Life Update

So, for those watching my blog, you are seeing some action finally! I know it's been a while. To be honest, I don't actually have internet in Japan which is what's been keeping me from posting anything.

I know what you are thinking. Obviously I am posting this now, so I must have some internet, right? Those who know me know that my internet use is simply tethering the internet from my phone and using the computer through it. Since cell phones contracts in Japan come with "unlimited internet" this seemed like a good deal when I arrived. However, as with everything involving life in Japan, nothing here is cheap or easy... well... you know what I mean.
So my "unlimited" internet actually translates to "unlimited but..." after 7GB of data transfer over a 3G/4G connection, the internet slows down to a pace that makes snails look fast. I frequently pass over my limit anywhere between the 13th and the 30th of the month. If, by chance, the month is coming to an end and I have data left, I usually pull an all-nighter (even on work nights, or just the weekend before). Basically, if you pass this limit, you can still check facebook and e-mails and such, but be prepared for dial-up connection speeds, don't expect any images or videos to load, and make plans to go outdoors because you will have nothing left to do at home but clean or read books (which I usually do all of the above quite happily). If nothing else, it's a nice way to get away from your computer/phone and force yourself to do something else!

So, posting has basically become difficult to say the least. However, as I am now about to finish the last week of my second full year in Japan, I felt it was time to try and get this blog functioning again ;)

I will try to post some back posts including my second year in Korea and the last two here in Japan. As it is, I am currently thinking about returning to Korea this coming April when I've finished my current contract.

Whatever I chose Tokyo is out.
To explain: my skin, eyes, throat, and pretty much all of myself has been rejecting Tokyo since I arrived. From my eyes going so dry that I get swores on the insides of my eyelids (and no, I don't wear contacts, so it's really strange) and eczema on my neck/chin that makes me look like I have a 5 o'clock shadow before I finally started paying $20 a week to get medicine and laser treatments (neither of these issues existed when I lived in Shizuoka) are telling me that Tokyo is just not for me~! (I heard from a co-worker that his girlfriend started getting nasty warts all over her hands after they moved here... she has to get them all removed surgically.)

Just a nice little teaser for those of you who think you want to move to Tokyo~ :-p

Until next time (which hopefully won't be too long!)

Arrival in Japan -- Starting up

So, when you arrive in Japan, life is of course different.

After Arriving in Japan, I had to attend a week long training in Okayama. This wasn't entirely a terrible thing since I was able to revisit Okayama Castle and enjoy the sights more than I was able to the last time I was there. However, it meant some things went on hold.

Residence Card
Japan revised it's Foreigner Policies in 2012, so now you will get your Permanent Resident Card at the airport. This is awesome and terrifying. I was so worried, after my 22 hour flight, that they were going to use the picture they took of me after getting off the plane. However, luckily, this was not the case. Instead they used the photo that came with my visa. *phew*
I was handed my card and sent on my way into the KIX airport, which is a really nice airport by the way. If you ever find yourself trapped in the airport for several hours awaiting your ride (like I did), I recommend checking out the airport lounge. You can rent a computer, room, books, bed, or even a SHOWER! Guess which one I did ;). The catch for the shower is that you need lots of hundred yen coins. It's a coin shower... haha. Take your shower pack, rent a towel, stock up on 100yen coins and enjoy the steam!

After my training was finished, I was placed on the shinkansen (bullet train) with my fellow trainees and we were left to make our way across Japan to our patiently waiting managers. By the time I settled into Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture, I had a good idea of what I needed.

Hanko
So, what do you need to get started? A bank account, a cell phone, and, in most cases, a hanko (a name stamp). Unless you live in the center of Tokyo, with the main branches of the large banks (or so I've heard), you will need a hanko. A hanko is a name stamp and your official "signature" while in Japan. Like your passport and residence card, it is to be guarded and protected! You may obtain one from a hanko store, where you can order a specialized one with katakana (Japanese alphabet for foreign names/items) or your own choice of kanji if you have it. If you want kanji, you may need to go alone. I heard that many manager's when taking in foreigner's either refuse to let them get one with kanji, or if they do simply tell them to grab a pre-made one off the rack whether or not you know what it says. Keep in mind, the more characters on the stamp, the more expensive it will be, so if you have a long name, I would use an abbreviation or buy pre-made.

