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[Chihiro]

Hi girls! Chihiro here~

Fanimaid Café is back with some of your favorite maids, and we are looking to start 2014 with many fresh faces!
Here's everything you need to know about our 2014 auditions !

- - -

First off, here are the basic requirements for volunteering for Fanimaid Cafe:

1. You must be a girl, and at least 16 years of age by FanimeCon. We are strictly a maid only cafe.
2. You need to provide your own registration, transportation, and approved uniform.

What kind of girls are we looking for?

Well, while we're fairly easy-going and open about the girls we invite into the Fanimaid Cafe family, we do have a few things we look for! But don't be shy! We don't bite. (This is a volunteer gig, and being a maid is completely NON-SEXUAL.)

1. You love anime/manga/games and have an interest in maid cafes, moe-kei, and Akiba culture!
2. You want to learn how to be a maid, dress up in a cute maid uniform, and meet people!
3. You're willing to sit with patrons and partake in fun conversations and games
4. You're willing to dedicate at least 4+ hours per day of FanimeCon (except Monday) to Fanimaid Cafe
5. You're willing to be on a team with a bunch of cute maids and give it your all to make Fanimaid Cafe 2014 as awesome as ever!!!

And a PLUS would be (but not required nor do they affect your eligibility for joining):

1. You have serving experience in a restaurant (We are also looking for people with California-registered Food Handlers cards!!! They're extremely easy to get, if interested.)
2. You're interested in performing on Stage Zero with your fellow maids
3. You've been to a maid cafe in Japan and are knowledgeable related subjects
4. You are fluent in Japanese (though this is not a requirement)

Note: When you become a volunteer at FanimeCon and work up to 20 hours related to Fanimaid Cafe, you may be reimbursed for a full-weekend badge! But you still need to purchase your registration first, and ask about volunteering by contacting the volunteering department, or upon pick-up.

- - -

The launch for the online application is now up! It will run until Saturday 7:00PM
http://tinyurl.com/FanimaidCafeApp2014

As of now, it is too time constrictive to schedule Skype try-outs, but there will always be the possibility of a Skype follow-up interview. For those of you who are still interested in trying out but were not able to make it to the in-person try-outs, you are now able to fill out the online application. Do your best and good luck!

- - -

We'll be hosting try-outs beginning the end of this week, and we need you to pass ONE try-out in order to volunteer. (Please show up to only ONE try-out.) Upon passing, we require you to keep up on e-mail updates and announcements, as well as attend a mandatory meeting on Friday evening of FanimeCon.

This year's try-out dates will be in multiple locations: Clicking on the try-out location will bring you to the official Facebook event!

San Francisco Japantown: The courtyard across the street from the Pagoda. We'll be meeting in the round stone seating area in front of Shabu-sen. (Google Maps: http://goo.gl/maps/Lt99B The street in between is Post St.)

San Jose Convention Center: We'll be meeting in the San Jose Convention Center. Please meet us in the hub where registration used to be. It is important that you arrive on time, as we will not allot for more than 15 minutes of tardiness before we move on. Location on Google Maps

Emeryville Bay Street Mall: There will be a try-out in East Bay this year! It is located at the Bay Street Mall, in front of Red Mango/Barnes and Noble. Location on Google Maps

Davis Temescal Apartment Lounge: For those you ladies in Davis, there will be an audition held at here. The entrance is in front, facing the street.

Los Angeles: Wow! This year we're even having try-outs in SoCal! There will be a try-out located in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. We will be meeting at Weller Court, where the space shuttle is!

Dates:

San Jose:
March 2, 2014 @ 3:00PM
March 22, 2014 @ 1:00PM
San Francisco:
March 14, 2014 @ 4:00PM
Emeryville:
March 16, 2014 @ 4:00PM
Davis:
March 8, 2014 @ 2:00PM
Los Angeles:
March 9, 2014 @ 1:00PM

** PLEASE NOTE: We are no longer doing the public mailing list. If you would like to try-out, please show up to one of the try-out dates. However, if you need a special negotiation, feel free to email us your circumstances. Thank you!

- - -

Fanimaid Cafe is a fun experience, and many of us have made irreplaceable memories and experiences making friends and growing together, as well as found many opportunities through our event. We welcome many of you to join our family, make friends, work hard, and most of all, have fun! Our staff consists of knowledgeable, helpful, and supportive people here to make Fanimaid Cafe a great team to be a part of. Being a maid is a lot of hard work, but if you're willing to give it your all, we promise you that it'll be a memorable experience.

We hope to see you there!

Let's go Fanimaid! 始めましょう! Hajimemashou!

