I'm at home!! I'm sitting in my bed with a cup of tea in my favourite mug that my mum brought to me, listening to Radio 1, amazed that I'm here.
Five days ago I didn't think I'd see my home or family for another ten months, but here I am, just like I've never been in Japan!
I got up at 5am yesterday (it really doesn't feel like it was yesterday...) and had breakfast, put the very last things in my suitcase, and then headed up to the station. It was only 10 minutes or so to Kichijoji, where I was catching the bus to Narita airport. At first I couldn't find where the bus left from, so I asked at a police box and they took me just round the corner and I saw a long line of people waiting for the bus to arrive.
I saw the guy from ICU who I spoke to after getting my re-entry permit earlier in the week in the line and I chatted to him before joining the back. The bus came about five minutes later and it was exactly the same process as the Airport Limousine buses I got from Narita last year, show the man the ticket and tell him which terminal you're going to, get a receipt for the luggage and then get on and find a seat. It was actually an Odakyu bus, but it was doing the Airport service.
It was timetabled to take two hours, but it was more like an hour and a half, which was good. We went through Shinjuku and I saw the skyscaper district from a distance, which was an amazing view, seeing the buildings suddenly shoot up from the low-rise surroundings. Then we headed east to Ginza and I saw my old house from last year from the bridge over Sumida River!
At the airport, it was very easy to get through check-in and customs, and then I had a second breakfast in the same ramen restaurant near my gate that I ate at when I left Japan last August. It was very nostalgic!
My plane boarded at 10.30 and then left early at about 11am. I had checked-in online, so I'd chosen a seat near an emergency exit that didn't have a seat in front of it, so I had loads of legroom!
The flight went okay, and it didn't seem to take long, which was very welcome, as it was a 12 hour and 15 minute flight. I watched Independence Day, which I've seen about 15 times, but I can't resist watching it if I have the opportunity! And then I tried to sleep, but it didn't happen. I can never sleep on planes unless I'm really really tired.
There was a bit of turbulence over Europe, which wasn't very fun, but it only lasted about 25 minutes or so. And then I was back in Britain! I was staring out of the window with wide eyes at the British countryside, and then the Thames River and the Houses of Parliament as we came in to land.
There were no problems at Arrivals, but my baggage did take a while to come out onto the carousel. Apparently there was a security issue which delayed them, and I was praying it wasn't my bag, but thankfully it wasn't!
And then I came out and met my mum. It was wonderful! We had a long hug and then got some coffee and went to the car. I was really tired but it was a lovely drive home to Birmingham through the British countryside. It's so British!
We went straight to my old school for a quiz night where my youngest brother was doing a performance. I don't think I was any help with the answers, but it was fun. It was such a nice reunion with the rest of my family as well. People were staring at the many long hugs going on!
And then we went home and had a bit of dinner. I was so tired I couldn't really take in being in my home again, but it was so nice. So amazing to be back.
And then, after 26 hours of being awake, I could finally rest! And now here I am, in bed at home. Now I think I'll have some of my favourite cereal and watch some TV on our new sofas, before having fish and chips (so British) from our local chip shop for dinner and then going to my gran and grandad's house for the night with my dad.
The dream has begun!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Japanese Re-Entry Permit
Because I'm leaving Japan but returning on the same visa, I need a re-entry permit (再入国許可, sainyuukoku kyoka) otherwise the visa would automatically be cancelled when I leave the country and when I come back it would only be on a tourist visa. This is true for student visas and working holiday visas, and probably work visas as well.
In order to get the re-entry permit, I had to go to my closest Regional Immigration Bureau (入国管理局, nyuukoku kanrikyoku), which thankfully wasn't too far away, in Tachikawa (立川). Last year I went to the other one in Tokyo, which was in the middle of nowhere in Shinagawa. Every area in Japan will have one of these Immigration Bureaus, but unfortunately if you live outside of the major cities, you may have to travel quite far to get to one. It's lucky that Tokyo has two!
To apply for a re-entry permit you need:
- an application form (available at the Immigration Bureau)
- passport with your Japanese visa inside
- Alien Card (外国人登録証明書, gaikokujin tourokushoumeisho, or just gaikokujin tourokusho)
- a special stamp (available at convenience stores)
- fee (Y3,000 for single re-entry, or Y6,000 for multiple)
So this morning I spoke to Wynne, an American girl who's in my class at ICU, and also lives in the same guesthouse as I do, because she went through the re-entry permit process a few weeks ago.
