Cameras

So, a lot of my family members come to me for camera advice, so I figure I would share my opinion on the matter. Before you start looking for which camera I recommend, please keep in mind that ALL cameras have a learning curve and I find the "simple" mode on most cameras just doesn't work.

With that in mind, I shall tell you that I currently use the Nikon Coolpix L100. It's an outdated model and a little underpowered, but it gets the job done and it gets it done well. The files aren't horrendously huge like they would be on a DSLR, but they're usually quite crisp.

A lot of people gave this camera a poor review, but my opinion is that they have a tool they have no clue how to use. Yes, I do get blurry pictures on occasion, but that's almost always in low-light situations OR when I'm zoomed in and can't stop my body from moving.

To understand what makes a good camera, you have to know how they work. I took a class and I played around with my camera for weeks to see what takes the best pictures.

However, I have been thinking that I'd like a more powerful model for some time and I'm definitely going to go for the Nikon Coolpix P510. The only bad reviews are about the video - the zoom is too slow, takes time to focus and is quite loud. And when you think about it, it's very difficult to get a still shot camera to be able to do that and still be affordable. I think the good points highly outweigh the bad here.

 The Coolpix P510 is currently priced at $400.

The Japanese Apartment System

So I'm currently in the process of renting an apartment in Tokyo and for anyone starting out, there are quite a few things you need to know.

First off, you need your budget and the criteria you're looking for. Otherwise, you'll get overwhelmed with all the options in such a large city. For example, my criteria was that it needs to be as close to school as possible and under 50,000 yen. 

My apartment will actually cost 57,000 yen, but that's because it's ridiculously close to school and it has a loft. But a lot of apartments will have rent and then a monthly maintenance fee. You have to add them together for your "official" rent. I plan on budgeting around 10,000 yen for all utilities, but I'll post more accurate figures once I move in and start getting bills.

Next, you shop around. There are MANY different apartment leasing agencies and quite a few that do so in English, if your Japanese isn't up to scruff. However, before going to one of these agencies, you will need to prepare some documents that I wish I had done before.

Your passport
Your alien registration card
Proof of your job or school (in my case, my student ID was sufficient)
A copy of your bank statement with at least 3x the first months rent in it
A Japanese bank account (which you would need if you get a job anyway)
An emergency contact who is a Japanese person
-----------A Japanese coworker, fellow student, or possibly your employer will suffice.
A Guarantor - but sometimes the agency can arrange for a guarantor company

You should also understand that there IS discrimination against foreigners here. As in, a lot of Japanese landlords won't rent to you because you're not Japanese. It's just something you need to get used to - and a lot of English speaking agencies can help smooth the way.

I am renting my apartment through Flat-Japan. I highly recommend them - they're a small company, but they remember the details to your situation quite well. They offer a huge variety of apartments, but they have even more properties available than what they show online, so please send them an e-mail or visit them.

 http://www.flat-japan.com/english/

You can also find important things to know in their glossary:

http://www.flat-japan.com/english/glossary/index.html

Well...F--K

I've sort of been clustered-f..ked over the past day or so.

Waseda is being adamant about me not being able to take classes in English. I've sent an e-mail to my adviser at home and it sounds like he's going to contact them from his end, but essentially they've backed me into a corner. Either I take a Japanese class on the native level or I struggle getting enough credits to graduate on time.

Of course, going there to pick up my ID and then being told I'd have to come back on Monday for it just sort of frustrated me even further.

And then of course, I have my housing situation. I am currently spending around 20 hours or so a week in exchange for free rent, which is all well and good. But not only am I unable to get the room I want in the building I prefer, but I was semi-evicted today. I was placed into the female dormitory to accommodate someone who wanted to extend their stay. I was going to move into a private room in 4 days anyway, but the thing that irked me was that I was TOLD, and not asked, to move. Hence my use of the word "eviction".

