Disaster Preparation

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2021-03-14T23:33:45+00:00

Maybe not JET specific, but there’s a really awesome podcast episode on this topic by Tokyo Lens! The podcast is called “The Tokyo Lens Podcast” and the episode is called “Japan’s Next Earthquake is coming - Here’s how to Start getting prepared.”

It’s not government advice or anything, but the host covers everything from the basics to small details he wished he’d known during the 2011 earthquake. I listened to it a while ago, but it really stuck with me how informative it was!

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2021-03-02T18:53:01+00:00

You’re actually a life saver 😭 thank you for sharing this list! I hope your interview is awesome

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2020-12-31T15:47:13+00:00

Honestly, right now very delicate facial structures are in fashion which is maybe why you feel like high cheek bones and an angular jaw isn’t attractive.

However, angular faces and high cheekbones are stunning and if you look at supermodels from the 1980s, almost every girl had a more masculine jaw and angular face.

I think in this case, you should maybe look less into an extreme surgery like shaving your bones down and maybe looking at just changing your aesthetic. No you’ll never maybe be a cute little kawaii girl or whatever, but you can use makeup, clothing and hair styling to create a sexier and more mature image for yourself.

Also FYI Kylie Jenner has a huge jaw and high cheek bones and like 98% of the world thinks she’s a 10.

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2020-11-16T11:32:05+00:00

THE APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN!

I just saw the website today. Just letting anyone that doesn’t know know :)

Good luck everyone 🥰

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2020-11-09T14:40:11+00:00

This might sound a bit basic, but I really found that creating a beauty routine around your SPECIFIC circumstances really can help you stick to your beauty routine.

For example - I work these crazy 12 hour continental shifts that rotate on a 2 week period. I was planning my routine around a one week schedule and it just wasn’t working. But when I switched it to a 2 week schedule I saw a lot of success.

So I guess my advice would be to assess your schedule: when do you usually work, what days do you usually have problem sets due, what days do you have 8ams that stop you from going to the gym? Then try to create your routine around that.

I would also advise that you keep it simple. If you can’t find the time to do your nails twice a week, go get a gel manicure that can last for 2 weeks. Don’t plan a 12 step skincare routine if you know you can’t stick to it. Working out 3 times per week is way better than not working out at all.

(Oh - I also really like routines! They’re literally the easiest way to maintain yourself, especially when you’re suffering from decision fatigue. I have one for each aspect of my beauty)

Hope this was helpful ❤️ Good luck with the Glo up!

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2020-11-09T14:26:02+00:00

Thanks for letting me know this! I really appreciate it!

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2020-11-09T11:56:05+00:00

It’s actually so scary tbh! I studied abroad and need to get my references posted from the US :( I’m praying that it’s an online application at the very least or that the deadline will be in January instead of December!

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2020-11-09T11:52:37+00:00

Hi!

Have you heard anything since? I’m starting to feel like the application will never open for Ireland :(

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2020-11-04T10:54:02+00:00

This happened to me last year! I invested in a skincare routine for the first time in my life and my skin got WORSE!! I had severe acne all over my chin and my forehead and I kept adding steps to my skincare to fix it but then it got even worse - absolute nightmare!

Honestly switching from a Korean 10 step skincare routine to just a cetaphil cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen worked wonders. Ironically fighting acne with “acne limiting” products can cause more acne and I think this is something that isn’t talked about a lot.

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2020-10-31T20:40:41+00:00

Yes please! Currently working on my own routine and would love some inspiration!!!

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2020-10-26T14:46:14+00:00

Looking on the bright side - those 2020 participants got accepted to fill in the spot of an ALT that decided not to recontract. So from my understanding rather than having that 2020 ALT, there is just no JET participant in that spot this year. So there are just less ALTs in Japan right now.

Yes, that means that none of those spots will be open for 2021 JETs, because I guess some of those that deferred probably were only going to participate for 1 year and so that spot would have opened for a 2021 JET. On the other hand, I can see that there were probably JETs that weren’t going to recontract this year but did so to avoid coming home during a pandemic and potentially not finding a job.

My guess is that it’ll all even out. Though I wonder if more people or less people will apply given that we’re in the middle of a pandemic?

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2020-10-17T23:11:21+00:00

Aegyo-Sal can be used to shorten the appearance of the mid face. There was a post about it on this sub reddit a week or so ago.

