Adventures in Immigration, part II

The lastest chapter in my immigration adventures began in earnest this past weekend. I went to Nova on my day off to pick up my visa extension pack and... sign a new year-long contract. The visa extension pack is pretty awesome. It contains:

• a little booklet outlining the process in 4 easy steps
• a copy of the contract to submit to immigration
• a piece of paper with Japanese written on it that immigration officials like to see
• a photo copy of the forms I need to fill out, with a star by the required sections - which is great because apparently half of the form isn't important, AND
• key information filled in, like the official "status of my residence" (specialist in humanities), my "reason for extension" (to be engaged in a teaching position), and information about Nova, such as their "capital" (5 billion yen), "number of foreign employees" (4,611), and other such information that I don't know.

And in addition to the extension pack, at my request Foreign Personnel faxed me a map and directions to the two immigration offices in the Tokyo area, which was incredibly helpful.

Because of travel issues I outlined a couple of posts ago (I got 99 problems...) it was imperative that I start the renewal process immediately and my original plan was to do that on Friday, and if not Friday then Monday. But I realized something. When I moved in February I never updated the address on my Gaijin card, and without an accurate address there is no way the Japanese government would even accept my visa application. I never updated it because I imagined that it would be a huge convenience, and I certainly hadn't intended to submit any more visa paperwork. Not knowing how long the update would take worried me, but I knew it would take as long as it would take so early Monday morning I cycled over to the city office hoping that I wouldn't spend the whole morning there, and that it wouldn't take more than a week to get a new Gaijin card. Well, I was anxious for nothing. The whole process took maybe 10 or 15 minutes and I left with my card; all the lady did was write my new address on the back!

Crisis averted on the Gaijin card, but I knew I might not be so lucky at the immigration office... but still lucky to some degree. Nova cautions against going to immigration on a morning before work in case things take longer than expected, but as I start work at 1pm on Tuesdays I wasn't inclined to follow that advice. I also took a gamble on which office I chose. There are two bureaus in Tokyo - in Shinagawa, which is at least 45 minutes from my house, and Tachikawa, only about 20 minutes away. Foreign Personnel gave me directions to both offices but they weren't sure which one I should go to; the man I spoke with recommended Shinagawa just to be sure but in my head I was like, I'm already waking up early for this. I'm not going any further than I absolutely have to go! I got to the station without a hitch - I've been to Tachikawa before - but as I was wandering around the massive station area I started to doubt my choice. I thought crap - what if I really did have to go to Shinagawa... By the time I get there it might be too late to get anything done before work, and I don't want to wake up early again tomorrow... etc etc. I seriously walked around the station for a good 15 or 20 minutes before I found the correct bus stop, which I could have found in 2 minutes had I been paying closer attention. But the upshot was that I actually knew the Kanji (Chinese characters) for the bus route that I was looking for - even though I didn't know where it was I felt so empowered!

At the bus stop an Indonesian woman asked me if this was the correct bus to the immigration office; I told her that it was, and feeling a good samaritan moment I told her which stop we should get off at. As it turned out she'd been there before but had only forgotten which bus to take; and anyway when the bus started going an announcement was made in English, Chinese and Korean that this was the bus to the immigration bureau. The voice indicated which stop it was and right after the stop before said, 'the next stop is... get off here for the immigration bureau... please press the button next to your seat if you want to get off. If you don't press the button the bus will not stop.' I thought that last part was great; it's nice to know that even the most clueless Gaijin is being accounted for. The woman I met actually ended up helping me out. When we got off the bus it REALLY wasn't clear where immigration was located (there was a map on the bus that I didn't see - talk about a clueless Gaijin), and she wasn't going directly there but she made sure to point me in the right direction, which I really appreciated. The walk wasn't far, but there wasn't a whole lot to indicate that I was approaching an important government building so I started to get a little anxious about the distance I might possibly have to cover. I started thinking crap, maybe I shouldn't have tried to do this before work after all!

The Indonesian woman came in while I was still filling out the first section of my forms, and noticing that she took a number before completing her forms (albeit for a re-entry permit, not a visa extension) I decided to take the same gamble. I was feeling pretty good about it until I realized that I had made a few mistakes AND totally not realized there was a 3rd page to be done. And my number was up in two turns. I started to get a little frantic and just at that moment the woman came up to say good-bye. I thanked her quickly and said good-bye. I wanted to give her a better thanks but I was also really intent on trying not to screw anything else up with my paperwork. She kind of stood there for a few moments and I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be making some kind of conversation, but by this time they were on the number right before mine and the information I needed I couldn't just copy from the sample form. Well, she soon left but as it turned out my frantic-ness was for nothing; the number before me took more than enough time for me to complete everything.

