Friday, August 24, 2007

Finally registered as an Alien in Japan.....and got a Keitai (mobile)

On the 21st, Mario and I went to meet our supervisor at city hall to collect our Gaijin card (alien rego). Then we headed to the bank to get an account and then to get a mobile. Gee, these things are really complicated in Japan. If your name isn't written in Katakana and English then you have to refill in the form at the bank. Also if your name isn't written EXACTLY the same as on your gaijin card or passport then you have to write it again. And i mean exactly, as in Tubbenhauer Laura Louise is what it says on my passport. And i wrote Laura Louise Tubbenhauer. NEW FORM!!!!!!!!!!

However, one interesting thing i did learn at the bank is that you have to write your bday in Japanese years. So i was born on the 15/8/1982 but in Japan i was born on the 15/8/57. I am so old. lol.

The mobiles took forever...we sat there for about one hour as Morita sensei talked in really fast Japanese to the sales lady. I had a sore head afterwards. Finally, we got all the forms signed and then we had to wait an hour for them to register the phones. So we went to get our internet worked out. Then to Starbucks to have a coffee.

Once Mario and i got our mobiles we couldn't stop opening them. So exciting.

Interestingly, they don't have sms here in Japan. We each have an email address on our mobile and that is how you message each other.

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