acouplefruits
Straight outta Narita
Posts: 21
CIR Experience: 1st year
Location: Sudachi Land
Gender (Pronouns): she/her/hers
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Post by acouplefruits on Apr 10, 2019 6:04:22 GMT 9
Hello hello fellow soon-to-be CIRs!
I noticed a thread for incomers to discuss preparations last year, so I thought I'd start one for this year as well.
How have you guys been preparing? Any advice you've heard so far?
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frozenchozen
So jozu at chopsticks
Posts: 185
CIR Experience: 2nd year
Location: Shizuoka
Gender (Pronouns): meh. whatever
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Post by frozenchozen on Apr 10, 2019 14:44:03 GMT 9
How have you guys been preparing? Any advice you've heard so far? To be honest I've been reading this forum like its scripture and doing a lot of freaking out like is this really my life rn? Its like I'm Taki in Mitsuha's body http://www. I have made a packing list inclusive of only toothpaste and deodorant, so that's something, yeah? Planning on just going ハム in the 日本語 when my semester is over. Learn all the 漢字s. Just gonna do some reaching out when placements get announced and then see my homies in this truncated summer that we have before we 来日. If you're a CIR who wants something from 米国 hmu cuz I got you guys. I know they have Costco's but not even that beloved money hole can grant all your wishes like this genie can. What about everyone else? Should we work on compiling a マスターリスト of like every awesome thing? |
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beepbeep
Straight outta Narita
TYBG
Posts: 18 
CIR Experience: 1st year
Location: Aomori
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Post by beepbeep on Apr 10, 2019 14:53:05 GMT 9
I did a bit of shopping and updated my wardrobe so I have clothing appropriate for the workplace. Now I'm just planning on studying uh, everything...
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acouplefruits
Straight outta Narita
Posts: 21
CIR Experience: 1st year
Location: Sudachi Land
Gender (Pronouns): she/her/hers
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Post by acouplefruits on Apr 11, 2019 2:25:06 GMT 9
How have you guys been preparing? Any advice you've heard so far? To be honest I've been reading this forum like its scripture and doing a lot of freaking out like is this really my life rn? Its like I'm Taki in Mitsuha's body http://www. I have made a packing list inclusive of only toothpaste and deodorant, so that's something, yeah? Planning on just going ハム in the 日本語 when my semester is over. Learn all the 漢字s. Just gonna do some reaching out when placements get announced and then see my homies in this truncated summer that we have before we 来日. If you're a CIR who wants something from 米国 hmu cuz I got you guys. I know they have Costco's but not even that beloved money hole can grant all your wishes like this genie can. What about everyone else? Should we work on compiling a マスターリスト of like every awesome thing? I've never related to something more hue. I know I have to go out and get some nicer business clothes, and I'll probably be getting rid of a lot of clothes that I don't plan on bringing with me. It really is tough to prepare for something so big, though! |
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Post by wapiko on Apr 11, 2019 20:38:08 GMT 9
Supposedly you can get better toothpaste nowadays here but I'm kind of picky so I loaded up on Crest! They do have Aquafresh here.
Deodorant, on the other hand, is one of the most important things you can bring.
I speak to all of this as an American, mind you.
By the way, you can get a lot of things shipped here from Amazon US as far as toiletries and haircare go. It's cheaper than you'd expect, maybe $12-16 tops depending. I think I got a 3pk of some leave-in conditioner, a toothpaste set, and another bottle of conditioner for about that shipping cost.
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Post by wapiko on Apr 12, 2019 9:08:06 GMT 9
Supposedly you can get better toothpaste nowadays here but I'm kind of picky so I loaded up on Crest! They do have Aquafresh here. Deodorant, on the other hand, is one of the most important things you can bring. I speak to all of this as an American, mind you. By the way, you can get a lot of things shipped here from Amazon US as far as toiletries and haircare go. It's cheaper than you'd expect, maybe $12-16 tops depending. I think I got a 3pk of some leave-in conditioner, a toothpaste set, and another bottle of conditioner for about that shipping cost. AH I didn’t elaborate why haircare, you don’t need to worry about it unless you have ridiculously curly hair or other issues. I have 3b classified hair so it’s kind of a pain finding haircare on the same level I used back home. |
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Post by zztop on Apr 12, 2019 9:10:20 GMT 9
Supposedly you can get better toothpaste nowadays here but I'm kind of picky so I loaded up on Crest! They do have Aquafresh here. Deodorant, on the other hand, is one of the most important things you can bring.
