Hello everyone my first time posting here.
First of all, I find Nyororin's story very inspiring. I too want to move to Japan. Why? Well... let us say I got bored of the everyday routine I live. Not that I take for granted living in New York, but I just feel that I need a new chapter in my life. I don't really know why but nobody knows what they really want do they?
I do however wonder why everybody considers living in Tokyo a bad place to live? Well, I do understand the commuting and crowds. However, when I went to Tokyo I found it to be thrilling. Thrilling in that my adrenaline was at the max, which felt good...
I would like to live in Tokyo, but Kyoto is where it really is. I do hear though that finding a job there is hard, but I would like to hear if anyone had experience in finding a job in Kyoto, or know anything about that.
As for the Japanese language, I currently work at a Japanese conbini in New York where I need to speak Japanese all the time. I have been learning Japanese for 7 years and I have taken the JLPT 1 (waiting for my results). I don't think I am as fluent as a person living in Japan, but I can watch Japanese television and read the Japanese newspaper. Er, not read everything but get the main idea. (Who? What? Where? When? Why? How) So, I just wonder if I would have any luck in living in Japan with my current skills.
As for others questioning how to get fluent/accurate (whatever you call it) before going to Japan... What worked for me is to throw yourself in any Japanese situation. Either socially or electronically. And, I've taught English to Japanese but I also learned Japanese in the process. I would translate every single thing I spoke in English to them in Japanese, and would often write up homework in both languages. Not an easy task, but it was well worth it. Just don't get them mixed up, as I do sometimes....
I mean, I am not in Japan, but I am aiming there. I find English Teaching as a profession
fun, but I do want a job that requires only Japanese. I thought of working in the field of Economics or Fashion in Japan though...
This is my first post so nice to meet all of you
BTW What is with the victory sign in Asia? You don't need to answer that
