I'm in the middle of exams, so obviously I'm looking for any reason to avoid studying. Take this article, for example:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/eo20111219gd.html
It's so sad that it's mostly true. What's wrong with being a woman who can drive? What's wrong with beautiful female voices? Heck, what's wrong with the idea that sex is between lovers, not necessarily husband and wife? Why are orthodox religions obsessed with this? The reason they married people off was so that paternity wasn't as much in question and therefore paternal child care wasn't a problem. Plus people couldn't support themselves in that time. People married young because they died young and depended on each other for survival. Now? If I'm lucky, I'll live to be 100. I haven't even hit 20 yet. Why marry the man I love if we both know and understand that we love each other and aren't ready to tie the knot?
And why does every religion point the finger at women being corrupting? In my experience, men will think about women no matter what. It's genetics. The men who think about getting dirty with women more often will be more likely to get it on more often and therefore produce offspring with that gene. That being the case...it doesn't matter if you throw a birqa on a woman. Hiding the elephant isn't going to make it go away.
And to leave it with a quote for the day: "Not a sermon, just a thought."
The ramblings of a college student, whether on travel or in the middle of exams.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Overpriced College Shit
So, as much of my generation understands, college prices are rising while average incomes are not. But I'm not ranting today about the bullshit of spending $20K + a year for living away at an INSTATE college. I'm here to rant about the bullshit of the college "meal plan".
Every university does it a little differently, but it's all the same. First off, the crap food you get is overpriced. Now don't get me wrong, some of the choices are quite delicious. But plastic-tasting macaroni, greasy pizza and a slice of pie shouldn't come out to about $8. In high school, it would've cost $5 and students were complaining then. But the majority of meals are much more expensive than that. I usually spend about $10 for rice, some meat and veges and a soda. The meat isn't even quality - I constantly pick around at bits of fatty, tough or grisly meat and I've even gotten a chip of bone a couple of times.
Next, they force you to buy a "meal plan". My average meal plan costs me around $1950 (a couple dollars short). It's fucking ridiculous. $1900 worth of food for 3 months? You're shitting me. That's roughly $160 a WEEK on just food. But no, not only does that NOT roll over to the next semester, it also gets $500 skimmed off the top for a "facilities fee". The university does NOT pay for having food available on campus. The on-campus student does. So you pay $1950 for the following breakdown 1049 meal points, 275 special points, and 16 meals at the new all-you-can-eat place. The special points are the good ones - you can go to the university-run convenience stores on campus and buy things at ridiculous prices ($1.50 for 450mL of juice, $4 for a half gallon of juice, $5.50 for a tray of 30 oreos, just to name a couple). They have emergency school supplies, medical supplies, etc as well. The meal points and special points are essentially dollars named points. The meals are usually $18 a pop, but are included in your plan at a discounted rate.
But wait, there's more! So if you include all of the cash points, you have roughly $110 a week to spend. That's still really high and training students to start terrible habits. Between the two of them, my dad and brother usually spend around $75 a week on what I get $110 for. And as I mentioned above, if I don't use all of my remaining $250 in the next week and a half, I loose it. This is with me treating my roommates to a fancy restaurant using those points and dishing out money to pay for the special all-you-can-eat place about 6 times. Part of it is I don't eat much, part of it is I go home on the weekends for work.
So that's based on the "average" plan. So I looked into the "additional" options offered after your first year on campus. The CHEAPEST meal plan offered is at a whopping $1749.50. That's not even the best part - for that $200 discount, you get ONLY 304 points. My roommate was saying they add up differently and are not equivalent to dollars at all, but with her eating every other meal from home (mother sending her food all the time) and her going home every weekend, she'll barely have enough points at the end of the semester. So my option is go hungry and carefully keep track of where I eat OR spend $200 more on something I don't need? I'm torn.
College is a bitch.
Every university does it a little differently, but it's all the same. First off, the crap food you get is overpriced. Now don't get me wrong, some of the choices are quite delicious. But plastic-tasting macaroni, greasy pizza and a slice of pie shouldn't come out to about $8. In high school, it would've cost $5 and students were complaining then. But the majority of meals are much more expensive than that. I usually spend about $10 for rice, some meat and veges and a soda. The meat isn't even quality - I constantly pick around at bits of fatty, tough or grisly meat and I've even gotten a chip of bone a couple of times.
