Metamorphosis

I may have received Epson's offer only two or three months ago, but this week one year ago is when it really all started.

Spring term '04. I was finally enrolled in Japan 101, after countless terms of disappointment at always seeing full enrollment by the time my appointment rolled around. The gears were in motion. On May 10, 2004 my girlfriend of three years and eight months and I broke up for the third and final time. I realized it was time to make some friends. The next day, while strolling through clubs day at the SLC, I did something very unlike me by spotaneously signing up for a few clubs. One of them happened to be Konja. For co-op, I was only ranked by three companies. One in Waterloo, one in Richmond Hill and one in Kitchener. I ranked them all "1".

Fall term '04. I was matched with the Waterloo job, working for Open Text, right next to campus. This allowed me to enroll in Japan 102 and to become an executive member of Konja as co-webmaster of the then-newly designed Konja website. Commencing October 17 and lasting for 10 weeks I entered semi-seclusion to undertake intensive kanji study using Heisig's system. On December 22, utterly exhausted I had completed the course, being able to write (but not read) over 2000 characters. I was offered a second term to work at Open Text, but I declined citing the first thing to come to mind: that "I'd like to find a job in Japan."

Winter term '05. Enrolled in Japan 201. I missed the first posting of co-op jobs because I was searching under the wrong term. I was about to miss the second posting too until a friend pointed out my error. And there it was in the second posting. Position: Software Development Support. Location: Japan. The moment I saw that opening the words I repeatedly said to myself as I wet my pants were, "I'm getting this job."