Wait. Korea too???

So now we're about to become the Complete JAPAN/SOUTH KOREA Guide?!?!?
maybe....
Looks like my next job takes me South Korea, NOT Japan. Although I intend to move back to Japan at some point hopefully. Heavy on the hopefully there.

I have found that compared to when I first went in 2000 to Japan, the benefits and wages for Native English teachers have been steady declining. Imagine a plane in nose-dive if you will.

From 2000-2002 I was making the equivalent of 30K USD in Japan. Ah, how I reminicse on those days.
From 2006-2008 I was making the equivalent of 26K USD in Japan. I was in the back-ass country at the time so it worked ok as there was no place to go to actually spend money.
Now shopping around again in 2009, I'm finding the area I worked before in 2000 is offering as low as 23K?!?!?!
(In case you didn't know already, Japan and Korea school years start in the Spring so from January you enter the height of teacher recruiting season.)
Yes, yes, there are still some placesa offering reasonable salaries, but mostly you're looking at the ridiculously low range where the compensation in NO WAY covers the amount of work you will be doing.

Frankly, I find no excuse for this. Commodity prices cost of living has been rising since 2000 and yet salaries are steadily going down??? Where is the compensation for this?

On the other hand, all the schools - few though they may be - I have looked at in Korea are offering top wages for Native English speakers, more in the 26-28K USD bracket. I don't understand this. Yes, the Japanese economy is in shambles, but so is the economy of the whole worldso that doesn't make for an excuse, does it? On top of which, there is a growing need for native English teachers now that they are starting to require English classes at the elementary school level nationwide.
?_?

So, as long as I convince someone to give me a contract, it's off to Korea!!
I kinda did want to go there anyway at some point. Besides, they do have a 3hour ferry that runs between Pusan and Oosaka, Japan. (A city near Kyoto if that is more familiar sounding to you. Sorry if you already know that. ^.^ )

In that case I'll be posting info about surviving in both areas from then on.

Cheers! (^_-)-☆

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BAD English Schools in Japan - MSE

I can't seem to find a single Forum Board *yet* that comprehensively addresses this topic so I've decided to start a series here.

In this series I will introduce the places you absolutely want to avoid if you are looking to teach English in Japan.

In this first installment, allow me to introduce the school I am currently at, MSE, Mizusawa School of English in Iwate prefecture. They apparently post in several places like ESL Elite, but they normally post here and this is were I originally found them.

One phrase: SEXUAL HARASSMENT.
And we're not just talking the verbal kind. I've put up with plenty of pornographic comments working at MSE without complaint. Nope, we're talking the touchy-feely, skin-crawling kind of sexual harassment.

Apparently no one bothered to tell them this was a place of learning, not a hostess bar.

If that is not enough to turn you off, how about CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY WORK?
I was not aware they were missionaries until I started working. It is fine to have faith I think; but NOT when it is an unspoken part of the school curriculum. And she will try to convert the students, oh so subtly. The younger ones are rather blind to it, but the adults aren't. Each and every one asked me, "When you leave, who will teach?" When I responded, "Mrs. Mine", not one of them looked the least bit happy about it.

Still not convinced?
How about "forced labor"?
I was deathly sick for one week, but because I wasn't allowed to stay home, it dragged on for weeks. That was in March. I'm still seeing doctors for treatment ALL AT MY EXPENSE 4 months later.

Shall we try unannounced "pay cuts"?
Fine. Go ahead and cut my pay, but do NOT wait to tell me you have done it after a whole month has past!! An upfront and honest employer would tell you beforehand, not four weeks and 100000 later.

Seriously people, MSE - avoid this place like the plague.



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You're a WERE-what?!?!

You thought European commercials were a hoot. They've got nothing on the Japanese. From naked women to singing business men... still I like this one the best so far:
The Online interactive Laptop computer commercial where you can hang out with BUNNY-man!

WHERE TO GO:
http://www.fmworld.net/fmv/usataku/main.html

HOW TO PLAY:
There are a set of 4 boxes, usually at the bottom of the frame. One is a set of 3 grey buttons with either an ! or ?. Next to that is a blue button with an image of a door.
The 1 grey, !-button just tells you a little more about the product. The 2 grey, ?-buttons let you play with BUNNY-man and the blue button lets you choose other rooms in the house to play in. If you click on the blue door button a diagram of his house will pop up over the current frame. You can go to any room that is shaded red - there are 4 rooms to pick from.