I went to my local city office (市役所, shiyakusho) to get a map and then took the train to Tachikawa. Following the instuctions on the map they gave me, I took the bus from stand #12 of the North exit of Tachikawa station bound for (北町, Kita-machi) and went to the 多摩車検場前 (Tama Shakenjou-mae) stop. The automatic announcements for this stop were in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean, so obviously a lot of foreigners go there!
In order to get the re-entry permit you have to buy a special type of stamp from a convenience store. I found this very strange, but never mind, who am I to argue with the Japanese immigration laws! All the nearby shops seemed to sell the stamps, so I just went into one and asked for a 再入国許可のスタンプ (sainyuukoku kyoka no sutampu). I don't know if that was the correct way to ask in Japanese but they understood and asked if I wanted one for Y3,000 or Y6,000. The Y3,000 ones are for a single re-entry, which means you can leave Japan and come back once and continue using the same visa. The Y6,000 is for multiple re-entry, so you can leave and come back as many times as you want. This is the one I went for, because it's the same price as two singles, and I intend to go to China next year, and then if I go anywhere else I can do it without paying any extra money.
After buying the stamp, I asked the shop assistant where the Immigration Bureau was and she pointed me in the right direction. Once I was on that road it was clearly signed and only took about two minutes. It was quite a small building, with a foyer and a room to the right with a waiting area, a desk with three clerks serving people, and some tables with files of forms.
I took a form for re-entry permits and started to fill it in, when I realised that I should have taken a slip of paper from the ticket machine to lessen my waiting time. It took me a while to find the machine, but I knew there must be one because there was a screen with numbers being called. It turned out to be on the main desk, so I took one and I was 128, the number being served was 97. I finished filling out the form and sat down.
Two hours later I was served. I didn't mind the wait, because I know how frustrating bureaucracy can be, so I was patient.
The clerk asked to see my application form, passport, Alien Card and then asked me to affix the stamp to the form and sign it.
He then stuck a label in my passport, stapled a form into it and that was it. A whole two minutes! So it was quite an easy process, it just took a long time. I have to fill in the first section of the form stapled into my passport for when I leave Japan, and then the second section for when I return.
After getting the permit, I then walked back to the bus stop and waited for the bus back to Tachikawa station. Then a guy from Bangladesh started talking to me, because he said he recognised me from ICU! He was a graduate student and he had been in the Immigration Bureau getting a re-entry permit because he was returning home the same day as me! Our flights are 10 minutes apart and he's also getting a Limousine bus from Kichijoji on the same morning as me! We might be on the same bus, but I think I might be on the one before him. It was such a coincidence! Who knows, I might bump into him on Thursday!
When I got back I rang the Limousine bus company and officially reserved my ticket. It was my first phone conversation entirely in Japanese, and it was very scary! But I muddled through and, if I understood everything correctly, I have to go to Musashi Sakai before 2pm tomorrow and pick up the ticket. So I'll combine a trip to Higashi Koganei to pay my next month's rent tomorrow morning with picking it up.
And then on Wednesday I can check-in online in the morning, and then I'll cycle into ICU to use their printers and print my boarding pass. I'll also see if they have sorted out my work permit application so I can pick that up. Then in the afternoon I'll pack, and then get up at 5am on Thursday and fly back home!
It's all incredible! I really can't believe it's happening! I think the next post I write will be from Birmingham, probably when I wake up in my own bed, in my own room, in my own country! Wow, it's going to be amazing...
In order to get the re-entry permit, I had to go to my closest Regional Immigration Bureau (入国管理局, nyuukoku kanrikyoku), which thankfully wasn't too far away, in Tachikawa (立川). Last year I went to the other one in Tokyo, which was in the middle of nowhere in Shinagawa. Every area in Japan will have one of these Immigration Bureaus, but unfortunately if you live outside of the major cities, you may have to travel quite far to get to one. It's lucky that Tokyo has two!
To apply for a re-entry permit you need:
- an application form (available at the Immigration Bureau)
- passport with your Japanese visa inside
- Alien Card (外国人登録証明書, gaikokujin tourokushoumeisho, or just gaikokujin tourokusho)
- a special stamp (available at convenience stores)
- fee (Y3,000 for single re-entry, or Y6,000 for multiple)
So this morning I spoke to Wynne, an American girl who's in my class at ICU, and also lives in the same guesthouse as I do, because she went through the re-entry permit process a few weeks ago.
