Side projects... side projects everywhere...

Somehow, despite being unemployed I still feel like I have no time to do anything.
Heres some life updates:

Job Hunting: Going meh, sent out a fair few job applications and CV's but haven't received anything solid yet.

Job application log. Yes my handwriting is horrific.

Piano: I feel like im getting better, im starting to get more used to the black notes and stuff now. I still need to find some time to try and learn how to read proper sheet music though.

JET Programme: Finally got the health certificate sorted out (£180 and 5 trips to the GP later mind you.) , in addition my police subject access request form arrived today and says they have no records of me in the police database - so that's always good.
Im going to submit the police form today and then its just the waiting game of seeing if they decide to upgrade me from reserve to shortlist - they say its highly unlikely to be upgraded after end of June, and deadlines for forms are on the 16th May and 17th June, so i'd imagine if I was to get upgraded it would be shortly after one of these dates due to candidates not being able to get their forms in on time.

Japanese Language: Up to 270 Kanji now, have started working through 'basic kanji book vol2'. The way they have done it kind of annoys me, as they are teaching Kanji in order or relevance - good for practical aspects I suppose, but annoying if I intend to try and learn each tier and take the japanese proficiency tests. Also, every character after the 150th is starting to look the same, and its bullshit.

Javascript: Coming along okay I guess, I spent a few hours the other day summarizing everything i've learnt onto paper, because apparently that helps me learn (or at the very least its nice to have something to fall back on)

VG Project: Some friends and I have decided we are going to attempt to make a video game, in hopes of learning lots of stuff. Im actually pretty excited at the prospect of being able to learn so many new things, from what I hear we'll be using Unity 4 and some 3d art tools and stuff (maya or blender apparently). I am for now essentially creative lead on the project, and my vision is perhaps overly optimistic of what the finished product will be - that said, if we can make the game that is floating in my head right now, we'd actually be able to sell it for £20 or so (we wont, because its going to end up being a bunch of stick figures on an MS paint background with characters that clip through everything).
I dont want to give away much yet, but im thinking it'll be like Contra + Gundemonium + Ikaruga + MVC3.... Yeah I know.

VG Journalism: Something i'd quite like to try getting into, but the current drought of games kind of isn't helping, and I have no intention of reviewing Slender the Arrival soooo...
Have submitted a few applications though just to see if anything happens.

Video Games: Black ops 2 free weekend was a lot of fun, its a shame the game is so expensive (even when its on sale), if it was in the £20 range i'd probably buy a copy for the multiplayer.
Aside from this, i've been playing 'You have to win the game' which may get a short review.
My latest minecraft town is on old for now due to creative block and time constraints.

Other stuff:
- Stateside skates/Anarchy skates were kind enough to send me some extra skateparts even though I bought my skates about 10 years ago. Shoutouts to their customer service team.
- Did I mention Im going to see Perfume Live in July? I cant wait!
- I'll likely be going to MCM expo (weekend of the 25th), if anyone else is going, let me know! I probably won't be dressing up, but who knows?

JET Programme Application Result Confirmation

AKA. The stuff the JET Programme doesn't mention when you sign up.

So one of the things they neglected to mention on the previous letter where they said you need a certificate of health and a police check, is the cost of these things.

The police check to remain on the reserve list is £10, however if you are a shortlist candidate it is £50 - should you be on reserve and then get promoted? Yep. £60.

And then the certificate of health? oh boy.

This is the letter I sent to my GP, and the reply that they gave back

The short version? The Certificate of Health is going to cost me £180 - and after submitting all these things, I may still not even end up going.

Just to sum this all up, the JET programme so far... (and still not even a confirmed shortlist candidate)

- 1000 word personal statement
- Longass application form
- Statement of Physician
- Copy of transcript (which I think cost me £20 for 5 as well)
- 2 Sealed references

- 20 Minute interview
- English Test

- £180 certificate of health
- £10-£60 Police form

JET Programme 2013 Application Result

Le Sigh.

Rather annoyingly, this is pretty much the worst scenario for me.
Obviously I would have preferred to be on the shortlist and so not have to worry about this sort of  thing, but I might have been happier just seeing 'Declined' instead of 'Maybe, Maybe Not'.

I now have to fill in a ton of forms, get health checks, police checks (which apparently might cost me up to £100) and send them all off (they want them by recorded post as well for some reason) and then they'll let me know if im going anytime between now and supposedly December (though another website says promotion past End of June is very unlikely).

With a confirmed I could have gotten a part time job and worked on my Japanese or something to prepare, but now I guess I pretty much have to assume its a fail and look for a full time job - and nothing is going to piss me off more than if I get a full time job with a contract and then they offer me a position...


Looking for Interview preparation and procedures? - http://mengplex.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/jet-programme-interview-preparation-and.html

JET Programme : Interview preparation and my experience

So I had my JET interview this morning, thought I'd write this up and kind of give back to the internet since it helped me when I was preparing. Hopefully this blog post will ping up on google for a few of you who are looking for more information about the JET interview or tips / people with past experience.

The interview was at the Japan embassy in London, pretty fancy building inside, a cute girl welcomed me in and we were told to do a Grammar test - I hear this is specific mainly to the UK application process, and that Americans aren't required to do this, which is kind of unfair because this test was seriously hard.
Questions were a mix of...
'Which of these words does not share a similar meaning' - followed by 4 words you might have heard on the politics channel or something (enervate? wat?) If anything makes me fail, its going to be this grammar test most likely, which is kind of BS because I've lived in this country all my life and have never heard the word enervate used in a sentence.
'What is the difference between 'should' and 'must' '
'fix this paragraph (followed by a paragraph containing typos, missing grammar and wrong words) '

We then sat down in front of a JET video, which just kind of ran in the background, I didnt actually get a chance to pay much attention to it as we were talking to the former JET applicants who were sitting with us - I hear this is sometimes a bit of an informal interview bit, but who knows - better to be safe than sorry and just talk to them.

And then finally the interview... There were 2 of them, a former JET and a Japanese representative, they asked questions and thankfully the experience wasn't too painful - stuff I had read online have said they try to trip you up, trick you, or grill you almost like a war crimes trial - mine was pretty much the polar opposite of this.

The questions I was asked (that i can remember)...
- Why do you want to be on the JET Programme
- What can you bring to the JET programme
- How would you feel if you were placed in a rural area as opposed to the urban area you applied for
- Introduce yourself in Japanese
- Was there any experience in Japan which really stood out
- Where did you go
- What island/region are Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka in
- What are the other 3 regions
- Tell us about your Japanese language education
- If the teacher you are working with makes an English mistake, what would you do
- 3 British people or characters that you would teach to your students
- What is your teaching style / what is important about teaching
- Do you consider this as a career change? It says you are currently working in Accountancy

Looking back now, they asked a lot of questions, goddamn. But the time spent in the room flew by, 20 minutes gone in an instant, I actually said "oh, thats it? that was 20 minutes?" to which she replied "yes, more than 20 minutes in fact" - I had been talking for 25.

And that was that. Hopefully, come April I'll get a lovely letter saying I've been accepted, but who knows what the future holds. After all, I really did cock up that grammar test.

Websites which helped me to prepare for this interview...
Constantine in Tokyo (google cache)
Koneko Darling's 10 ways to prepare for your JET
Farstrider's To be a JET
Messages from Earth (youtube)
Myargonauts (youtube)
Some girl who is way too happy (youtube)

To those who are applying in the future, がんばって！
If this blog post helped you, link it somewhere to get it higher rated on the search engines.


edit: Got a letter 3 months later... - http://www.mengsbizarreadventure.com/2013/jet-programme-2013-application-result/