When my number was called I was still worrying that something would be wrong - I had everything: the paperwork, my Gaijin card, passport and a required tax form that came with my last paycheck - but still I was holding my breath that everything would be accepted. It was. And the immigration agent told me that I could expect to pick up my new visa in 3 weeks! I was definitely happy to hear that, and to boot the whole process took no more than 40 minutes so I had more than enough time to relax in Tachikawa before heading off to work.

Adventures in Immigration, part I

These past couple of weeks it seems as though there have been few things on my mind, mainly anything and everything pertaining to when I'm leaving this country, the countries I might visit before I do and the visa status I'll have when I do so; which is funny, because the past 2 weeks have been pretty eventful in their own right...

... I recently had the opportunity to wear a yukata (summer kimono) to a fireworks festival and outdoor party with friends. Wearing the yukata was really fun, I felt so beautiful and Japanese! Putting it on was a little complicated though; I looked at the directions that came with it (in Japanese but with pictures) and I looked at more directions online (in English), but I still needed a (Japanese) friend to help me put it on - especially the obi, the sash that goes around the waist and ties at the back. That in itself is like origami!

... I also got to go to a Japanese baseball game! While the game is of course the same, the experience of the fan greatly differs. For starters, you're allowed to bring food and drinks into the ballpark. Not only that - if you buy beer they'll pour it into a cup for you! It should be noted that I brought in a couple of Coronas and they had to hunt around for a bottle opener; glass bottled beer is not common over here (much to my dismay). I think the best part of Japanese baseball is the cheering. Each player has his own cheer and is cheered for the whole duration that he is at bat, even if the ball is being fielded. I don't know who makes them up, but the crowd seemed to have memorized each one, with accompanying hand motions and what seemed like full body dances. Not only that, there was small pep band in the back of the stands, and a real cheerleader in front. I mean, this guy was really a cheerleader! He had one drummer next to him and a megaphone in hand, and was leading the crowd in the cheers and gestures. It was deliciously interactive, except on a few occasions I got so into following the dances that I completely missed the play!

... and Thursday I CLIMB MT. FUJI!!!! As exciting as this sounds it has honestly been at the back of my mind for the past few weeks. In fact, just today I emailed one of the friends that I'm climbing with like, uh, shouldn't we buy bus tickets to Fuji soon? I guess she was spacing out on it too. We're doing what most Gaijin climbing Fuji do, which is arriving in the evening, climbing overnight, catching the sunrise and then hiking back down. As of now I'm about halfway prepared: I have a head flashlight (to keep the hands free for climbing), cannister of oxygen (in case of altitude sickness or something), and I'm pretty sure I'm good for cold weather gear, as it's pretty darn cold at sunrise on the top of Fuji. I still need: to buy the bus tickets, write out some postcards so I can be ready to send them from the summit, buy water and granola bars (or some other trail snack). If I'm inspired and have time I might concoct my own trail mix!

This really happened

Yesterday I was eating my lunch/dinner outside of McDonalds and I noticed a small group of old people sitting nearby, eyeing me: 2 old women with small dogs and 1 stooped and stubbly old man. The old man got up with some trash in his hand, took a few steps, looked around, and then stopped short. I was sitting between him and the trash can. He could walk past me to the trash can or he could go inside McDonalds, which was slightly more inconvenient. I could tell he was thinking: walk past the Gaijin? or go inside? walk past the Gaijin? or go inside? He decided to walk past the Gaijin. And when he was next to me he spoke. I couldn't understand what he was saying - even if I knew the words I think his Japanese was moderately unintelligible - but he seemed to be muttering some question about Nova and pointing in the direction of where I work, so I answered yes.

Now, it's not uncommon for people to speak to me, especially old people. Usually they're smiling and they repeat their words a few times. Not this man! He didn't smile and what he said to me he said only once. I'm pretty sure it was offensive. As an English teacher and a functionally illiterate resident of Tokyo I've gotten pretty good at non-verbal communication, and yeah, I'm pretty confident that this man really wasn't a fan.

