Two interviews.

So, the good news is that I have scheduled my first real interview for Friday at 11:45, and another interview on November 5. The first position is for a part-time job, with potential for full-time, and the second is regarding full-time employment with one of Japan's biggest English teaching companies, Berlitz. They have a pretty good reputation, although there are some things about them that I am leery of, not least of which is their policy of requiring six days of un-fucking-paid training. Eh, ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

I was going to say that there is also bad news involved, but the reality is that I should be really happy right now, and focusing on the positive, instead of embracing the negative cycle that I've been..."enjoying"...for the last few days. The fact that it took me two days of job hunting, and three applications to get my first interview should be an indication that everything is going to be all right. I'm concerned about the timeframe between now and my first paycheck, but I will deal with that as it comes. I have money for rent for two months, and will just enforce very strict financial discipline between now and then. It's going to be tight, but it's not un-doable. I can also pick up some part-time work, in the meantime, that will at least give me a small income stream, and I also have a couple of other applications out there that may yet produce results quickly. I'm also considering a transition to South Korea, probably temporarily, to work until I can find a job in Japan. If they offer me a position soon enough, it would be hard not to take it and there seems to be a very high level of demand for English teachers in South Korea.

Here's the big problem, and it's stressing me out. A visa application in Japan requires four to five weeks for approval. I basically need to start working nearly full-time almost immediately. On the plus side, though, there seem to be some opportunities for me to make money online doing some various odd jobs...editing and tutoring, for two. it is not really an issue of survival, but fun. Tokyo is not that expensive to live in, although it's not cheap, but travel and entertainment are expensive. So, the less income I have, the more I sit around in my apartment going slowly, but surely, stir crazy.

I'm attaching a picture of the view from my window on the fifth story. The window has a ledge that is quite solid, and I've been sitting at it at night with my feet dangling five stories in the air and letting the cool night breeze washing over me. My first day here, Wednesday, I bought a pack of cigarettes that I finished off tonight. I've been giving them away whenever possible and only having one or two a day, but it is still a relief to have them gone. They are super cheap here...about 300 yen per pack, which about three dollars in US. I won't be buying them again, but it was a nice distraction while it lasted, and it's always nice to have a reminder now and then of why I'm not a smoker.



I talked to Ali and Tom and my sister and Nathan today, and it was really nice to hear so many friendly voices back home. This is still all very unfamiliar, and it's going to take a while before I feel at home here. I'm handling the culture shock pretty well, I think, but it's never easy all the time for any foreigner in a new place.