And away I go!

its 6:45am. Heading to the airport in about 20 minutes. I'll be in Japan in less than 24 hours.

I'm not homeless!

So today I was able to get my reservation for a room in a guest house in Tokyo. Actually the whole process was becoming extremely stressful and a constant headache and then my friend Yumi-San came to my rescue and helped me out big time! I can't thank her enough for the help. THANK YOU YUMI-SAN!!

So the place I will be staying is called the Yotsugi Crib. I have private room with shared kitchen and bath along with common PC, laundry machines and more for a mere 28,000 yen/month. Yes! That is almost about 300 US. For anyone who knows anything about Tokyo, that is extremely cheap. I'm not expecting a huge room or free breakfast but for that price I will be happy if it was just a bed. I am also really happy about private room. After traveling the busy streets of Tokyo all day I would really prefer if I can come back to my own room where I can just relax to myself.

I am now completely ready to start my journey. Next item on the list is a job.

Korean commercials are fun, but I'm slightly confused...

Let me explain this first. One day I was thinking about Japanese commercials and how wacky many of them can be so then I began to wonder if Korean commercials were just as strange to foreigners. I talked to Kangmul about this since she's from Seoul and we began to look up lots of Korean commercials on youtube. While I did find some that were completely wacky,(Like the ice cream one I posted two blogs below.) I also found many that seemed to have a distinct theme and layout. Here are a few things I learned about most of the Korean commercials I watched .

1. Features cute girl doing cute things into the camera
2. Features classic American song
3. Cutesy montage shots
4. Ends with quick phrase or a word
5. Product being advertise isn't clear until the very end
6. English voice over
7. After watching the commercial you cant help but to think "What the heck did I just watch?"

Taking these few rules into account I set out to make my very own Korean commercial. Can I match the oddness of native commercials? Will you be slightly confused? Here's hoping!

Korean Froyo Commercial
Starring : Kangmul Lee
Writer/Director/Editor: Me

Bound for Japan!

(Don't I look so excited? Haha, that was my last 15 hour trip over seas.)


So my dream to becoming an English Teacher has become just a little bit closer.
I recently bought my ticket ($720) and I am bound for Tokyo July 28th. It feels good to know I am on the way but it's so soon and I have little time to wrap things up here at home. I have to say a lot of goodbyes and get some work done around the house. I was originally planning on taking only one large suitcase and a backpack, but with my winter clothes alone I am starting to see that it could pose a problem. I just really wasn't looking forward to that initial trek to my place of residence through the crowded, super hot streets of Tokyo. Oh well, I suffer now to enjoy later.

Along with my personal belongings I need to get tons of copies of my resume,cover letter, and most recent photo so I can immediately hit the streets searching for jobs. Still gotta get that camera too. So much to do!

http://www.cheapoair.com/
Best airline site I found for tickets.

God is greeeeeeat!!! ( Tony the Tiger style)

So guess what??!!! No, go ahead guess....seriously take a guess!! TOO LATE!! I'm gonna tell you!

So today I sold my car!
After that I sold a bunch of video game stuff!

What this means is I now have the money to buy my ticket and reserve my guest house room and feel comfortable surviving on the mean streets of Tokyo as I look for a job for a few months. Talk about feeling relaxed. I also found out the head of the Language school I work at now occasionally worked in Japan before and just got back from a visit. He says he doesn't have any direct contacts in Tokyo but has friends who do and will ask around for me. This could potentially be something. I've gotten a few contacts and experience since being back in St.Louis. Who would have thought St.Louis of all places.

It was sad to see the car go. Me and her had a lot of great summer adventures and she served me well. I remember the time someone ripped her convertible top open and stole my new Cd player right in front of my home...wait that wasn't good. We'll it was made up my hot summer nights driving with the wind blowing feeling care free. I came home tonight opened my garage door and there was a huge empty space where my car was.....made me a bit sad. Giving up the video games is even sadder. I have been collecting this stuff for a long time. I still have a lot left and hopefully I can sell some more before I leave for some extra cash. I need a digital camera before I go. How else will I update my blog with crazy pictures of Japanese men dancing with monkeys?

Better yet what this means is that I will be buying my airline ticket and reserving my room in Japan quite soon...perhaps later today. Stay tuned!

I'd like to take this moment to thank God cause he's come through once again and I told him I'd give a shout out to him. After seeing him pull this off I feel much more comfortable about the task of obtaining a job that is still ahead of me.

And now I leave you with crazy Korean Ice Cream commercial

My Top 5 Japanese Movies (As of now)

It's no secret I am a fan of movies. (I blew tons of money attending a school to learn about making them.) What may be a unknown is how much I love Asian movies and within this category Japanese and Korean ones. So here is my top 5 Japanese movies. You will notice that there is not any Akira Kurosawa films on this list. Yes I am aware that he made some good movies, yes I know he has done a lot for film in general, but you also wouldn't find Citizen Kane even on my top 100 American movies. I am looking for stories that entertained me the most whatever the genre and these are the best of those movies at this time. I am also aware of Takashi Miike and frankly, his movies scare me. So without further ado....

