JET Program Vlog supplement - semi FAQ - start here

[42317]

Did you do this video spontaneously?

Pretty brave for an FAQ... and in that environment. :-)

It's interesting to hear that people seem to ask you so many personal questions that are actually unrelated to your JET status - I mean it's nice to know your age for comparative reasons (I'm 31 by now), but is it important? If I wanted to know I could just peek into your profile, couldn't I?

Really strange...

[djm19]

interesting that the tickets are so expensive (even more than most theaters in los angeles!) yet they don't charge an arm and a leg for snacks. All and all a less expensive experience if snacks are your thing.

[DopeSpace9]

the tickets are more expensive at your theater but the snacks are way cheaper than at mine !

[jeffkantoku]

interesting looking place. what's the name of the eigakan? do they have a webpage that has the movie showings? so I can see what sort of stuff they are shwoing over there. i can read a little japanese.

[myargonauts]

they do have a webpage - I'll add the link to the description box

[JamieDanger]

All my other exchange student friends and I got a "foreigner discount," so it was only 1000 yen at the theater in Kumamoto! It was nice.

[WhiteMatrix2006]

Good video. Of course I already knew all the facts since I've seen all your other videos. It's only $8 dollars here in Florida. $15 is just CRAZY! I can't believe movie tickets are that much. Anyways, how was Narnia?

-Billy-

[myargonauts]

Narnia was OK - not great, but worth seeing on a big screen. Can't wait for Dark Knight and Iron Man to come out over here.

[pedoro4477]

i live in florida 2 i live in west palm beach and also in sebastion florida ^_^ what about you/??

[Smurfed]

Happy early Birthday man.

[JapanIsDoomed]

I think this video is quite a good idea - once I've done a few vids I may do a similar thing :)

[Graehaus]

It does look dead, but again maybe late night movies are not big. Oh well, in Halifax Here we have a 12,8,7,1 screen movie houses, all by the same company. for a population of 500 k? But each appeal to a different crowd. (downtown crowd, arthouse, etc.)

I love the refillable Idea, here it is one cup one drink unless you double the price, ugh. Hence my dvd collection.lol

Again thanks for the great vlogs and sharing your experiences there, Jason.

[justawolfbite]

Totally deserted lol

[myriah96]

Wow, I thought it was expensive to see a movie here in south cali, but that is like twice as much for a ticket. The snacks look to be about the same price but smaller. Repeat of Eselous' question; Are the films dubbed, or do they have Japanese subtitles?

[myargonauts]

like most entertainment here (CDs, DVDs, video games, etc.) - going to the movies is expensive. But you just get used to the cost - you really have to start thinking in terms of yen and compare the costs against other things in Japan, and not always compare to what you used to spend back home.

[vagabond142]

well, the prices aren't that far off from what it's like in Calgary... in CDN $, it's 12.50 for a ticket and about $11 for a hugenormous popcorn and large drink, so $23.50 all said and done, usually. So, Y1800 + Y500 = Y2300, which with conversion is about $22 CDN... so it's almost on the dot equivalent anyways :)

[vagabond142]

Where in Shimane is that theater? I thought the nearest major movie'd area would be Hiroshima... o_O

I'm actually hoping for Shimane prefecture if/when I get accepted, or Chubu... two of the more rural areas, as I want rural for the whole cultural exchange part of the program XD

Thanks for making these videos. Ask I keep saying, they make learning about the JET program inner workings a little easier :)

[myargonauts]

Well, there is a theater in Matsue, the capital of Shimane, but it's not that good.

This theater is in nearby Izumo, which is the 2nd biggest city in Shimane.

[eselous]

Are the films dubbed, or do they have Japanese subtitles?

[myargonauts]

for most big Hollywood releases, you have a choice - one screen will show the dubbed version, which is usually more popular, and one screen will show the movie in English with Japanese subtitles. Only animated films usually offer only a dubbed version.

The old theater in Izumo ( a tiny, terrible, two-screen cinema) only showed dubbed versions, which is why I had to travel far away to watch movies before.

[jessman1999]

I was under the impression that in order to stay the 5 years you had to pass the level 4 JLPT. Did they change that?

[myargonauts]

hmmm... I've never heard that. The level 4 test is really, really easy after you've been studying a while, so most third year JETs wouldn't have a hard time passing it.

Under the old rule, you had to become a elementary-only ALT if you wanted to stay a 4th/5th year, and you had to take a test/have an interview to get this status, which is why most JETs left after 3 years.

[nyannyan123456]

he is really good in front of camera i feel strange talking to myself into the camera at home not to mention in public

[lleverfreell]

I would feel strange talking to a camera about myself in a public place. ;) But I do appreciate these videos of yours, where I can get a glimpse of the city/town you live in.

[NichiBeiTrader]

Interesting info. If you don't mind me asking, what were you doing prior to becoming a JET? It seems most JETs come right after undergrad school.

[myargonauts]

well I went to college right after high school, quit college, had a lot of fun in my twenties, went back to school in my thirties, and then came on JET after I finished my BA degree at UCSD. I had a ton of jobs from age 20 to 35, and I did some teaching.

[alraune195]

Happy early birthday. Thank you so much for all your videos. They are not only extremely helpful to those currently in the program but also to potential JETs like myself.

[myargonauts]

thanks!  :)