And then, of course, one of my "employers" posts  on Facebook that we should be glad that we're able to volunteer for free rent. Too many of us are expressing frustration about not getting the days off that we want and that 20 hours a week means more along the lines of the "20 hours you're assigned" and not "20 hours of your free time". He's essentially smashing us for having school and actual jobs. Furthermore, he says that we all need to present our availability in a timely fashion. Most of us give our available days when asked - but for many of us, they aren't taken into consideration. Every single time I've asked for a day off, I get work on that day. This time, I was able to throw enough of a fit to get out of work on a day when I have class from 9 am to 6 pm, but what about my whole upcoming semester?

This is my last straw. I can deal with terrible management, poor living conditions and long hours for free rent. I cannot deal with it if it jeopardizes my ability to go to school and study.

To further complicate my problems, I am unable to afford rent for anywhere in Tokyo. I'm currently suffering from a terrible cash shortage just to be able to eat. How the hell am I going to be able to afford rent and utilities?

That Feeling

I have wanted to come live in Japan since before I can remember. I was able to get a chance through my university - they had an exchange with Waseda University. So far, I really love living here. But I do miss the things that are normal in America.

For instance, people climate controlling their homes. Only those above the poverty line can really afford it...because electricity is so much more expensive.

I miss the cheapness of American foods. I can't really find frozen foods here and I have no idea how to cook with Japanese ingredients (not that I knew much about cooking before I came here). So for now, I've been living quite expensively out of konbini, but I plan on making a trip to the supermarket soon to stock up on dinner foods - like top ramen.

I miss being literate and not having to say, "sumimasen, kono kanji wa chotto..." every time I want to buy something...

I miss hair products for white people - they use such heavy products here, so it feels like my hair is always greasy.


I miss my brother. I miss my boyfriend. My parents, my friends. I knew I'd miss them and it hurts really bad to think that I have to endure life without them.

But as my younger brother put it, I'm living my dream. How many people can say they achieved their childhood dream? So when I get people who ask me, "you're studying abroad for a year? That's too long!" I agree, it is too long. But it's something I have always wanted to do - the time has already flown. I'll have been here for two weeks on Tuesday.

And today,  I missed my cousin's wedding. I've known him all my life and I'm so happy for him. I'm glad he found someone that he's willing to spend his life with. But at the same time, I'm really sad that I wasn't really able to spend that time with them...It was so early and because I was afraid I would wake someone, I didn't speak - I really just spectated. And of course, I had to volunteer within a couple hours and needed to catch up on the missed sleep...

I suppose I should clarify - I'm very happy that I was able to study abroad. I truly am - but there are a lot of things I miss and I really wish people would stop reminding me of everything I had to leave behind. It hurts to think about.

Lots of things

I finally have some time to just chill. I started volunteering at Yadoya guest house this week and my training has been taking up the majority of my time. But I shall now do my best to recount my steps.

Last Saturday, I went to a jazz festival and a famous Japanese woman performed. I can't remember her name, but her English was flawless and she spoke it with a British accent. The matsuri was in Nakano, but I think it was around Namabukuro station.

I haven't been using the AC as much - it's either cooled off or I've gotten used to it. I'm thinking that I've gotten used to it, at least partially. Sweating doesn't seem to burn my face as much as it used to.

Sunday, I picked up my bicycle. I had to ride it from near Oshiage Station to Nakano. It was only 9 miles, but it was around 36C (97F) that day and humid as hell, so it took me about 2.75 hours. I had to walk up the hills because I had heavy stuff in the baskets and I was using large roads - which have lots of shops and are therefore crowded at any time of the week. There were also several festivals I had to bike/walk through. I took only one real break, for 5 minutes, to cool down and eat ice cream.

Tomorrow is my second orientation. It's supposed to be about general life in Japan, so it may be stuff I already know, but it got me a day to do my laundry as well. I plan on using a laundromat so I don't have to wait for my clothes to dry - jeans can take hours.

