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Post by telly on Apr 21, 2015 10:32:07 GMT 9
Maybe everyone was there as well? It was easily the best part of that Mid-Year Chaos, I think it was the last period too so everyone just ended on a really confusing, what just happened kind of note. Which Mid-Year Chaos? |
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keio chris
Dead Stargod 
ever looked a star dragon in the eyes?
Posts: 3,043
CIR Experience: Former CIR
Location: Tokyo
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Post by keio chris on Apr 21, 2015 10:48:22 GMT 9
I want to say it was 2013, but they kind of blur together (besides the meet ups at Irish Pub Always, those are very distinct).
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Shimanchu 2024
Well you can tell by the way I use my star I'm a woman's star, no time to star. Music loud and starring stars I been starred around, since I was star.
中年危機イン沖
Posts: 6,892
CIR Experience: ULTIMATE UNICORN (6th year)
Location: Okinawa
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Post by Shimanchu 2024 on Apr 21, 2015 12:55:22 GMT 9
I dont remember that, so yeah mustve been 2013
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Post by sembei on Apr 21, 2015 17:04:57 GMT 9
Yo! Fellow future CIR here unlike these star-hunting posers who are desecrating this thread  (jk ily guys) I'm also trying to consider how to pack conservatively but I have some concerns. Mainly the fact that I'm 193cm tall and have a shoe size larger than 30cm so I feel the need to tackle certain aspects of wardrobe including stuff for winter and especially stuff for work. I have two tailored suits and things but I need MO STUFF. I also have some slight concerns about Japanese. I've maintained and improved passive skills while in GAIKOK but honestly I haven't had a Japanese conversation since the interview. Shouldn't be too much of a problem but after months and months of no Japanese coming out of my mouth I start feeling crazy and like I actually can't speak Japanese or never could in the past. Got all my paperwork in to the consulate and FBI and now I'm really just waiting for the placement. Crossing my fingers for my number one pick in Ibaraki because then the CIR who inspired me to apply could become my 先輩! I also wouldn't mind my pred being someone from this forum. More than anything I'm waiting to see what the financial and job particulars are in the email from my pred so I can start really preparing. |
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Post by Creator of the Cosmos on Apr 22, 2015 9:16:31 GMT 9
Yo! Fellow future CIR here unlike these star-hunting posers who are desecrating this thread (jk ily guys) I'm also trying to consider how to pack conservatively but I have some concerns. Mainly the fact that I'm 193cm tall and have a shoe size larger than 30cm so I feel the need to tackle certain aspects of wardrobe including stuff for winter and especially stuff for work. I have two tailored suits and things but I need MO STUFF. I also have some slight concerns about Japanese. I've maintained and improved passive skills while in GAIKOK but honestly I haven't had a Japanese conversation since the interview. Shouldn't be too much of a problem but after months and months of no Japanese coming out of my mouth I start feeling crazy and like I actually can't speak Japanese or never could in the past. Got all my paperwork in to the consulate and FBI and now I'm really just waiting for the placement. Crossing my fingers for my number one pick in Ibaraki because then the CIR who inspired me to apply could become my 先輩! I also wouldn't mind my pred being someone from this forum. More than anything I'm waiting to see what the financial and job particulars are in the email from my pred so I can start really preparing. I'll only speak to clothes (as for Japanese; I'm sure everyone else will chime in and say "don't worry about it!" and that's pretty true) but again, bring enough to get by (so your two suits would be good, a number of dress shirts, maybe an extra pair of dress pants, and then some more casual things) but don't go crazy trying to get it all in. 193cm is pretty darn tall, but a few of our ALTs are around there, and they manage to find stuff. Things like winter jackets and all that fun stuff are pretty easy to pick up here, and if by some chance you can't find anything you like, getting stuff shipped from home is always a possibility. Shoes are a bit trickier, as 28cm is generally the cutoff at most standard shoe stores. You can get bigger ones online, but I'd say you'd be fine if you bring at least one or two pairs of dress shoes and one or two pairs of walking around shoes. |
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Graeme Howard
Dead Stargod
always movin
Posts: 1,411 
CIR Experience: 4th year
Location: Gifu
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Post by Graeme Howard on Apr 22, 2015 9:22:34 GMT 9
194 cm size 14 shoe dude checking in
Bring shoes, pants, and dress shirts with you in healthy supply (enough to last you until your next trip to a civilized nation [edit: dress shirts I guess I've never actually had a problem with--the sleeves are usually too short though]). Finding clothes that fit here is ridiculously difficult, and whatever you do find will be comically overpriced--more so if you're living outside of an urban center. I can hit up the Old Navy in Nagoya for stuff, but that's only one store, and it's Old Navy so everyone thinks I look like a poor.