I speak to all of this as an American, mind you. By the way, you can get a lot of things shipped here from Amazon US as far as toiletries and haircare go. It's cheaper than you'd expect, maybe $12-16 tops depending. I think I got a 3pk of some leave-in conditioner, a toothpaste set, and another bottle of conditioner for about that shipping cost. AMEN |
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hemena
Straight outta Narita
Posts: 14
Gender (Pronouns): she/her/hers
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Post by hemena on Apr 12, 2019 20:56:05 GMT 9
Supposedly you can get better toothpaste nowadays here but I'm kind of picky so I loaded up on Crest! They do have Aquafresh here. Deodorant, on the other hand, is one of the most important things you can bring. I speak to all of this as an American, mind you. By the way, you can get a lot of things shipped here from Amazon US as far as toiletries and haircare go. It's cheaper than you'd expect, maybe $12-16 tops depending. I think I got a 3pk of some leave-in conditioner, a toothpaste set, and another bottle of conditioner for about that shipping cost. AH I didn’t elaborate why haircare, you don’t need to worry about it unless you have ridiculously curly hair or other issues. I have 3b classified hair so it’s kind of a pain finding haircare on the same level I used back home. Have you tried products from Lush? (I swear I'm not sponsored)
They saved my hair the last time I was in Japan, but the products can be quite pricey sometimes. I'm more of a 2c-3a though.
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Post by wapiko on Apr 16, 2019 9:38:45 GMT 9
AH I didn’t elaborate why haircare, you don’t need to worry about it unless you have ridiculously curly hair or other issues. I have 3b classified hair so it’s kind of a pain finding haircare on the same level I used back home. Have you tried products from Lush? (I swear I'm not sponsored)
They saved my hair the last time I was in Japan, but the products can be quite pricey sometimes. I'm more of a 2c-3a though.
Oh we love Lush here, you'll fit in nicely. ;D I haven't tried any of their haircare and it's precisely because of the cost  I might see what I can find when I get more financially stable but for now I will subsist off their bath bombs! |
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frozenchozen
So jozu at chopsticks
Posts: 185
CIR Experience: 2nd year
Location: Shizuoka
Gender (Pronouns): meh. whatever
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Post by frozenchozen on Apr 26, 2019 7:10:40 GMT 9
Ok.
The thoughts have been in my head. Now they are here more accurately articulated (I hope).
Just wondering experientially, how many of ya'll here got your placement? If you didn't get your number 1, did you get 2 or 3? i.e. does daddy love me? Does daddy listen to my requests? (~~is the essence of this query~~)
Is this reflective of just the opening of a position specifically? I understand that I can't really go where there is no job. Do you feel that placements are made on a "strengths," or, "needs" based way. I have the distinct recollection of reading a JET/CLAIR and dartboard analogy as well. To me it makes sense that things are somewhat strength's based. But sometimes dart board things are equally fun/exciting/aggravating as well.
On a somewhat more logistical side of things.
1. Did anyone invert their sleep schedule coming from Rice Country to Sun-Book? I'm super tempted bc I want to party hard (a joke but also in reality) when I'm in Tokyo for TO. Visiting some hulemdos, getting dinner, maybe do something crazy..? Is there enough time for stuff like that, if one has the YALUKI and ENELUGI?
2. Slim odds but, if any of the other newbs on here are one of the other 3 CIR's from Oregon schools HMU and lets chat about how fun our futures are gonna be as well as commiserate about how much "fun," our futures will be.
3. Does anyone on here own a motorcycle and can weigh in on what that's like? I was thinking of maybe getting one (I have a Honda rebel rn) if it makes sense/financial sense.
