Anyone applying for 2018?

[mothy]

I hope it was the one where the guy had visited a cafe he liked there so Saitama was wonderful.

[mothy]

Did you read the 2008 thread as well? The me who hadn't been there even a year yet felt differently... Or maybe was just lying because I also say my apartment was nice when it was a mold and cockroach infested leaking shithole from the beginning. There are little hints of things to come though, like me calling the BoE "anal."

[Rupa123]

Oh yeah, I saw that too. The threads from here back then are pretty much the only available info on Saitama JET experience, so it’s funny to see that now. Was it just the JET situation that was a shitshow? I imagine that you must’ve had something you liked if you’re still there 11 years later

[mothy]

I mean, annoyances with the BoE were consistent throughout my time with JET and, since my wife is still employed as a public school teacher, have continued after my time on JET.
But I think the one thing Saitama has going for it is it has a little bit of everything, except the ocean. The problem is it doesn't have anything that's outstanding. So I think that's why I soured on it. But at the same time, having second class everything is not that bad, so why leave?

[Rupa123]

Yeah that’s my impression from what I’ve read, that it’s nice because it has access to a lot of things via Tokyo/surrounding prefectures but doesn’t have a ton going on within the border.
Honestly not terrible because you can have variety but also live away from it so it doesn’t get to the feeling of routine.

I feel like BOE shit can be all over the place, but in general tends to suck because of how bureaucratic it is. I’ve read some real horror stories and mediocre stories, nothing outstandingly positive ha.

The ocean thing is something that I was a little bummed about, but I’m in Ohio so it won’t be THAT different. Is it doable as a day trip via train/car?

[Ini]

Saitama is a very easy place to live and it has pretty much every amenity you could ever want. Geographically its a bit of a nothing and it has an alarming number of working/lower middle class residents. So if you enjoy featureless flat land full of warehouses but with a wide variety of shops, restaurants and services as well as the looming fear that you could be beaten and robbed at any time then its the ideal place to live.

[mothy]

The ocean thing is something that I was a little bummed about, but I’m in Ohio so it won’t be THAT different. Is it doable as a day trip via train/car?

If you're in the main parts of Saitama you'll have no problem going to the ocean. A nice beach may be harder to reach, but the ocean is easy to get to.

[TachikawaTruffle]

Geographically its a bit of a nothing and it has an alarming number of working/lower middle class residents. So if you enjoy featureless flat land full of warehouses but with a wide variety of shops, restaurants and services as well as the looming fear that you could be beaten and robbed at any time then its the ideal place to live.

So you've visited Ohio?

[Rupa123]

the looming fear that you could be beaten and robbed at any time .

I’m from a shitty part of the US, feel like nothing in Japan could be worse than East Dayton

[OatsCurrySummer]

nothing in Japan could be worse than East Dayton

The first two results for "East Dayton" on google have told me enough.

[TachikawaTruffle]

Has anyone ever turned up to TO in a formal kimono instead of a suit?

[mothy]

Probably. And I hope they died.

[Jiggit]

If it were a proper formal kimono I'd be impressed. And then ask him firmly but politely to seppuku.

[webstaa]

There's enough drama at TO without anybody going full weeb.

[Rupa123]

I'm truly afraid of what TO could look like after some of the questions people ask in the facebook groups

[mothy]

Honestly the vast majority of the people are able to appear semi-competent for a few days as long as you don't scratch at the surface too much.

[Jiggit]

Yeah iirc the most annoying people I remember at TO were the people desperate to point out that they already speak Japanese AKSHUALLY

[OatsCurrySummer]

Yeah iirc the most annoying people I remember at TO were the people desperate to point out that they already speak Japanese AKSHUALLY

To which I would have responded: So then why are you an ALT? AKSHUALLY.

[mothy]

And in a couple of months they'll be introducing themselves as a translator, not an ALT, because an acquaintance paid them to translate a document once and they need something else to make them feel special.

[OatsCurrySummer]

And in a couple of months they'll be introducing themselves as a translator, not an ALT, because an acquaintance paid them to translate a document once and they need something else to make them feel special.

Shit, I could have been demanding money for that??