April 2011's ARCHIVES

Language Exchange

Language Exchange is studying group which you teach Japanese and you
are taught English. A few days ago, I attended that with my friend
inviting me.

Language Exchange
I joined Language Exchange which JCSA, language community, is owner.
People want to learn Japanese or other people want to learn English gather
and the activity is opened on every Saturday at University of Toronto.
The program is only conversation using Japanese or English each an hour
a half. The time of Japanese is spoken by Japanese and English time is
spoken by English. The fee is written below.
It is separated groups of around 4 people, native English speaker is each
group around 1 person. They don't have some topics for conversation,
need to talk like free using Japanese or English.

First time trial fee is $2
U-of-T Student : $7(1 year), $5(6 months)
Non U-of-T Student : $13(1 year), $8(6 months), $5(3 months)

Jean
My group has one English speaker who is a student at University of Waterloo.
His major is like Mechanical Engineering. I talk him easy so my major also
that when I was an university student. His name is Jean. He used Linux OS
for Japanese on his laptop. It is very amazing that he can speak 7 languages.
English, French, Arabic,,,,, I forgot. His parents can also speak multi-language.
I asked him how to learn some languages. The answer is to speak all of
language mixed usually... To study English is for enrolling at postgraduate
course of University of Kyoto in Japan after 2 years. I laughed at speaking
Kansai dialect a little. I became with him so I went to a dinner with him
and his friend after that. He told me to speak Japanese by using Skype,
watch NHK news and read newspaper of Asahi to learn Japanese. I was
surprised at being pointed Kanto dialect which I speak out by him. My
Japanese is not the standard language probably.

I was tired for the conversation so that It was total 3 hours. I got bad
situations if I didn't join a good group. The first period is Japanese. At first
an hour a half, I know about each personality. I felt so tough about
conversation at last period. Fortunately, I had a good time so that I was with
excellent speaker. The activity provide to improve English in addition to
has good opportunity to meet Japanese people. I may want to join regularly
after graduated language school because of not joining Japanese
community particularly.

Talk to you soon!

Watermelon

This is Gum in Canada. Trident. $2.25(around 190 yen)including 14 piece.
A little bit expensive. Canadian gum's smell is so strong in spite of  keeping
the box  in your pocket.

P4232842.JPG

P4232845.JPG

And watermelon and melon is dealt with the same to sell :)
In Japan, although it is same Cucurbitaceae, we understand that it is
difference type of foods. But The package makes watermelon mainly.
The first, I think the flavour is melon to eat, nowadays I feel the taste of
watermelon. It is natural to called "watermelon".

P4232844.JPG

This is difference type. The package is like medicine.
$1.65(around 140 yen)including 12 piece. It's reasonable but not including
paper for moving to trash. So, I don't feel smell.

I often expensive one because of including paper, so comfortable.
This behaviour may be Japanese.

Talk to you soon!

Meetup

Toronto is warm bit by bit. Nowadays, I wear T-shirt and jacket.
What to think spring, you may be able to see cherry blossoms at High Park
which has some cherry blossoms. To be full bloom is from last April to
early May is expected about cherry blossoms. Although the law prohibits
drinking at public place, I am planing to go to see cherry blossoms. But
Toronto's weather is uneasy because it was snowy last week. By the way, 
I joined events on Meetup which I introduced before entry to find out a job.

Meetup???
The aim of site is "Do something, Learn something, Share something,
Change something". Actually, The site has an aim meet each
other to share hobby or aim to do. There arae variety of groups and if you
join them you can attend their events which the group you joined hold.
The group has many types, Hiking, English, Jobseek, Find friends etc.

Meetup

English Group
The first, I attended studying English Group. Some of group to study
English is held and it was the studying class which my group opened.
English level is separated, Beginner/Intermediate/Advance and I chose
Intermediate level. Opened for 1 hour a half, 5:30PM - 7:00PM, and FREE.
At the class, I read English article prepared and discussed about it. Then
I went over vocabulary which was important in the article and answered
the questions which was prepared before that. The attendance was around
20 people. There are almost older guys or people who already graduated
language school. The teacher was 3 people. They are like older yankee
guys, ride on Harley-Davidson :D In the discussion, we were separated
to small groups by each teacher and had a time enough to speak English.
Although it was careless a little so it's free, you are taught by native speaker
and are able to meet new students so I hope to continue to go there in
considering about the classes.

