Sick of Japan

[cstaylor]

Another thing is stupid parking lot guards... what are they needed for? They direct the traffic in and out, but are they really necessary? They get in the way, some are very rude and some actually do more harm than good... yet they are everywhere...

If you look very closely, you'll notice that the guards are primarily men in their 60's... working the parking lot (or those toll booths on the kosokudoro) is a great way for the oldsters to bring in some extra bucks...

[Kyoto Gaijin]

I still feel like I want to change the Japanese way into what I feel is the best way. I know it is ethocentric and that most of my ways are from my culture and to impose that on the Japanese way is wrong. It is just that some things are so absurd. Like paying twice for internet. I pay NTT and a provider... it is really stupid to pay NTT anything... why not combine them both.. one payment, simple and easy...

No Yahoo where you are yet? Yahoo BB is a one price system *and* you can get practically free calls to america. I dislike NTTs "FLETS" system too but I suppose it encourages competition between providers

[Big Booger]

Nope, no yahooBB here, unfortunately. I have the 10Mbit connection, and luckily in a month I will be getting the FLETS family 100Mbit service...
but there are very few alternatives to NTT where I am at.

I know the parking guards are mainly old timers, but why do they need 4 per lot?


On a plus note, satellite TV is a must for living in Japan!!
BB

[Kyoto Gaijin]

Nope, no yahooBB here, unfortunately. I have the 10Mbit connection, and luckily in a month I will be getting the FLETS family 100Mbit service...
but there are very few alternatives to NTT where I am at.

BB

Try finding 100mbits for that price in the country in america (or even in a city for that matter) don't even try searching in England where you're lucky if you can get 256kbits for twice the price.

I couldn't even get good cable just 30 miles south of san francisco....

(we're signed up 100mbits with Usen here in Kyoto - 4 fixed (global) IP addresses and an unshared 100mbit line with ISP costs thrown in, 9000 yen a month, now that's *value*!)

[jasper]

If you have JCOM in your area look into it.
I have cable digital TV / phone and internet all through cable - no more dealing with NTT at all - The internet is 8Meg and usually runs at almost that speed because your not relying on how close you are to an NTT switching station, etc.
For overseas calls I go through ATT @ phone service. quite cheap but if you know of any cheaper service let me know.

[Taro Toporific]

If you have JCOM in your area look into it.
I have cable digital TV / phone and internet all through cable

Cable services like JCOM, Tokyu, and USEN are great but they always require the "permission" of a building's butthead landlord (or often the whole building's cndo-coop's aggrement). Needless to say, the Stone Age mindset of landlords and condo associations is not conducive this.

[gomichild]

We had JCOM forced upon us in our apartment...

[Kyoto Gaijin]

I have pretty much the same thing in the "sticks" back in the U.S. for $59.00 a month, Dumb *ss.

Don't hold back, spit out the information. No download/upload caps? 100mbit upload/download optical-fibre and *unshared*? 4 Global/fixed IP addresses? Modem rental and ISP costs all included in the price of course.

I haven't heard of anyone supplying that kind of pipe for that price in the states but maybe some cities or parts of the country are beginning to catch up.

[Kurofune]

[quote="GuyJean"]Booger,

I think a lot of us have felt, and sometimes still do feel the same way. (This forum aint called F*cked Gaijin for nothing!)

About 2 years ago, my anger towards Japan changed to appreciation. How did this transformation take place?

1: I dont' ride the trains. I work either from home, or in my area.

2: I don't live in Tokyo. The Yokohama area is newer, cleaner, and more spacious.

3: I bought a BS dish and decoder. BBC, CNN, McNeil Hour, Nightline]
That's pretty much how I came to terms with Japan. First, I minimized my use of the trains. Twice a week, my wife is banned from the kitchen while I cook a proper homestyle dinner. I meet up with my gaijin friends, even if it's just lunch with a coworker, at least once a week. The gaijin community, not the Japanese community, is where I operate. Finally, I learned to not take Japan too seriously. I don't get wrapped up in Japanese politics or social movements. From my perspective, mainstream Japan is a snowglobe.

[Big Booger]

It's good to know other gaijin feel fucked like me. It is my goal to make Japan enjoyable. I guess time will tell how successful I am at realizing my goal.
I have heard of several gaihin while in Japan that go crazy living here. One guy even threw himself in front of a train.. Now that is not how I want to end up.
BB

[Taro Toporific]

We had JCOM forced upon us in our apartment...

JCOM can be curse or blessing.
If your building's "pipe" to the Net is fat, it's real bargain for both TV* and Internet access since its cost buried in the condo's maintenance fees. In one new building I was in, cable/Net access "cost" nothing. ON THE OTHER HAND, if you have to share one 10MB/bit pipe with a 100 other apartments, it's as useless as the 5,000yen "charm" that's served at no-pantsu shabu shabu..


*CS satellite TV costs more and disrupted by rain. Over the years I've had both JCOM and CS (as well as NTT ADSL). Now, I'm begging for 100MB fiber from Tokyo Metallic/Yahoo.

[Kent Brockmann]

As old man Burns is wont to say "I like the cut of your jib", Reepo Man.