Something to update with!
Apr. 8th, 2010 02:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sailorstarsunMy Grandma sent me a two sentence email, asking for an update. I sent her back a five paragraph reply. XD But I figured I'd cut-and-paste the reply here, for the record's sake.
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Hi hi!
Let's see... I'm not quite teaching yet; I start that Monday. But yesterday we had to do all kinds of running around, introducing ourselves to the Board of Education, the teachers, and all that, plus sign up for our alien registration cards (like a green card in America), and apply for national health insurance. Big fun. Luckily, two of my company's Japanese staff members were there with us, so they handled most everything. Not so luckily, I discovered today that they got my address wrong on the alien registration card and health insurance card, so I had to go back to the city building and get it fixed all by my self. Scary! But I did it.
I also had to open a bank account, but after much hand gesturing, broken English, broken Japanese, and bowing, they told me I couldn't get a bank account until I had my alien registration card in hand, even though I had the certificate saying I had applied for the card. But oh well; I won't need a bank account until I start getting paid - next month - anyway.
I just moved into my apartment in Chikusei last night, and have spent most of today wandering around, getting a feel for the place. It's pretty small-town-ish. I am about a 10 minute walk from the big supermarket, though, so getting food will be easy. Today I bought some tea, sugar, and ramen soup, so I'll have something to eat. Tomorrow I'll probably go back and get some meat and milk and stuff, now that I know how close it is.
My apartment is super cool, and actually pretty large, as far as I'm concerned. I'm on the second floor, but the stairs to get into my place are in my apartment, so I still have my own ground entrance, and stairwell. It's neat. Then there's a cool little alcove above the stairs that I don't know what I'll do with quite yet, but I love it. There's not really a kitchen, per se, but a small cooking area, as well as a fridge and microwave. I have a clothes washer, but no dryer, though the shower room is rigged with a fan that can be used as a dryer. The toilet room is separate from the shower room, and very very tiny. .^^ Then in the bed/main room there's a table that folds down if I need more space, a closet, and something like a desk, but the TV is on it and the TV is large enough to take up that entire desk, so I have my computer set up on the table. The bed is also super cool, and kind of on this raised platform, with tons of storage space underneath. That's B's room. .^__^ And there are two stairs to get up to the bed, and each of these stairs opens up for more storage space. No dresser, though, so I'm currently using the stair storage to throw my socks and underclothes and stuff, but I may change that system later.
I'll take pictures or do a little video tour or something later.
When I start working, I'll be at both a junior high school and an elementary school. Most days I'm at just the junior high, but on Thursdays I have to run from the Jr. High to the elementary school, and some days I'm at just the elementary school. But I haven't gone down there yet, so I don't know how long it'll take me to get there, or from one to the other......
For now, I think I'm going to have a cup of tea, and try to translate the directions on the washing machine, so I can clean some clothes. .^_^
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And I didn't write this in the email, but it's occurred to me that I say there's a lot of places to put things in the apartment now, but I give it three weeks before I'm ranting "God damnit, there's no place to put anything!" .^^;
.
.
.
Hi hi!
Let's see... I'm not quite teaching yet; I start that Monday. But yesterday we had to do all kinds of running around, introducing ourselves to the Board of Education, the teachers, and all that, plus sign up for our alien registration cards (like a green card in America), and apply for national health insurance. Big fun. Luckily, two of my company's Japanese staff members were there with us, so they handled most everything. Not so luckily, I discovered today that they got my address wrong on the alien registration card and health insurance card, so I had to go back to the city building and get it fixed all by my self. Scary! But I did it.
I also had to open a bank account, but after much hand gesturing, broken English, broken Japanese, and bowing, they told me I couldn't get a bank account until I had my alien registration card in hand, even though I had the certificate saying I had applied for the card. But oh well; I won't need a bank account until I start getting paid - next month - anyway.
I just moved into my apartment in Chikusei last night, and have spent most of today wandering around, getting a feel for the place. It's pretty small-town-ish. I am about a 10 minute walk from the big supermarket, though, so getting food will be easy. Today I bought some tea, sugar, and ramen soup, so I'll have something to eat. Tomorrow I'll probably go back and get some meat and milk and stuff, now that I know how close it is.
My apartment is super cool, and actually pretty large, as far as I'm concerned. I'm on the second floor, but the stairs to get into my place are in my apartment, so I still have my own ground entrance, and stairwell. It's neat. Then there's a cool little alcove above the stairs that I don't know what I'll do with quite yet, but I love it. There's not really a kitchen, per se, but a small cooking area, as well as a fridge and microwave. I have a clothes washer, but no dryer, though the shower room is rigged with a fan that can be used as a dryer. The toilet room is separate from the shower room, and very very tiny. .^^ Then in the bed/main room there's a table that folds down if I need more space, a closet, and something like a desk, but the TV is on it and the TV is large enough to take up that entire desk, so I have my computer set up on the table. The bed is also super cool, and kind of on this raised platform, with tons of storage space underneath. That's B's room. .^__^ And there are two stairs to get up to the bed, and each of these stairs opens up for more storage space. No dresser, though, so I'm currently using the stair storage to throw my socks and underclothes and stuff, but I may change that system later.
I'll take pictures or do a little video tour or something later.
When I start working, I'll be at both a junior high school and an elementary school. Most days I'm at just the junior high, but on Thursdays I have to run from the Jr. High to the elementary school, and some days I'm at just the elementary school. But I haven't gone down there yet, so I don't know how long it'll take me to get there, or from one to the other......
For now, I think I'm going to have a cup of tea, and try to translate the directions on the washing machine, so I can clean some clothes. .^_^
.
.
.
And I didn't write this in the email, but it's occurred to me that I say there's a lot of places to put things in the apartment now, but I give it three weeks before I'm ranting "God damnit, there's no place to put anything!" .^^;