- Chihiro

[TiffanyF]

Hi everyone, Tiffany from Fanimaid Cafe staff here!

Just a thing to add, when coming to the tryouts, just wear whatever you feel like represents you! You don't have to wear business/interview attire if you don't want to

Staff is looking forward to meeting all of you girls this year! I will be at the second SJ tryout for sure~

See you girls soon <3

-Tiffany

[scuryghost]

Hello! I was wondering what the tryouts are like. Should I have a dance prepared to show off or something?
Thanks!

[Keiko]

Hello! I was wondering what the tryouts are like. Should I have a dance prepared to show off or something?
Thanks!

Hello! I'm Keiko, another of the Fanimaid staffers.

You don't need to have a dance prepared for the tryout. You will want to bring a notepad and pen for notes, however.

For tryouts we mostly discuss things like what the nature of our maid cafe is, responsibilities of our maids, con safety, uniforms, expected behavior, etc. It's a lot to discuss and remember so you really will want to take notes. There will also be a short interview and we may take a photo of you to ease our selection process.

[scuryghost]

Hello! I was wondering what the tryouts are like. Should I have a dance prepared to show off or something?
Thanks!

Hello! I'm Keiko, another of the Fanimaid staffers.

You don't need to have a dance prepared for the tryout. You will want to bring a notepad and pen for notes, however.

For tryouts we mostly discuss things like what the nature of our maid cafe is, responsibilities of our maids, con safety, uniforms, expected behavior, etc. It's a lot to discuss and remember so you really will want to take notes. There will also be a short interview and we may take a photo of you to ease our selection process.

Thanks! I'll keep that in mind.

[Chihiro]

Just an announcement, there is another try-out date announced. On Sunday, there will be a try-out held in L.A's Little Tokyo! It's a bit last minute, but I do hope you see some of you ladies there ♥
As of now, the time and exact meeting spot is TBA but check back Wednesday and it'll be up by then!

[Mizuki]

good luck to all girls who try out!

[Touya no Miko]

I'll try out again this year, since I didn't have any luck last year.

[scuryghost]

Just an announcement, there is another try-out date announced. On Sunday, there will be a try-out held in L.A's Little Tokyo! It's a bit last minute, but I do hope you see some of you ladies there ♥
As of now, the time and exact meeting spot is TBA but check back Wednesday and it'll be up by then!

I'm so glad to hear there will be a try out in LA! I recently moved from the bay area to LA and I was just contemplating whether it's worth it to go down for spring break just to try out for the maid cafe since my family is going to be out of town that whole week. Now I don't have to decide, yay!

[Chihiro]

Just an announcement, there is another try-out date announced. On Sunday, there will be a try-out held in L.A's Little Tokyo! It's a bit last minute, but I do hope you see some of you ladies there ♥
As of now, the time and exact meeting spot is TBA but check back Wednesday and it'll be up by then!

I'm so glad to hear there will be a try out in LA! I recently moved from the bay area to LA and I was just contemplating whether it's worth it to go down for spring break just to try out for the maid cafe since my family is going to be out of town that whole week. Now I don't have to decide, yay!

Awesome timing! I don't think we'll be able to host them again the the south bay next year, sadly The only reason we're able to host a try-out in L.A this year is due to a string of chance as well. I look forward to meeting you at the try-out (●´ω｀●)ゞ

Good luck everybody~!

[lycheejelly]

I'll try out again this year, since I didn't have any luck last year.

I applaud your perseverance!  I know a couple of maids that tried out more than once and made it.  We (well at least I) definitely keep in mind that you're trying again and giving it your all. 

Hope to see you at an audition!

-Enju

[Haruhi (Haru-nya)]

Hello hello all the cute ladies~ This is Haruhi just sharing her experience. Don't be scared when you try out ^^ The maids were super nice and friendly and you'll only be asked a series of questions so we can get to know you better Just be yourself and don't worry; we won't bite ;3 Dress like you usually would and remember to bring a smile <3

[nanami]

Hey ladies! I was a first-time meido last year and it was, I kid you not, so much fun. Dressing up and being cute is one of my favorite things in the world, and I like it most when I'm doing it for myself. It's a chance to play with a particular mode of femininity and feminine behavior that is quite different from the way I act in daily life. I find this very freeing and self-affirming, because, to me, it's proof that I can be multifaceted and act out different kinds of girlhood/womanhood, and I don't have to be or act just one way all the time. I think it's important for girls to be able to experiment and express themselves in this manner.