Don't worry about your Japanese. You're going to be awful at your job for a few months either way, so just spend the first little while after you get here getting your groove back. You'll be fine.
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G-Rex
Dead Stargod
killed SAKAMOTO LYOMA with crappa sushi
hi
Posts: 7,201
CIR Experience: Former CIR
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Post by G-Rex on Apr 22, 2015 9:35:24 GMT 9
everyone sucked at japanese when they first came.
(except that one girl at tokyo orientation that i think we all secretly hated/wanted to be like cos she was just too darn good but iirc she is half anyway. 2012 arrivals i think you know who i mean)
please don't worry about it. i looked back on an email i sent to my supervisor before i arrived, and it was god awful, but hey, no one said a thing, and before i knew it i was working my way through the most complex japanese 行政 bs. you'll pick up what you need to know for work at work, and everything else just kinda falls into place without you even realising it because you're constantly learning.
i would say that spending time before coming on cramming in more japanese is not a good use of time; diminishing marginal returns and all that. i don't think i did anymore than using anki for kanji in the car going to/from ARUBAITO and here i am looking towards my 4th year as lord of the miyako.
i'm an average sized male at 174cm with 26.5cm sized feet so i can pick up clothes here for just about anything. sometimes i have trouble with trousers though. #dumpslikeatruck
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keio chris
Dead Stargod
ever looked a star dragon in the eyes?
Posts: 3,043
CIR Experience: Former CIR
Location: Tokyo
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Post by keio chris on Apr 22, 2015 9:43:43 GMT 9
please don't worry about it. i looked back on an email i sent to my supervisor before i arrived, and it was god awful, but hey, no one said a thing, and before i knew it i was working my way through the most complex japanese 行政 bs. The first e-mail I got from my soup was entirely in pidgin English and it was hilarious. Made me feel like some kind of linguistic god, but I'm sure if I looked back I could find a lot wrong with my response e-mail too. I'm 184cm and 27.5/28 when it comes to shoes so I rarely have problems. Although, as Graeme said, unless it's a Western store, the sleeves can be a little short on shirts. Curse these ridiculously convenient long orangutan arms! As for suits, you sound good. I think I brought 3 and I've picked up one or two in my past two trips home and am doing ok. |
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Post by popchyk~ on Apr 22, 2015 14:31:28 GMT 9
The summer before I left for JET I read a lot of Ultimate Spider-man comics and road-tripped around Hokkaido with the lovely fuwafuwa. That was such a nice summer |
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Post by long johnson on Apr 22, 2015 14:56:46 GMT 9
everyone sucked at japanese when they first came.
(except that one girl at tokyo orientation that i think we all secretly hated/wanted to be like cos she was just too darn good but iirc she is half anyway. 2012 arrivals i think you know who i mean)please don't worry about it. i looked back on an email i sent to my supervisor before i arrived, and it was god awful, but hey, no one said a thing, and before i knew it i was working my way through the most complex japanese 行政 bs. you'll pick up what you need to know for work at work, and everything else just kinda falls into place without you even realising it because you're constantly learning. i would say that spending time before coming on cramming in more japanese is not a good use of time; diminishing marginal returns and all that. i don't think i did anymore than using anki for kanji in the car going to/from ARUBAITO and here i am looking towards my 4th year as lord of the miyako. i'm an average sized male at 174cm with 26.5cm sized feet so i can pick up clothes here for just about anything. sometimes i have trouble with trousers though. #dumpslikeatruck I remember her and I thought "ugh" |
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Post by telly on Apr 22, 2015 15:08:51 GMT 9
everyone sucked at japanese when they first came.
