Churning...

[sjcarpediem]

Mostly cloudy, 23C (23C)

So, apparently, I'm moving to Shiga-ken (滋賀県, jp, the one with Lake Biwa...) sometime next month (don't ask me when...)--a place called Moriyama (守山市, jp), to be more specific. It's not in my guide book.

I am filled with a very special and inevitable kind of dread. This place has a smaller population than my inaka town on Shikoku. And it wasn't in my guide book, either. But Honshu is completely different, Honshu is completely different, Honshu is completely different.... There are fewer people in all of Shiga prefecture than in Kobe city.

There is a university, at least... and a senmon-gakkou (trade school)... My town on Shikoku didn't have either of those. It serves as a "bedroom town" for Osaka and Kyoto, though, which means it's not likely to be very convenient to live in... But maybe there'll be a movie theatre. Generally, my standards for a "city" are (a) population of 1million people or more and (b) at least one regularly operating movie theatre. I also enjoy public transport. We could count that as a third criterion, I suppose.

It takes less time and is cheaper to visit both Kyoto and Nara from there ; Osaka is just 20 minutes further from there than it is from here.

I'll visit for the day this weekend or next, I hope, and be very pleasantly surprised. I had asked one of my students about jobs at one of the local universities ; but it seems they're not hiring at the moment. That was my feeble attempt to stay in Kobe. I like Kobe. Kobe is cool and has an interesting history and is very convenient to live in. Next month I'll have been here for one year. Universe, stop flinging me into the boonies, please.

I'm too emotionally exhausted at the moment to post anything more. So now I will eat some chocolate, drink some tea, and watch some anime all the while pretending that ALL IS WELL WITH THE WORLD, and by extension/association, me and my life.

Comments

[earthbound01.livejournal.com]

Nancy and I were looking to live in Shiga. We have friends in Yasu.

[sjcarpediem.livejournal.com]

I notice you used the past tense, there...

At any rate, y'all may have friends in Yasu ; I do not.

I'll let you know what I find out, if you're interested... :-P

[earthbound01.livejournal.com]

Yeah, doesn't look like we can teach English in Japan. We're putting down roots.

[sjcarpediem.livejournal.com]

Well, have fun with that.

[earthbound01.livejournal.com]

Yeah, trying to keep a positive attitude. Here's hoping we picked a good place to do it.

[sjcarpediem.livejournal.com]

You probably did, since you picked it. ;-)

Besides, maybe you can come here are retirees!

[tsubasa-en11.livejournal.com]

Wow you're really moving here and there. Well, take it as a way to change life style? I don't know about you, but it's always my dream to live in a countryside and have the most simple life (being a shepherd would be awesome)...

[sjcarpediem.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know it's a good way to really get to know a country (worked for my native country!), but still... inaka... no choices... exile... meh... don't want. Because, also, I don't aspire to the kind of life you described. Obviously, I'll try to make the best of it, and take the most from the experience that I can, but I'm a little tired of that right now, I don't think I can get any more from isolation than I already have, and I just want what I want not for my choices and decisions to be overturned while my opinions and preferences are ignored. Y'know...?

[tsubasa-en11.livejournal.com]

I see. That's pretty tough for you, sorry to hear that. *pats* Is there any possibilities to get hired in other companies?

[sjcarpediem.livejournal.com]

I've checked the few resources I know (which are not really a lot), but so far nothing.

[tsubasa-en11.livejournal.com]

Is it possible to ask the recommendations from LJ communities? I mean, eikaiwa and other Lj communities which contributing to teaching in Japan?

...I'm sorry i can't help anything <_<

[sjcarpediem.livejournal.com]

They're patently useless--but that doesn't mean I didn't try to get some use out of them.

It's okay. Thanks for trying to help me with it! Oh, and from what I can see, this should have ZERO effect on our Kanazawa plans--thank God! :-D

[tsubasa-en11.livejournal.com]

Let's make this trip a pleasant one then. :D

[sjcarpediem.livejournal.com]

Indeed! :-)

[earthbound01.livejournal.com]

I heard that Shiga is one of the wealthiest prefectures, and I know from personal experience Kyoto and Osaka are great cities.

[sjcarpediem.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know Kyoto and Osaka are great cities--and from Shiga, Kyoto is only 40 minutes away instead of almost an hour and a half from Kobe ; Nara is closer, too.

I hope it's not one of the wealthiest prefectures--that will make my wage's purchasing power even less! But Shiga merchants are very famous (Omi merchants), and I guess a lot of them were connected to the more internationally famous Osaka merchants...