19F, half Japanese, new to Iwakuni. How do I make friends and find work with no experience?
Hi, everyone! I don't really know how to start this.
I'm 19 years old and recently moved to Iwakuni, Japan. While I am half Japanese and have a Japanese passport, I didn't grow up here, so my Japanese is still very limited. I'm currently working on learning the language because I know it's one of the most important things I need to do, but... I've only been here for a week and I'm already feeling a bit lost and would really appreciate some advice.
My dad is getting older (70+) and I really want to help him financially instead of depending on him. I also want to become independent and support myself in the future because I don't really have anyone to lean on here. My family is in another country, and they're depending on me as well. But the problem is that I only graduated from senior high school and don't have any work experience. In my home country, I can't apply to any form of job if I didn't graduate from college or have work experience. My dad doesn't really believe in college and doesn't have any plans to enroll me in one but my mom thinks otherwise. But with our financial situation, I don't think it's possible right now.
I'm okay with warehouse work, stocking shelves, cleaning, factory jobs... etc. I just want to start somewhere and earn my own money. The problem is that, with my current level of Japanese, it's been really hard to find work. I've looked online through sites recommended by the internet, but in Iwakuni, it's very limited. I've only seen a few and they need people with degrees. My dad, he's already urging me to find a job as soon as possible, but I honestly don't know where to start and I don't really have anyone around to ask. I also don't know anyone here, and maybe that's exactly why I've been feeling so down lately. I'd love to make friends around my age, but I'm not sure how people usually meet others in Japan, especially when you don't speak Japanese very well yet.
Honestly, it's hard to be Japanese when you can't speak Japanese. People assume I'm fluent because I look Japanese, so they speak to me at full speed... I really feel embarrassed every time I freeze or ask my dad for help. (If you've been in a similar situation or have any advice, I'd really appreciate it :' It's been really hard for me to try and figure out these things on my own, so any advice or personal experiences would mean a lot to me.)
What should my first step be? Friends? A job? My mom says just enjoy my time here for now, but I can't help but worry about these things.