(except that one girl at tokyo orientation that i think we all secretly hated/wanted to be like cos she was just too darn good but iirc she is half anyway. 2012 arrivals i think you know who i mean)please don't worry about it. i looked back on an email i sent to my supervisor before i arrived, and it was god awful, but hey, no one said a thing, and before i knew it i was working my way through the most complex japanese 行政 bs. you'll pick up what you need to know for work at work, and everything else just kinda falls into place without you even realising it because you're constantly learning. i would say that spending time before coming on cramming in more japanese is not a good use of time; diminishing marginal returns and all that. i don't think i did anymore than using anki for kanji in the car going to/from ARUBAITO and here i am looking towards my 4th year as lord of the miyako. i'm an average sized male at 174cm with 26.5cm sized feet so i can pick up clothes here for just about anything. sometimes i have trouble with trousers though. #dumpslikeatruck I remember her and I thought "ugh" A or B? Or C? I was a TOA back in 2012. |
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G-Rex
Dead Stargod
killed SAKAMOTO LYOMA with crappa sushi
hi
Posts: 7,201
CIR Experience: Former CIR
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Post by G-Rex on Apr 22, 2015 15:11:21 GMT 9
I remember her and I thought "ugh" A or B? Or C? I was a TOA back in 2012. A i remember your presentation actually! event planning was it? |
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Post by long johnson on Apr 22, 2015 15:11:31 GMT 9
I remember her and I thought "ugh" A or B? Or C? I was a TOA back in 2012. A |
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Post by telly on Apr 22, 2015 15:37:12 GMT 9
A or B? Or C? I was a TOA back in 2012. A i remember your presentation actually! event planning was it? I did stuff about school visits and language classes. But, wait, I was in B and am sure of it because I welcomed the new German JETs and we always come for B. |
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G-Rex
Dead Stargod
killed SAKAMOTO LYOMA with crappa sushi
hi
Posts: 7,201
CIR Experience: Former CIR
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Post by G-Rex on Apr 22, 2015 15:41:21 GMT 9
then you might not be the person i've been thinking of since like
forever
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Post by telly on Apr 22, 2015 15:55:16 GMT 9
then you might not be the person i've been thinking of since like forever Sorry... |
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BífCarbet
Straight outta Narita
Posts: 28
CIR Experience: 1st year
Location: Gaikoku
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Post by BífCarbet on Apr 23, 2015 2:34:28 GMT 9
www.kutsunohikari.co.jp/ SHOES. Big shoes for men. I wear 30/31, and I've used this site for years. They deliver free of charge, and the shoes usually show up in a day or two.
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Post by sembei on Apr 23, 2015 4:34:23 GMT 9
Thanks for the advice, guys. Especially about the NIHONGO. I'm still gonna do what I can to prepare so I can make the best impression but I'll try not to fret too much. I guess I should know better after reading so many of the horror stories on the CHIRP. mattbox's ひらがな読めますか incident it still fresh on my mind~ For now I'm doing what G-Rex, Freighnos and others have suggested about trying to enjoy my last few months here. I'm definitely not coming back to LIVE in the town that I'm from, but I have peeps I wanna stay close with so I'll try to make sure those connections are as strong as possible as I depart. Is there anything in particular any of you wish you did to prepare? Anything you are glad you did in preparation? For example, I read some ALT advising to take a bunch of pictures of the area you're from and bring as many photos because you'll wish you had when making presentations. If you have any suggestions of that kind I'm all ears. I have a lot of free time on my hands. And thanks for the site BífCarbet I bookmarked it |
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Post by long johnson on Apr 23, 2015 13:49:44 GMT 9
then you might not be the person i've been thinking of since like forever Sorry... The German CIR at Group A orientation was the tall blonde female from somewhere in SHIKOK or Kyushu, I forget. |
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keio chris
Dead Stargod
ever looked a star dragon in the eyes?
Posts: 3,043
CIR Experience: Former CIR
Location: Tokyo
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Post by keio chris on Apr 23, 2015 13:50:41 GMT 9
Was I the only one who knew telly was very definitely a man then?
I mean, he listens to the same weird, geeky podcasts I do. No way is he going to be a tall blonde female human.
