Hindsight

I never took the Japanese Language Proficiency Test when I was in college, nor did I attempt to take it when I was living in Kitakyushu, on the heels of my JET Program experience.

The JLPT is one of those de-facto standards that are considered. Levels run from 4 through 1 (beginner to master). If you can do Level 1, chances are you should be working and living in Japan well.

I would say that with some dedication and motivation, I could probably pass Level 3. At first I thought about taking Level 4. Stress free test-taking and minor kanji brush up. But after consulting with some friends, Level 4 would be a waste of time… similar to taking an elementary school math test perhaps. I think I can do better.

Level 3 is what I’m shooting for. I have about 97 days left until the test date. If I can review my texts for grammar and look at last year’s tests (on sale and already ordered on line), I think I’ll be okay.

Sissie asked me why I was taking it now. “Personal reasons slash closure,” I told her. “I guess I just should have taken it awhile ago, but now I’m actually going to take it.”

90 days isn’t much. I’m not too comfortable. But I’ve started studying this evening and I’ll keep on going until I take the test at the Los Angeles location.

In other news, I’m 15 Lessons through a 16 Lesson Final Cut Pro book. My other goal, since I am still having hard time finding work, is to get Level 1 FCP Certified. It’s rather expensive: it costs $150 to take the test. But at the same time, I’m spending my unemployed time pretty well. Using FCP, reviewing my Japanese, and still searching and creating.

I think the only really unproductive (but therapeutic day) I had was Sunday of last week: I played The Sims 2 literally all day. It was too hot to do anything else. Really.

My latest video is complete and in the hands of a CG artist. There’s a missing element in the video I’d like to have. So until that’s done, the video is on a holding pattern.

I’ve been unemployed for three months now. In May I travelled in order to catch some inspiration and visit old friends. I still have more pictures to post from that time but I wanted to break the silence for now and throw out more recent happenings.

PowerMac G5

Just before I left Japan I decided to take a plunge and purchase a Dual 2.0ghz PowerMac G5 and Final Cut Studio. This was not cheap at all. In fact, it plunked one of my credit cards so hard that its bank actually increased my interest rate, which leads me to the following…

eBay

I’ve sold just about any big item or item of non-value, non-sympathy out there to more appreciative (and paying) bidders. I am actually able to make some extra cash right now as well. Apparently, I’ve been on eBay for seven years - I started window shopping there when I was still in college.

Exercise

A family friend’s son is staying with us and he had the same mindset about jogging. We started about six or seven weeks ago. At first, we ran 4-5 days of the week for about 20 minutes with a five minute break in between. But our bodies weren’t getting enough rest. Now, we run three times a week. In total we’ve definitely run over 50 some odd miles total, and my blood pressure is 103/66. Can’t say that Wal Mart’s machine will be accurate but if my friend had a 145/105 reading and is on medication, I’ll believe my number.

Work Search
It’s starting to take its mental toll on me…being home that is and not having a job. I’ve been searching on craigslist in their LA and Orange County sections… locales to me. Out of the many resumes I’ve sent, I went to one interview. It didn’t seem a fit to me and I was under-qualified. I keep searching for something that I can be happy with.

Projects

My next video is 80 percent complete and holding still. I need to shoot the establishing scenes soon - this has been a problem due to my friend’s scheduling difficulties. I want to get it done soon so that I can continue smoothly on my short reel.. an experiment with Apple’s “Motion” software.

I also just paid for ecto prior to making this post. It’s worth 18 bucks to update multiple blogs under one tool. That and thus far the updates seem constant. This may have well been the first time I’ve paid for a small piece of weblogging software, and so far I’m happy.

I’m here. But I’ve been trying to keep myself busy as well… Learning software (more on that in the future), selling things, keeping mentally busy and physically fit to some degree.

I have no regrets with my path thus far, I am just hoping that there is a happy ending to this chapter in my life.

As I’ve said in posts years ago, I am not [once again] down and out. I’ve just been busy.

In previous trips to Japan, the jet lag didn’t seem as apparent as it does now. It’s getting better, but I still find myself waking up to the time of six or seven in the morning. It let’s me start my day early, so I haven’t fought it by trying to sleep in.

eBay. I’ve been keeping myself occupied by trying to make some side income. Currently I’m out of work (oddly, by choice). Whereas I used to work with Rockstar San Diego, I decided to part from the studio in hopes of finding something a little closer to my current career goals.

Before I returned to Los Angeles County, I made a few decisions and one major purchase while I was in Japan. I’ll start to share with you some of my favorite pictures from the trip as well as an update on the present. Bare with my pace as I try to catch up being here, too….

I’ve had time off work since last Tuesday. Our project has more or less wrapped up and I’ve been granted seven days to not be at work, which is a privilege.

The last few months, as previously mentioned, haven’t amounted to much outside of work. I was working some nights until the following 3am morning. It wasn’t new to get those kinds of hours worked in during crunch time - I think I’ve just gotten tired of it and that’s why things are going to change.

Milestones. My project Statement of Agreement was selected for exhibition at the Jutro Filmu (Future of Film) 2005 festival in Warsaw, Poland. This was an extremely pleasant surprise.

I spent my first day or two of my break redesigning the Hindsight Project. This doesn’t signify any new videos, unfortunately (I just started on my days off). But it was something I’d been meaning to get to for quite some time. Its completion also signalled the need to create once again….

I finished my first solid draft of a videoscript. It’s refreshing to be writing again, and even more so when the right [musical] inspiration comes along to ignite it. Of three videos I’ve mapped out, two will be themed about Japan. Yes, I am going to Japan for the entire month of May. Very, very excited about this. But also very scared about the unknown that awaits when I return.

For no reason, here is a picture of a PlayStation2 labeled George Foreman grill that was at my friend’s house.

On Sunday I met Ayreen at a brunch/bar called “Schooner or Later”, which was quite busy and loaded with already-drunk patrons.

It was nice to be in the sunlight at a decent hour (work has slowed down just enough, allowing me to decompress from the stresses of being a lead at work). After brunch, she kidnapped me to CSU Long Beach to check out a Japanese Garden. Unfortunately, it was closed. We were trying to figure out if the trees outside were cherry blossoms or just imposters.

The next day I found myself to be the first at work. Sunday wasn’t meant to be a workday anyway. Everyone else came in at a casual hour.

March, just like February, became a mere trace: the crunch time and stress of work have fogged the last two months.

I was just driving through Huntington Beach with Linda, on the way to a friend’s. Mid conversation, and at a stoplight, something hit the driver’s side window. Water balloon, thrown from a grey, flatbed truck that was making its left turn.

I thought to myself, “This is how mature people are.”