THX
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Post by Aya Raincoat on Apr 26, 2019 8:48:00 GMT 9
frozenchozen I asked for usamatropolis City, Kansai, and wherever, and I got into Kansai as an alternate; however, I'd tend to say that your placement is mostly ignore to fill the needs of the COs. They make this list of requests (e.g. country of origin, sex, marital status, etc.) and CLAIR tries to fit both together. I don't things strengths are taken into consideration at all, unless maybe the CO asled for a specific field of study. But yes, it is 100% dependent on openings. 1- WIth YALKEY and energy, yes, but you may have to do things like go to the embassy party. You can try inverting your sleep schedule (there are several ways to do so explained online, but I ended up not managing to do so because I had too much to do), but remember that you'll still have taken a very long plane ride and you'll still have been sitting through tedious completely-in-Japanese training.
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Post by 𝑜𝓇𝒾𝒽𝒾𝓂𝑒 on Apr 26, 2019 10:25:06 GMT 9
I asked for Aichi, Nagoya City and Shizuoka I think and got Beppu, Oita-ken (on Kyushu) as an alternate (despite there being an opening in Shizuoka, but they specified they wanted a guy, which I am not hue) so I think for alternates especially it's prolly unlikely you'll get your choice, but a lot of straight-to-shortlist people don't seem to get their choices either so I feel like you'll be lucky if you get where you want unfortunately ^^;; I didn't invert my sleep schedule or get any meaningful sleep on the plane, but I was pretty jetlagged when I got to TO so I found I didn't really have much YALUKI for anything, and could barely concentrate okay, maybe not concentrate at all is more accurate at TO, so idk, don't be disappointed if you end up just not having the energy ^^;;; plus yeah as Aya Raincoat says there's generally at least one dinner thing you're expected to go to at TO as well as potential embassy stuff (I didn't have that personally but idk what non-UK countries do in that regard ^^;; ) Either way, good luck, I hope you manage to have more fun at TO (well, outside TO really) than I did!~ ^^ |
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Post by Reveiller on Apr 26, 2019 12:46:12 GMT 9
frozenchozenI didn't bother writing in the application any choices as I had heard it's bascially ignored barring very specific circumstances (you have family who live where you want to be, you have a disability, etc.). They did ask me in the interview again despite seeing I put nothing down so I said if I really wanted anywhere it would be Sapporo as I had studied abroad there and knew that city nearly front and back. I don't really know how the CIR's are chosen. I've asked my CO very briefly about it before and what they told me I already kinda figured it was like that, they get to choose from whatever CLAIR provides them and they make their choices based on their needs and how much any of the candidates fits those needs. 1. I ended up not sleeping on my 16 hour flight to Japan. I had kinda planned to but I actually tried to sleep cause I was getting tired halfway through but for some reason I just couldn't. So I half-unintentionally beat jet lag before even arriving in Japan. Post-Arrival Orientation is really tight, there's really not much time to do anything except get dinner at night, and that's only if you have the energy to bother doing something. The CIR's are also quite different from the ALT's, at my orientation we just all got corralled into a small room on the 9th floor or something to just sit through lecture after lecture each day. It also depends on what your definition of CRAZY is anyways. You don't have no time at all but I personally can't imagine doing anymore than I did which was meet up with some college hulemdos and have a "luxurious dinner" at a random Sukiya. ...And I can't really answer 2 or 3, so yeah. Hope this is helpful.
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Post by Dee on Apr 26, 2019 13:40:13 GMT 9
frozenchozenI think I'm one of the few that actually got a placement that I asked for. The #1 placement I asked for was rural Hokkaido so it was pretty vague, but that's exactly where I got placed. To answer your question about going out during orientation, a lot of JETs do it, but keep in mind that the orientation is considered to be your first days on the job. Unless you acclimate quickly, there were a lot of us in my CIR orientation SMACKDOWNing to stay away during the afternoon sessions just due to jet lag. I did meet up with 1 hulemdo for dinner during orientation, but my family came with me so I spent my free time in the evenings with them.