I went to my local city office (市役所, shiyakusho) to get a map and then took the train to Tachikawa. Following the instuctions on the map they gave me, I took the bus from stand #12 of the North exit of Tachikawa station bound for (北町, Kita-machi) and went to the 多摩車検場前 (Tama Shakenjou-mae) stop. The automatic announcements for this stop were in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean, so obviously a lot of foreigners go there!
In order to get the re-entry permit you have to buy a special type of stamp from a convenience store. I found this very strange, but never mind, who am I to argue with the Japanese immigration laws! All the nearby shops seemed to sell the stamps, so I just went into one and asked for a 再入国許可のスタンプ (sainyuukoku kyoka no sutampu). I don't know if that was the correct way to ask in Japanese but they understood and asked if I wanted one for Y3,000 or Y6,000. The Y3,000 ones are for a single re-entry, which means you can leave Japan and come back once and continue using the same visa. The Y6,000 is for multiple re-entry, so you can leave and come back as many times as you want. This is the one I went for, because it's the same price as two singles, and I intend to go to China next year, and then if I go anywhere else I can do it without paying any extra money.
After buying the stamp, I asked the shop assistant where the Immigration Bureau was and she pointed me in the right direction. Once I was on that road it was clearly signed and only took about two minutes. It was quite a small building, with a foyer and a room to the right with a waiting area, a desk with three clerks serving people, and some tables with files of forms.
I took a form for re-entry permits and started to fill it in, when I realised that I should have taken a slip of paper from the ticket machine to lessen my waiting time. It took me a while to find the machine, but I knew there must be one because there was a screen with numbers being called. It turned out to be on the main desk, so I took one and I was 128, the number being served was 97. I finished filling out the form and sat down.
Two hours later I was served. I didn't mind the wait, because I know how frustrating bureaucracy can be, so I was patient.
The clerk asked to see my application form, passport, Alien Card and then asked me to affix the stamp to the form and sign it.
He then stuck a label in my passport, stapled a form into it and that was it. A whole two minutes! So it was quite an easy process, it just took a long time. I have to fill in the first section of the form stapled into my passport for when I leave Japan, and then the second section for when I return.
After getting the permit, I then walked back to the bus stop and waited for the bus back to Tachikawa station. Then a guy from Bangladesh started talking to me, because he said he recognised me from ICU! He was a graduate student and he had been in the Immigration Bureau getting a re-entry permit because he was returning home the same day as me! Our flights are 10 minutes apart and he's also getting a Limousine bus from Kichijoji on the same morning as me! We might be on the same bus, but I think I might be on the one before him. It was such a coincidence! Who knows, I might bump into him on Thursday!
When I got back I rang the Limousine bus company and officially reserved my ticket. It was my first phone conversation entirely in Japanese, and it was very scary! But I muddled through and, if I understood everything correctly, I have to go to Musashi Sakai before 2pm tomorrow and pick up the ticket. So I'll combine a trip to Higashi Koganei to pay my next month's rent tomorrow morning with picking it up.
And then on Wednesday I can check-in online in the morning, and then I'll cycle into ICU to use their printers and print my boarding pass. I'll also see if they have sorted out my work permit application so I can pick that up. Then in the afternoon I'll pack, and then get up at 5am on Thursday and fly back home!
It's all incredible! I really can't believe it's happening! I think the next post I write will be from Birmingham, probably when I wake up in my own bed, in my own room, in my own country! Wow, it's going to be amazing...
A Sudden Change in Plans!
Well here's a big surprise!
My exams finished on Friday, and that started a two and a half week school holiday. I was really relieved to finally have my exams all out of the way.
Then I was talking to my parents on Skype on Saturday evening and they surprised me by saying that they were going to pay for a flight home for this break! As you can imagine, I was completely overwhelmed! I didn't think I'd be going home for ten months!
But now, the flight is booked and I'm going home on Thursday morning for 12 nights! I can't get my head around it... But I'm so excited! I'll see my family, and my home, and my friends, and I'll be sure to go back to Cadbury World and see people I used to work with. And it coincides with a trip to my grandparents' house in Wiltshire, and also our annual family trip to Norfolk where we meet up with my mum's side of the family.