I got 99 problems and my visa ain't (but) one*

My Japanese work visa expires on 9/13. After the 13^th I’m not allowed to work in Japan, and without a visa I’m not actually allowed to stay here either. If I overstayed my visa they wouldn’t necessarily deport me, but I might not be allowed to set foot in Japan again once I left. To solve that problem I planned my trip to Korea to happen while my visa expired so I could return and simply be issued a regular 90 day tourist visa (Seoul, 9/10-9/14).

Problem solved? No! I was originally thinking that I would leave in late September or early October (9/24 or 10/1). But then I decided that I might stay through part of October to either a) visit China with a friend after her visa expires on October 10^th or b) stay in Tokyo until Columbus Day weekend when my sister will be able to be in NC the same week I get home. Either way it could be at least three weeks from the time that my work visa expires to when I want to leave; but if I’m going to be here for 3 week then I’ll want to be working. So resign with Nova and go with a tourist visa or renew my contract and stay for another month? Because of the time it takes to process a visa renewal I had to notify Nova if I wanted to resign or renew my contract. To gain the most flexibility I decided to renew; as my block trainer reminded me, I can always change my mind once I say yes to a new contract, but it would be difficult to do the opposite. So renewing my contract and visa is all well and good, except… Enter problems #3-5:

I’m not allowed to leave the country while my visa is being processed. It might be Sept. 12 or 13 before I get a new visa; I have a flight to Seoul booked on the 10^th.

I would want to continue working up until the last week of September, or as late as the 2^nd or 3^rd weeks of October, BUT I have to give Nova, the sponsor of my work visa, 4 weeks notice before I leave. If I gave 4 weeks notice in late August or early Sept. would they even continue the visa/contract renewal process? Would I be able to work that extra 2 or 3 weeks?

Whatever the answers to these questions are, the default is to go home sooner rather than later. But luckily, I think there are some answers.

Yesterday I confirmed with Nova Foreign Personnel that I’m not allowed to leave the country while my visa is being processed. I immediately called the person in charge of my visa/contract renewal, my regional assistant area manager (RAAM), and spoke to him about it. He told me that there’s a good chance I can get a new visa before I leave, but that technically Immigration allows up to 6 weeks to process visas. He guessed that I might need it to happen in 3-4 weeks. Luckily for me, my RAAM called the Nova Head Office in Osaka to try to fast track the Nova side of my visa renewal. Here is what we came up with: he thinks that he’ll have all the materials by Friday, on which day (my day off) I can pick up the papers, do my part to complete them, and ideally bring them to Immigration the same day. That gives them/me 5 weeks in order to be able to pick up my new visa the Friday before I leave. My RAAM also suggested that I bring a copy of my flight reservations and make some sort of explanation/apology for the situation in hopes that they might make an effort to issue my visa sooner rather than later.

If this doesn’t work I’ll go to Korea and forfeit my contract and work visa; and probably return to the States ASAP… which I hope doesn’t happen because a) I’m not wild about the idea of booking last minute (I consider 2 weeks as last minute) international air travel, and b) I would feel really bad if I couldn’t give Nova 4 weeks notice. I don’t so much feel like I owe Nova anything, but I’d hate to put my RAAM in a scheduling bind.

If it does work, then I’ll have found myself in quite the sweet spot! There are still a couple of details I have to confirm, but it’s possible that once Immigration has my visa papers that Nova can’t touch it, regardless of when I quit. With that I can continue to work and quit any time I want! Now, if only I could decide what I wanted to do.

*the title of this post is a reference to which song? bonus points for artist and album.

And things that are not of consequence

To non-Japanese speakers I 'speak' Japanese. To non-native Japanese speakers I don't speak Japanese. To a great deal of Japanese people my "nihongo wa jouzu desu!" Japanese is good. Here is an example: one time I was ordering food at a bar and I said "suimasen... hai, beeru Weistephaner desu, to... tabemasu, onagaishimasu" and the bartender said "tsugouii, nihongo wa jouzu desu!" Well, what did I say in Japanese? "Excuse me, Weistephaner beer please, and... eating"

I tell this story because today I helped a lost tourist while I was waiting for some friends to meet me in Akihabara. I was pointing stuff out to him on his little map and a Japanese man walked up and said "dai jo bu desuka?" I immediately said "dai jo bu desu, arigato" and the tourist man looked at me and said wow, do you speak Japanese? Oh, if only... but that's another story for another time.
*