Next, they force you to buy a "meal plan". My average meal plan costs me around $1950 (a couple dollars short). It's fucking ridiculous. $1900 worth of food for 3 months? You're shitting me. That's roughly $160 a WEEK on just food. But no, not only does that NOT roll over to the next semester, it also gets $500 skimmed off the top for a "facilities fee". The university does NOT pay for having food available on campus. The on-campus student does. So you pay $1950 for the following breakdown 1049 meal points, 275 special points, and 16 meals at the new all-you-can-eat place. The special points are the good ones - you can go to the university-run convenience stores on campus and buy things at ridiculous prices ($1.50 for 450mL of juice, $4 for a half gallon of juice, $5.50 for a tray of 30 oreos, just to name a couple). They have emergency school supplies, medical supplies, etc as well. The meal points and special points are essentially dollars named points. The meals are usually $18 a pop, but are included in your plan at a discounted rate.
But wait, there's more! So if you include all of the cash points, you have roughly $110 a week to spend. That's still really high and training students to start terrible habits. Between the two of them, my dad and brother usually spend around $75 a week on what I get $110 for. And as I mentioned above, if I don't use all of my remaining $250 in the next week and a half, I loose it. This is with me treating my roommates to a fancy restaurant using those points and dishing out money to pay for the special all-you-can-eat place about 6 times. Part of it is I don't eat much, part of it is I go home on the weekends for work.
So that's based on the "average" plan. So I looked into the "additional" options offered after your first year on campus. The CHEAPEST meal plan offered is at a whopping $1749.50. That's not even the best part - for that $200 discount, you get ONLY 304 points. My roommate was saying they add up differently and are not equivalent to dollars at all, but with her eating every other meal from home (mother sending her food all the time) and her going home every weekend, she'll barely have enough points at the end of the semester. So my option is go hungry and carefully keep track of where I eat OR spend $200 more on something I don't need? I'm torn.
College is a bitch.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Definition of Reality
So this is a curious topic. Reality means, by definition on the Merriam-Webster webpage, totality of real things or the quality/state of being real. This in turn, makes me look up the strict definition of real. Real, again using the Merriam-Webster dictionary website, means not being artificial, fraudulent or illusory. Again, this makes me look up the definition of illusion. An Illusion, according to Merriam-Webster, is the state of being intellectually deceived or the perception of something objectively existing in such a way that causes misinterpretation.
Based on this, reality seems relatively straightforward. But these definitions don't necessarily give the concept of one's own reality. In fact, what you perceive to be true, whether or not it is the truth, drastically effects how you perceive your reality. So truth is all subjective.
Take this situation as an example: your diamond ring goes missing. At the same time, your friend obtains a ring that looks exactly like the one you lost, leading you to believe that they stole it from you. The evidence does point to your friend being the perpetrator, but your friend tells you that she bought the ring the day before yours went missing. However, when asked to produce a receipt, she cannot because she threw it away. While this was an error on her part (almost everyone I know throws away their receipts, even though I was always taught to keep them), she did actually buy the ring. But everything points to your friend stealing your ring. Therefore, you shape this into your reality and you can no longer trust your friends. It doesn't matter what your friend says, because you've already unconsciously passed judgement and no longer trust her.
Take another situation: your lover goes away on a business trip. He returns with lipstick on his collar or perfume on his clothes. If you want dramas or movies, obviously he was having an affair. But he tells you he had gone to a bar or a strip club with some colleagues and that a woman had come onto him, which he politely declined. There is nothing you can do to prove otherwise, because you weren't there. You ask him to produce a receipt and he says that there was a joint tab and one of his other colleagues paid it off. This wears at your conscience and eventually you lose trust in your partner.
Now in both of these situations I used the pronoun "you" as means of immersing you, the reader, into the situation. While I gave you, the reader, all the major facts, the you in the situation only knows one side. Please keep this in mind when thinking about these situations.
And now for the final bit: your reality and memories can change via suggestion. For instance, I can suggest that your lover also hadn't answered his phone that day. You would then further attribute that as evidence to his affair, even though it was because he had been in a meeting all day and was unable to answer it. I could also suggest that your friend had been near your jewelry box on the day your ring disappeared, even though she was helping your clean your house. Again, further evidence.
I find that those with a very vivid imagination (those who tend to write, read, or draw especially) tend to do this a little less than the average person, and I think this is in part because they walk the fine line between the worlds/lives they create and the world we live in. But I also find in the case with many people that in part, they have a tendency to exaggerate facts or recounting of details. Just about everyone has done this, to some degree.