It will be incredible - I can't wait!
So now I have three days to sort everything out and pack, and then on Thursday morning I'm getting up early and heading off to Narita Airport! How amazing is that!?
My exams finished on Friday, and that started a two and a half week school holiday. I was really relieved to finally have my exams all out of the way.
Then I was talking to my parents on Skype on Saturday evening and they surprised me by saying that they were going to pay for a flight home for this break! As you can imagine, I was completely overwhelmed! I didn't think I'd be going home for ten months!
But now, the flight is booked and I'm going home on Thursday morning for 12 nights! I can't get my head around it... But I'm so excited! I'll see my family, and my home, and my friends, and I'll be sure to go back to Cadbury World and see people I used to work with. And it coincides with a trip to my grandparents' house in Wiltshire, and also our annual family trip to Norfolk where we meet up with my mum's side of the family.
It will be incredible - I can't wait!
So now I have three days to sort everything out and pack, and then on Thursday morning I'm getting up early and heading off to Narita Airport! How amazing is that!?
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Very Busy Two Weeks
This post is just a quick apology for the lack of updates over the last week and a half! After the ICU Festival last weekend, which was busy enough with all the Soul Run practices for the performance, I have entered a period of exam after exam after presentation. The end of term is next Friday, and the run-up is full to the brim with tests and various deadlines.
So I'm afraid I don't think I'll have the time to write up the happenings of the last two weeks until my break starts. I'm so looking forward to that two weeks off!
I will catch up soon!
So I'm afraid I don't think I'll have the time to write up the happenings of the last two weeks until my break starts. I'm so looking forward to that two weeks off!
I will catch up soon!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Soul Run Performance & The ICU Festival
Halloween weekend (31st Oct-1st Nov) was my University's festival (学際, gakusai), where we performed the heavily-rehearsed Soul Run dance.
Rob, Katy and I cycled in at lunchtime on the Saturday to get ready for the 3pm performance. We met the others at the gym and got changed into our happi (法被), the costumes for the dance. And we got hachimaki (鉢巻) headbands for the first time, and tied them ourselves, with a little bit of difficulty!
We then took all our things from the gym to one of the buildings near the stage, Shin D-kan. I was so nervous! I was terrified I was going to mess up in a really obvious way... We had half an hour to get even more scared, but the time passed quickly, and then we were lining up behind the stage, waiting for the act before us to finish.
I had invited one of my housemates from last year to come and watch, and he saw me waiting and wished me luck before going to join the audience.
Our leader (団長, danchou), a very cool guy called Rei, went out first and introduced us on the microphone to the crowd gathered on Ahoyama (あほ山), the name of one of the hills outside the main building (本館, honkan) in ICU.
He gave the signal for us to file out and take our places. As soon as I stepped out in front of everyone my mouth dried up completely. I was so nervous!
We found out places and took the first position. Rei took his place in front of us, and we all waited for his shout. And then we were off!
There are lots of videos of the performance on YouTube (unfortunately I don't have any). Here's one of them, but if you put "ICU Soul Run" into the search bar it comes up with several of them, including performances from previous years.
The following photos might give you an idea of what the dance was like... I'm the tall white guy closest to the camera in this top one.
There were lots of stalls selling food and drink made by the students, and everything was organised and arranged by students. It was really amazing, how hard people worked to make everything happen. And it was the nicest atmosphere!
Rob, Katy and I cycled in at lunchtime on the Saturday to get ready for the 3pm performance. We met the others at the gym and got changed into our happi (法被), the costumes for the dance. And we got hachimaki (鉢巻) headbands for the first time, and tied them ourselves, with a little bit of difficulty!
We then took all our things from the gym to one of the buildings near the stage, Shin D-kan. I was so nervous! I was terrified I was going to mess up in a really obvious way... We had half an hour to get even more scared, but the time passed quickly, and then we were lining up behind the stage, waiting for the act before us to finish.
I had invited one of my housemates from last year to come and watch, and he saw me waiting and wished me luck before going to join the audience.
Our leader (団長, danchou), a very cool guy called Rei, went out first and introduced us on the microphone to the crowd gathered on Ahoyama (あほ山), the name of one of the hills outside the main building (本館, honkan) in ICU.