And speaking other stories, in Of Tremors... I alluded to buying a new umbrella. Umbrellas are a thing here. It's hard to describe, but you might get a slight idea from this picture album. Also, I'm following this list and while I'm good for about half of them I wanted to cross off number 17. When I was in the store I realized that are things I might not have known about buying an umbrella. When it comes to other accessories like shoes, bags or jewelry I have certain criteria and some sense about what is or is not a good idea. Realizing how little I knew about umbrellas, and imagining that there was probably a lot more to know, I texted a Japanese friend. The conversation went like this:

me: do you know of a good place to shop for umbrellas? I'm at OIOI and I can't decide if I should get one now
my friend: umm, now I have one from Afternoon Tea, one of girl's Zakka stores. If you'd like feminine style, try it :) I don't really buy umbrellas cause I forget them everywhere. I'd say 2000 yen is average --- (picture of her umbrella included)
me: ooh ok thanks! do you think a long pointy umbrella is something I could take on a plane?
mf: what does a long pointy umbrella look like? no problem, i think
me: um, just an average umbrella I guess. that part is not as important. do you know if there is one material that is better than another? like some umbrellas feel silky. are those just for sunny days or rain too?
mf: um sorry don't know. but I've seen many people who have silky ones on rainy days.
me: ok - thanks for answering my questions! :) (cartoon picture of an umbrella) I think I've found one to buy!
mf: looking forward to seeing you soon :) (cartoon picture of an umbrella)

And now I can assuredly report that there is actually little-to-no important knowledge for buying an umbrella.

... And Tremors

On Monday following the typhoon, a Japanese national holiday, an earthquake struck at about 10:15 am off the coast of Niigata prefecture, northwest of Tokyo. Pictures in the media showed families sitting outside observing the wreckage of their collapsed wooden houses, and news reports told of a nuclear power plant that shut down as planned, but still somehow leaked radioactive water into the sea of Japan. I don't know of any damage in Tokyo. When I got to work and one of my co-workers asked - did you feel that earthquake?? But I hadn't! I was on the train, or in the station, or something. But apparently everyone who wasn't felt it. I read in the news about an aftershock sometime between 3 and 4 pm, but I didn't feel that one either. Later that night I was chatting with one of my housemates in our kitchen and he looked at me and said - did you feel that? And guess what? I didn't.

There was one memorable earthquake that happened between 1 and 2 months ago. It didn't do any damage nor did it make the news but I was sitting outside when it happened, and I think that made all the difference. It was an absolutely gorgeous day outside (before the rainy season) so I brought a chair out the the back garden to enjoy it. All of a sudden the ground started shaking! I clung to the chair or else I could fallen off. I hardly noticed though, because I was so in awe of what I heard: I heard the earthquake! It was so incredible to hear the ground move. I can remember the sound in my head but I don't know what words could describe it.
*

For more information on the Niigata earthquake:
Earthquakes in Japan Kill 8 and Injure Hundreds - NYT, the basic information.
Earthquake Shakes Japan's Northwest Coast - NYT, includes info on the nuclear waste.

Of Typhoons...

These past few days in Tokyo have been very prominent for Mother Earth. Over the weekend typhoon #4 came through. It's been cool and rainy for a couple of weeks now, but at some point the rainy season morphed into typhoon season (apparently typhoons signal the end of the rainy season, although typhoons just bring more rain). On Friday or Saturday one of my housemates mentioned to me that a typhoon was headed for Nagoya but he didn't seem to think it would affect Tokyo. Well, on Sunday it came through. Early, early sunday morning I awoke to the sound of heavy, quickly falling rain. As it was too early to be awake I went back to sleep hoping it would be over by the time I needed to leave for work. It wasn't. It was much too heavy to ride my bicycle, but I had rainboots and an umbrella so I felt equipped enough to walk to the station. Needless to say, I got wet. Really wet. It was extremely windy so the rain was coming at me from all sides. I passed up the chance to take the bus, not understand how truly wet I could get. The walk was about 15 minutes and at the end I was absolutely soaked. I mean soaked! Through and through. I could have wrung out half of my shirt, and the water in my pants could have filled a 2 liter bottle of water. Slight exaggeration, but it actually took me over an hour to completely dry.