Now this is not necessarily a bad thing. It makes for an interesting story, for sure. But the tricky part is when you do this with memories. You have the ability to change your memories over time. The key example is societies who recite history and stories orally. Over time, they are warped into something considerably different than what actually happened. "He was rather tall" turns into "he has as big as a house". Or, in the case above, "My lover hadn't really talked to me that day" turns into "he never talks to me" which turns into "he's grown so cold toward me". Now you might not think this is all that valid, but think about it the next time you exaggerate.
Last bit of food for thought is how a positive memory can turn negative. If you bring up a positive memory when you are feeling down, it gets a slightly negative connotation. If you do it enough, eventually the memory will become negative. So, for instance, you're upset and you look at a picture of the person who you're upset with. It, for me, usually brings mixed feelings to the surface and usually results in me throwing the picture down in disgust. The better thing to do is listen to music when you're upset - that way you don't ruin all your good memories.
Based on this, reality seems relatively straightforward. But these definitions don't necessarily give the concept of one's own reality. In fact, what you perceive to be true, whether or not it is the truth, drastically effects how you perceive your reality. So truth is all subjective.
Take this situation as an example: your diamond ring goes missing. At the same time, your friend obtains a ring that looks exactly like the one you lost, leading you to believe that they stole it from you. The evidence does point to your friend being the perpetrator, but your friend tells you that she bought the ring the day before yours went missing. However, when asked to produce a receipt, she cannot because she threw it away. While this was an error on her part (almost everyone I know throws away their receipts, even though I was always taught to keep them), she did actually buy the ring. But everything points to your friend stealing your ring. Therefore, you shape this into your reality and you can no longer trust your friends. It doesn't matter what your friend says, because you've already unconsciously passed judgement and no longer trust her.
Take another situation: your lover goes away on a business trip. He returns with lipstick on his collar or perfume on his clothes. If you want dramas or movies, obviously he was having an affair. But he tells you he had gone to a bar or a strip club with some colleagues and that a woman had come onto him, which he politely declined. There is nothing you can do to prove otherwise, because you weren't there. You ask him to produce a receipt and he says that there was a joint tab and one of his other colleagues paid it off. This wears at your conscience and eventually you lose trust in your partner.
Now in both of these situations I used the pronoun "you" as means of immersing you, the reader, into the situation. While I gave you, the reader, all the major facts, the you in the situation only knows one side. Please keep this in mind when thinking about these situations.
And now for the final bit: your reality and memories can change via suggestion. For instance, I can suggest that your lover also hadn't answered his phone that day. You would then further attribute that as evidence to his affair, even though it was because he had been in a meeting all day and was unable to answer it. I could also suggest that your friend had been near your jewelry box on the day your ring disappeared, even though she was helping your clean your house. Again, further evidence.
I find that those with a very vivid imagination (those who tend to write, read, or draw especially) tend to do this a little less than the average person, and I think this is in part because they walk the fine line between the worlds/lives they create and the world we live in. But I also find in the case with many people that in part, they have a tendency to exaggerate facts or recounting of details. Just about everyone has done this, to some degree.
Now this is not necessarily a bad thing. It makes for an interesting story, for sure. But the tricky part is when you do this with memories. You have the ability to change your memories over time. The key example is societies who recite history and stories orally. Over time, they are warped into something considerably different than what actually happened. "He was rather tall" turns into "he has as big as a house". Or, in the case above, "My lover hadn't really talked to me that day" turns into "he never talks to me" which turns into "he's grown so cold toward me". Now you might not think this is all that valid, but think about it the next time you exaggerate.
Last bit of food for thought is how a positive memory can turn negative. If you bring up a positive memory when you are feeling down, it gets a slightly negative connotation. If you do it enough, eventually the memory will become negative. So, for instance, you're upset and you look at a picture of the person who you're upset with. It, for me, usually brings mixed feelings to the surface and usually results in me throwing the picture down in disgust. The better thing to do is listen to music when you're upset - that way you don't ruin all your good memories.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Advisers
If you have ever gone to college, you have probably had to meet with an adviser at least once, either for your major or for a transfer or some other reason. What was your experience with them?
