A Strong Virile Update

I'm too lazy and forgetful to sum up everything that happened since the last post; but here goes a weak attempt:

I landed in Narita International; spent a night there at the Narita View Hotel;following day rode Shinkansen to Osaka; spent seven days in Osaka going through orientation; spent seven nights in Osaka touring landmarks like Osaka Castle, Shinsaibashi, and sampling its famous food from several restaurants; met and befriended amazing people; rode Osaka's enviable subway; lived in the smallest four-star hotel room ever; walked countless meters; soberingly realized how fleeting our individual lives are (the international nature of orientation impressed upon me the idea that people live intriguing lives, meet and bond with intriguing people, and eventually must part); rode the Shinkansen back to Tokyo; split with Chiba Alts to Chiba to spend night at forgettable hotel; split with fellow Kimitsu alt to meet IC (alt helper) and buy futon, register with city, get national health insurance card, and cell phone; moved into apartment; frequent local department store and Sukiya curry shop; bike around Kimitsu, Shojo, and Ahori; EAT OUT EVERY NIGHT PAST TWO WEEKS (LOSING MY MIND); and now writing this blog.

That I've been in Japan for about 15 days or so jars me. The first week felt more like a vacation. The second week feels like a slow slow dawning realization that I'm in a totally different country.

I unfortunately could not take any pictures during orientation (I came to Japan completely analog); so I am more than making up for it by inundating the interwebz with another video about a person's apartment and riding a bike and seeing a train crossing.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_he1aOzsFk&feature=player_profilepage

Crunch Time! Number-wise. Also, solving a KNOTTY problem <--Get it?!

I did a bit of number crunching. My tentative expenditures for the first month (not including food) follows:

• LeoPalace Apartment: 
• Two Months Rent Upfront: 101530¥ (US$ 1234)
• Insurance: 20000¥ (US$ 243)
• Lock Change 3150¥ (US$ 38)
• Data Entry Fee (Whatever that is, I imagine they simply add my address to a Rolodex in town hall): 2100¥ (US$ 25)
• Utilities (Electric, Water, Gas): 10000¥ (US$ 121)
• Furniture and accompanying Accoutrement: 16451¥ (US$ 200)
• Total: 153085¥ (US$ 1861)

• Phone
•  iPhone 4 32g: 51330¥ (US$ 624)
• Value Plan (Unlimited Data with free* Voice Calling): 6185¥ (US$ 75)
•  Total: 57499¥ (US$ 699)

• Car 
• Car Lease (?) with Insurance: 24677¥ (US$ 300)
• Novelty Dice (jk)
• Total: 24677¥ (US$ 300) 

•  Grand Total: 235263¥ ($US 2860)

In short, best to work and save some money before heading over to Japan land. These expenditures do not even count purchases leading up to Japan like clothes, plane tickets, etc. I suppose everyone already knew that moving is expensive; but for the rest of us still late in the adulthood game, this serves as a reminder. Also, I remember my initial estimates for graduate school and dorm life at Ritsumeikan APU totaled (with granted 50% tuition scholarship) 2478000¥ (US$ 30124) for one year. Upon retrospect, spending a little money now to work and make money feels like the better decision. 

Anyway, the following is one of the more effective videos on Tying a Tie, specifically, a Windsor Knot. For those of us who still find ourselves confounded and wounded against a lank piece of cloth, Godspeed.  

 

So, I have two weeks left. I really feel restless. Oh, while in Japan I intend to start up a video blog on Youtube not unlike the many expat blogs already established. The late Rodger Swan, TkyoSam, and Meaphe inspired me to record my own impressions and maybe, just maybe, intelligently contribute to the thriving expat community. Or hell, maybe just entertain. For now, http://www.youtube.com/user/MightyDandyLion just houses some Japanese language video projects from yesteryear.

  

Captain's Log: 3000.6 (part the 2)

Previously on Dexter

kidding!

October 16th 2010 (Part the 2). Anyway, the presentations briskly proceeded.  If I correctly recall, the presentation part lasted for an hour or so because our orientation only had eight applicants. After the last person finished, our recruiter convened for break asking every individual applicant to come back later for personal interviews--part three. The recruiter slotted me for 2:45 pm, so a bunch of us hopefuls decided to eat out while waiting. Between sobs and slurps, we vented over our perceived failures: "Oh, I failed the grammar test", "Oh, I didn't smile enough", and the occasional "SHIT".  Oh I forgot to mention that the recruiter gave us Myers-Briggs questionnaires to complete before our personal interviews. So, on top of sobbing and swearing, we  worked on our questionnaires. We played a sort of mind game with the questionnaires, trying to psych out the piece of paper with answers we thought THEY wanted us to answer: eg. one girl purposefully answering affirmative to all the obviously extrovert questions but always marking  a few introvert answers to not appear "too gregarious". Anyway after an hour or so, we headed back to the information session and waited. Eventually my interview came up and we exchanged goodbyes. Now, the personal interview was surprisingly chill. The recruiter asked "why Japan?", "Are you holistically prepared?", and other standard HR questions; but more often than not, she and I found ourselves loudly laughing. */sigh* typing tires me. /cop out. Fast forward ten days and Interac sent me an email congratulating me and wishing to hire me.

Late October 2010-Today, Now, This Moment. After restlessly waiting a good 5 months, I now find myself 19 days away from leaving for Japan. Anxiety often grips me. Still I sometime surprise myself, girding up courage not unlike a salty whaling captain in tumult-tossed sea legless-ly steering into a volcano. The following are the confirmed aspects of my assignment:

Placement: Futtsu-shi elementary schools

Accommodation: neighboring Kimitsu-shi; LeoPalace apartment

Driving: Yes

Start: April 1st

I am very stoked about my placement. I live near the countryside; Tokyo (wary I am to visit it) is a hop, skip, and a jump away; and the beaches! As much as I admire/love the Nevada desert crapshoot climate, I relish the idea of lazily sunbathing or clam digging weekends.