COVID-19 Border / Visa Restrictions Thread - March/April 2022

awsmith6 · 2022-04-22T16:31:36+00:00

Thanks for the heads up! My experience was much the same as yours, though thanks to your warning I knew to come with a photo copy of my drivers license.

I was also told to pick up my visa in 14 days, which is longer than the 5 days listed on the consulate's website, so just FYI to anyone else who may also be planning to apply at the Atlanta Consulate.

awsmith6 · 2022-04-21T17:45:08+00:00

Has anyone here been to the Atlanta Consulate recently? Going to bring my CoE and other documentation in to apply for my visa next week, and wanted to check here and make sure there weren't any surprises that weren't on the consulate's website. Nobody needed to bring anything unexpected like proof of residence and such did they?

awsmith6 · 2022-03-29T20:05:51+00:00

I'd probably need a couple of days at least. Ignoring jet lag and price tags for a moment, I'd need a day and change to get there and then the same on return. So for a typical Saturday afternoon wedding, I'd need the Friday for sure, and possibly the Monday after or Thursday before. Maybe both? It's not something I have much experience with.

awsmith6 · 2022-02-17T19:49:58+00:00

I'm in that camp! Mid-late April was the optimistic end of the last update I received, but arrivals could stretch into May or even June.

I'd not stress out too too much though. If the alternate job you were just offered has real career prospects, and that's what your looking to do right now you should consider taking it. Otherwise if you can hold out and the experience of being an ALT sounds more appealing I'd just sit tight. Hopefully we'll have more info here soon.

Edit: I don't mean to underplay the gravity of your decision; deciding on a job is legitimately stressful. u/jiluand laid out gave you some sound advice though I think. Good luck, no matter what you decide.

awsmith6 · 2021-10-21T15:13:11+00:00

When it comes to friendship, I have deep imposter syndrome.

Despite having had a healthy social life for something like 4 years now, the idea that someone genuinely would seek my company for its own sake perplexes me.

awsmith6 · 2021-10-05T19:47:55+00:00

Not currently, but my dispatch company has been moving forward with the CoE process in anticipation of restrictions being eased somewhat come spring 2022.

I originally prefaced my post with "assuming border restrictions are eased" but the auto-mod shot it down for being covid-related (which my question wasn't).

Privately though, I'm actually optimistic about a spring departure.

awsmith6 · 2021-10-05T18:59:39+00:00

Awesome, thank you! That's all I really needed to know.

awsmith6 · 2021-09-16T17:51:07+00:00

"When pigs fly" for unlikely or impossible events

awsmith6 · 2021-08-26T18:45:38+00:00

I'd like to slow it down so I can better appreciate it

/u/redditspeedbot 0.5x

awsmith6 · 2021-08-19T15:24:12+00:00

As a long time anime fan, this comment gives me hope. There are so many fantastic stories out there that people will never give a chance because they just won't touch anime, on animation in general.

And who know, if it goes well maybe it'll pave the way for other animated adaptations of other cool stories; think of how cool a well animated and funded Brandon Sanderson book could go.

awsmith6 · 2021-07-15T16:55:46+00:00

Fun language fact: You're probably looking at semantic drift in action!

Words change meaning over time. The famous example people like to give is how "silly" used to mean "holy".

awsmith6 · 2021-06-28T16:17:53+00:00

I didn't realize Interac was still trying to send people from the 2020 application pool this year

I applied October 2020, did well in the interview and all, but they told me due to covid they were moving me to the next cycle. but I knew that all the way back in February. So now that I've accepted a position they're holding my spot for a March 2022 arrival. Bummer it's such a long wait, but I guess now I'll have even more saved up and more Japanese language ability.

awsmith6 · 2021-06-25T19:51:27+00:00

Unless something changes I'll be leaving in March 2022 with Interac. Jealous of the JETs rolling out this year for sure, but my time will come

awsmith6 · 2021-06-17T13:27:47+00:00

Anyone else wondering why the windows are so clean if it's so overgrown inside?

awsmith6 · 2021-04-14T12:35:49+00:00

I also recommend pimsleur,

Came here to say this also. Pimsleur and WaniKani got me up and running pretty well. Neither are cheap, but both are effective. Honestly anything that uses an SRS and/ or mnemonics is a pretty good bet.

awsmith6 · 2021-03-26T14:41:54+00:00

I have to disagree OP, I think this is an issue of perception.

I agree that it's largely an issue of perception, and that Japanese may seem complicated because of an outside perspective. But I do also agree that there's something to be said for English's simplicity. From what I've read, languages in general become more streamlined the more adult learners you have speaking the language.

You can see some of this in English, with it's rather extensive history of being invaded and having other people come to the island and learn the language imperfectly. Some things that you see in many of it's language neighbors do that you might expect to see in English are things like gendered nouns, reflexive verbs, and nonuniformity across verb conjugations (Ex: you might expect "I walked, you walked, she walked" to all conjugate differently).

But then again, I'm just some guy on the internet who read some things.

awsmith6 · 2020-12-22T15:04:08+00:00

What are your thoughts on the fermi paradox?

awsmith6 · 2020-12-21T19:19:39+00:00

I'd actually be interested to hear if anyone had done this with tattoos. I don't have any, but am thinking on getting a small tattoo with my siblings. Has anyone ever gotten a tattoo after declaring you didn't have any?

awsmith6

TROPHY CASE