And that was only the first half; a typhoon, like it's identical twin the hurricane, has two halves with the eye in between. In one of my last lessons on that day I got to talking with my student about the typhoon and he said (not verbatim) that we could expect the second half around 6pm. Then he showed me the weather report in the newspaper which tracked the path of the typhoon - down to the hour! And sure enough, it was due to hit Tokyo at 6pm on Sunday. I had planned on running some errands after work but he strongly cautioned against it. I was convinced - I certainly didn't want a repeat of the morning! After the lesson I relayed this information to the other teacher working that day and he said that he too had heard the same news. 6:00 came and went, however, with no rain. After work I reconsidered running errands - it still wasn't raining that hard and I could hypothetically cut my trip down to less than 10 minutes, so I went for it. I dashed out of the station, down the street and into the store. I zeroed in on my intended item and swiftly made the purchase. That might be the fastest shopping trip I've ever made. Except then I saw the umbrellas. Umbrellas are a highly developed accessory in Tokyo and I really enjoy observing parades of umbrellas on rainy days, and parasols on the sunny ones. Thinking it was still the rainy season I thought to myself, I've seen so many pretty umbrellas... I want one too! I quickly glanced outside in a feeble attempt to gauge the weather (rain can quicken or slacken on a dime; looking outside was pretty ineffective) and judging it to be sufficiently non-threatening I decided to buy one. Which is another mild story in itself. It might be ironic if I had left the store with two umbrellas in a downpour - still getting wet because one umbrella can only do so much, but of course you can't use two - but it actually never poured. As it turns out the second half of the typhoon veered away from Tokyo.


and then I found 10 yen. (today)

Hierarchy +

A little while ago I had the really cool opportunity to visit a local university and talk with a college class. I became friends with a Gaijin that I randomly met at the Starbucks near my house and as it turned out he was a college English teacher who invited me to speak to his class as someone 'fresh' from America (he's been here for 7 years). The students asked me about a number of things, including environmentalism, lifestyle, gun control/ownership, and equality.

At first I didn't understand what they were getting at with equality. I knew that Japanese society was very hierarchical but I thought, are people not born equal in Japan? Then my friend explained to me that they were asking about the Sempai/Kohai relationship. The best approximation of the Sempai/Kohai is a mentor and mentee, but in Japan it goes deeper than that. A Sempai is someone in a social group who is older than you and who most likely entered the group before you did; it's more or less automatic. Generally this means that there is always a person to whom you must defer, and a person who must defer to you. Hierarchy is built into everything. For example, a friend told me the story of another teacher at her Nova branch. This teacher was leaving Japan and so she was having a good-bye party. She invited the Japanese staff from her school to the party, but because the Sempai wasn't going, the other staff, considered to be his Kohai, didn't feel that they could go.

I thought about this a little further after a conversation with a student. She was telling me that she really liked the other students in Nova (businessmen, students, office workers, housewives, etc), but if she saw them in public she wouldn't speak to them. "I'm too shy," she said. "I wouldn't know what to say."

Politeness is essential in Japanese culture and society, and it's built into the language as well. In every language there is friendly or street language that differs from words you use in business or in the classroom. In many languages it's common to find one or two polite declensions or pronouns, like the French 'vous' or the Spanish 'ustedes.' But in Japanese there are entirely different sets of language for being polite and friendly; in addition to that there is a system of bowing where the depth of your bow indicates your position relative to the other person. As there are so many rules, I would also imagine there is a lot of room for mistakes; except mistakes in this area aren't socially acceptable.

A lot of Japanese people claim shyness, but given all the rules, if I were Japanese I'd probably be too shy too!

Oy Vay

The exchange rate today is HORRIBLE - $1 costs 124 yen!!! That's a high for the past 5 days and the past 30 days. That means if I transferred 50,000 yen to my American account, I would barely get $400. For every $4 exchanged I lose the next $1. So, $4 to me, $1 to... to... I don't know where it goes. Well, I'm not transferring today. That's just ridiculous.

turningjapaneseithinki'mturningjapaneseireallythinkso

2 nights ago I mastered the art of riding my bicycle while holding an umbrella!! People here do it all the time. It was a little tricky at first, and I'm still not ready to do it every day of the rainy season, but it sufficed for a small round of errands around Mitaka. The key is to lean forward on the bike, so you can grip the handle and the umbrella at the same time. Otherwise disaster strikes when you try to brake. If you try to brake with one hand it's pretty easy to fall off the bike; and, as braking is usually a quick and sometimes unexpected action, if you're not already holding the handlebar it's quite difficult to adjust your grip on the umbrella in a way that doesn't injure yourself or passerby, in enough time to brake. I should try to get a picture of this.

And by the way, I think the rainy season is here! It's been raining for the past few days, but so far so good - I'm staying sane! So now I'm about to find out which is worse: always being cold (a Chicago winter) or always being wet (the rainy season). Wish me luck!