I have, in my experience, only had one adviser who actually read my e-mails. My study abroad adviser never answers all of my questions and he rarely knows anything. In fact, I went for an appointment because the deadline was moved up to Jan 16th as opposed to March 15th and he didn't even believe me. He went and checked and then apologized. To me, this is NOT a good sign of the person I have to work with for the next 6th months to make my study abroad real. I have had advisers totally misunderstand my e-mails and not answer any of my questions. I have had advisers e-mail me last minute accepting my appointment time (as in, within a half hour before). They've even answered my e-mail in depth and then at my appointment have no idea about anything they had e-mailed me about (leading my to suspect someone else wrote the e-mail).
I suppose one must simply fight through the idiocracy, eh?
I have, in my experience, only had one adviser who actually read my e-mails. My study abroad adviser never answers all of my questions and he rarely knows anything. In fact, I went for an appointment because the deadline was moved up to Jan 16th as opposed to March 15th and he didn't even believe me. He went and checked and then apologized. To me, this is NOT a good sign of the person I have to work with for the next 6th months to make my study abroad real. I have had advisers totally misunderstand my e-mails and not answer any of my questions. I have had advisers e-mail me last minute accepting my appointment time (as in, within a half hour before). They've even answered my e-mail in depth and then at my appointment have no idea about anything they had e-mailed me about (leading my to suspect someone else wrote the e-mail).
I suppose one must simply fight through the idiocracy, eh?
Friday, November 25, 2011
More on Travel
I recently came across another packing tutorial for studying abroad in another country. He makes all the same points I did in a more condensed fashion, although I must say I disagree with the no iPod rule. In Japan, you're supposed to be quiet on trains, so when you're on a train for an hour with nothing to do, it can be pretty boring.
I will say that I also had the same feelings the first time I packed for myself. "Am I bringing too much?" Again, I'll reiterate my rule of thumb. If you cannot lift all of your bags simulataneously off the ground and walk easily, you have way too much. For men, a hiking backpack/sturdy suitcase and a laptop bag. For women, a handbag/laptop bag and a hiking backpack.
http://usac.unr.edu/information/packing-tips.aspx
This is a pre-departure list, also from USAC. You should be able to figure out if it applies to you (either your study abroad or your trip).
http://usac.unr.edu/information/know-before-you-go.aspx?display=115
I will say that I also had the same feelings the first time I packed for myself. "Am I bringing too much?" Again, I'll reiterate my rule of thumb. If you cannot lift all of your bags simulataneously off the ground and walk easily, you have way too much. For men, a hiking backpack/sturdy suitcase and a laptop bag. For women, a handbag/laptop bag and a hiking backpack.
http://usac.unr.edu/information/packing-tips.aspx
This is a pre-departure list, also from USAC. You should be able to figure out if it applies to you (either your study abroad or your trip).
http://usac.unr.edu/information/know-before-you-go.aspx?display=115
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Thoughts on Japan
A lot of people who know me personally know that I really do love Japan (and am slightly obsessed with getting my butt back over there). However, there are some issues that I'd like to address.
警察 (keisatsu)
The police system in Japan has issues. That goes for any authority, world wide. But Japan's issue revolves around a couple general themes. Raising questions and the cultural value of saving face are the two main problems and they kind of go hand-in-hand.
Article A
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20111101zg.html
Article A details the death of a man named Abubakar Awudu Suraj. He had lived in Japan for 20 years, had married and I would assume that he had a job. However, he was told that he was to be deported one morning. He struggled a bit, but it's obvious from the excessive and illegal force used that they probably didn't care whether he struggled or not from the beginning.
The reason this article was published was mainly because people, who had read the case, wondered why no one else was asking questions. The article mentions that a similar incident happened in the UK, but the government stepped in and apologize to the family for his death. In Japan, his wife wasn't even told he was to be deported. She was called in to identify his body later.
Anyone can see that this is a rather serious issue. It would bring race issues up in America. But no one even flinched in Japan because of the unquestioning attitude. "The police know what they're doing." "Just doing their job." I feel like those are the kind of thoughts that cause this case to float in one ear and out the other. But I'm glad that this view IS changing. Western influence along with the sadly decreasing youth of Japan find that this kind of thing is wrong.
