On Fri, 05 May 2006 22:44:36 +0900, Scott Reynolds
<scottreyn@gmail.com> brought down from the Mount tablets inscribed:

>MMike wrote:
>> Scott Reynolds wrote:
>>> Many of the regulars on this group are long-termers. If it's only taken
>>> you seven years to discover fjlij I'd say you're off to a good start.
>>> Welcome to the group and settle in to enjoy the ride!
>> 
>> Thanks Scott. I had known of this group and the soc group for quite a
>> long time, but didn't have any real use for talking to foreigners. No
>> offense, but I was trying to understand Japanese for myself rather than
>> through the eyes of visitors or short termers.
>
>Sounds good to me. I can understand why someone might want to avoid 
>relying on others while making sense of things here. I suppose many of 
>the regulars in this group felt or feel the same way.
>
>All the same, it is nice to just relax and chew the fat with other 
>gaigins from time to time, shameful as that may be to admit.
>
>> It's difficult to discuss issues even with single long termers. The fun
>> is GREAT, and a good release, but I would also like to find those who
>> are planning to spend the rest of their life living here.
>
>As Mike mentions in his response, for many of us this was not exactly 
>planned. It just sort of turned out the way it has without us realizing it.

I think it generally turns out to be the people who plan to come here
and stay forever-n-ever-n-ever-n-ever who either 1) never show up at
all or b) get disgusted and leave after 3 or 4 years.




--

Michael Cash

"Clowns to the left of me and jokers to the right, Mr. Cash.
Clowns and jokers."

                                Prof. Ernest T. Bass
                                Mount Pilot College