Basic Questions

Ok, so let me clue you in to the situation. Let's start by answering some of questions you're bound to have.

"Why the June 2011 embarkment?"

This is simple. You see, Stephen R. is finishing up his Collegiate career, and he still has one more year to go. Thus, we have marked June 2011 as the prime time.

"Where will you live?"

I suppose this question is two-fold. If you're asking in what part of Japan will we live, the answer is "we don't know yet", but would love to be in Fukuoka, as Stephen R. spent his last Semester teaching English there, and has made some good connections which would be beneficial. Yet, as I said, the exact city is still TBD, for the reason being, see the second half of this answer.

Here's the second half of the answer (thanks for making the trip). As I said before, Stephen R. will be graduating next year. He will be receiving a Bachelor's degree, thus making him eligible for the JET program. If you don't know about the JET program, let me give you the shorthand version (the longhand version is here). JET is essentially a program instituted by the Japanese Government to take foreigners, like our very own Stephen R., and hire them to teach English to the citizens of Japan. While enrolled in the JET program, housing is provided, and it is a paid position. However, whether or not I would be allowed to stay with Stephen R. in his JET sponsored living arrangement is still unconfirmed, but if all goes accordingly, I will be able to stay with him, thus providing the second half of the answer: We will be staying in an apartment the size of a broom closet.

"Yes, but how will you make them dolla, dolla bills?"

Well, that's a good question. Stephen R., obviously, will be able to subsist quite nicely on his JET salary (providing he's accepted). I, on the other hand, will have to be a bit more creative.

I'm planning on teaching English as well, though it will be freelance (think: flyers stapled to a telephone pole). Surprisingly enough, and fortunately, native English speakers who choose to go this route do pretty well for themselves, providing they can find enough students to cover their expenses.

Additionally, I'll be engaging in the world's oldest profession... no, not that one, I talking about the world of professional blogging! (though that profession and this one have a few things in common). Yes, that's right, I'm hoping that with careful maintenance and an abundance insightful, informative, and intelligent posts, this blog will cultivate enough of an audience to justify the monetization of this blog, thus paying me money for the words I write. Oh, first, you do it for love, then, for a few friends, then --

What? Too honest?

Well, that's just the truth.

And that brings us to the end of this QA session (which was conducted entirely between myself and... myself). Hope it helped give you a more detailed picture of the journey.

Tune in next time for more answers to more questions, including: "How will you pack?", "The Fundraising", and "How can I get Stephen Pell's phone number?"

Patience. Patience.


Stephen Pell also manages another blog... Check it out! http://pellmellblog.blogspot.com/


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