Another thing I would like to mention is the low crime rates of Japan. While I do think it's true they have less crime in general, I feel like people get obsessed with this "fact". The most contributing factor toward the low crime rate of Japan is because a lot of crimes aren't reported or are reported as "accidents". Difficult murder cases get closed and deemed as suicides (a significant problem in Japan for the same reason I'm about to go into) or accidents. This is so the police force can "save face". It would look bad if they said it was a murder and couldn't solve it, right? This is something even the Japanese people have come to recognize. While no police force in "incompetent", shows like Bounty Hunters (a drama around 4 women) sort of further degrade the image of the police. Rapes are hardly reported in Japan. Marital rape doesn't "exist" over there because it's not considered rape.
But anyway, I'd like to make my strongest point. Foreigners in Japan are targeted. Not because they're hard working citizens who contribute to Japanese society but because they look funny. I feel it's a lot more scandalous if it's a foreigner who committed a murder (or gets convicted while innocent) or if a foreigner stole something as opposed to a Japanese person. This is my only fear while abroad in Japan. You must have your gaijin card or passport on you at all times; not having it is grounds for arrest. They CAN and WILL detain you for up to 27 days, without a lawyer and with extensive interrogation, even if you're just near a crime. The only way to get a lawyer is for a friend to pay for one from the outside. And if you plan on going alone, like me, that could be a serious problem. There is also an extremely high conviction rate, which is probably due to a judge only system. Corruption and laziness in finding the truth can easily result in false convictions. It can also be the "save-face" problem again where the prosecutors only bring the ones they know 100% to be true and leave the rest alone (leading to other problems).
I'll get off this topic for now, I just wanted to get that off my chest.
警察 (keisatsu)
The police system in Japan has issues. That goes for any authority, world wide. But Japan's issue revolves around a couple general themes. Raising questions and the cultural value of saving face are the two main problems and they kind of go hand-in-hand.
Article A
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20111101zg.html
Article A details the death of a man named Abubakar Awudu Suraj. He had lived in Japan for 20 years, had married and I would assume that he had a job. However, he was told that he was to be deported one morning. He struggled a bit, but it's obvious from the excessive and illegal force used that they probably didn't care whether he struggled or not from the beginning.
The reason this article was published was mainly because people, who had read the case, wondered why no one else was asking questions. The article mentions that a similar incident happened in the UK, but the government stepped in and apologize to the family for his death. In Japan, his wife wasn't even told he was to be deported. She was called in to identify his body later.
Anyone can see that this is a rather serious issue. It would bring race issues up in America. But no one even flinched in Japan because of the unquestioning attitude. "The police know what they're doing." "Just doing their job." I feel like those are the kind of thoughts that cause this case to float in one ear and out the other. But I'm glad that this view IS changing. Western influence along with the sadly decreasing youth of Japan find that this kind of thing is wrong.
Another thing I would like to mention is the low crime rates of Japan. While I do think it's true they have less crime in general, I feel like people get obsessed with this "fact". The most contributing factor toward the low crime rate of Japan is because a lot of crimes aren't reported or are reported as "accidents". Difficult murder cases get closed and deemed as suicides (a significant problem in Japan for the same reason I'm about to go into) or accidents. This is so the police force can "save face". It would look bad if they said it was a murder and couldn't solve it, right? This is something even the Japanese people have come to recognize. While no police force in "incompetent", shows like Bounty Hunters (a drama around 4 women) sort of further degrade the image of the police. Rapes are hardly reported in Japan. Marital rape doesn't "exist" over there because it's not considered rape.
But anyway, I'd like to make my strongest point. Foreigners in Japan are targeted. Not because they're hard working citizens who contribute to Japanese society but because they look funny. I feel it's a lot more scandalous if it's a foreigner who committed a murder (or gets convicted while innocent) or if a foreigner stole something as opposed to a Japanese person. This is my only fear while abroad in Japan. You must have your gaijin card or passport on you at all times; not having it is grounds for arrest. They CAN and WILL detain you for up to 27 days, without a lawyer and with extensive interrogation, even if you're just near a crime. The only way to get a lawyer is for a friend to pay for one from the outside. And if you plan on going alone, like me, that could be a serious problem. There is also an extremely high conviction rate, which is probably due to a judge only system. Corruption and laziness in finding the truth can easily result in false convictions. It can also be the "save-face" problem again where the prosecutors only bring the ones they know 100% to be true and leave the rest alone (leading to other problems).