Validate Residence Card and Get Insurance
You will also need to visit the local city hall asap. In order to validate your residence card, you need to take your passport with visa, your contract (in some cases), the address where you will be living, and potentially your manager to translate and verify your address. Once they know who you are and where you will be, they will use the ultimate miniscule writing to fill in your address (unless they have a card printer). Once your address is on, you are good. However, if your company isn't providing insurance, you will need to stop by that counter and pick up an insurance card. Take the same items and head on over. This isn't difficult, and they will usually bill you about a month or so later. They send bills that you can pay at the convenience store once they decide your amount based on salary. These are often sent in bulk, so you can pay ahead or just to save them processing time. I usually pay mine a couple months in advance, just in case anything happens, or in case I suddenly don't have money.

Bank Account
Once you have your hanko and your validated Residence Card, you are free to head to the bank! Some school's ask you to use the same bank/branch that they use to avoid/lessen the transfer fees for your salary. So make sure to ask about banks before making an account (not that you can't have more than one, but you need time to set them up). UFJ Mitsubishi and Mizuho are two of the biggest banks in Japan and good to use because you can find ATM's pretty much anywhere while traveling (which is great since this is a cash country).  Small banks aren't a bad thing though and you can usually find/use ATM's at the convenience stores if you're desperate (7-eleven ATM will take most cards, even on holidays).
Keep in mind, on holidays and after 8pm most ATM's will not work!!! Some ATM's will work, but simply charge high fees, some will reject you completely! Keep money on hand!
Mind you, this is mainly if you are using an ATM that is not with the same bank, however, many ATM's are located in the bank lobby and they are closed after 8pm in most places (outside Tokyo especially).

Cell Phone
Okay, so you have a hanko, your validated RC card, and a bank book?! Awesome! Time to get a phone! This is something you may want to research ahead of time. There are three main cell phone companies in Japan: Docomo, SoftBank, and Au. Unless you came over with your family, I would skip Docomo. It isn't really geared toward single people, but more family plans. SoftBank and Au are really the main two to look at. I have heard good and bad things about both companies, but I'm just going to say: GO WITH AU!
So, SoftBank often has a much better selection of phones, and their plans are reasonable, but I wouldn't do it if I were you. I chose Au because it's what my friends use and it's what I used when I came to Japan for the summer of 2007. However, my co-NETs were all using SoftBank and swore it was better. I also met a guy and started dating, but we couldn't call because he also used SoftBank. So I regretted my choice.
So when my friend came to Japan to work I told her that SoftBank was probably the way to go.... I don't know if she will ever forgive me. Both SoftBank and Au will tell you that they have wireless stations, but I don't know anyone who has been able to connect to them when found. Meanwhile, my friend discovered that SoftBank has terrible signal. If you live in a rural area, you may never have working internet or any signal. She couldn't even get 3G/4G most of the time! I mean, Au isn't perfect, but it definitely beats SoftBank in internet connection.

Okay, so, hopefully this blog got you through the worst of your first week. Now you just have to figure out where the nearest grocery store is and how to get to work on time ;)

Money Matters: Starting Costs

So, I still haven’t quite accepted that I will be leaving the country again next week—10 days left. At the same time, I’m pretty freaked out about my current money situation…

The company I will be working for recommends that you bring between 250,000¥ and 300,000¥ (which is a little more than $2,500-$3,000). I will be going with approximately 100,000¥ in pocket. Mainly because (as most graduates) I have loan payments I need to make and a minimum balance of $500 in my checking without getting fined. I’m planning to leave enough money in my account to keep my minimum and pay for the first three months of payments on my school loans.

An important thing to remember if you’ve never lived/moved abroad is money! As I said above most people would recommend you take a minimum of $2,000-$3,000 with you. Now, this is something that can obviously be played around with. Some people may “need” the full $3,000 or more, while some people may be able to get by with $500. 

If you are planning to move abroad for teaching there are several things you need to keep in mind when it comes to money and finances. First, make sure you remember to leave enough money at home to pay for any bills/payments you may have for the first 3 months. I say for 3 months because it may take some time before you have money to send. This can happen for several reasons: you may not get paid until the second month (in Korea it’s normal to wait 1-2 full months before getting paid), you may not be able to open a bank account until the second month (normally you can’t open an account until you receive your ARC, which can take up to 3-4 weeks), you have to consider the unforeseen (you may find that you have a lot of unexpected fees at the beginning of your stay).

