“Well that was easy waiting, Everything's easy now”
-Well that Was Easy, Franz Ferdinand

How do you get a job in Japan? You just show up and in your best ye olde English proclaim that you can speak good English (yes…the poor grammar is a form of irony).

I was under the impression that a job “interview” would include pertinent questions about m past work experience, my university degree since it was a requirement for teaching, and my feelings towards children. No, no, and no. The minute I walked in the door (somehow whenever I saw those semi-familiar lines I think of Bill Macy) it was, “Hey. You live in Fukushima. Want to teach a weekly adult class?” Nothing as to me having to prove I’m a nice person (I don’t think I am…I’ve broken several of the 10 Commandments, and I stood up a weird Sri Lankan guy on Monday). I do like to think that, like Dirk, I possess mad skillz, but they didn’t even enquire as to exactly how mad any skillz I had were. I even dressed up for the interview, with semi-heeled shoes which made me tower even more over the diminutive Japanese. I’m not that tall, but in Japan it’s like Attack of the 50 ft Woman. Or, more appropriately:

“I used to lock myself in your bathroom, Swallowing the Codeine kept for your back” (actaully my Mom's favourite line of this song)

Seriously. I could have said that I went to Columbia Film School or have a Ph. D. in astrophysics. It was all just, “When can you start earning $30 an hour + transportation, overnight hotel, and meal allowances?” So yes, basically I am now a freelance English teacher, working on the weekends I choose with the possibility of a weekly adult English class. Come to Japan for a job- they’re desperate…after all, they’re letting ME teach children. I would just like to throw that back in the face of the film subtitling company I applied to work for, whose only requirements was that I spoke English. They sent me back a letter saying that I was not qualified enough. True story.

And I promise that I will start updating this blog only when I have something exciting to share instead of off-beat ramblings. Although, I am on the hunt for a bike, a rental cell phone, and am attempting ninja training this weekend so you know, like "Cause = Time", my life = adventures and mishaps. And in frther interesting news, I found and purchased something I never thought I would be able to in Japan: shoes that fit my (by Japanese standards) giant feet. Then again, since Converse like shoes are everywhere, I would cram my foot into something smaller, especially if it was a Converse-type polka dot high top with a zipper up the back. Sweet indeed.

“Numb, so numb, I'd let your words, Come and come”

I’m also glad to see that interest in the top 5 lists have been spreading through the immediate circle of bloggers (okay so 4 of us maybe).

Top 5 Random Movie Quotes to Integrate into Normal Conversation Today (Taken Out of Context from Some of My Favourite Films):

“This newspaper contains facts. Look at this. "Pregnant man gives birth." That's a fact!- So I Married an Axe-Murderer

“I already made like infinity of those at scout camp.”- Napoleon Dynamite

“What am I gonna say? "I killed the president of Paraguay with a fork. How've you been?"”- Grosse Pointe Bank

“Life is not a movie. Good guys lose, everybody lies, and love... does not conquer all.”- Swimming with Sharks

And because no movie quote list could ever be complete without it:

“Soylent Green is people!!!”- Soylent Green

That oughta mix up the usual music-induced list anyway…


“That was easy, but I still miss you”