By the way everyone, you can leave me a comment by clicking on the “comments” link below the post. Just type in your name and what you want to say.
So I haven’t updated in a while. Today I went in to meet with my advisor here at Keio University for 15 minutes. She explained the courses I have to take and the courses I have to choose from. As for my placement test, I was placed into 2G which is the most accelerated class of level 2. This is fine with me, though I’ll have to see how hard it is or how good everyone else is in the class. There are some students from Korea and China here in Japan who are pretty good at Japanese.
My meeting with the advisor was conducted entirely in Japanese. Which, when I think back about it, is pretty amazing seeing as I was able to understand everything she said without any real difficulties. Speaking Japanese is a different story. I’m still rusty from not using it for many months and it is sometimes hard to say what I’m trying to say.
Though I will say that a couple days ago, I returned to a store called Zara in Ginza in order to exchange a shirt I had bought over the weekend because the shirt had ripped. I was able to tell the person working there the problem and what I wanted to do in Japanese without any real trouble. So I can get by in basic situations.
I’ve gotten the hang of the subway system here pretty much. The one annoying thing about it is that the subway system is not owned by one company or by the city alone. There are five different companies with subway lines and each does as it pleases. Although they are pretty integrated, it does pose some annoyances. For example, on my way to the university from my dorm, I have to buy a ticket and get on one line owned by Japan Metro. Then after a few stops, I have to get off, put my ticket into the exit machine and walk a while to get on to another train which is owned by a different company called JR Lines. There I have to buy a new ticket (since it is a separate company) and ride that line. It would be much easier if there were one company and I could simply change trains by going up a level or moving to a different platform.
I suppose this problem is slightly solved by the fact that I recently bought a student discounted commuter pass which is valid only for trips between the station near my dorm through a particular travel path to the station near Keio University. I have to pay for a ticket if I choose to use any other line or go to any station past the station near Keio University. It cost about 6,300 yen which is roughly $55 for one month. This pass is valid for both companies’ lines that I take on my way to school; although, I still have to exit the station and then enter another one at that particular place.
However, I am lucky. It just so happens that one of the stations that I travel through on the way to my university is Shibuya which is one of the more popular places in Tokyo to hang out, go to restaurants, shop, etc. I’ve already been there a few times with my friends and it is the closest destination to all of us when we want to go out. I am lucky because I can simply use my student commuter pass to get there and back making the trip essentially free.
Japan is a cash based society. It is not uncommon for Japanese people to carry hundreds of dollars in their wallets since credit cards are not really used or accepted here. For example, when I wanted to buy my student commuter pass at the train station, they would not accept my credit card. Luckily I had the cash on me at the time. As a result of only using cash, nobody will give another thought to it if you decide to pay with a 10,000 yen note (almost $100) for something small like 500 yen (almost $5) because they have no other choice.
Also, when I take out 10,000 yen from the ATM (almost $100), the machine gives me one 10,000 yen note since it is okay to use this where ever. The same situation would be a problem in America, if you asked for $100 and it gave you a $100 bill instead of at least five $20 bills since it would be ludicrous to pay for a pack of gum with a $100 bill in America.
Also, coins are meaningful here. In America, with the failure of common use of the $1 coin, the highest worth coin is the quarter at 25 cents. One night, I looked into my wallet and wondered why I only had one 1,000 yen note left (about $10)since I knew I should have had much more money than that. It wasn’t until later that I looked at the change in my pocket that I realized that I had six or seven 500 yen coins (about $35 in all). I was carrying more than $40 in coins in my pocket!
As for now, the three major things I have left to do before I am fully settled in is register for my classes, get a cell phone and open a bank account (which I was hoping to avoid by using my American account, but unfortunately they want a Japanese one to withdrawal money from for housing). So we’ll see how those things go.
I’m liking the blog. Good to know what you’re up to, makes it seem like you’re somewhat closer than halfway around the world!! Got cookies from my grandma today, and I missed you. With no one to take them away from me (and the fact that they weren’t that delicious anyway) they ended up in the garbage. Anyway, I thought of you. Hope we can talk some time soon, I miss you being here at Midd!
I really like reading your blog because it’s so interesting to see Japan from your point of view. like, there’re things i didn’t even notice because it’s nothing surprising or uncommon thing to me, you know. don’t you hate japanese notes, though? i think it’s too big.
Robb- the blog is super. Really keen observations right from the getgo. And you’re absolutely right that we all love the pictures. I am so glad that you’re blogging this adventure.
Hey was just browsing the internet, somehow came across your site.
Hope you’re enjoying Japan.
I was reading about your train travels, I just wanted to correct a few things to help you better understand the rail network in the Tokyo area.
Not all trains are “subways”, there are over a dozen train companies that operate in Tokyo, there are only 2 official Subway companies. They are Tokyo Metro and Toei.
Trains such as JR “Japan Railways”, and Tokyu Corporation (The train company you take from your dorm to Shibuya), are what are known as Commuter Rail Lines, or Private Rail Lines.
To complicate things, the trains from Tokyu (The Private Railway line), become “subway” trains at Shibuya Station, because trains on your line you take to Shibuya, change companies from Tokyu to Tokyo Metro, and continue to run on Tokyo Metro tracks. If you ever stick around, you can see the drivers of the trains change from Tokyu crews to Tokyo Metro crews.
Hope you have a great time in Japan, there are a million trains!
Yeah, it’s a strange thing, credit cards never really caught on here in East Asia. However, there are alternatives to credit cards, such as the Japanese using cell phones as RFID debit cards, or just keeping accounts at the stores. I don’t know what the deal is in Japan, but here in Taiwan, The Taipei MRT (Metro) Company, Yamazaki Bakeries, and even the local manga rental store let their customers keep accounts with them, so people can pay with an RFID card. And yes, America is a special place. Coins are of little value in America. In Canada (where the highest-valued coin is the toonie (CDN$2)), and in places like East Asia, a coin can often pay for a meal (and occasionally more), so you gotta learn to start counting coins!!!
About banking- what was your American bank that they wouldn’t accept? I am part of the 08-09 Willing resident group, and I was debating whether or not to open a Citibank account her in the US since they have branches in Tokyo. Or do you think I should just bite the bullet and open an account at a Japanese bank when I get there?