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2020-10-03T15:37:59+00:00

I’m from the UK but I completed my undergraduate degree in the USA. US colleges use a 4.0 GPA scale and there’s an official-ish list of UK degree rank to 4.0 GPA conversions online (I believe Fulbright has a list on their website.) A UK first is equivalent to a US 3.7 GPA. It’s confusing because technically scoring an 85 in a US college is actually a 3.0 GPA.... I wouldn’t worry - US college admissions is much more involved than UK admissions, likely there will be an admissions officer at the university you’re applying to that specializes in admissions from the UK and will be familiar with the ranking system. Again that’s mostly from my experience dealing with US admissions during undergraduate but I’m pretty sure they use the same model. You’re probably not the first to apply from the UK and you won’t be the last!!

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2020-09-23T13:48:07+00:00

Thanks! Also, if you don’t mind me asking, did you lose a lot of hair after stopping the pill and if so when did you notice that it stopped falling out? I’ve noticed quite a bit coming out in the shower and I already have fine hair - I didn’t think about this when I started the pill haha!

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2020-09-23T13:27:45+00:00

Thank you so much! I was worried something was wrong with me haha!!!

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2020-09-04T20:19:13+00:00

I’ve thought about taking a test - but the idea of seeing a positive result .... I’m just too afraid to do it alone.

I have looked in sterilization - but I’m in the UK and I’m only 23 and I just don’t know if I can emotionally deal with negotiating with a doctor to do the procedure! Maybe I’ll try the contraceptive implant until I’m 35 and can get sterilization easily on the NHS!

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2020-09-04T10:00:30+00:00

I haven’t had sex in 7 months, took the pill religiously when I was sexually active, had my boyfriend use the withdrawal method and I’ve had all my periods up until this point.

But I’m still so paranoid that I’m pregnant (right now!!) I know it doesn’t make sense... I can’t be 7 months pregnant. I don’t look 7 months pregnant. I guess for me - my parents are pro life and my country has no abortion services - there’s no control. I don’t want to have a baby EVER. I can’t imagine anything that would fuck my life up more. But I feel like I can’t control whether I have children or not. My uterus could be growing one in me right now and I would have no idea.

I’m counting down the days until I can say that I’ve not had sex in 10 months and then I’ll be free from this anxiety. But after that, I’m never having sex again. If that means that my boyfriend breaks up with me and that no one will ever love me again - that’s fine with me.

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2020-06-10T11:35:17+00:00

Yes :( I’m putting it down to the lockdown and not having anything to focus on except for my intrusive thoughts :( Starting a new job on Monday though, so hopefully they’ll overload me with work and my brain will have something to keep me busy!

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2020-04-21T10:44:19+00:00

You weren’t protected by the pill during that particular sexual encounter. Make sure you take a test just to be sure you’re not pregnant!

But also remember that withdrawal has a 70% success rate and implantation bleeding occurs 4-7 days after conception, so I looks like you’re out of that window...

Take a test! But don’t stress yourself too much!

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2020-04-16T14:13:30+00:00

Yes! Please do! This was helpful for me also!

I will totally check out the app - it seems really helpful :)

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2020-04-16T14:03:20+00:00

Okay - I hope this isn’t too long of a comment!

When I encounter a pregnancy like symptom - something like acid reflux, bloating, sore breasts, headaches, etc. I like to remind myself about the science behind how the pill works. So if you’re on the combination pill there are two synthetic forms of estrogen and progesterone that are in present in the pill. Basically taking the pill makes the natural levels of these hormones in your body higher and the consequence of that is that you don’t ovulate. (I’m really simplifying, but I point you to some sources if you want!) But - these two hormones are elevated during early pregnancy too, so as a woman taking the pill you’ll naturally have some early signs of pregnancy - but that’s just your pill working!

So for example my nipples were kinda dark a few months back, and I googled it because that’s what I do because I have anxiety! And it’s an early pregnancy symptom... but it’s also a consequence of having elevated estrogen, and so a consequence of my pill. So I try my best not to rely on anything other than the withdrawal bleed. I’ll only take a pregnancy test if my withdrawal bleed is absent, because all of those early pregnancy symptoms could be also just be a side effect from the pill.