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Post by Leilo on Apr 26, 2019 13:50:22 GMT 9
For reference I got in as shortlisted. I requested Kyoto, Hyogo, and that place with the Lake and NOTHING ELSE. And I got placed in rock hand. ：D And personally I met up with Japanese hulemdos for dinner the first night I arrived, as well as the second night after the orientation stuff ended. Maybe if you want to do that just warn them that stuff might run late and you might be a bit tired. One slight mistake made about time management during the orientation I had:
Another lovely forum member on here and I attempted to go to animate during a 1 hour break or so during the orientation. We managed to go but we a little lost on the way back and were late to the next thing and we got scolded by the CLAIR staff. Good times
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Post by hohoEMIsen on Apr 26, 2019 14:26:32 GMT 9
frozenchozen our beloved Sparkles did a long write-up about placements. I am going to place them here in case you haven't come across them. Placements depend on... 1. whether you have a very legitimate reason for needing a certain type of placement (i.e. someone with a certain medical condition who can only get treatment at a highly specialized urban hospital getting a placement nearby) 2. whether the person your Contracting Organization (employer) wants happens to match up with your profile
(for example, if a certain high school in a certain city here in Japan has an exchange trip with an American high school in Texas every year, they may request an ALT from that part of Texas; if there's only one ALT from that part of Texas on the shortlist, the odds are good that ALT will be sent there regardless of the ALT's original placement requests) 3. luck (as in, the person in your desired placement is leaving their position this JET year, but also just pure dumb luck) So it's not really a "difficulty" issue so much as a "do the stars align" issue. One thing that's important to remember is that many, many people who don't get one of their original placement requests end up LOVING where they are!! So it's good to keep an open mind  Also, C.LAIR makes virtually all the placement decisions, not the CO. The CO is sent the application of a single candidate that C.LAIR has assigned to them, and they have a very short window in which to file an appeal to C.LAIR to be allowed to reject the applicant. (This is almost never done and, in cases where it is done, almost never granted. It has to be for a legitimate reason like, "This person literally cannot drive and if you do not have a car in this town you will die." But in that scenario C.LAIR is likely to say "well then you should've specified that on your request form, innit" and even then not accept the appeal. Other types of appeals that C.LAIR does not honor: thinly veiled racist ones, i.e. "but they don't LOOK (insert nationality here)!") Anyway, the CO almost always accepts the candidate C.LAIR sends them even if there's not 100% enthusiasm within the CO about the candidate. The only way your CO gets 2 people is if the 1st one declines either their place on the short-list (辞退's) or declines after they're notified of placement; either way, the CO is sent the app of the upgraded alternate candidate instead (and shreds the app of the 1st applicant). This is also why your CO isn't allowed to contact you for so long: they have to wait for your acceptance of the position to reach C.LAIR which then forwards it to the CO so the CO doesn't accidentally contact someone who has already (unbeknownst to the CO) said no. Your CO does have a choice in specifications for the request form, but has no guarantees of getting what they specified (though C.LAIR tries hard to do this) and essentially must accept whatever candidate C.LAIR sends to them. C.LAIR 100% prioritizes the needs of COs over JET applicant requests (and rightly so) unless it's something super important like medical needs or being placed near a spouse/family member. (My prefecture has been home to many married couples, sometimes both shortlisted JETs and sometimes one JET, one non-JET. The tricky part happens if only one is shortlisted and the other is an alternate; then there's no guarantees.) Alternates get even a more random spread than shortlisted JETs because they're essentially filling way fewer slots, but this doesn't mean alternates get worse placements at all (see: Kyoto and Niigata, two awesome places to be, where members of these very forums have been placed) , it just means it's more random in a way/even less likely to reflect the JET's original placement requests. But CO requests mean it's impossible to put alternates on an absolute numerical list (as in "What number am I on the list? Oh, number three? Great I'll probably be upgraded" vs "Oh, number 452? Better give up then"), because if alternates #1-4 can't drive and the CO specifically requested someone who could, guess who's going? Alternate #5. (Please note I'm using the driving thing as an example to make it simple; I don't actually think that any single factor makes or breaks you in the app process, including if/when you're an alternate.) Also, although I don't have a motorbike, I do have an electric assisted bicycle, and it has been great too.