#5
"Dare mo Shiranai" (Nobody Knows)
Let me start by saying I am not afraid to admit that I have cried watching many movies. In fact "My Girl" still gets me every time. "Dare mo Shiranai" is based from a true story and features characters you really care about, and that is why it also breaks you emotionally down later in the film. In fact during my first viewing I had to fast forward through some parts cause my heart just couldn't take it. Its a great story about siblings and abandonment and I suggest you watch it, but remember guys, if you have a problem crying in front of your lady friend watch it alone.


#4
"Hula Garu" (Hula Girls)
Also based on a true story this one is a lot more funny and cheerful. It's a story about a group of girls in a small town who try to save their town by learning the Hawaiian practice of Hula dancing and drawing tourist to their show. Led by an at first reluctant teacher from Tokyo the girls learn about culture, friendship, and pride. It also stars actress Yû Aoi which I just find sooo cute.


#3
Kikujiro
This is a charming story about a young boy who wants to journey to see his mother. Aided by a small town thug played wonderfully by Takeshi Kitano they embark on a quest that leads them into many different situations, some funny, some exciting, and others sad. The movie is also known for its soundtrack which includes the song "Summer". This song alone is definately part of what makes this movie so great. Do yourself a favor, watch the movie, and find that song. (It is the one playing in the trailer.)


#2
"Linda Linda Linda"
This was only the second Japanese movie I had ever saw in the theatre back when I was living in San Fran. (The first was "Densha No Otoko" Train Man) I knew pretty much nothing about it but was interested in seeing a Japanese film on the big screen. Luckily I lucked out and got an awesome movie. The movie is about an all girls band who struggle to get an act together for the upcoming talent show. Its a simple premise but it plays out great with sweet and admirable characters. Music also plays a big part on the movie and songs like "Linda Linda Linda" by "The Blue Hearts" repeat over and over in your head after viewing. The movie stars four young actresses one of which happens to be Korean actress Bae Doona (The Host) who I adore. It may seem like a girly flick, but if that means I am wrong for watching, I dont wanna be right. >_<

#1
Always: Sanchome no Yuhi (Sunset on Third Street) & Always: Sanchome no Yuhi 2
I love this movie! Recommended to me by my Japanese fan "Always" is pure gold. There are two movies, the second one continuing right where the first left off. While it works great as two movies, the first movie is still able to stand strong by itself. The movie chronicles the life of the residents of a town in Tokyo 1958 (As the Tokyo tower was being constructed). The acting is superb by all involved and the set design is masterfully done. Each and every character is made to be cared about and it is the perfect mix of laughter,joy, and tears. Amongst the wonderful actors is Hiromi Ishizaki who you may know from "The Last Samurai" but Hidetaka Yoshioka steals the show with his portrayal of an down and out of luck author who suddenly inherits a child. There aren't enough good things that I can say about this movie. Please find it, and watch it! (Unfortunately I could not find an English trailer for the first movie so the trailer below is for Always 2.)



Honorable mentions
- "Hachimitsu To Cloba" (Honey and Clover)
- "Ocha no Aji" (Taste of Tea)
- "Densha no Otoko" (Train man)
- "The Uchoten Hotel"




If I can find the English trailers stay tuned for my top 5 Korean movies.

Budgeting

So I have less than a month until my proposed plan to leave for Japan on July 28th. As of now I am still working out the monies which is the biggest issue. I have yet to buy a plane ticket or reserved a room in a guest house but here's hoping all that will begin to fall into place, especially since I found at ticket yesterday for $695!!!.. $695!!! I spent $1200 on a ticket for my last trip to Japan only 24 days earlier and from a closer location. I desperately need this new and improved $695 ticket. It would make the 14+ hour flight that much more enjoyable. Anyway, I have decided to post a general budget that i have made for my stay in good ole Nippon. Perhaps this will help any future English Teaching seekers.

Of course all of the included costs are subjected to change a bit, but I am not banking on too much.

Airline Ticket: $695
( I recently saw United Airlines offering this sweet deal with just one stop in Chicago.)

Housing: $280/month, $100/deposit/1st month
(This is the cheapest deal I found in a place in Tokyo called Yotsugi Club. The size is like 3.0 tatami mat which is pretty small, but I just need a place to sleep for awhile until I can move on up like George and Weezy.)

Transportation: $192.00/month
(Now that I look at this it seems a bit expensive, though Tokyo transportation can add up. I was figuring $48/week. One day a week I'll just have to stay in and enjoy my closet size room.)

Food: $280/month (Japan like almost any other country on the planet has a McDonalds with a $1 menu. Other than that its nothing but Gyuudon and Curry at Yoshinoya for me. I could probably save a lil more with grocery shopping.)

I plan to purchase a plane ticket with a return trip set for about 2 months later so with the exception of the plane ticket I have to add these costs twice. If I get a job, I'll need to survive another month or so before I get paid.

2 months= $2319.00
If I get a job I'm gonna have to eat a little less to last that 3rd month before getting paid. Either way I am not quite at the point I need to be right now before leaving.

Frankly I am gonna need a miracle to pull this off, but luckily God is in the business of miracles, so we will just have to see what happens.