My New Environment
Yesterday while I was waiting to be introduced to my new supervisors, I wasn`t a bit nervous. On the contrary, I was especially happy when I saw them. Compared to all the other people waiting to meet their assistants mine where significantly young and looked pretty hip! Before I knew they were my supervisors I was so crossing my fingers and wishing that they would be. And then they came to greet me! The least I could say was that I was happy. :)
They took me around town yesterday. We were running back and forth trying to get my gaizin card (lit translation= foreigners card, polite translation `registration card` yeah right). We tried to open up a bank account, but I needed proof of a registered address. All I can say is this, red tape, red tape, red tape. To do anything I needed tons of paper backing up the request, which turns into a never ending vicious cycle. And to make things worse, it seems I can`t get connected (online) or get a cell phone and all those vital connection mechanisms until I get this `gaizin` card.
They took me around town yesterday. We were running back and forth trying to get my gaizin card (lit translation= foreigners card, polite translation `registration card` yeah right). We tried to open up a bank account, but I needed proof of a registered address. All I can say is this, red tape, red tape, red tape. To do anything I needed tons of paper backing up the request, which turns into a never ending vicious cycle. And to make things worse, it seems I can`t get connected (online) or get a cell phone and all those vital connection mechanisms until I get this `gaizin` card.
posted by Shrls at 11:32 AM
2 Comments:
hahahahaha . . . i'm sure red tape in japan has its own particular frustrations . . . but what you're going thru is quite familiar to most of us internationals in the US!!!!!!
you can't do a thing until you get that danged social security card, AND in the US, if you don't have a credit history, you have to pay a pretty large deposit in order to get a cell phone!
governments are made up of red tape. without red tape, they will cease to exist!:):)
so glad to hear you have great supervisors.
Hey Z,
The social security thing is definitely true. But... you can get that card in what 2 or 3 days. You have to wait a whole month here to get that `registration card.` A whole month with no cell, no internet at home and all that other good stuff.
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