Obviously I am not in Japan yet, but I have already had experience with moving to Korea. The best thing about both jobs is that my company has prepared my housing. This can be both a plus and a minus, but I prefer to just consider the plus side. ;)

I will use my experience, and what I know about my upcoming experience, to lay out some information that can help you to understand the monetary concerns listed above.

*South Korea: When I went to Korea I prepared approximately $1,500 to take with me (besides what I was leaving for loan payments and such). Unfortunately, my school couldn’t find a ticket as cheap as I could. When I found a cheaper ticket they asked me to buy it and promised to reimburse me. I went ahead and bought the ticket, but that left me with about $500 to take with me. (I actually don’t recommend agreeing to purchase the ticket, for Korea, unless you will be teaching in a public school—since they are regulated by the government you should have no trouble.)

After arriving in Korea, it took my company about a week to take me in for the mandatory health check (I know several people who were sent alone—which can be scary and stressful in your first week—so ask the person before you how they did theirs). Once your results are sent in, it can take about 1-2 weeks to get your ARC. After that, you can create a bank account, but when do you get paid? I arrived at the end of May, so I got paid around mid-July. Meanwhile, I had to fight with my boss to get refunded for my plane ticket. At first they were going to give it to me in small increments (about $100/week). They also used the exchange rate for the day they were paying me (which had dropped significantly since I bought the ticket 2 months before). In the end, I lost about $200 because of the exchange rate used, and it took me over a month to get the money back. (If you will be in an urban area, it’s easy to find a SK or KB Bank—both are great—ATM and you will be able to withdraw cash if/when needed from a foreign account.) 

Mind you, I had about $500 and my only foreseen expenses were groceries. However, I ended up moving in to a bachelor pad. The guy before me had not only skipped out on cleaning (and the company did NO cleaning/repairs) but I’m pretty sure he had never cleaned. I moved into an apartment full of dust, dirt, and MOLD, half the lights were out and there was grease all over the kitchen and surrounding areas. There was a broken mop collecting dust along with a small (and dingy) broom. Needless to say, I spent a ton of money/time on cleaning supplies and necessities within the first week. Add to, the closest mart was a nice taxi ride away so that didn’t help on cost.

Now, as you may have guessed, the cleaning supplies wouldn’t be $500 right? No. That was just an unforeseen cost. The biggest mistake I made was that I wanted to feel at home. In order to do that, I not only bought too many groceries, but I went ahead and bought little things to make the apartment seem homier (shoe rack, baskets/drawers for organizing, etc.). I recommend you hold off on this until you get paid. However, these are ways that your money can get a little… lost.*

*Japan: Again, I have not arrived in Japan yet. However, this is what the situation looks like right now:

I have saved about $1,000 to take with me (this is after purchasing my own ticket as this company does not pay for, or refund, the flight cost). Meanwhile, I’m leaving enough money to make the first 3 months payments on my bills. Also, the company charged a $200 processing fee which will be returned upon arrival at the training. There is a fee for sending the extra luggage to the school (you are only allowed two small bags—carry-on bags—for the training week); however, I already know that this will be around $60. The human transportation, however, is paid for by the school. ;)

I will be arriving at the beginning of December, and getting paid on the 25^th (of the first month). The paycheck will be approximately half a normal check with all the fees and deduction pro-rated. So while I may not be getting a full check, I should still be able to take home approximately $500 before the end of the month. (Not sure about this, but from what I've heard, using debit/credit in Japan is not an easy thing. So finding an ATM to take out money can also be hard. So I recommend taking money with you. If you will be working it's okay to take some in traveler's checks, as these can be directly deposited in a bank account.)*

As I have some experience living abroad, and already know several of the “Do’s and Dont's” of the game, I am pretty confident that I can live cheaply and even save some money in the first month. However, if you aren’t sure, I recommend taking more money.

The thing about money transfer is that you will need to make sure you have enough money in your account that you can afford to send money home and still cover any sudden fees (within reason, of course). I like to make sure that I have approximately $1,000 in my account at all times. This gives me enough money to cover food, travel, and fun for a month, along with a little extra.