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Post by snell_mouse on Apr 23, 2015 14:13:13 GMT 9
Nah we've never met but I know where telly works and his first name at least (I think). I'm not a creeper though. sembei I wish I'd brought some more America-specific stuff (because that's where I am from) to show at school visits, because it's always nicer to have something to show and all I brought initially were pictures and some little American flags. It's also helpful to know lots about your hometown/where you're from because everybody will ask you all about it and what you can do there and what its specialties are, and if you're like me you will have no idea until you Wikipedia it after being asked your town's population. |
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Post by telly on Apr 23, 2015 15:23:20 GMT 9
The German CIR at Group A orientation was the tall blonde female from somewhere in SHIKOK or Kyushu, I forget. Kyushu! I am one of the two in SHIKOK. Also, sometimes she is blond, sometimes she's not. I once wrote an article for the CIR newsletter, two years ago or so. |
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Post by Creator of the Cosmos on Apr 23, 2015 16:20:27 GMT 9
Is there anything in particular any of you wish you did to prepare? Anything you are glad you did in preparation? For example, I read some ALT advising to take a bunch of pictures of the area you're from and bring as many photos because you'll wish you had when making presentations. If you have any suggestions of that kind I'm all ears. I have a lot of free time on my hands. And thanks for the site BífCarbet I bookmarked it glad i brought: some books with pictures of my home state, a us map, and a wisconsin map. got a lot of mileage out of those. wish id brought: more white dress shirts (darker color shirts were a very poor decision) didnt need to bring: all them silly little souvenirs for people. bring a few for the higher ups, and maybe some food for your office, but i brought way too much |
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Post by popchyk~ on Apr 24, 2015 9:12:03 GMT 9
There was a beautiful blonde German CIR in my group at orientation too, but I'm pretty sure I'm Group B? She's in Bear Origin and is very くわしい about kimono, so her FB updates are some of my favourites.
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Post by sembei on Apr 24, 2015 12:22:11 GMT 9
Oooh ok thanks for the advice snell_mouse and @eternal Overlord. But those suggestions sound good I'll try to throw together some super fly show-and-tell type kit/presentation. |
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Shimanchu 2024
Well you can tell by the way I use my star I'm a woman's star, no time to star. Music loud and starring stars I been starred around, since I was star.
中年危機イン沖
Posts: 6,892
CIR Experience: ULTIMATE UNICORN (6th year)
Location: Okinawa
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Post by Shimanchu 2024 on Apr 27, 2015 12:56:31 GMT 9
Oooh ok thanks for the advice snell_mouse and @eternal Overlord. But those suggestions sound good I'll try to throw together some super fly show-and-tell type kit/presentation. and then end up a cir that never does school visits or culture presentations
lawl, jk
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Post by sembei on Apr 29, 2015 6:27:25 GMT 9
Oooh ok thanks for the advice snell_mouse and @eternal Overlord. But those suggestions sound good I'll try to throw together some super fly show-and-tell type kit/presentation. and then end up a cir that never does school visits or culture presentations
lawl, jk
hue you're actually right, though. I'm going to wait for word from my pred before I go too crazy. |
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Ｈ Ｅ Ｙ
it's time to stop posting
Posts: 1,906
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Post by Ｈ Ｅ Ｙ on May 18, 2015 10:23:04 GMT 9
Beef jerky from costco will probably get confiscated at customs if it doesnt have the right certifications on the package. they have the same stuff at the costco here anyway..
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japam
Straight outta Narita
Posts: 38
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Post by japam on May 23, 2015 4:58:12 GMT 9
Well, the "anti-packing" I mentioned in my first post is going well. I'm finishing all my books/textbooks so I don't get tempted to take any with me.
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Post by sembei on May 23, 2015 8:40:17 GMT 9
Well, the "anti-packing" I mentioned in my first post is going well. I'm finishing all my books/textbooks so I don't get tempted to take any with me. ^this. I'm also starting to thin out my belongings and old documents. On top of trying to go light, I'm trying to leave behind as little as possible. And that book struggle >.< I'm trying to do the same thing. What I'll probably end up doing it donating my unfinished Japanese novels to local learners and just re-buying them over there. I recently went to Costco and impulse bought a shiny 3-piece luggage set. Unpacked it all excited and then realized it's just going to sit here for 2 months until basically the day before departure when I spend 15 minutes actually putting things inside... hue |
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(jk ily guys)