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frozenchozen
So jozu at chopsticks
Posts: 185
CIR Experience: 2nd year
Location: Shizuoka
Gender (Pronouns): meh. whatever
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Post by frozenchozen on Apr 26, 2019 14:55:08 GMT 9
Thank you! I do have an embassy dinner before we ship out I think! One of my letters of rec was written by a good hulemdo in the American Consulate in Japan and I really wanted to thank him by some omiyage and maybe dinner with the family. He also forwarded me the letter and I was literally TTwTT it was とても感動する to say the least. |
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frozenchozen
So jozu at chopsticks
Posts: 185
CIR Experience: 2nd year
Location: Shizuoka
Gender (Pronouns): meh. whatever
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Post by frozenchozen on Apr 26, 2019 15:11:09 GMT 9
I asked for Aichi, Nagoya City and Shizuoka I think and got Beppu, Oita-ken (on Kyushu) as an alternate (despite there being an opening in Shizuoka, but they specified they wanted a guy, which I am not hue) so I think for alternates especially it's prolly unlikely you'll get your choice, but a lot of straight-to-shortlist people don't seem to get their choices either so I feel like you'll be lucky if you get where you want unfortunately ^^;; So I mean I obviously requested the places where I want to go. (This is normal, yes? hue) But part of my was like, "Wow, frozen, you've lived in Saitama and all over Hokkaido and you chose to go back to Hokkaido?! Sun-Book is your カキ for fucks sake, why don't you try and go literally anywhere else?!” In short I would absolutely love to live anywhere in Japan, NorthSeaRoad or otherwise! So, I've liked weirdly fucked myself into this corner where everything is a win-win. Cool trick, yeah? |
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frozenchozen
So jozu at chopsticks
Posts: 185
CIR Experience: 2nd year
Location: Shizuoka
Gender (Pronouns): meh. whatever
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Post by frozenchozen on Apr 26, 2019 15:20:12 GMT 9
frozenchozen I didn't bother writing in the application any choices as I had heard it's bascially ignored barring very specific circumstances (you have family who live where you want to be, you have a disability, etc.). They did ask me in the interview again despite seeing I put nothing down so I said if I really wanted anywhere it would be Sapporo as I had studied abroad there and knew that city nearly front and back.I don't really know how the CIR's are chosen. I've asked my CO very briefly about it before and what they told me I already kinda figured it was like that, they get to choose from whatever gyomu Gyomu provides them and they make their choices based on their needs and how much any of the candidates fits those needs. 1. I ended up not sleeping on my 16 hour flight to Japan. I had kinda planned to but I actually tried to sleep cause I was getting tired halfway through but for some reason I just couldn't. So I half-unintentionally beat jet lag before even arriving in Japan. Post-Arrival Orientation is really tight, there's really not much time to do anything except get dinner at night, and that's only if you have the energy to bother doing something. The CIR's are also quite different from the ALT's, at my orientation we just all got corralled into a small room on the 9th floor or something to just sit through lecture after lecture each day. It also depends on what your definition of CRAZY is anyways. You don't have no time at all but I personally can't imagine doing anymore than I did which was meet up with some college hulemdos and have a "luxurious dinner" at a random Sukiya. ...And I can't really answer 2 or 3, so yeah. Hope this is helpful. So very helpful, thank you! I first lived right near 藻岩山 then moved to 豊平 and have done a good amount of wandering all around the city itself. Really loved the charm and the bustle most of the time. Super pleased with how much nature there is on the outskirts of town, or even in town in some places. When we meet sometime I challenge you to a Sapporo City map-off! (?!) Haha. Or maybe we can go back and wander through the city. Hit up that ラーメン王国 if you know what I mean... Theres a tantanmen place (deno168?) right by satsueki that has these noods that make your tongue 超シビれる. |
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Post by Reveiller on Apr 26, 2019 15:22:56 GMT 9
frozenchozen you've clearly already beaten me with this post alone, so no thanks, i crown you winner hue
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frozenchozen
So jozu at chopsticks
Posts: 185
CIR Experience: 2nd year
Location: Shizuoka
Gender (Pronouns): meh. whatever
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Post by frozenchozen on Apr 26, 2019 15:32:02 GMT 9