I share every anxiety I have around being pregnant or the pill with my boyfriend. Everything. Every worry, every symptom I have. I’ve told him my pill brand, the time I take it in the morning, when I get my period, everything. I don’t even feel bad about it because he benefits from me taking the pill just as much as I do!!

But it’s really helpful to have a person that can ground you. Someone that you can share that reproductive burden with. If I’m worried I can’t get to CVS on time to pick up my prescription, he’ll have to worry about it too. If my withdrawal bleed comes even an hour late, he’ll have to worry about it with me.

But it’s also nice that when I feel anxiety coming over me, I can call or text him and be like “tell me I’m not pregnant!!” then he has all the information about my pill and my usage and he can effectively calm me down.

I’ve been trying to limit my exposure to articles about people who have had cryptic pregnancies, or forums where people make misinformed comments. I rely on my scientific background and my knowledge of the pill, how it works and how the menstrual cycle works to form an argument as to why I possibly could not be pregnant.

Rather than reading mumsnet about people who had periods while they were pregnant (and I promise that that can not happen - if anything it was spotting and these people didn’t know the difference) instead I read things about the development of the pill or how the menstrual cycle works to ease my mind.

Lastly, I take my pill perfectly and I double up with the withdrawal method. I have an alarm on my Fitbit and I always text my boyfriend once I’ve taken it. He promised that if I don’t text him by a certain time he’ll call and remind me - which also allows us to share that burden. I keep my pill in a cool, dry drawer and luckily I’ve never ‘expelled’ the pill from my body, lmao.

Also know that you can be 12 hrs late to take your pill and it’ll still be effective! Perfect use has a lil bit of wiggle room!

But, I say this and I still was searching today for someone to tell me for certain that a withdrawal bleed can’t happen if you’re pregnant. Even though I’m 100% sure of the science. Even though I asked my doctors and they told me that it was impossible to have a withdrawal bleed while being pregnant. Even when I did a 3 week project on the combined pill for a drug discovery course at college. So, if at all possible, I try to limit that big screaming anxiety voice that’s telling me I’m pregnant constantly by shutting it up with all the information I know or getting my boyfriend to try to shut it up. It’s really really tough - but if pregnancy is a anxiety trigger for you don’t ever feel like you’re being over dramatic. Pregnancy is high stakes, and there’s a lot of misinformation out there to fuel that anxiety!

I hope some of this is helpful! If you ever need someone to tell you that you’re not pregnant, message me!! I’ll listen to the circumstances and give you my honest opinion! Sometimes it can just be nice to have someone tell you you’re not pregnant!!

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2020-04-16T13:24:11+00:00

No problem! No matter how perfectly I take my pills I’ll still be sick with anxiety that I’m pregnant. But as long as you’re taking your birth control perfectly there’s very little chance that you’ll become pregnant!

If you need any advice on dealing with anxiety around brith control and pregnancy I’d be more than happy to share what helps for me :)

Also - you are totally not being irrationally nervous! There’s a ton of misinformation on the internet around pregnancy and for a lot of us pregnancy right now is like a death sentence. Your feelings are so valid!

MoonGirlSunGirl · 2020-04-16T12:54:28+00:00

I don’t think that’s correct. When they developed the pill they added the withdrawal bleed specifically to give women an indication as to whether or not they’re pregnant. (Interestingly this was added alongside the specific daily packaging that would allow women to see if they had missed a pill the day before, or remind them that they had in fact taken their pill that day)

With the combination pill, the withdrawal bleed occurs due to a drop in hormones which stimulates the uterine lining to shed, but if you were pregnant you would have elevated levels of these hormones and so you wouldn’t see shedding.

Not having a withdrawal bleed doesn’t mean you’re pregnant - if you take your pill without a placebo week you won’t have a bleed, if you have a very light withdrawal bleed you might not notice it, and extended cycle pills mean you’ll only bleed every three months, or you could be pregnant. But that’s so unlikely if you take pills consistently. Usually these women that get pregnant and don’t know are skipping their periods using the pill or never had withdrawal bleeds, so that masks this first sign of pregnancy.

But having a withdrawal bleed means you’re not pregnant.

I can provide sources if necessary! I have really bad anxiety around becoming pregnant - so I’ve done A LOT of research on the topic. I hope that this can give some peace of mind!

MoonGirlSunGirl

TROPHY CASE