Job Discussion Forums

Hondo 2.0 · Joined: 05 Aug 2004 Posts: 69 Location: Canada

TokyoLiz, what makes you do it?

1.5 hours there + 2 hours home = 3.5 hours/day
3.5 hours/day X 5 days/week = 17.5 hours/week
17.5 hours/week X 48 work weeks/year = 840 hours/year
840 hours/year divided by 24 hours/day = 35 days

Every year, you are spending more than one month commuting. If you looked at commuting as a job that you worked at eight hours a day, five days a week, it would take six months to log that many hours.

I sincerely hope that a change is coming soon. You deserve better than this.

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

I ride a bike to work in 5 minutes. And I can pop home any time I want and often do.

When I started at this school I decided to move to the neighborhood. Fortunately, very few of my students live nearby, not snazzy enough probably.

TokyoLiz · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1548 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Hondo,

Perhaps you haven't lived in Japan yet?

Like so many people who change jobs for better pay and conditions, I ran up against the biggest hurdle in my Japanese life - key money. My original job, the one that got me to Japan, was within a 2 hour round trip of my cheap apartment. However, in my search for a more challenging better paying job, I ended up with a ridiculously long commute.

The good part is, come the end of this month, I'll be moving to an apartment that is only 2 hours round trip (including the walk to the station), about the same rent and a lot nicer. It took a long time to find the right place at the right price.

These are just some of the hurdles facing gaijin in general.

Hondo 2.0 · Joined: 05 Aug 2004 Posts: 69 Location: Canada

I'm glad you've got the new place lined up. It's going to make a big difference in your quality of life.

I lived in Japan for two years. I'm familiar with the challenges that gaijin face in Japan.

Edited to add: I have friends here in Canada who have long commutes. I've encouraged them to try and decrease the amount of time they spend commuting. It is something of a personal crusade of mine. I was trying to encourage you--nothing more.

The G-stringed Avenger · Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2004 12:25 pm Post subject:

I had a 20-minute commute each way to work on the train and my company paid for my train pass. As for experiences, who can go past the drunk and/or crazy old men who slobber or grope or babble at you (and I'm a guy ferchrisakes!)

Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't. I did.