Skillz? You don't need 'em!!!

[brianhh]

I really don't understand what these much vaunted skillz are you guys go on about needing to succeed here. Its like you don't want the other gaijin to come and find out how low the bar is. Ugly Canadians, uneducated Aussies, and ill-mannered yanks seem to have no problem finding work and partners that would be far above their station back home. I had no skillz, experience, or contact when I got here and I have no problem making scratch and turning these hoes out. Anyway I hope the secret's out and you can get off your high horses and actually start helping the new fish...

[GargoyleTS]

And you do what exactly?

I call troll!

[amdg]

Well, I think it depends on your definition of 'succeed'. You say you have no skills so I can't imagine what you do here. I know you can make quite a bit from teaching English (up to 700,000 a month) if you have the right kind of classes. But its no fortune and there's not much job security. Are you happy to just get by for the rest of your life, so long as you can 'turn out the hos'.

Or you could run your own business, but how realistic is that for someone coming here fresh off the boat?

Or, are you planning on going home someday and starting a 'career'?
Then you have to ask yourself if any of what you've accomplished here going to count for anything when you go back home? How will you explain the 'teaching abroad' black hole? Or will you just write "1995-2005 - 'turning out hos in Japan' and 'making scratch' "?

N.B. Maybe you are just killing time here until you inherit your father's media empire? (If so please contact me )

I personally think the advice I've seen given on this forum is very realistic and very helpful, for most people.

[kamome]

Brianhh,

How good are you with a mop? I'm in the market for a maid. Guys like you with no skillz can always come over and clean my toilet before turning the hoes out.

[kurohinge1]

... I had no skillz, experience, or contact when I got here and I have no problem making scratch and turning these hoes out ...

And very nice hoes they are, Brian


Keep turning 'em out.



BTW Same-san likes new fish.

[Taro Toporific]

...Anyway I hope the secret's out and you can get off your high horses and actually start helping the new fish...

"The secret is out", oh that's precious.
Ok, we're all skillzless f'ed gaijin so now you can feel better.

Here's a nice riff that dovetails into your thoughts.....

VIEWPOINT: In Defense of "Freeters"
As a person who spent far too much time during my 20s in bars and other
places of leisure, jumping from job to job and from country to country,
I would like to defend my fellow freeters....

... Like the otaku of 20 years ago, the freeters are generally painted
as lazy ne'er-do-wells. While I know a few who certainly fit that
mold, many more are just spending their youth working, traveling
and weighing their options. The Economist argues that freeters will
lack the skills of their full-time peers. But who learns more, a
freelance designer trying to sell her illustrations while
moonlighting at 7-Eleven or a young graduate serving tea at a large
Japanese firm? The answer depends on the individuals, of course,
but it certainly isn't obvious that the worker in the big firm is
the winner every time.
(Which reminds me of a joke: A restructured salaryman talks with a
job counselor. "Tell me about your skills," the counselor says.
"I'm really good at being kacho," the salaryman replies.) ....

--by Bruce Rutledge
THE J@PAN INC NEWSLETTER
Issue No. 287 / Wednesday, September 1, 2004

[Samurai_Jerk]

A restructured salaryman talks with a
job counselor. "Tell me about your skills," the counselor says.
"I'm really good at being kacho," the salaryman replies.

Now THAT'S funny!

[Skankster]

-
-

I really don't understand what these much vaunted skillz are you guys go on about needing to succeed here. Its like you don't want the other gaijin to come and find out how low the bar is. Ugly Canadians, uneducated Aussies, and ill-mannered yanks seem to have no problem finding work and partners that would be far above their station back home. I had no skillz, experience, or contact when I got here and I have no problem making scratch and turning these hoes out. Anyway I hope the secret's out and you can get off your high horses and actually start helping the new fish...

I wholeheartedly agree.
The bar is low here. And there are no real requirments for coming here.
-- well for a US citizen you will need a college degree. but otherwise nothing.


And I wish people would stop hollering out troll.
It is a weak worthless defence and its getting old.
Its like the boy that always cried wolf... Has no meaning nor value to anyone.

[GargoyleTS]

And I wish people would stop hollering out troll.
It is a weak worthless defence and its getting old.
Its like the boy that always cried wolf... Has no meaning nor value to anyone.

It is not a defense. Guys comes in looking to start a fight. Trolling for some sucker to bait into arguing with him. This was a classic troll.