EVEN MORE TO SEE!:
You can see the original commericial that birthed this site, too! No matter what room you are in, at the bottom of the frame you will see 4 "tabs". The first one will have Japanese and these letters somewhere in it- CM - standing for commercial. Click on that one and a new window will pop up with your pre-set Real or WMP player . You know what to do from there!!

BTW, on the right are 2 more links with the numbers 15 and 30, respectively. Those show you other versions of the commercial.

Come.
Enter the brave, new world and LIMBO with the BUNNY-man.

---

Woman: "A werewolf!?! You're A WEREWOLF!!?"
.......
Woman: "What the hell? A were-bunny?!"
Man: "I told you I wasn't any good with the moon."

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Culinary Delights

I totally forgot about Great Japanese Food like...

1) Aloe!
You can eat it in yogurt! You can drink it with grape juice! It's even an alcoholic drink!

2) Coffee Jelly!
Yes! They do not just have the "wall of canned coffee" in every conceviable convience and grocery store in Japan, they have it in Jello form! And even better, several varieties boast- "Caffineless so your children can enjoy it without worry.". On behalf of Starbucks, I thank you Japan--Way to go, hook 'em early.
And it comes with little creamers noless.

3) Chuu-Hai
Next to the wall of happy-coffee, is the even happier "wall of chuu-hai".
Let me explain. Japan is a drinkers paradise. Although the Japanese couldn't mix a cocktail to save their lives, they have these mixed drinks in a can like Bartles and James but not as overly sweet and only costing around 1 dollar for 8ozs. You can buy them in just about any store-grocery and convience store. And there are convience stores on pretty much EVERY corner here. As an additional perk, there are a rainbow of flavors for this stuff. They have traditional flavors like grape, apple, strawberry, white peach, etc.. but they also have Aloe , Golden Mango, Blood Orange!!!, Lycee, Guava, Passion Fruit! The first three are my favorite so far.

4) Satsumaimo
The Satsuma "Imo" or potato is the only potato I could imagine eating for breakfast, much less plain. It's a type of Sweet Potato, but not at all like US sweet potatos. After I came back from Japan the first time, I tried to eat the US Sweet potato the way I would eat a Satusmaimo-boiled and plain. No good! BLAH! There's just something special about the Satsumaimo that makes it good enough to be sold on the streets of Japan the same way we have hot dog vendors in NYC. (no comparison from the nutrional standpoint though. ;) )

5) Exotic chocolate
So, I went to the local liquer store again. I often do at least once a week because they are the ONLY place in this backwater (Literally. The previous tenet of the apartment pointed out that the new, improved name of this city meant JUST that. Not really the image to attract new business. ), that has some selection of international foods like cheese from the US, coconut milk, rice pasta, and FOREIGN CHOCOLATE. The foreigners always get the good chocolate. I found and promptly ate-to the dismay of my stomach:
. "Old Jamaica" from New Zealand-chocolate with rum and raisins. It should be noted that the list of ingredients specifically said "rum" not "rum flavoring".
. Some yummy bar from Germany that consisted of light rice kripsies ontop of fluffy strawberry cream wrapped in milk chocolate. YUMMY and refreshing.

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p2p networks blocked for users in Japan!

With the recent move of the Japanese ISP's to ban P2P networks, many sites are not available for streaming in Japan!! It is not yet definite whether this IP ban will be permanent or temporary.

But as always, the internet is on the move, like a kaliediscope--twisting and writhing its way into different shapes and disguises...

Previously in dealing with country restricted services we introduced how to use Anonymous Proxy.

ANON Proxy does not necessarily work in this circumstance for those in Japan as it depends on your direct ISP and/or the location of the ANON proxy. For instance, I was not able to even connect to one site - CR - itself via anon proxies located in the USA or China, but I could through a lonesome little proxy server in Ghana. So if you are up to it, keep trying different servers and direct your efforts towards those in lesser moderated countries like Turkey and Ghana. That would be my suggestion. Just also be aware the tend to be really slow.

The proxy servers on the previously published site are still good and the instructions are still valid. Note the WARNING about using ANON proxy services. THAT HAS NOT CHANGED! One change that should be noted is that with the new NETSCAPE (version 2.0.0.x), you make the internet connection alterations via the path Edit > Preferences > Advanced > Network. For older versions use Tools > Options > Advanced > Network.

Frankly, right now at the time I write this I am buffering Suicide Song at a snail's pace, but at least it's loading!!


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