frozenchozen I think I'm one of the few that actually got a placement that I asked for. The #1 placement I asked for was rural Hokkaido so it was pretty vague, but that's exactly where I got placed. To answer your question about going out during orientation, a lot of JETs do it, but keep in mind that the orientation is considered to be your first days on the job. Unless you acclimate quickly, there were a lot of us in my CIR orientation SMACKDOWNing to stay away during the afternoon sessions just due to jet lag. I did meet up with 1 hulemdo for dinner during orientation, but my family came with me so I spent my free time in the evenings with them. Thanks! I actually asked for rural Hokkaido as well, funnily enough. My #2 was Sapporo, cuz I guess settling for the city life would be a close second for me. #3 was Osaka because, "I thought it would be interesting." Went right for the Japanese jugular with that answer. After I lived in Sapporo, I moved to Kushiro, Wakkanai and Kitami. Visited Nemuro and Asahikawa briefly as well. Hokkaido has my heart, for sure. I will definitely be visiting my hulemdos up there if I don't get placed on the island. Had you been to Hokkaido before? You know of any Hokkaido CIR's that are relinquishing their positions? Haha. I kinda felt like requesting Hokkaido would give me the upper hand in a way. But I would be so happy to go anywhere. Rural places are important to me. Urban would be okay. I will weep if I have to spend enormous amounts of money to live in a huge huge city like I've heard from the Tokyo side of things. Did take a little peak at your blog and enjoyed hearing about the small city living in Hokkaido. Brought back many fond memories of my time in Hokkaido! Thanks again for sharing! |
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frozenchozen
So jozu at chopsticks
Posts: 185
CIR Experience: 2nd year
Location: Shizuoka
Gender (Pronouns): meh. whatever
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Post by frozenchozen on Apr 26, 2019 15:36:14 GMT 9
frozenchozen you've clearly already beaten me with this post alone, so no thanks, i crown you winner hue Well. Not my intended path to victory but I'll take it. Please do humbly allow me the honor of purchasing you a favorite beverage of your choosing at Mid-Year Chaos this year; while we banter and exchange stories about the finer things relating to living in a fucking tundra city where they sculpt ice and snow for fun. |
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Post by Reveiller on Apr 26, 2019 15:37:09 GMT 9
frozenchozen hue im leaving/getting kicked out so that ain't happening
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Post by Dee on Apr 26, 2019 15:38:54 GMT 9
Thanks! I actually asked for rural Hokkaido as well, funnily enough. My #2 was Sapporo, cuz I guess settling for the city life would be a close second for me. #3 was Osaka because, "I thought it would be interesting." Went right for the Japanese jugular with that answer. After I lived in Sapporo, I moved to Kushiro, Wakkanai and Kitami. Visited Nemuro and Asahikawa briefly as well. Hokkaido has my heart, for sure. I will definitely be visiting my hulemdos up there if I don't get placed on the island. Had you been to Hokkaido before? You know of any Hokkaido CIR's that are relinquishing their positions? Haha. I kinda felt like requesting Hokkaido would give me the upper hand in a way. But I would be so happy to go anywhere. Rural places are important to me. Urban would be okay. I will weep if I have to spend enormous amounts of money to live in a huge huge city like I've heard from the Tokyo side of things. Did take a little peak at your blog and enjoyed hearing about the small city living in Hokkaido. Brought back many fond memories of my time in Hokkaido! Thanks again for sharing! I had never been to Hokkaido before, only Honshu. My main reason for requesting Hokkaido was to be in a cooler climate for my hubby. He would probably die if we had to spend a summer on the main island, haha. Since I am a small town CIR, the only one in my sub-prefecture, and the only Hokkaido CIR on CHIRP, I don't really know the other Hokkaido CIRs so I'm not sure if any are going home this year. I do know there are several on the island tho! Some of the big cities have more than one (Obihiro has 5!!), but there are a quite a few non-English speaking CIRs here as well since there is a lot of tourism from other Asian countries. Good luck, and I hope you get your top pick! |
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frozenchozen
So jozu at chopsticks
Posts: 185
CIR Experience: 2nd year
Location: Shizuoka
Gender (Pronouns): meh. whatever
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Post by frozenchozen on Apr 26, 2019 15:50:55 GMT 9
frozenchozen hue im leaving/getting kicked out so that ain't happening Well shit. Does this make you the winner by default..? |
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Post by Reveiller on Apr 26, 2019 15:55:45 GMT 9
¯＼_(ツ)_／¯
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Post by applecider on Apr 26, 2019 20:59:30 GMT 9