How does one define success? If you mean getting a lot of pussy and making some quick money, then yeah, no skill is needed other than to have a severe lack of morals. On the othe hand, if your dfinition of success is to integrate into a foreign society and make an actual life with a future, such as a family and property and monetary stability, then you need something besides the ability to speak English.

Then there is the attack on various Nationalities. "Ugly Canadians, uneducated Aussies, and ill-mannered yanks" Personal attacks on people you don't know...kind of a defining trait for a troll.

"[...]and you can get off your high horses and actually start helping the new fish..." Since when do FG's NOT help people who ask for it? People ask for advice here all the time and for the most part, we give it to them! Sometimes its a bit on the wrong side of nice, but people really could try using the friggin search function before asking. That was the most ridiculous part of this this flame-bait post.

Its a troll pure and simple. I called it in the hopes no one would bother to post anything more, but I realize now I was being greedy in trying to do that. All the regulars here love giving a good flaming and nothing fry's up better than fresh troll! ^_^

[canman]

I think most of the posters here are quoting from experience, and wisdom. Sure you can come to Japan, and hook up with the "hoes" and find work, but it is going to be hard and there is a good chance you will fail. Good for you if you can make it, but people are just saying its hard without having anything to fall back on. And yes skankster I do think it is trolling. Why join the site only to attack the members, if you don't like what people have to say don't join and don't write.

[GomiGirl]

Sorry but what have I missed? I don't seem to recall threads that discuss skillz... I think you are confusing this board with Young Dudes. *sigh*

[brianhh]

There are countless examples of people who write this site with "what are my chances if...." To which the in-crowd of FG typically reply with "if you don't have skillz everything will suck and so on..." So no I don't think you are as helpful as you could be and seem to be preoccupied with impressing upon eachother how japanese you have become and how well you have intergrated into this society. Ideas which I find laughable. A white guy can talk ebonics, live in the hood, rock phat gear, but that don't make him down.

[GargoyleTS]

There are countless examples of people who write this site with "what are my chances if...." To which the in-crowd of FG typically reply with "if you don't have skills everything will suck and so on..." So no I don't think you are as helpful as you could be and seem to be preoccupied with impressing upon eachother how japanese you have become and how well you have integrated into this society. Ideas which I find laughable. A white guy can talk ebonics, live in the hood, rock phat gear, but that don't make him down.

Oro? (yes, I am an ass-clown anime freak, bite me!) Taro, are you "Japanified" yet? GG, GC, BB, CS, Andocrates, Socrates Abroad, Rob, Sparkle, Caustic, and many other regulars, I ask you the same?

The entire point of FG is that none of them ARE truly integrated! There is plenty of talk about how to "get along" in Japan, but they are just telling it like it is.

So I ask again, what do you do in Japan? I don't care where or who for, just the general "job".

[gkanai]

There are countless examples of people who write this site with "what are my chances if...." To which the in-crowd of FG typically reply with "if you don't have skillz everything will suck and so on..." So no I don't think you are as helpful as you could be and seem to be preoccupied with impressing upon eachother how japanese you have become and how well you have intergrated into this society. Ideas which I find laughable. A white guy can talk ebonics, live in the hood, rock phat gear, but that don't make him down.

Dude, step out from behind your anonymous status and tell us who you are and what you do and then we can all judge your comments on their own merit.

I know Taro and GC and GG and many others on this board personally and thus have come to respect their experience, advice and constructive criticism.

If you are looking for respect- you're going about it the wrong way.

[brianhh]

Like most of you I teach English and exploit my foriegness in other ways. Whether I earn your respect is immaterial to my desire to get you to examine the highly negative messages you send out to the true neophytes who may get turned off from coming to Japan and the reasons for them. Also I would like to wish everyone a happy VJ day!!!

[GomiGirl]

Actually I am just confused by the term "Skillz"..

Are you talking about
a) langauge skills
b) nampa skills
c) qualifications in nuclear physics

What????

I don't think you could be less vague if you tried.

Be specific lad.. if you are going to hurl shit, just let me know what sort it is so I can have the right shovel.

(I just made up that little analogy - do I have analogous skillz???)

[GomiGirl]

Like most of you I teach English and exploit my foriegness in other ways. Whether I earn your respect is immaterial to my desire to get you to examine the highly negative messages you send out to the true neophytes who may get turned off from coming to Japan and the reasons for them. Also I would like to wish everyone a happy VJ day!!!