Canadian Friends Group
The next, I attended a native friend group. The group which provide to
make friend each living in Toronto is Simple. The event which I attended
was the party of watching the comedy live at pub with a live stage. There
are around 20 people canadian. Everyone could speak English fluently
in natural and I could spend a nice time for learning English. I thought
that English by native speaker is difference from in the language school.
I was very hard even only to give responses. So the comedy live was that
each comedian talked about short funny story. Probably, that was funny
live :( I was interesting in that the variety of people widely generation,
from 20 age to 50 age, joined that. This event was 4 CAD/each. I would
like to improve English or connect to Canadian people by joining like that
event which native canadian join.

I join like that groups for the aim to study English or find out a job right now.
I would like to join the group to share hobby, camp, sports, If my situation
is easy a little bit more(about living here...). Nowadays I concentrate to
active to find a job mainly because I finished language school until next
week. I apply to part time jobs or contract jobs day and day because of
knowing that to work at native company is very hard. To be updated
IT jobs everyday is helpful a little bit for me. Now is the moment that will
decide our fate. Do the best! Don't stop trying and thinking !!!

Talk to you soon!

The First Interview

I went to an interview in first time. The interview was for the position was
"Software Developer" which I applied on cragslist. It was an interview
directly without a call interview. The company has ten employee and was
established since fifteen years ago. I heard each employee has some
project and they can work at flexible environment, at own home. At the
interview, one guy who is likely project manager position and woman
engineer joined it.

Question time beginning
The first, he said "Could you ask about our company?". I was surprised
at the question because I can,t expect it. And I try to ask so much, What
customer do you have?, What project does it run now? etc. I think it
began likely casual talking. As They gave me the opportunity which I talked
I thought they checked my personal and English skills. I talked so much
time because I wanted avoid to be silent scene. The company try to be
asked by candidates own self because the company's web site don't have
informations about them enough. And They had some questions in the
my speaking; When I asked about Java project, They asked about its
experiences. I aware of speaking about myself with asking something. 
For example, After I ask what the company has own products, I tell about
what I made products. Actually I thought that the mind, which is
independent and self-assertion, is important because It is necessary that
I should make conversation flow.

Technical questions
After I asked almost thing and I introduced myself, I was asked the detail
that is about my detail experiences and technical questions. I think the
results is a little better because I could understand so that I could meet
them directly in difference of past call interviews.

-Question1
What is "WAR"?
It is Web application ARchive. They asked it simply.

-Question2
What difference is "POST" and "GET" ?
It is the basic question on Web. I answered fundamental ways including
form and request parameter.

-Question3
What is "helper" in Ruby on Rails?
I was asked it because company's products is mede of RoR. Although I
wrote the resume about RoR, I used less, I couldn't answer and I told
really experience about RoR. Finally I answered I don't know but I will be
able to understand early.

-Question4
What is "transaction"?
This is a hard question. I couldn't explain it very well using English. I
explained the flow which is until Commit and Rollback tooth and life.

After technical questions, the last they asked me "myself after five years".
I wonder if the question is common in the world. I have often heard the
question in Japan too. Vision is important. I told my English skill will be
improved, I will learn the software development way around the world and
I will launched the service which is developed by myself.

The interview was for around 30 minutes. They will contact the results
after a few days. If I will work for the company, the first I contract for
three months and we have a term which the company and I check each
other if we can relate more long time. Anyway, it was a little better despite
the first time. I am confident that I could understand the questions in
meeting interview. I am success at the chance and I would like to join
a Canadian society. In the interview, my brain was busy after a long time
so that I haven't seen technical scene since I quitted. I should develop
something recently.

Talk to you soon!

 

PROFILE

Hi I'm Shinya Hasegawa
I was born in Kanagawa,
Japan and 30 years old.
I'm IT Engineer of year 8th.
I'm challenging globalize
by IT engineer.
I arrived in Canada on February 2011.
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