It's been a while

Well it’s been a while since I have written anything in this blog. This has been for a number of reasons, but the main one has been because I haven’t had the time or the motivation.

It’s been a pretty crazy few months back in England, and a hell of a lot has happened which I’d rather not go into. But it’s been pretty hard. It could be a stark warning for all you guys still back in Japan who are contemplating staying or going.

It’s been bloody hard. Certainly harder than I thought.

The first month was pretty great. It was good to be back in England, hanging out with old friends and eating good ole Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.

By September the alarm bells started to ring. I had to find a job and basically I wasn’t particularly qualified to do anything. It seems that two years in Japan is a great experience, but it won’t help you that much in this competitive job market.

So from September onwards I’ve been like laser. I’ve sent off my CV to all sorts of companies and contemplated on some level doing all kinds of different jobs.

My first aim: the civil service fell, unfortunately at the first hurdle. I didn’t pass the exams.

Very quickly I began to realise that I had to have back-up plans. So I applied to a whole load of PR companies. It turns out that you need at least two years experience and no matter how much you try and big up your experience in Japan, it just won’t wash.

However, by a strange turn off events that I managed to get a job in a ‘;ace which I hadn’t even considered - the Western Gazette.

I wandered in one day just to ask some questions and get some advice, more about a job in press relations and within a week found myself sitting behind a desk reporting and writing for the paper. What makes it stranger is that not once did I produce my CV, and I didn’t have an interview.

I’ve now been almost two weeks and the paper is going to print in a couple of hours.

I’ll have at least five articles with my name on. Last week I had five.
But there’s a catch. I’m living down in Somerset, which is countryside through and through. Yeovil is pretty boring. I have found myself pining for an Asahi karaoke bar or a couple of cheeky beers down at 135’s.

Oh, what a strange life this is!

http://www.westgaz.co.uk/