Deus Ex Machina tops off Ultimate Week!!

Operating Theatre or train? You decide

I'm writing this now at 5:30am Tokyo time, denied my basic human sleep-needs and nursing a hot Tesco-branded Lemsip. I've come down with a heavy phlegm-cold that I used to get once a year, but which now strikes me about 4 times each winter since moving to Tokyo. It's a consequence of 20 million people converging on a limited number of trains day in, day out. When you first arrive here, you think that the mask-wearing train sufferers are just eccentric or hypochondriacs - but soon, you come to respect them. Indeed, you start to loathe the salarymen who don't wear them, as they make barely any effort to keep their nasal audio level down (or control their death-rot breath, for that matter).

It's a cruel way to end what has otherwise been a fantastic week. So, let's un-digress.


Well, I guess that I should start with the big news - that is to say - that - yes, - I have got a new job! My original purpose when I came to Japan was to gather up steam and get a video-game job in Japan. With my visa expiring this month, I was pretty much set to go back to the UK, slightly defeated, to search a job out there. Heck, I've tried hard enough to get a game job here over the past year. Time after time I was rejected.
Well, after reading every - single - job mail-list email that I've received over the past 18 months, yeh, I've finally bagged one! It has been almost uncanny. It just so happens that the president of this company is also the only Japanese developer that I have ever met before - he gave a keynote at the Game Developers Conference in London when I was still a student - and the company is small enough in size that the interview was directly with him. I'm not going to give away who the company is just yet - you never know who might be reading! Heh.
The company is getting lots of demand from Europe and North America, so they really need someone who can handle the bilingual communications. It's a little bit daunting to be the only foreigner in the company, and at times my Japanese ability will be pushed to it's limits. Having said that, this is what I've always wanted - total immersion is the best way to improve after all.
The actual job title is "Assistant Planner", so I should get the chance to learn some production and management techniques - especially considering the size of the company. It's almost too perfect.

Wow, the Lemsip is kicking in already. If there's one thing worth importing to this country, that's it.

So yeh, I start this job in less than two weeks, and so another page (a big page) turns over in my book. Sadly, it looks like I will have to pack in the acting. To begin with I will be outsourced to the company by a recruiter, and they don't allow any days off in the three month "trial period".

It's strange really because lately the acting has been going great. This week I was filming my highest-paid job yet. It was a promotional video for a health products company (*cough* quasi-pyramid program *cough cough*) that they will use to open a conference they are holding for their customers in the Makuhari Messe (where Tokyo Game Show and Comicon is held) in April. The whole thing went very smoothly, the hours were reasonable, and at the end of it they even let me keep the tailor-made suit and shoes that I wore during the shoot! They're pretty nice!
In addition, I have a job with NHK (The Japanese BBC) next week. About two hours of work for 250 pounds. Paid on the spot. All I have to do is smile and make British animal noises for a kids TV show. Usually I'm the one paying other people to make animal noises. **
I've also been offered a part in a video game cut-scene, and have another possible credited movie role - but it looks like I will sadly have to turn these down now. Looks like a cake that I won't be eating.

** Lie told for the purpose of a joke. Honestly.

In other, unrelated news, I got a new laptop this week. My previous PC was a nice little unit, but the lack of an internal optical drive was really annoying. It also had an annoying, incurable virus. So, I imported an 14" Widescreen HP unit from the States. Man, the States is just so much cheaper than anywhere else for PC's. Even after an $80 shipping fee, and after my UK bank had their fun charging ridiculous foreign transaction fees, it still came out as much cheaper than anything I could find in the UK. It's a special edition unit. Very nice.

It even has a mini remote control that stores itself in the PC card slot.
Very nice. But never gonna use it. Never gonna use it.

Well, yeh, that's about it really. Looks like I'll be in Japan for awhile yet. To those of you who were looking forward to my return - well - my apologies. I recently came to realise that I really do like it here. And for now, the future teems with optimism.

Thoughts, life, jobs, etc

Quite a lot of things tend to happen lately. Things that excite, things that bore, and things that defy themselves.

Recently, the tax college has started to go well. I'm finding a rhythm, the students are used to the class, and we're all getting along. The course finishes in two days, and we're going out for a party tomorrow night.
You would assume that teaching tax English to tax officers would be dull as hell, but, it has actually turned out to be a fun experience - and, of course, very well paid. More money in 6 days than I have previously managed in a whole month of acting.
I've also realised, again, that I am actually a very good teacher - in so far as I can keep the students interested for a good 90% of the lesson. I don't know why, but I do tend to grin and smile throughout teaching. It's a cheeky grin, because I know that I can abuse my power, and the students find it funny when I do. If it looks like you are having fun, then it projects onto your students.
I will be the first to admit that I'm not the best at actually teaching language points, and getting students to memorise grammar. But, that's not really what I'm here for. Japanese students are very good at this by themselves. What they need is to increase their ability in speaking situations, so I just try to get them talking as much possible - nonsense is fine. You'd be surprised by some of the funny shit they come up with. One of my students loves the word hate. Hate is a fairly hilarious word really, when you think about it. He uses it with reckless abandon. We laugh. You would probably laugh too.
For the record, the main reason that I don't like teaching is the preparation - and preparation is key in this industry. I just can't concentrate when I have to pre-read the texts, note possible language and vocab points, think of exercises and fun, original games...
So, they've asked me about another course running in January, so I may do that too. The thing is, several things seem to be starting to rotate now.
On Thursday, I have an interview with a video game localisation company to help proof-read translated games. If I want a career in the game industry, I'm sensible enough to realise that this would be a very valuable experience. The money is pretty crap - but thats not the intention.
Also, in January, I will have an audition for a Motion Capture job for a video game. This would be a great job to get. Experience and money wise.
On top of this, there is the (shrinking) possibility of the Thailand movie job in February. It's all enough to make me think that, well, my visa expiring in March is a bit of a damn pain.
Oh, and, also, there was a brilliant sunset today from the classroom - the sun set behind mount Fuji, searing it's outline a reddy-gold. I stopped the class to check it out. I didn't take a photo for you though, sadly. So I stole this similar one instead:

I do, however, promise to scan in some of my tax textbook soon - so you can see what I have to play with :-P