Top Survival Tips for the Japanese Rainy Season

According to my Rough Guide to Tokyo, June is the rainiest month, with 305mm/12in; this is known as the rainy season. Luckily today was beautiful, but I'm bracing myself for the rain. September, the month that I arrived, is 2nd rainiest month (typhoon season) with 279mm/11in. I distinctly remember disliking the large amounts of rain, and wondering what Japanese people did about it. So I found out. The following is a list of suggestions from my students. If you have ideas please post a comment! (^_^)

1) go to the library to read books

2) go abroad (to a dry country)

3) go swimming/to the gym

4) drink beer

5) wear casual clothes to work (if you can)

6) eat ‘strong’ food (spicy food, cold noodles)

7) drink a genki drink

8) carry a fan

9) keep dry socks at your office

10) take a towel to work

11) go to the movie theater

12) wear cotton dresses/breathable fabric

13) study English at home/go to Nova

14) eat ‘natural’ food (avoid fried and spicy food)

15) plan your (post rainy season) summer vacation

16) take showers

17) buy a pretty umbrella

18) listen to music at home

19) watch DVDs at home

20) exercise at home (especially to fit into summer bikinis)

21) talk on the phone

This really happened

Yesterday...

I got on the train on the way to work and this older (60s) Japanese man with a long ponytail kept stealing glances at me as I was reading my book. Right before the next stop (which happened to be where I got off) he looks at me and says,

Do you know Jimi Hendrix?
- Uhhmm, yeah.
Yeah! He is an excellent guitar player. The greatest!

Then he did some air guitar and got off the train.

The truth about Japanese fashion

Do you want to know the truth about Japanese fashion? Here it is:

Pantyhose are IN! in in in in in. Japanese women looooooove them some pantyhose. They wear it every day. Do they wear pants, or even stockings in the winter? No, skirts with pantyhose. When it's nice outside do they go without? Nope. Open-toe sandals, closed-toe shoes, it's all fair game. I have even seen a number of women wear hose with long pants and completely closed shoes! Why? As I can often be heard saying in Japanese, wakarimasen (I don't understand).

The funny thing is, when I wear pantyhose (a must at work) I truly feel like a Japanese woman - like I'm one of them. It's so universal here that I feel like I've tapped into something... that even though I'm so obviously Gaijin I'm just like everyone else on the train, coming home after a full day of work.
*****

Now if only I could maneuver in hose like Japanese women can. I've mastered riding my bicycle in work clothes and heels, but I tore my 2nd (of 3) specially imported pair of 'soft brown' hose on the pedal of a very nearby bicycle when parking my own the other day. So now I just need to learn the secret of 30s bicycle parking in a crowded lot while wearing pantyhose - before I'm out of 'soft brown'.

How do you know when you're home?

A new teacher at my branch recently asked me if I felt at home here. I do and I don't. It's hard to feel completely at home in a place where I can't buy hair products for curly hair, pantyhose for brown skin or shoes for larger feet. On the other hand, I'm waaaay excited about the most recent development in Tokyo's transportation system - the Passmo card!

There are something like over 60 companies in the Tokyo area that operate different buses and trains. While some companies operate on the same ticket system, there are a few different systems. Going to work I use two different companies: JR and Keio. So, I have my commuter pass (tekky) for the JR lines (on a Suica card), my tekky for the Keio Inokashira line, AND I have a Passnet card that covers the Keio line (for when I can't use the commuter pass), Tokyu Tokoyo line, the Tokyo Metro lines, Keihin Tohoku line, and a few other lines. So at any given time I have 3 cards, but it's actually more complicated to transfer using 2 different cards than it is using tickets. The Suica card is re-loadable, but the Passnet card is not; neither is my Keio tekky.

So why is the Passmo so great? You can use it for EVERY single line in Tokyo - and it can be your commuter pass - and you can store money on it. So all you need is one card to ride any train or bus in Tokyo. It's incredible! It gets better. Previously, you could only use the Suica card on the JR lines, but now that too can be used for any line. And I already have a Suica card!

Without knowing anything about the Tokyo transportation system I'm sure this is all ridiculously confusing; but trust me - it's also very exciting! And that might be something that only a person who feels at home in Tokyo could say.

Pet Peeves

One of my biggest pet peeves occurred this morning -

I'm on the packed morning train, as usual, when all of a sudden the huge mass on the train empties and individuals are furrowing their brows and noticably recalibrating their morning commute.