I'll get off this topic for now, I just wanted to get that off my chest.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Traveling and Packing
Traveling
So you’ve decided that you want to go on vacation. Obviously you must decide where you want to go, but you must also decide the HOW. What do I mean? There are a variety of options. The old fashion way to travel was to go to a travel agent. I feel that travel agents are a waste, especially with the internet making things like flights, maps, and other such things readily available. No longer do the travel agents have the best deals. Another more popular way to travel is to take part in a group tour. Asians tend to do this a lot more than Americans or Europeans, but everyone seems to like this method. I find it prevents you from picking all the places you’d really like to see and you’re always time constrained. Most of those I know of who went on such group tours (People to People, etc) were exhausted around the clock. While going to a new place can be exhausting, not having the freedom to choose a break time or to eat when you’d like can be quite stressing. I also find these programs to be ridiculously expensive. A People to People trip costs roughly $7000 for one person, not including things like luggage, passports, souvenirs, etc. To put in into perspective, I was able to go to Japan for 3 weeks (same duration of time as a PtP trip) on about $1800, which included all sorts of souvenirs, my flight, and everything else. Granted, I used frequent flier miles for the flight, which turned out to be a miniscule $78.
So to stop beating around the bush, plan your trip yourself. You don’t need expensive tours or an agent to do this. Get acquainted with my free friends – Lonely Planet and Wikitravel. Figure out when you want to go (spring, summer, winter, fall). Look at the weather stats offered for cities on Wikitravel and Wikipedia. While they cannot always be trusted (the wiki for Sapporo said they get 28 feet of snow a year, which didn’t make sense at all), in general they offer good temperature averages and make mention of rainy seasons. Also, if you’re going to the Southern Hemisphere, keep in mind the seasons are reversed.
Next, look for cheap flights using not only websites like Expedia or Travelocity, but also airline websites (United, Continental, Jetblue, etc). A lot of people make the mistake of using only websites that say they offer “discounted” flights. However, most airlines have seasonal specials to specific places (with blackout dates, of course). I have often found that these specials are considerably cheaper than what other websites offer. Also, a lot of tips say to purchase as far in advance as possible. That is NOT true. Out of all my research, I have found that 1 to 3 months in advance offer the greatest deals. Also, it may be annoying but early morning flights and night flights are often cheaper than day flights. Flying on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Saturday also seems to be cheaper (but not always). Once you’ve found the best deal (shop around for several days, play around with the dates), make sure you buy on a Tuesday afternoon. It’s said that they offer the lowest prices on a Tuesday.
Plan a budget. This can be tricky, especially if you’ve never done it before, but Microsoft Excel works quite nicely when crunching numbers. If you’re on a tight budget (around or below $4000), use Wikitravel for cheap accommodation. Use as many search words in Google to find cheap places to stay. Hostels are a great way to save and though I’ve never tried it, I hear couch surfing can be a good method as well. Before you start getting uppity about hostels, make sure they include some pictures. If the place looks like a dump, then don’t stay there. If you’re traveling alone as a woman, like myself, then stay in hostels that have private rooms or a women’s only section. Hotels can be cheap, especially during the week days. Shop around. Don’t reserve the first place that seems good. Wikitravel also has information on cheap places to eat, but my family and I have a motto: “Eat where the locals eat.” For instance, if it’s lunch or dinner time and the restaurant is crowded, look at the menu. If it looks cheap, it probably is. Thai restaurants, while not necessarily the local cuisine, seem to be a cheap eat in Europe (I’ve eaten at two, one in London and one in Innsbruck, both of which were deliciously cheap). In Japan, don’t eat at a fancy restaurant. It’ll kill your budget. Saizeriya, ramen shops, and conbini (convenience stores) can be fairly cheap places to eat. I usually spent 1000 yen ($10) or less on a meal and you can save even more by eating a huge lunch and a tiny dinner.
So, in your budget, be sure to include accommodation, food/drinks, travel (public transit, airfare), incidental expenses and entrance fees (to museums, parks, and other tourist attractions). The best way to budget for entrance fees is to get together a list of all the things you would like to see and visit their website or Wikitravel for information. As for incidentals, this is your “buffer”. Usually about $200 or so will do for a trip about 10 days long, but it may be more depending on exchange rates and other factors (accident prone? Compulsive buyer?). For those visiting Japan, website you may be interested in are: Tokyo Metro Transfer Guide, JR website, Japan Rail Pass, Yadoya guest house, Oakhouse, and Khaosan Hostel. Please note that some train lines only allow you to buy tickets X far in advance. I’ve seen it as low as a week in advance.