To all my shy ladies out there, don't hold back on account of your natural timidity and quietness! I'm definitely the introverted type, and I remember being pretty worried about talking to people all day and getting to know the other maids. To my happy surprise, everyone was extremely kind and welcoming, and the guests' demeanor reflected this. Point being: there's no wrong wait to be a maid! Be yourself, or whatever version of yourself you feel most comfortable in at that moment. As long as you're not rude and you try your best, you'll do amazing.

This also applies to tryouts. Treat it as a chance to meet other awesome girls and women, have fun, and don't sweat it. Also take notes! You never know when you'll need the info - even if you don't make it this year, what if you get in next year? Then you'll know most of what you need to know already!

If you do get accepted, be sure to prepare well in advance of the con! ORDER YOUR DRESSES AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE - I cannot stress this enough. It can take ages for sites like Bodyline or Cosmates to get your package to you, and you don't want to end up arriving without a uniform. Don't let that happen.

During the con, make sure you get plenty of sleep and try to maintain some semblance of a healthy diet over the weekend. Trust me, this will make your life so much easier - you'll be on your feet a lot, running around taking care of guests, and you'll get the munchies FAST. Energy bars, fruit, and trail mix are good for quick energy. The head cafe staff will probably provide food in the backroom for weary meidos, but I recommend that you still bring your own healthy snacks, just in case.

Read the emails from staff carefully and [Scar voice] BE PREPAAAAAAAAAAAAAARED. Unfortunately, I'm currently teaching in Korea and won't be able to make it to Fanime this year - but I'm confident that y'all will rock it. I just wish I could be there to see you all being your beautiful selves. <3

Oh and don't hesitate to PM me with any questions you might have!! Good luck! <3 <3 <3

[scuryghost]

I sent an email to maidcafe@fanime.com. I don't mind being patient for a reply, I just wanted to make sure that I have the right email address. :3

[Chihiro]

I sent an email to maidcafe@fanime.com. I don't mind being patient for a reply, I just wanted to make sure that I have the right email address. :3

Yep, this is the correct e-mail! Hope you've received a reply by now

[scuryghost]

I sent an email to maidcafe@fanime.com. I don't mind being patient for a reply, I just wanted to make sure that I have the right email address. :3

Yep, this is the correct e-mail! Hope you've received a reply by now

I haven't yet, but I'm not worried about it as long as it was sent to the right email address.

[octorok]

Hey, ladies! This is Penko, I was a n00b maid last year and I am SUPER PUMPED to be returning again this year. SUPER PUMPED!!!! FANIMAID CAFE ROCKED ! It was everything I dreamed it would be. I got to feel moe all weekend long and hang out with some BAD ASS girls. Everyone is super friendly and sweet, so please don't be shy to try out. I was really nervous too, but I'm glad I did it! It was the funnest Fanime I've been to since 2007 (am I showing my age here?)

If anyone has any questions at all, feel free to PM me too :3

I have a question for the big cheeselets: I sorta remembering reading somewhere that you guys were thinking of doing Skype tryouts. Are you still considering that? Or did I maybe dream it?

I was going to bring a friend of mine to try out this weekend, but she had to take over a shift at work at the last minute. She was really excited to try out and is super bummed she can't. :C

[scuryghost]

Hey, ladies! This is Penko, I was a n00b maid last year and I am SUPER PUMPED to be returning again this year. SUPER PUMPED!!!! FANIMAID CAFE ROCKED ! It was everything I dreamed it would be. I got to feel moe all weekend long and hang out with some BAD ASS girls. Everyone is super friendly and sweet, so please don't be shy to try out. I was really nervous too, but I'm glad I did it! It was the funnest Fanime I've been to since 2007 (am I showing my age here?)

If anyone has any questions at all, feel free to PM me too :3

I have a question for the big cheeselets: I sorta remembering reading somewhere that you guys were thinking of doing Skype tryouts. Are you still considering that? Or did I maybe dream it?

I was going to bring a friend of mine to try out this weekend, but she had to take over a shift at work at the last minute. She was really excited to try out and is super bummed she can't. :C

I sent them an email asking about this too. I haven't gotten a response yet, I'm guessing that the organizers are pretty swamped right now.

[Chihiro]

Hi everybody, I'm sorry for the lack of updates. E-mails sent to the maidcafe@fanime.com may take a while to get answered ^^;

However, I do have some official announcements to make.
The launch for the online application is now live!
http://tinyurl.com/FanimaidCafeApp2014

As of now, it is too time constrictive to schedule Skype try-outs, but there will always be the possibility of a Skype follow-up interview.
For those of you who are still interested in trying out but were not able to make it to the in-person try-outs, you are now able to fill out the online application. Do your best!

[Kiara]

Where will results be posted? here, the facebook group, etc?