He gave the signal for us to file out and take our places. As soon as I stepped out in front of everyone my mouth dried up completely. I was so nervous!
We found out places and took the first position. Rei took his place in front of us, and we all waited for his shout. And then we were off!
There are lots of videos of the performance on YouTube (unfortunately I don't have any). Here's one of them, but if you put "ICU Soul Run" into the search bar it comes up with several of them, including performances from previous years.
The following photos might give you an idea of what the dance was like... I'm the tall white guy closest to the camera in this top one.
I made a couple of timing errors, and one bigger mistake towards the end, but thankfully nobody noticed until Rob pointed it out (thanks Rob, haha), so hopefully it's not too obvious.
But I was so so happy to have accomplished that. We put in so much time and effort into that four minute performance! Towards the end of the seven weeks we were doing 8-10 hours a week after our lessons to try to make it look as smooth as possible.
And I was so pleased we did it! It was a similar feeling to when I finished the Midnight Walk across Tokyo a few weeks before.
And everyone was overjoyed to have done it!
But I was so so happy to have accomplished that. We put in so much time and effort into that four minute performance! Towards the end of the seven weeks we were doing 8-10 hours a week after our lessons to try to make it look as smooth as possible.
And I was so pleased we did it! It was a similar feeling to when I finished the Midnight Walk across Tokyo a few weeks before.
And everyone was overjoyed to have done it!
After the performance, we congratulated each other and celebrated back in Shin D, before splitting up to enjoy the rest of the festival without worrying about the dance!
There were lots of stalls selling food and drink made by the students, and everything was organised and arranged by students. It was really amazing, how hard people worked to make everything happen. And it was the nicest atmosphere!
That evening we had an after party (お疲れ様パーティー, otsukaresama paatii) in Kichijoji. We went to an all you can eat and drink place and had a really nice time. Everyone was in the party mood, and framed photos and teddy bears were given to Rei, and three other members who are in their final year at ICU. The staff (幹部, kanbu) all worked incredibly hard towards the performance, and we owe them so much for everything.
It was Halloween night so there were some people out in costumes. As we were deciding who was going to karaoke, and who was going to a club in the centre, two small Japanese children came up trick or treating, and the boy found me hilarious, as I was wearing a Tigger hat with a tail. At least I hope it was the hat that he found so funny...
We went to karaoke and had a really nice evening, knowing that we'd done a good job.
We went back to ICU the next day as well, to see other performances, and soak up more of the fun atmosphere. The weather was lovely on both days, clear skies and around 20-25C. It was the warmest Halloween I'd ever experienced!
The taiko drumming was incredible, and the performers worked really really hard - you could see the amount of effort it took!
Rob and I watched Smooth Steppers, which is ICU's hip hop-style dance club. It has well over 50 members! The dances were all amazing, and I really enjoyed watching them. One of our friends, who's in my Japanese class, and also lives in our guesthouse, was performing, and she did incredibly well.
After Smooth Steppers, the performances were over, and it was time for us to watch the Closing Ceremony. It's usually held outside, but because there was a risk of rain, they held it in the auditorium. 
It was a really nice weekend, and it made me really feel like I was part of the ICU community, and even more a part of Soul Run. I wish Leeds did something similar - I should suggest it!
After Smooth Steppers, the performances were over, and it was time for us to watch the Closing Ceremony. It's usually held outside, but because there was a risk of rain, they held it in the auditorium.
This was where we would find out who won first, second and third prize for the performances. There were 40 performances in total that we could vote for. But I don't think the way the voting was done was very good, because people could only vote for who they wanted to win 5 minutes after the act. Which means that people can't see everything before deciding which was the best.
But, despite that, we had received a text saying that Soul Run was in the top three as the votes stood, without Smooth Steppers being counted, which it had never done before. So lots of us headed to watch, as there was a chance we would be asked to dance again.
The ceremony was very good, with lots of good acts - juggling and dancing, and things like that.
And then it was announced! Soul Run didn't make the top three! We were knocked off by Smooth Steppers in the end. But they did deserve it, they worked really really hard. But Soul Run still came fourth, which is the best they'd ever done! So that was definitely a good achievement.
It was a really nice weekend, and it made me really feel like I was part of the ICU community, and even more a part of Soul Run. I wish Leeds did something similar - I should suggest it!
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