For reference I got in as shortlisted. I requested Kyoto, Hyogo, and that place with the Lake and NOTHING ELSE. And I got placed in rock hand. ：D And personally I met up with Japanese hulemdos for dinner the first night I arrived, as well as the second night after the orientation stuff ended. Maybe if you want to do that just warn them that stuff might run late and you might be a bit tired. One slight mistake made about time management during the orientation I had:
Another lovely forum member on here and I attempted to go to animate during a 1 hour break or so during the orientation. We managed to go but we a little lost on the way back and were late to the next thing and we got scolded by the gyomu Gyomu staff. Good times
Calling me out with you was unnecessary :P I still maintain we just got unlucky with a strict staff, there were people LATER than us and they were just getting waved in. Anyway to be relevant to the thread, I'll share my experience with the placement requests too. I picked Area 1 or whatever they called it (the JET-specific designation for Japan's regions) which is Hokkaido and most of Tohoku(?) because I'd studied abroad in Hakodate before and was hoping to be near it, if not outright in it to visit my old host family (still don't know if they do JET now that I think about it). My other requests were Kyoto (hoping to get in on sister city relations) and then no preference because (at the time) I really didn't mind too much. I ended up getting a fairly rural area up in Aomori so I technically got what I requested. The kicker is that I'm also only a short 1-hour drive to the shortest ferry from Honshu to Hakodate! Also I'm not a PA, but to hop on about how people get placed where, I actually ended up seeing the CO's filled out form for requesting new JET people when I was browsing my ka's group email which was kind of interesting. The COs can have four numbers to put for the "priority" of the features they request. For example, maybe the most important characteristic they need is someone from the US so they put a 1 next to country of origin, followed by the requirement that they must have a license which might be priority 2, etc etc. |
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Post by long johnson on May 11, 2019 15:12:53 GMT 9
frozenchozen this is really late hue but I got my #1 placement (okinawa). it might be because: a) I'm half okinawan and have family there, which I stated during my interview and in my SoP b) when I was doing my LYUUGAK in oki, I met the CIR who was placed at the kencho and by the time I applied to JET, he was actually a PC at CLAI.R. no idea if he had anything to do with CIR placements but... who knows *karuru shrug* anywho, I consider myself extremely lucky because okinawa was virtually the only place I wanted to go to.
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frozenchozen
So jozu at chopsticks
Posts: 185
CIR Experience: 2nd year
Location: Shizuoka
Gender (Pronouns): meh. whatever
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Post by frozenchozen on May 14, 2019 11:53:46 GMT 9
Hope this is okay right here since there isn't like a super cool olympic thread for people in Rice Country. I also know I'm taking a bit of a risk with tickets and timing so far out but, I should know something about a placement before the last chance to get tickets. Just complied a note incase anyone else is pumped to try and see the olympics! 2020 Olympic Stuff Wiki Page en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Summer_OlympicsAmerican Ticket Retailer (gotta make an account) www.cosport.com/olympics/tickets.aspxSchedules (2): www.cosport.com/olympics/competitionschedule.aspx?id=27&cur=3www.cosport.com/files/2020tokyo/Tokyo2020CompetitionSchedule.pdf?v=5***Ticket prices aren’t visible yet but they will be posted “soon,” *** As far as I can tell the most popular sports to watch are: Gymnastics, Track, Swimming, and whatever else you’re into. America kills at Basketball I guess hue. I think I’m going to plan a trip to Hokkaido around the end of July and they’re having soccer prelims so I might try and catch that(?). From a cursory look at the JET handbook it seems we’re contracted for a year begining on the day we arrive in Japan. 8/4/19. Obviously if you recontract then thats different but yeah. Here are my session codes if you wanna try and go to some of the same things! TOSWM15 Swimming TOBKB30 Bball TOGAR12 Rhythmic gymnastics |
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Iris
Straight outta Narita
Posts: 12
CIR Experience: 2nd year
Location: Chiba
Gender (Pronouns): she/her/hers
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Post by Iris on May 26, 2019 20:30:26 GMT 9
I got in as a shortlist. I asked for Chiba shi, Yokohama shi and Kyoto shi.
I got matsudo shi, Chiba ken. It’s very very close to my first preference. I have already received an email from my CO and it seems that I don’t really have a pred. One of the Japanese staffs sent me the email and he said there are only 6 of them. I’m just wondering that how common it is for them to find our accommodation?
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I might see what I can find when I get more financially stable but for now I will subsist off their bath bombs!