My suggestion is to live cheap and safe for a month. This doesn’t mean “stay home and be boring”. On the contrary: Go out! This is a great time to get to know your new home. Find out what’s nearby, search for cheap restaurants (but try to eat in if/when possible), meet people nearby who can help you out, and just get comfortable in a new place! This way, you can save money and meet people who can help you plan out some great vacations once you’ve saved up enough to send home and still play.

This may seem sensible once you read it, but some people will never figure this out. My fellow Native English Teachers (NETs = foreign ESL teachers) never did. I watched as one after the other made the same mistake. They came and immediately saw it as vacation time. They wasted no time in finding the nearest bars, stuck to the foreigner crowd nearby, and took every chance they had to spend money and go on vacation—leaving little or no money to be sent home. Instead, they lived paycheck to paycheck. While this may sound awesome to some of you, there is a huge downside to this style of living.

My fellow NETs often spent all their money weeks before payday. Every month, sometimes weeks before the next payday, these co-teachers would be completely poor! One girl would frequently complain 2 weeks before/after getting paid that she only had $50 left for the month and no groceries. She would try to limit herself to a $5 pizza, planning to take some home and eat it over time. Then she would proceed to eat the whole thing at once, and have that much less money. Near the end of her contract, she went to the doctor because of some issues and learned that she was suffering from malnutrition.

This is your life. So, if you managed to read through this short novel, please consider yourself. Teaching abroad isn’t a game or vacation, it’s you JOB. The money you earn isn’t just for playing around (unless you have a rich family, in which case just go on vacation…), this money is for your livelihood. I’m not saying be boring, just be smart.

Pre-Departure

Exactly three weeks from today, I will be getting on a plane and started the day long trek to Japan! I don't really like flying, and have trouble sleeping on planes, so let's hope that the Sandman can find me this time~~~
Once I get to this point I am always worried I'm forgetting something. The things I use to keep me together are lists! If you search "packing lists", even adding international, on Google you can find some very useful things. Most lists are made for people who are permanently moving their families abroad. While you may not find that useful, it is. Just copy/paste it into word and take out what you don't need, and change what you do. Even the most thorough self-planner would do well to look at some example lists and make sure there isn't anything they've forgotten. There are even some that are sorted out from 90 days before departure to 60, 30, and so on. This is great for those things that you don't want to forget to do and either leave undone or do in a last minute rush.
LISTS! They are your friend. :)

At this point, the only things I need for my trip are new jeans! I lost weight and have been trying to lose more, so I've been putting this off, but it's my Thanksgiving Break plan. Otherwise, I've got/done everything important. I've given early notice at work, notified my bank of the move, and gathered/pre-packed most of my things to make sure they will fit within the weight limit.
Sometimes people think I'm crazy for starting to pack more than a month before the trip, but for me it's just the process. Apparently I have more junk than I think, so I like to start packing early to slowly start trickling out the things that I don't want/need. Even if you don't have much stuff, I recommend starting to pack at least a week before. This way, you have time to make sure you have everything together, know what you are still using that needs to be packed, make sure everything fits under the weight limit, and make sure you have everything in the right bags (like extra clothes in your carry-on should your bags get delayed).

Also, you should have already begun a study/review of the language and culture. If you don't think these are important, it's your loss, but please try not to make the rest of us look too silly. The fact is, while I have seen people live and co-exist without learning/knowing anything for a year or more abroad, their experiences are truly limited. These people usually interact with other foreigners most of the time, and spend little time with natives (often just teenagers who want to hang out). They travel in little foreigner pods using English speaking travel agents to make the plans and often struggle on their way (not the kind of learning struggle, but the "this is a pain and I'm going to get angry, complain about it, and not enjoy my trip" kind). Learn some of the language, make some real native friends (not just kids who think it's cool to be with foreigners), and get some real international experience.
I watched so many foreigners spend all their time with other foreigners, hanging out in foreigner bars, in mainly foreigner areas, etc. If you are going abroad to just experience the foreigners culture in another country: Stay Home!
If you actually want to see the world and learn about the culture, people, and life: Get out there and get out of your comfort zone once in a while!