You took your happy pills this morning didn't you?

Translation of the above:

I have just found this site
I have no friends
I don't want people to think I am a loser
I teach English - wanna make something of it??


If people are turned off coming to Japan by people like us, I for one don't really give a shit. I am here for my own reasons and not to shine a beacon or evangelise this place. That is not my job. That is the job for the Department of Tourism and Hospitality - soon to be chaired by our fave governor, Ishihara...

[amdg]

Be specific lad.. if you are going to hurl shit, just let me know what sort it is so I can have the right shovel.

(I just made up that little analogy - do I have analogous skillz???)

GG, you gots mad crazy skillz. But just remember, the best defense against shit is a HOE (not a shovel)!

[kurohinge1]

There are countless examples .... To which the in-crowd of FG typically reply ...

... So no I don't think you are as helpful as you could be ...

1. The count of "countless examples" given by Brianhh: 0

2. There's an "in-crowd" at FG? How do I know if I'm in or out - are they like belly buttons?

3. Ultra, if any FG is not being "as helpful as you could be", I suggest that their pay be halved! Brianhh, of course, will lead by example from now on and show them just how helpful they should be - won't you Brianhh? Your first customer awaits at: Job Hunting Question.
Show 'em how it's done, champ.

Intentional or not, Brian is following the trolling guidlines remarkably close so far. Try and keep it entertaining, though.

[Taro Toporific]

... my desire to get you to examine the highly negative messages you send out..

Ok, positive images of the day....

[GargoyleTS]

Like most of you I teach English and exploit my foriegness in other ways. Whether I earn your respect is immaterial to my desire to get you to examine the highly negative messages you send out to the true neophytes who may get turned off from coming to Japan and the reasons for them. Also I would like to wish everyone a happy VJ day!!!

2 points to make.

1) Many of the members of FG are not English language instructors. Maybe half, if that, and of those, about half are either solo-instructors doing private lessons or actually own their own schools.

2) Do you see yourself teaching English forever? Is that your dream job? Eikaiwa, and Hosting are poor career choices for the wannabe FG. The essence of being FG is trying to lead a normal life there. Which you can't, but its the trying anyways that truly fucks you. You wanna prove me wrong, get a real job there. I mean at say, something any young adult in the US could get, like at a Department Store, or a fast food restaurant. Some job that says "Here I am, just another resident of Japan". I am not putting down teaching English to people, but it is a niche-job that caters to foreigners and keeps them a bit separated from the indigineous working classes. Same goes with the guys doing Hosting or Club work. This is gonna sound shitty, but its like Mexicans in the US. English speakers are valued by the Japanese for their language ability like Mexicans are valued by Americans for the fact they work damn hard for half the wages. Breaking out of that social-niche is very hard and the social stigma never completely goes away. Anyone going to Japan for work purposes needs to understand that, and those here at FG try to let them know it.

[amdg]

Ugly Canadians, uneducated Aussies, and ill-mannered yanks...

So you're a handsome, erudite and courtly British gentleman?

[Skankster]

-
-

Its a troll pure and simple. ^_^

Yeah. He is starting to look more and more like a troll...???

GMFB - Newcomers can be nice people too. dang this place is cliquish.


Skillz:

- skillz to get a job and live in J-land
- skillz to get a girl even as a FOB Gaijin (no need for J-speak)


----------------------------------------------- Your friendly troll defender: Skankster

[GargoyleTS]

-
-

Its a troll pure and simple. ^_^

Yeah. He is starting to look more and more like a troll...???

Actually, I don't mind being proven wrong. My original points in calling him a troll were valid. Intelligent people looking for rational debate do not usually start with insults. I would not mind this becoming a debate about how FG's regulars are percieved by those who are new to us, but it would help if he (or the Great Defender ) would post some links to corroborating material to support his arguements. He had to have seen something to give him the opinion we don't like new people or Japan or whatever, and that pesky search function I mentioned earlier should help find that material. I would, but I don't believe he is correct and that would color how I saw things as I read them since most of what they say here to newbs can be found on dozens of other Japan-fan sites.

[Taro Toporific]

-GMFB - Newcomers can be nice people too. dang this place is cliquish.

"Cliquish"? Yeap Skankster 'friad so.... which is why I had to post the 'In Defense of "Freeters."'

A restructured salaryman talks with a
job counselor. "Tell me about your skills," the counselor says.
"I'm really good at being kacho," the salaryman replies. ....