Technically its not ALL all of a sudden - it is in response to an announcment, but since I can only understand about 1/6 of what is said on the trains (up from 1/10!) I view most responses as random.

It's just totally one of those c'mon!!! moments. Like, even the Japanese people look confused; what is an illiterate Gaijin to do?

The Flipside

Living in a foreign country, especially one as foreign as Japan, really makes me aware of how many little things in life I have taken for granted. Sometimes accomplishing these little things is difficult. Sometimes it is impossible.

Dry Cleaning: I dropped off trousers and a silk scarf at my local dry cleaners, the materials aren't particularly exotic, so I didn't expect any problems. But when I gave the clothes to the lady behind the counter she frowned and gave them back to me, pointing at the tag. Although it said 'dry clean only' it wasn't in Japanese, so she didn't know what to do with it. I thought taking it to the dry cleaner was enough, but apparently there is more to it than that? She then kept shaking her head, pausing, and trying to explain in very simple Japanese (kind of an oxymoron). Finally, she produced a very long and reasonable sounding explanation. She spoke slowly and clearly, looked directly at me, and paused to make sure I was following her. It was so compelling; I just had to nod in return. But I didn't understand a word she was saying. At the end she said, OK? and gestured like she could take the clothes after all. I said, ok? She nodded, so I said OK! I gave her my clothes and hoped for the best.

Asking Questions: I can ask for directions in Japanese (x wa doko desuka?), but unless the answer involves copious amounts of pointing and gesturing, I can't understand the answer. I can ask 'how much' (ikura desuka?), but I can't ask if it is on sale or not. I recently cobbled together a passable question for 'what is this' using one of the words for what (nande) and this (kore). Between my roommate, the saleslady, and I, and using broken English and broken Japanese, we were able to piece together the answer.

Cotton balls… I have yet to see them in the store, but I don’t know how to ask if the store carries them or where I go to get them.

Concert tickets… every link directs me to a webpage in Japanese. I went to Tower Records to ask where to get tickets, and they directed me to the second floor of a mall that exclusively sells women’s apparel.

Small things, all of them. But it’s these little things that sometimes make me long for the ease of picking up the phone and knowing I can understand the person on the other end. Or being able to ask if I’m confused or need information. Or simply being able to understand the situation and make an informed decision, instead of saying OK! and hoping for the best.

What You Don't Know About Tokyo

I recently did a lesson where the students learned how to debunk myths about cities and tourist spots. “People think that… but…” So I asked them to come up with the top 3 things that people don’t know about Tokyo. What they said:
1 – Not all women wear kimonos
2 – Minors are not allowed to stay out past 10pm (a law that is not enforced in the slightest)
3 – Tokyo is NOT in fact, a concrete jungle (fooled me!). Apparently there are a lot of parks and green spaces. I actually saw some postcards that had a view of the skyscrapers from some park, but I’m not going to buy it until I can verify its existence.

I would like to add another one.
4 – When using the ATMs there is such a thing as ‘after hours’. Essentially, the ATMs close, and you cannot get money. My bank has online banking in English, which is great, but the worst ATM hours of any bank in Tokyo. This has caused problems on a number of occasions.

One Sunday night in Shinjuku I had just unknowingly spent my last thousand or so yen on magazines. I was ¥60 short to get on the train, so I went to an ATM. A few minutes past 9:00, most stores had just closed, but a few were open. I went to the first ATM and everything was fine – it took my card, took my password, and made noises like it was producing cash. It then spit my card out – but there was no money! I went to 3 ATMs and started freaking out that something was wrong with my account before I remembered that it was after hours. How did I get home? I asked a stranger for ¥60. It was definitely one of the more soul-withering moments I’ve had in Tokyo.

On being Gaijin

I wonder sometimes, what it is like for some of the Japanese people I encounter in my daily life. In America people often tell stories to their friends or family about encounters they have with strange people. Do people do that in Japan too? If so, I wonder what some people I've had run-ins with might say...

Two weeks ago my friend Jen and I had lunch at an okonomiyake restaurant. Okonomiyake is a dish where you mix together meat and vegetables in a thick liquid, pour it onto a hot griddle and cook it like a pancake. Each table has a mini-griddle, and you mix the ingredients yourself. So, on with the story - from the perspective of, let's say, Yuki.

