Coming to Japan soon!

[OLLITROP]

Hi folks,

I am in the US Navy and it looks like I'm going to get my life long dream of not only being able to visit but live in Japan. Since high school I have had an infatuation for EVERYTHING Japanese (especially the women) .

I plan on going to College as soon is I get there to learn Japanese. Can anyone tell me more about the people and how Gaijin's are treated there?

What about the women, I heard they are REALLY easy; true or false?

I'll be stationed down in Yokosuka, is it fairly easy to get to Tokyo lets say... once a week from there?

Any advise you have will be greatly appreciated. By the way Rob Pongi I came across your website and I have to say, YOU ROCK!!

Thanks,

[ChrisRT]

[OLLITROP]

Thanks for the info Ultra. By the way there is a great Japanese Grocery Store in the "International District" called Uwajimaya, they have "EVERYTHING" there. Plus an extensive bookstore upstairs.

RT: In my particular job rating there are about 70 open spots that need to be filled in Yokosuka and no one to fill them, so thats how I got orders to Japan. If yo are a civilian and are thinking of joining up just to get to Japan, FORGET it you will never get orders there that way. On the other hand you can join and spend 4-7 years in Everett or San Diego and THEN hope to go to Japan. Sorry to burst your bubble.

[Crispy]

Hm, another emissary of western Washington to Japan. They'll be swamped with us. I need to get my host family some kind of present, I'm thinking something Mariners (baseball) related...

Oh, and I just found out who my host family is, and I am slightly peeved to learn that the parents know quite a bit of English. So much for being in a 100% immersion environment...

[ChrisRT]

looks like ill just have to join the Airforce then move to JP myself who needs the stupid navy anyways...j/k hey im planning on taking 2 years ov Japanese in collage so ill be good ta go have to learn a lang anyway so why not the language of hte country i like ayeya Crispy what is a host family? what do you mean by this Rob pongi? and are you the one guy that is in the happy hour show?

We'll hook up in six trees and I'll teach you how to play beginners level 'Grab and Dance' with the GYALS! The beginners level is not that hard, but there are many subtle and effective techniques involved so it does take practice, practice, practice.......

[cstaylor]

Oh, and I just found out who my host family is, and I am slightly peeved to learn that the parents know quite a bit of English. So much for being in a 100% immersion environment...

Did you actually talk to them in English, or were you told that they speak good English? AFAIK, the Japanese definition of "speaks excellent English" is single phrase sentence constructions... use anything out of the ordinary (passive voice for example) and they'll be completely lost.

If you're an exchange student, there's a reason they want you to stay with them: free English lessons. You might want to suggest certain days be Japanese only and certain days be English only... make sure to enforce it ("gomen nasai, eigo wakarimasen")

[Crispy]

It just says that on the little info thing that they filled out, and the letter they wrote me is in Japanese so maybe you're right. This is a veteran homestay family, just like I suspected, and they have a son who is about my age and studying in America right now.

[ChrisRT]

[Crispy]

I'm leaving on a college exchange program in a month, until then, I am on summer vacation in Seattle.