In Defense of "Freeters"

[djgizmoe]

Actually, I don't mind being proven wrong. My original points in calling him a troll were valid. Intelligent people looking for rational debate do not usually start with insults. I would not mind this becoming a debate about how FG's regulars are percieved by those who are new to us, but it would help if he (or the Great Defender ]

You are 100% right. Don't back down, Gargoyle. Troll is as troll does.

There are countless examples of people who write this site with "what are my chances if...." To which the in-crowd of FG typically reply with "if you don't have skillz everything will suck and so on..." So no I don't think you are as helpful as you could be and seem to be preoccupied with impressing upon eachother how japanese you have become and how well you have intergrated into this society. Ideas which I find laughable. A white guy can talk ebonics, live in the hood, rock phat gear, but that don't make him down.

1. Show me any post where someone brags about how f*cking Japanese they're becoming.
2. Show me any thread where members don't seriously try to address ANYBODY'S serious concern about Japan...including your steam-venting rant.

Seriously, what the hell are you on about? "Yes, Japan is a wonderous candyland, where exotic AIDS-free vaginas wait around every corner and even high-school dropouts with small dicks and prison records can drive Ferraris to work and drink Dom and smoke weed in the staff room while Malaysian eunechs give you prostate massages and sing sweet melodies while strumming golden lyres, and ambrosia drips like mugwump jizm from the aboveground wiring over every house..."

Wait a minute, this is Bobby Fischer we're talking to isn't it? Ah, now it all starts to make sense...

[Socratesabroad]

Oro? (yes, I am an ass-clown anime freak, bite me!) Taro, are you "Japanified" yet? GG, GC, BB, CS, Andocrates, Socrates Abroad, Rob, Sparkle, Caustic, and many other regulars, I ask you the same?

The entire point of FG is that none of them ARE truly integrated! There is plenty of talk about how to "get along" in Japan, but they are just telling it like it is.

Yep, you're right Gargoyle. I'm so Japanified I'm not even in Japan .

And one of the reasons I'm elsewhere is because I didn't like being pigeonholed by a Japanese manufacturer as a foreign employee rather than just an employee. So much for exploiting my foreignness...

While you, Skankster, may consider the board a bit cliquish, I think it's a welcome breath of fresh air. Like me, most of the posters are or were long-term residents of Japan or they have really strong ties to Japan. So their advice comes more from experience than conjecture or guessing.

Plus this experience means that the board also has the added benefit of calling into question trolls and other foamers at the mouth like brianh in the early stages....

[Skankster]

-
-
Done deal.

-- So when's this board meeting???

[Mulboyne]

I don't see brianhh as a troll.

If someone asks me whether they should go to Japan, I always say yes but then follow up with a bunch of qualifications. It all depends on your expectations and, often, expectations are pitched too high.

brianhh and skanster are right. Anyone posting a unspecific query here about where to find the girls and how to get some quick money fresh off the boat doesn't get a welcoming reception because although you can do it, it isn't as easy as it was and we've probably all seen our fair share of people crash and burn. I think the guys sending "negative messages" are simply trying to get those expectations down to a realistic level. Or, more likely, can't be arsed to give out some generic advice. Ask a better question and you get better answers. There's a lot of good information on this site about visas, jobs, cheap accomodation, living on a budget and it isn't difficult to find. If someone is too lazy to find it before posting then they aren't going to get as much out of the guys here as someone who wants specific help.

Lucie Blackman came over to Tokyo and became a hostess because she heard it was easy money. She's dead. A lot of girls are still alive and doing the job but it is a damn sight harder and more dangerous that it was 15-20 years ago.

English teaching has become more competitive and less well-rewarded. It used to be an easy step to move from teaching to a job in industry, finance or media but that happens less and less. More foreigners speak Japanese than before so, if you don't, you are further behind in the job pecking order than before.

Visa controls are stricter and offenders are being punished more severely. Sure, opportunities open up. No-one was making money selling football shirts and scarves on the street a few years back but there are plenty of foreign guys doing that now. But the risks are higher than they were and not many of them would claim to be making a living. All parts of the black economy got a lot harder so it's reckless to say "sure, come on over" without flagging that.

[Skankster]

-
-

I don't see brianhh as a troll.

Anyone posting a unspecific query here about where to find the girls and how to get some quick money fresh off the boat doesn't get a welcoming reception .

Amen