So two Gaijin came into the restaurant today. When they entered they bowed and said konnichi wa, so I thought maybe they spoke some Japanese. I was so wrong. I gave them the menus, and they looked really confused. They were talking - it seemed like they were discussing what to get. I didn't understand most of it but I was able to make out okonomiyaki - albeit in a very un-Japanese accent. Finally they pointed to a picture of a monjomiyake set for one. I thought to myself, ok Gaijin, whatever. There were two of them, but I didn't say anything.

When I brought them the food I offered to show them how to mix and cook but they just wanted to do it themselves. I walked by a couple of times and they seemed to be doing fine pushing the monjomiyake around on the griddle and cooking away the liquid, but then after a little while they waved me over. They started frowning, pointing to the monjomiyake, gesturing wildly and jabbering in Eigo – and I totally didn’t understand them! Finally one of them looked at me inquisitively and said ‘egg?’ Then I realized – they wanted okonomiyake! Those Western fools.

I took out one of the menus, pointed to the monjomiyake, and then pointed to the okonomiyake, which they promptly ordered. Thankfully at that point Taro came in, and he speaks better English than I, so I passed off the clueless Gaijin to him.

Goldalization and Other Ramblings

I'm so excited, today I joined a gym!! Gold's Gym just opened up 15 mins from my apartment. I first went to join Monday morning, but apparently every 3rd Monday of the month this 23hr gym doesn't open until 5pm?!

So I went tonight. It was mostly uneventful, I had my Gaijin card (resident alien card) and my bank card so that kept any major problems from arising. I did have to provide -

my line of work - in 4 different sections
my employer's phone number
my employer's address
how many people Nova employs
Whether or not I am in debt, and if so how much (I said no debt - not in Japan)
and
I had to get a Gold's Gym credit card.

Tattoos are grounds for termination of the contract. I'm assuming it’s don't ask don't tell.

At a certain more Japanese gym (Konami Sports Club) you are not allowed to join if you have a tattoo. Although I'm assuming that is also don't ask don't tell.

Apparently only Yakuza (Japanese Mafia) have tattoos. They and a handful of daring Japanese.

Earlier when I was still riding the Sumo high I told my students stories about going to the tournament, but I mixed up the word for the highest Sumo rank - Yokozuna - with the Japanese Mafia.
- "... It was so exciting, my friends and I got to see the Grand Yakuza!!! ... Yazuka? Yokozuna?" My students were horrified.

It is also fun to tease them about Kabuki-cho, the red-light district (in Shinjuku). Kabuki-cho used to be really dangerous, but it's not so much anymore. A lot of Japanese are still afraid of it; Salarymen tell their children that it is a very dangerous place. The joke at Meidaimae (my Nova branch) is that this is what Salarymen tell their children so that they won't run into them there.

For one role-play I said to one of the students (an older woman)
- ok, imagine that you are in Kabuki-cho...
--but I never go to Kabuki-cho!
- yes, ok, I would like you to IMAGINE that you're in Kabuki-cho, we're imagining.
--what? Kabuki-cho? But I don’t go to Kabuki-Cho!

Confusion ensued. It may be worth saying that when asked about what she did the previous night this student told the class that she went drinking in Ginza (very shi-shi), passed out on last train and missed her stop. She came to class very tired.

Details, Pt. 2*

NOVA is the largest English school in Japan. Apparently students pay good money to go. There are huge Nova billboards and signs all over Tokyo, and I have to admit, I get warm fuzzies when I see them.

THERE exists a super-annoying phenomenon called ‘the last train’. Tokyo has incredible nightlife, but to experience it you have to
a) live nearby
b) go home around midnight
c) stay out all night until 5 or 6am
Japanese and Gagin (foreigners) alike don’t seem to be bothered by it, but it has certainly derailed my plans on more than one occasion… Ok, its 10:30, let’s go! Oh wait, it will take us 45 minutes to get there… the last train is at 11:50… poop!
- small consolation, you can check the last train from cell phones

I TEACH old people. I had a student the other day who was seriously like, 80 years old. I love them. They’re usually quick to smile, and it amazes me that they’re this old and still learning a new language!

SPEAKING of learning a new language, I was under the impression that Nova students had to know some degree of English before signing up for classes. This is not so. It’s fine, except its kind of awkward when I’m trying to teach them basic English in English and we both know that they have no idea what I’m saying.

THERE is nothing like being constantly surrounded by non-Americans (English, Japanese and Canadian alike) to really understand what it means to be American. Apparently people have the impression that we laugh a lot, and our view on customer service is pretty unique.

*Bonus points if you can tell me which song I’m referencing. Extra bonus points for artist and album, respectively.