game they could think of and then going ahead and changing the names of characters and items to supposedly make it impossible to figure out what it is. Too bad obscure RPG's are my lifeblood, and I figured out what game it was almost immediately. I mean, seriously, the game has a magical little humanoid boy in it. How could I have NOT played it? But I haven't gotten around to finishing the test yet though, because after Nintendo and the other test I had to take, I've lost a lot of confidence in my translation ability... I just don't know if I really have the skills or not. I'll get around to it though.
Most intriguing, however, is the response of one of my friends on Mixi. He's very big into the doujinshi scene here in Japan, so on a lark I asked him if he knew of any translation opportunities in that field. If, for example, doujinshi writers and artists would be interested in having their work translated or if that's a stupid idea. At first he didn't answer me so I assumed that meant "That's a stupid idea," but just yesterday he sent me a message titled "Emergency Message!" At first I thought he was in trouble or something, but in actuality he was asking me if it would be alright if he passed my e-mail address to a friend of his, who just happens to run a video game company focusing on TRPG's. "A guy like him just might have a place for you in his company," my friend said. "At any rate, even if he doesn't, he'll probably know exactly what places *would* be interested in you, so I'll get in touch with him." Holy cow! Who'd've thought goofing off on Mixi would get me connections like this! And I thought I was being an annoying foreigner bothering everyone. Then again, I make an effort to make constructive comments on my Mixi friends' blog posts as much as possible, precisely because I feel like I need to make it clear to them that even if I am a foreigner, I do actually read and care about their posts and about them as people. It's hard to tell for sure what they actually think of me, and of course when I'm in a down mood I assume they all find me a huge bother... but objectively looking at their responses... I can only assume I'm pretty well-liked, despite being a loser foreigner whose Japanese is less than perfect.
But no, my situation is not perfect right now. I don't have any confirmed jobs, and I have to be out of this apartment by the 31st. Before that, I have to decide whether to take the one way plane ticket my office is required to give me if I leave Japan within one month of the end of my contract, or if I should start looking for somewhere permanent to live in Tokyo. With no job, it's hard to tell which is better. As of a couple weeks ago, it looked like my prospects in America were much better than here, but now it seems the tables have turned and I have more opportunities in Japan than back home. But I still want to travel, you know? I still haven't seen nearly any of the world. Never been to Yosemite in California. Never been to the Grand Canyon. Never been to most of Europe. Never been to South America. Never been to Southeast Asia... I feel like I've never been anywhere, especially with all the people around me who have been jet setting around the world since they were little. I'm afraid that if I get caught in the Japanese work schedule, I won't be able to go anywhere at all. And that'll kill me, because I'm the kind of person who constantly needs to be moving around to feel comfortable.
So... I don't know. I don't really know anything. I hope something becomes more solid soon, because I'm seriously running out of time.
Final Fun Friday is tomorrow. I hope it goes well, but even if it doesn't, it's the last one anyway. If it sucks, it sucks. It'll be over.