$642 like that.

Thank you Opera!

Opera, yeah, that internet browser that not very many people use; has done something magnificent for the web world. Opera Web Standards Curriculum is a free compilation of materials to teach web design/development with standards for beginners. I am taking part in this because I'm sure my knoweledge in this area is  lacking, and I am surely tired of operationg as a second tier web developer without a strong foundation to build on. When I was in University, I didn't directly study web materials aside from HTML. During the end of my college career i wanted to shift my focus to web and mobile deliverables, cell phone content, web content, flash games, etc. So, I started somewhat doing web design through trial and error, and generally just doing whatever to make it work, or at least look like it works. After working at my first web job after school, I realised I needed to get my act together and really learn about the web, developing for it, and its standards. After two months of that job i was already tired of the terrible unorganized websites I was updating. They were ugly and not standards compliant, the worse part was having to put articles nearly two years old on the site as if they were as important as the new articles. Content is important too, and if noone noticed the article wasn't up two years ago when it was new; it's probably not that important. Anyway, with my new free time I am glad to have access to this and hope to use it and learn from it to the fullest extent available. Once again, thank you Opera. p.s. I have your browser installed

Well Well Well

As of Monday, I have been laid off from my job. I'm not too sad about it, as I was expecting it, as well as the other web designer. So this week I have had a little more time to study Japanese as well as work on web stuff. Today I actually got info for our first site, so i get to start working on that, its a web site for a salon, I have never done one of those before, but it should be fun. Also today, it is confirmed my speedometer on my car is off by about 20 mph. I got another traffic violation from Arizona. About two weeks ago, I went to Arizona for the 20th Arizona Statewide Japanese contest, and on my way back to California, I was pulled over for going 95 in a 75, there is no way I would just go 20 over whilst knowing it. So that was a $280 ticket; then today, i got a thing in the mail that clocked me going 74 in a 55, I always keep an eye on the speedometer, so something isnt right, and both those violations were on the same day, there go another $184 for that. This couldn't happen at a better time, I have no steady job, trying to save money for JET, and bam im out $462 like that. That could have been a new digital camera and mp3 player, or a decent laptop to do work on the go with my partner. Those are things I also wanted to get before JET, but oh well, i still have some money left over, so I'm glad I was at least able to pay the fines, and hopefully I wont have any other expensive surprises.

Let's JETing!

Well, it has once again been a long time since my last post.

Anyway, I have been working as a web designer/developer for a few months now in Corona; the area is nice; the job, not so much. I make minimum wage, and working 40 hours a week is still not that much money when my expenses are considered(rent,bills, and trying to save for JET). Another thing is that I'm probrably going to be laid off tomorrow since the company is going under. So, the other web guy and I are going to try to do some freelance stuff; so hopefully that will help me net more money than what i was making at the company. I'll try to keep you guys posted on how that goes. The next thing I wanted to talk about was the JET program.It seems like an awesome program to go and help teach English in Japan, and the benefits are also good. I'm really excited to be accepted in the program, which is one of the reasons im back on my blog. I don't know where I will be placed yet, but it should be interesting in some way no matter where it is. I would talk about the process and interview but there are quite a few other blogs that were on that in a timely fashion.

For now, I see my blog as being one about Web Development, Digital art, and Japan once i get there. I still want to be active in web and stuff so I won't be all rusty and behind on standards as I already am now, so bloggin about it may help me stay active in that, hopefully. Anyway, thats about it for now, and welcome to the Re-Re opening of this blog.

It's been a while.
Well, a lot has happened since my last post. I was supposed to update a long time ago, but I never got around to it. Anyways, I'm officially a graduate now, and I'm just waiting for my degree in the mail.I got my web site up online http://students.uat.edu/chamontg, I just need to get my own webspace instead of the school one. I also got a video posted of my speech and the animation done for it on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meD3O_6LLNQ
So now I'm kinda just looking for work, and doing some freelance webdesign and practicing to get my portfolio better. I'm gonna apply for the jet program, it would be an awesome opportunity, I can study Japanese, Learn more about Japan, and help children with English, and I would have a lot of time to do computer work. However, JET isn't for a long time, and there is no guarantee I will get it, but I will try.
The JLPT is coming up this December, I'm studying for that as well. The JLPT is the Japanese Language Profeciency test. I plan to take the level 3 this year. Depending how soon I can get back to Japan will determine if I take the level 2 next year. I know I haven't posted in a long time, and this post is probrably hard to follow, sorry.

Speech Contest!

So, this past sunday I did the 19th annual Arizona state Japanese language speech contest. Well, the weather was extremely hot; but the Japanese friendship garden was a very nice place to hold the competition. It was a long day of speeches, but very enjoyable. Guess what. Marty Friedman was there, the former guitarist of Megadeath. That was pretty awesome, but I didn't realize who he was until the day after, when everything clicked in my head. Anyway, when I first got there, I was insanely nervous, but after some walking around, I was able to calm down a bit. By the time it got to my group, I started to get nervous again; but once my speech started, I started to relax and go with the flow. After all the speeches were done, there was a tea ceremony, and then a long wait until the awards. When it came time for awards, I became nervous again; but, all my hard work paid off. I got second place in my category out of fourteen people. I was really happy, and I won some really cool goodies. I'll post back soon with more details. see you then.

The Update of a lifetime...

Well, it has been a while since I last posted; and a lot has happened since that last post. I am not less than a week from my university graduation ceremony. Well, I'm not officially done with college, but since there only one ceremony a year, and I'll be done in the summer, I am able to participate. So next semester is my actual last semester in which I need to find an internship and complete two small classes. I'm also getting web space to put my portfolio online. I made the site completely in Flash, as Flash is my weapon of choice. So I'm hoping that will get straightened out so I can get it online. I have still been studying Japanese also, after the trip, I realized how great it is to experience different cultures; and I have taken studying Japanese more serious than I used too. Hence I am participating in the Arizona speech contest this Sunday. I'm starting to get exciting about it, I hope I can deliver the speech the way I have on my practice runs. Other than all that, I'm thinking about what to do after college, depending on what internship I get, that could lead to a few things. I also have given thought to travel to Japan to try to work abroad, or study abroad at a university. I'm sure a lot more happened since my last post, but I think these were the most interesting things. I'll also post back after the speech contest.