Establish a basic plan or “frame” for your trip. If you’re like me, I plan each day out carefully to maximize what we see each day. Zig-zagging across a country and doubling back waste precious time when, if you plan out by region, you’ll have much more time to spend exploring rather than on a train. Also, as mentioned above, find places you want to see or visit. Sometimes, a city with a lot of historical sites will offer a day pass for all the sites or maybe a multi-place ticket (for instance, combining the tickets of the Monument and Tower Bridge in London). Also make sure each site will be open on the day or season you plan to visit. Again, research. Your final step in the basic plan is to finalize it into an itinerary.
Now you can purchase the things like airline tickets, accommodations and rail tickets. You should reserve accommodation as far in advance as possible, mainly because you can always cancel it later. This is especially true if you plan to travel during the summer. For things like airline tickets and rail tickets, you should probably wait until about a month before your departure date before purchase. Please refer to the above note that you may have to wait longer due to limitations from the company. Also remember to buy things like plug converters, but we’ll get into what to pack momentarily.
How to Pack Light
For those who plan to go to a foreign country, for any length of time, packing light is a must. The most important thing to keep in mind, when determining how much you should pack, is whether or not you can lift your own baggage. If you cannot lift it all above your head, you’ve packed way too much or you’re exceptionally weak. I’m the weakest person I know and I can successfully lift my own baggage.
The second most important thing is duration. If you’re staying for a week, you should probably pack for a week. But if you’re staying for a month and plan to travel around a lot, you should pack about 5 shirts and 3 pairs of pants. Remember, weather can be a determining factor. If you’re going in the winter or summer, pack accordingly. If you’re going in spring or fall, when the weather is unpredictable, you should probably pack an extra pair of pants and varying degrees of jackets (heavy, medium, light). Why keep clothes to a minimum? Space. Clothes take up the majority of space when packing and you almost always have access to a means of washing your clothes. Even if it means using body soap in a hotel room. You may think it’s gross, but would you rather bring your wardrobe and not have space for things you’d like to buy? Or worse, have to check your bags and then have them lost?
“Do I really need this?” I would heavily advise AGAINST bringing things like a hairdryer, hair straightener, a cell phone, all of your cash, and a massive amount of feminine hygiene products. The last part is the exception – if you’re going to a country where hygiene products are not readily available, please look into alternatives. Sensitive electronics, like a hairdryer, will get fried by foreign currents. If you bring a lot of cash, you’ll have to declare it and the country will take a big bite out of the money you brought through taxes. Bringing your cell phone is dumb. Not only will it cost a phenomenal rate just to keep it on in another country (please research rates if you are set on bringing it, Verizon’s rate for Japan is about $1.50 a minute just for your phone to be on, not including calling charges), but you can probably get a prepaid phone in the country you plan to visit. I would also mention not bringing shampoo, but because the TSA requires every liquid to fit in a quart sized bag, you won’t be able to over pack in this area.
I DO suggest bringing a NETBOOK. A huge bulky laptop will not do. A tiny little netbook will not only be easy to pack, but it will give you internet access. Through the internet, you can then call home via Skype for FREE if your family has a Skype account set up. Google has a similar option. Plus, as long as you have a plug adapter, your netbook will not fry because it has an electric converter box built into the plug. This should probably be the only thing that plugs into a wall that you bring. Bring your camera, but I would avoid bringing one that has a rechargeable battery, unless it has the electric converter box mentioned above. Bring 2 copies of your passport with you, stored in different locations in your bags. Also leave a copy at home with your family. This is in case you lose your passport. Remember to research wall plugs. Europe has a variety, but they sell plug variety packs on Amazon. Japan has the same as the US except without a ground. A plug adapter will still be needed. Other things you may want to bring are a pocket dictionary and a print out of everything you’ve brought with you. This way, you don’t lose anything. Other things you should avoid bringing: boots (unless you plan to go wading), hiking boots (unless you plan to hike), umbrella (buy it there and leave it there),
Condense what you’re packing. Roll your clothes instead of folding them (I usually fold and then roll). Put all the clothes in and then use panties and socks as “crack” stuffers. If you’re staying for a short duration of time, my boyfriend’s mother recommends the “old panty and sock” method. Bring old panties and socks on the verge of death and throw them away as needed. For this method, you’ll need to probably have a set for each day. This way, by the end of the trip, you’ll have freed that much more space up in your suitcase.
I think that’s about it. Questions or concerns?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)