 In order to save money, I have switched to cash. I'll use credit as a reserve - it's not as cheap, but it helps me keep track of my spending much better...which keeps me on budget. Even living out of a konbini, I can make it on just 1000 yen a day. This is especially important because the exchange rate is getting worse - by a lot. I think I'm going to try to save more money so I can go places.

Today, there was a matsuri (festival) in my neighborhood. I biked past it on my way home from volunteering - it was only 5 minutes from my house. I had seen them cleaning up the park and building the stage this past week, but I hadn't seen any fliers saying when or what it was. I'll upload a video when I get some free time. It may be as early as tomorrow.

I won't go into details, but today something happened to me that could be quite serious. I'm not sure what the outcome will be, but I'm going to talk it over with someone to see what course of action I should take. I'm perfectly okay and no physical harm has come to me, but it could be...nasty.

Prepaid Phone

I was able to get a prepaid phone! For just 300 yen per 30 days, you can have unlimited texting an email - they even give you an e-mail address! So now I can send messages to my family at any time, but it does use up their texting, unless they have a smart phone.

Yadoya Suzushiro A review and Softbank rant

After reading the reviews of others, I thought I could handle it. Not all that sure if I can. For those who have never weathered a Japanese summer, it's bloody hot. I'm a bit toasty now, as my room heats rapidly to the outdoor temperature because the Japanese don't use insulation.

I can understand Yadoya using pay-per-use AC units for the rooms - but everything I read said the central areas would be air-conditioned. Not in Suzushiro A. In fact, the doors and windows are left open and the lights off (so bugs don't wander in). There's not even an option to AC the central rooms...The AC price is 100 yen for 2 hours, which isn't bad, but it'll add up. Hopefully, I'll only need to use it until the end of September.

The house itself isn't terrible. It's rough, a little moldy, and poorly planned, but it's suitable, particularly if it was well maintained. However, the kitchen and shower area are in desperate need of a deep cleansing. The shower area is covered in mold and the water controls are horrifyingly painful - the water doesn't mix at all. I'm scared to use any of the dishware, because there's an open, unscreened window next to all the clean dishes.

On the plus side, I have a cheap bed and I really do live in a Tokyo suburb. The staff at Yadoya are very friendly and helpful. If you need anything, just ask and they'll do their best. My roommate is actually a staff volunteer and we're sort of bonding a bit. I'll be sad to see her go back to Taiwan.

I'll upload pictures tomorrow and I'll have a vlog video by Friday night.

--
SOFTBANK!

So I need a prepaid cell phone for emergencies and such. I went to three stores, only to be told at each one that they're out of stock. When I asked how many they keep in stock, the lady at the Harajuku store said it was because they're only allowed to sell 3 prepaids a day and that most other stores are only allowed to sell 1 a day. Because of this, I'll have to go again tomorrow, as soon as it opens. I would switch, but there aren't any other options.

Day 1.5

Yesterday could hardly count as a day since I landed at 8:30. After a looong flight and hardly any sleep, I'm doing better, but I've still only had about 11 hours of sleep in the past 72.

Some things I've already re/discovered about Japan:

- The apple juice tastes like apple cider
- The people here are friendly and helpful
- Walking. Walking everywhere in the heat.
- It's almost as hot as I imagine hell to be. So hot and humid it's like you went swimming with your clothes on.
- That I'm glad it takes a lot sweat for me to smell terrible. Because I should and I don't.
- 100 yen stores (like dollar stores, but nearly the whole store is 100 yen)
- That I'm likely allergic to my own sweat - it makes my face burn like 1000 papercuts...Or is this a common problems no one talks about?


I also went to Waseda's international student's orientation today! I met so many nice people~ I plan to add them all to my facebook tonight. The information was sort of already what was available, but they gave us so many handouts...I would also like to mention the I will probably join the WIC, Niji no Kai and Shoujo manga clubs.

About to go get a cell phone - I'm waiting for my AC to be mostly gone. D: