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[vanillashakes]

If 20 is old then I'll be past my prime this year.

As for experience from the past, this will be my fourth year as a part of Fanimaid Cafe, and it's probably one of the best and personally my favorite experiences at Fanime. Every year I meet great people, and our family just seems to grow more and more as we accept more girls in the group.

The first year was very interesting. I remember when I went to tryouts, I was a little uncertain as to whether or not I would make it, but the best thing to do is to be confident in yourself and to be honest when you're being interviewed. I've been on staff for a year now, and I helped conduct interviews last year, and most of the girls that made it appealed to me because they were just being honest with themselves and me (Tiff I think I had interviewed you actually).

At the tryouts though, what I most encourage you girls do is talk too each other, not just with friends you may be going with. Because if you end up passing the tryouts, you're going to be working together for all of Fanime weekend, and we don't want it to be awkward or uncomfortable for you if you choose to not open up to new girls. After all, this position does require you to talk to strangers at the cafe.

Overall, this is really fun and a great environment to work out in. If you guys have any questions too, you always have someone to go to.

[Snippershoo]

I was a fanimaid last year too! It was my first time volunteering last year. I was super nervous about trying out, but the girls and staff are all really nice and helpful. They'll make you feel pretty welcome, so don't be afraid to talk to others and make friends if you go to tryouts! I was a bit intimidated at first because I didn't know anyone else that was trying out, but that quickly changed and I ended up making a bunch of friends. You'll get to know them better through just hanging out, working together, and things like performance practices if you decide you want to participate in Fanimaid Live. Not to mention if you ever feel a bit lost in regards to anything, you can ask someone else and they'll be willing to help you out.

I was 19 when I tried out, so don't worry about being too old! 

As for working in the cafe itself, its really fun! You get to talk to a bunch of different people as well as play games with them. It opens your eyes to the people that go to this convention. I think my favorite table was a really sweet couple from Poland. All around it was really fun and the goshujin-sama are really nice and understanding. I won't lie, it was a lot of work, but it was also really rewarding. Just come prepared to work hard and have fun and you should be good!

another question from me! what about gatherings? i have a few (5-6)  that id really like to go to. is it a bad idea to do the cafe with this in mind? or is it possible to compromise?

As long as you schedule the gatherings around your shifts it shouldn't be a problem I think, though you might not be able to make all of them depending when they're scheduled for. However, if you're planning elaborate costumes that takes some time to get changed into, you might run into a bit of trouble if you don't leave enough time to change/get to the gathering/etc. I had a shift that ended about a half hour before the Madoka gathering last year, but it took forever to get changed and I ended up missing it and catching it as everyone was leaving.

...Oh yeah. Make sure you have somewhere to get changed and/or store your costume if you plan on a gathering soon before or after your shift. Sure, theres the bathroom, but depending on the costume it can be a bit of a pain. Plus you're gonna have to carry the costume or your maid outfit if you don't have anywhere to store it after too. Derp. .___.;

[AngieDesu]

Hi~
My name is Scarlet and this will be my 3rd year as a fanimaid. Fanimaid has been a great experience for me these past years, and it's something I would have definitely regretted not signing up for. I've made so many friends and it's just amazing to do fanimaid live and have fun with the maids with Haruko Momoi concerts and other events. (I would be lying if I said that I wasn't influenced to join just a bit because of the great relationship between fanimaid cafe and Momoi)

The staff is great and makes sure everything is in order and the maids are great and give moe~ vibes off. It's a pleasant atmosphere to be in. You get to talk to con goers AND make friends with fellow maids! (SOCIAL LINKS) Although it's very fun, it's important to be respectful to our goshujin-sama and ojou-sama!

We have a lot of new girls every year and I'd say that all of us are really friendly, so don't be shy! We had pretty much a mandatory/practice meeting for fanimaid live on thursday or the con (or was it friday? ww) last year, and so you get to know some people from tryouts and meet even more new people at the con before we actually work together! If you have any questions you can always ask staff. I definitely encourage anyone interested to try out!

[ami*chan]

Actually I feel like 20 is the average age in the cafe!  Only a handful of girls are still in their teens.

This will be my fourth year in the cafe and second year staffing for it, and like all the other girls, I would say that it is definitely my favorite part of Fanime.

When I first tried out, I think it was the first or second try out that year, and Jun's first year as head, and what we go over pretty much hasn't changed.  I heard about it from a friend who knew Jun and we went together to the tryout, and the three of us hung out afterwards.  I guess I had an unfair disadvantage from that but I was still nervous about the whole thing, and intimidated by the others that were there. And I remembered Jun assured me that she would judged me equally as I expressed to her that I felt bad, feeling like I was sucking up to her.  But after getting to meet and know everybody I can see that we were all going get along and become friends!

My first time going to Fanime was also when I first did maid cafe.  So even though I didn't get to experience Fanime as a normal con-goer, I experienced it through all my goshujinsama and ojousama, which I feel is even more fun because I get to hear about it through personal experiences.  And it makes me glad to add to their experience by being their maid at the cafe.  I'm not going to say being a maid is easy work, but it's definitely fun, which makes all the hard stuff feel easier.  I'm used to be a shy and quiet person (still am sometimes), but I found it very easy to talk to everybody, both maids and the patrons.  This definitely helped me to become more sociable and confident around people.  And I know a lot of girls have different personalities and are worried about being moe, but I found that being yourself and feeling comfortable already gives off moe vibes, as I think all the girls are cute in their own way.

As I said before, these girls have definitely become good friends of mine, we are all so close! And we definitely welcome new girls with the same enthusiam we have for each other and for the cafe.  Every year we make new friends!  Fanimaid cafe is growing bigger and better every year, and it makes me happy to be a part of it for so long.

Good Luck to all and I hope to see lots of new faces~
~ami

[demonchildling]

I've been a fanimaid for two years, and it really is one of the highlights of my Fanime experience. As many other maids have said before, meeting random people is slighty scary (and at the same time quite a pleasant thrill). Even though I had public speaking experience as well as memories of being a maid before, I was still very nervous when interacting with the customers last year.  I still have no idea about how to carry on a conversation.This is completely normal. You don't have to act specially or cater to some sort of specific personality. Just be yourself, and conversation will figure itself out. In fact, many of the customers are happy to do a lot of the talking, and just appreciate a listening ear! There are quite a few customers I've met who were content to just talk and forgo the mini-games altogether haha.

Ditto on what some have stated before, about staying professional but sweet. No need to take it over the top if you don't feel comfortable with it or if you feel it isn't in your character to do so. It really is true that many customers have never heard of a maid cafe. I remember a few instances where people came to just get food, and were surprised when the maid were not just waitresses, but would also keep company. It's also not just young anime fans who eat at the cafe. Some examples of customers I've served:

-Guys who work in Silicon Valley who came for the day and have little to no idea about what anime is.
-Couples with small children
-Parents tagging along with their kids, who grew up watching very old anime.
-Parents who speak little to no English

So, kind of a funny story with that last example. I asked if the girl would like to add extra moe by doing a cute chant with me over her soda (like I've seen done on youtube), and the mom looked at me like I'd just suggested spiking her daughter's drink with drugs. Ahahaha. No matter what happens, even if you end up derping, just remain calm and patient. The other girls and veteran maids are always around if you have any questions or need any help.

Best of luck,
Ling

[Fapel]

If we end up volunteering with Fanimaid Cafe, how many hours would we volunteer a day? I want to table with my friend in the Artist Alley too so if I miraculously get to be a part of Fanimaid Cafe, I'd like to know how many hours she'd have to be alone. ;~;

Total is about 10 hours through out the weekend. Roughly 4 1/2 hours sat and sun, and a mandatory meeting that lasts about an hour.

[/quote]
Ah, I see! Thanks(:
Is it like a continuous shift for 4 1/2 straight hours a day? Or is it spread out throughout the day?

[ami*chan]

If we end up volunteering with Fanimaid Cafe, how many hours would we volunteer a day? I want to table with my friend in the Artist Alley too so if I miraculously get to be a part of Fanimaid Cafe, I'd like to know how many hours she'd have to be alone. ;~;

Total is about 10 hours through out the weekend. Roughly 4 1/2 hours sat and sun, and a mandatory meeting that lasts about an hour.

Ah, I see! Thanks(:
Is it like a continuous shift for 4 1/2 straight hours a day? Or is it spread out throughout the day?

One shift is 3 1/2 hours plus the required 1 hour of work during Fanimaid☆Live (either working the cafe or performing on Stage Zero).  You choose what 3.5 hour block you want to work during the day.

[Fapel]

If we end up volunteering with Fanimaid Cafe, how many hours would we volunteer a day? I want to table with my friend in the Artist Alley too so if I miraculously get to be a part of Fanimaid Cafe, I'd like to know how many hours she'd have to be alone. ;~;

Total is about 10 hours through out the weekend. Roughly 4 1/2 hours sat and sun, and a mandatory meeting that lasts about an hour.

Ah, I see! Thanks(:
Is it like a continuous shift for 4 1/2 straight hours a day? Or is it spread out throughout the day?

One shift is 3 1/2 hours plus the required 1 hour of work during Fanimaid☆Live (either working the cafe or performing on Stage Zero).  You choose what 3.5 hour block you want to work during the day.

Oh okay! I'm really sorry for so many questions LOL. But these are my last ones. > o<
What time do the earliest shifts start? Because if I did it, I'd prefer to do the earliest one so I could still table with my friend in the afternoon. ; o;

And, for the tryouts, will they be like mid February or so? Because at the end of February, I have a full week retreat I'm going to. ; o;

[PyronIkari]

Oh okay! I'm really sorry for so many questions LOL. But these are my last ones. > o<
What time do the earliest shifts start? Because if I did it, I'd prefer to do the earliest one so I could still table with my friend in the afternoon. ; o;

And, for the tryouts, will they be like mid February or so? Because at the end of February, I have a full week retreat I'm going to. ; o;

There will be multiple tryouts, so don't worry about that. As for earliest shift, IF IF IF IF the schedule is the same as last year, Cafe opens at 11am which means shift would be 10:45 -> 2:15or something like that.

Edit: These aren't absolute or exact, but it's just to give you a rough idea.

[Jun-Watarase]

Hey lovely ladies,

Get ready, because we're about to begin the new year with our first annual try-outs! This year, we will be holding our try-outs in two locations. The first one will take place in San Francisco Japantown during AOD 2012, and the rest will be held at the SJCC where FanimeCon is held.

Our first meeting will be on February 18th, 2012 at promptly 10:00am during AOD. It is very important that you show up on time, as we will not repeat any of the information that we offer during the try-out, and it is asked that you choose to go to only one try-out, as attending more than one will not aid in our decision for new recruits.

It will take place in the court-yard in front of Shabu-sen. Here is the address.

1726 Buchanan St
(between Post St & Sutter St)
San Francisco, CA 94115

What to expect:
The try-outs are roughly like a short course on what a maid cafe is, what we do at Fanimaid Cafe, and basic training on tasks we expect our maids to be able to fulfill. Please dress to impress to show off your personal style, and as it will be at AOD, we are okay with you being in cosplay during the try-outs if you don't want to change your clothing. Prepare a pen and a notebook in case you would like to take notes and answers to any questions you may have.

Please hold any questions regarding hours, uniforms, and what have you for the try-out, as we usually go over everything you need to know. We will release more try-out dates scheduled for March as we go, so keep your eyes peeled!

As for veteran maids, please expect emails regarding your invitations back to Fanimaid Cafe 2012 sometime this week. Not all maids will be invited back this year, as our roster has become much larger than it had been the previous years, and we want to be able to give everyone a fair chance. But everyone is welcome to try-out again if they wish to do so.

Good luck, everyone! We at Fanimaid Cafe are very excited to get to know our new additions to our Fanimaid Cafe family. Please don't be shy to make friends and ask us questions, as we have a very friendly and supportive environment for our girls, and many of us have build lasting friendships from our experience at Fanimaid.

Much love,
Your Fanimaid Cafe Head, Jun

[Jun-Watarase]

Sorry guys! I forgot to mention, the try-out will end at approximately 12:45, in case any of you need to schedule around this.

And again, good luck!

~ Jun

[Kpmonkeygirl]

Thank you very much! I am looking forward to seeing and meeting everyone!

[Fapel]

There will be multiple tryouts, so don't worry about that. As for earliest shift, IF IF IF IF the schedule is the same as last year, Cafe opens at 11am which means shift would be 10:45 -> 2:15or something like that.

Edit: These aren't absolute or exact, but it's just to give you a rough idea.

Thanks!

Sorry guys! I forgot to mention, the try-out will end at approximately 12:45, in case any of you need to schedule around this.

And again, good luck!

~ Jun

If we were to attend the try-out at AOD, we wouldn't have to buy a badge, right? It's just in the same location?
I'm pretty excited and nervous for try-outs ahhhhh > u<

[ami*chan]

There will be multiple tryouts, so don't worry about that. As for earliest shift, IF IF IF IF the schedule is the same as last year, Cafe opens at 11am which means shift would be 10:45 -> 2:15or something like that.

Edit: These aren't absolute or exact, but it's just to give you a rough idea.

Thanks!

Sorry guys! I forgot to mention, the try-out will end at approximately 12:45, in case any of you need to schedule around this.

And again, good luck!

~ Jun

If we were to attend the try-out at AOD, we wouldn't have to buy a badge, right? It's just in the same location?
I'm pretty excited and nervous for try-outs ahhhhh > u<

No badge needed, as the meeting venue is outside.  So dress for the weather!

[PyronIkari]

If we were to attend the try-out at AOD, we wouldn't have to buy a badge, right? It's just in the same location?
I'm pretty excited and nervous for try-outs ahhhhh > u<

No reason to be nervous. Just be yourself. None of us are exactly intimidating.

Some things to keep in mind. If you're not going to be cosplaying for aod, I suggest dressing your style. Not dressing up or going all out, but really show us who you are. Also speak well and coherently. Sentences are always better than one word answers and responses. We want to know more about you than an answer to some questions.

Best of luck, see you next month.

[Nananeko]

Is the one at the San Jose convention center the same as the date posted in the email? >.< sorry just making sure because there was information on the audition is san francisco and I got confused, Thank you

[vanillashakes]

Some things to keep in mind. If you're not going to be cosplaying for aod, I suggest dressing your style. Not dressing up or going all out, but really show us who you are.

I remember when I first tried out, I was in jeans and a sweater and I looked really crappy because I had to wake up super early. So I'm glad my glasses worked to my advantage.

Also yeah, when answering questions, think them through well and try not to make up answers to impress us. Like it's been said many times before, just be honest with us and yourself and you'll be fine.

The best advice I can give for the tryouts is to not overthink the tryouts. It usually ends up being a lot less stressful than girls make it out to be.

[PyronIkari]

Is the one at the San Jose convention center the same as the date posted in the email? >.< sorry just making sure because there was information on the audition is san francisco and I got confused, Thank you

The San jose tryout will be some time in march. The date of the 18th is the San Francisco tryouts only. So if you go to the sjcc no one will be there.

Vanillashakes: not that it's that different than your norm. Remove the sweater, tank top, and librarian status is go!

[Nananeko]

Ok you totally just saved me XD Thank you

[samichi]

hihi :3
Sorry for jumping in here :x
I just kinda have another question about the try outs.
「(＾ヘ＾; ) え〜と

If we go to the SF try out....do we also need to go to the SJ try out as well?
Because i was reading through all the posts, to see if this question has been asked, so i wouldn't need to ask it.
but since i didn't see it...i was kind of wondering about it.

I'm currently living in Santa Cruz for school at the moment, so the SJ try outs would be easier for me to go to....but depending on my school schedule i might not be able to make it to the first try outs, though i will do my best to make sure i can go to the one in SF.

So my main question is, "Are both of the try out days optional or are they mandatory?" or, "Do we need to make both of them?".
Also, "What happens if we get lost going to the try out/meeting area?" I have a tendency to get lost very easily in new areas that i am not use to. (T^T)

Sorry about this semi-long post
~Sammi