| | I have arrived in Japan safe and sound. Aside from the missing the bus from the airport, driving the taxi driver crazy, getting lost for 2 hours looking for my new school, while randomly stopping about 10 Japanese asking for direction, I think I am doing okay. Anyway I got into Tokyo at 2:30 yesterday, was going to ride the 3:30 bus from Narita Airport to Miyuki hotel but then I miss the bus because I had to pee... and had to drag all my stuff in to the bathroom with me... and I came back 3 minutes late. So I went to the ticket counter and ask them for another ticket... so I end up leaving the airport at 4:30... I arrived at Miyuki Hotel at 6:15 and got a Taxi but the taxi driver didn't know where I am going (it turned out that I gave him the wrong address)... well... so the Taxi driver, the hotel attendant, and I tried for half an hour to figure out where I am going... then I finally realised I had the address of the rental office and not the property itself and I gave him the right address... Anyway, so I arrived at WM Shirokane (the place I am staying for now) around 7:30... of course the office was closed.. and I was at the front door with all my stuff... on the door there is a sign that says for emergency press "call" then dial "119"... I was stuck there for a while and didn't know what to do, certainly I didn't want to call the police (119 is the number for police in Taiwan, and 911 is the number for police in the US... so I just assumed that 119 is for police in Japan as well)... finally a Japanese person came into the building and I asked her if she knows how to contact the person in charge and she said dail 119... so I did... and he came out and I finally checked into my place. Anyway, the place is super small... how small... I think my bedroom in Buffalo is bigger than the entire apartment... also... if you don't beleive me... my bathroom is 3 feet by 4 feet... I can trip and not fall in the bathroom because I am bound to hit something before I fall. Anyway, at least I have a place to stay... Oh well... I went to eat at this tiny sushi restaurant last night there is like 5 seats in the house around the sushi bar... the food was okay, it was pretty good compare to the value of sushi we get in the US. Anyway... after dinner I went to buy a map of Tokyo and spent the night watching TV and trying to figure out the map.
This morning I got up at 9:00 took a shower and went exploring the area... I have not enter the Tokyo I have been expecting... rather I end up getting lost in the little streets of Tokyo... I spent about 2 hours getting lost before I finally found Temple University Japan center (my school for the next 4 months)... it was only 20 minutes from the place I am staying... I guess my lack of sense of direction do apply internationally. The good thing about me getting lost is that I found the German embassy, and the Korean embassy in Tokyo... Anyway... so yeah that:s pretty much what I did today... getting lost... finding embassys... oh well... at least I know where my school is.
Tomorrow I am planing to expand my search... I am going to Akasaka to the Bank of America and see if I can avoid the exchange rate if I use my US account if not I am going to open an account in Japan. Further, I am going to look for housing agencies to find a place I can stay for the rest of my stay... Finally I have to go to Temple University Tokyo to pick up my books.... Anyway... that's all for now... will write more later. |
| | Posted 1/8/2006 3:27 AM - 3 comments
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