Packing for Japan

I really don't like packing.... but I believe it is easier than unpacking, simply because at some point it must be done; whereas living out of boxes/suitcases forever is totally possible. ;)

I will be teaching in Japan at a similar type of institution as the Korean hagwon. It is a type of private school/business/after-school academy. After my experiences in Korea, I am a little wary, but I have been to Japan before and had both good and bad experiences. The bad experiences in Japan being far less troubling and more easily avoidable by living on my own is making it a little easier to push forward.

I have made several shopping/packing lists, and have more than I actually need. While many people believe this should be easier the second time, it isn't. Before going to Korea I purchased more 'work appropriate' clothing only to arrive and find that the places I was working were (WAY too) casual. (I clearly remember the director's wife who worked as a secretary coming in frequently in a white knit, sleeveless, shirt with a black and floral bra underneath.) Now I will be working in Japan which is much more strict with their dress codes. However, all the clothes I bought before going to Korea are useless to me since I have lost weight and 2-3 pant sizes. It is a sad thing, and horrible for my now empty bank account since I had to buy all new suits and pants.

With the clothing worries aside, I am looking forward to a new experience (and getting back out of food service--though it is paying the bills and about the only job I could get with only 3 months to work in).

I received my Certificate of Eligibility (COE) and contacted the consulate to find out how to mail all the paperwork in (to save my non-existent money on gas~).

After that, it's just waiting and finalizing my packing lists.

I wish...

My mother has decided to move on in her life and will be selling our home from the last 20-some odd years. So the reason this time is harder is because I have to pack up everything.

I've been lazy lately... I need to get back to work on convincing myself to throw it all away!!!! (Except the books, of course =_+)

Anyways, it has been a long day and I seem to finding myself working everyday and everyone's hours, so I should sleep.... *just think about money, money, money....*

Typos

Having a ton of typos in my posts is a bad sign for an English teacher. I realize that my posts may be full of typos, and I don't really want that; however, in my defense, I have a tendency to write my posts during the wee hours of the morning and can't promise that my eyes are even open while writing.

That said, I apologize and promise to proof read my posts (old and new) when I get the chance.

I think I may just need to save the posts I write at night and post them once I'm actually awake enough to reread them ;)

PS. This may take a little longer than I'd like as I'm currently working 6-7 days a week in order to not be a penniless foreigner when I start my life in Japan. ^^;

Follow-up and Links for Korea

While I have left South Korea, I still have friends and contacts there. Though Korea wasn't the place for me, a lot of people have better experiences there than I did.

If you find yourself going to, or thinking about going to Korea, but have questions/fears/ or simply want some advice on how to choose a school, what to look out for before signing a contract, or how to travel, feel free to ask.

I realize I disappeared for a long time--my computer died and when the replacement came I just didn't have the interest in starting up again... However, most of that was stress and my own bad experiences.

After having some time away, I can more easily remember the good things.

The reason I am starting this up again is that I will be leaving for Japan this December and will be blogging about my experiences (hopefully this time I can keep it up ;)

Here are some great links, I forgot to post them before:

For Travel in Korea:

These are for the trains. You can choose your start and destination, it will give you the fastest route and how long and how much the charge is. The first is the main site, if you click the picture you ge the second. You can link either, but it only works on Internet Explorer (No Mozilla).
http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/TR/TR_EN_5_1_4.jsp
http://www.smrt.co.kr/program/cyberStation/main2.jsp?lang=e

This one is for buses. You can enter the starting point and destination, or just zoom on an area and choose the 'Route Search' tab. (*Note: Buses aren't always kept up to date and they this site isn't 100% trust worthy... nothing is here with buses.)
http://bus.congnamul.com/SeoulRouteWebApp/view_english/map.jsp

This is for the KTX--fast train to Busan and other places. You can go here to pre-order tickets once you have your alien card.
http://www.korail.com/

For Learning Korean:

Told you before, the alphabet is easy. You will need some basic understanding of simple Korean words/phrases, but this is the best site I've found.
http://ecamp.cyberkorea.ac.kr/
It's actually really good, but if you want better you have to pay for classes, or find the free ones. It also needs IE.

For Discussion Class Ideas:

These are just links with Discussion Topics and Questions in case you need some ideas.
http://iteslj.org/questions/
http://www.btinternet.com/~ted.power/discuss.html
This is a site where it talks about laws that schools are supposed to follow with their foreign teachers.
http://www.efl-law.com/recruiters&the-law.php