Jumat, 29 September 2017

A New Stage in My Life - Start of Japan Life



Helllo guys, good morning!
It's morning already here, actually I plan to make a post about this earlier, but I got caught up in works and what not soo damn much that I don't even have time to write. It's a lie tho, LOL.

Okaaay, soo I was really busy these past months, after Lebaran holiday. And its because I'm preparing a lot, there's lotsa things to do, arrange and prepare. But wait, what is actually I'm preparing? ( why does it seems that I'm preparing a wedding by the feel of this post. LOL). NO tho!

It just that I'm moving to Japan.
Yep, now I am in Japan.
XD. I actually have a mix feeling about this, kind of happy, excited, nervous, anxious, sad, etc.
But well, since this is a challenge that surely will make me much more developed, I gladly took it when I first offered.

Hmm so, when does this all thing happened on the first thing?
So, this started when two of our department members in my company''s contract in Japan came to an end soon, and due to family situations those 2 members would like to go home (they have enough of Japan work life, perhaps, LOL).
Then, one of my friend was assigned to be the substitute of one of those members. Then, my boss thinking who could be the the replacement of the other one?
Perhaps, I look lonely and desperate (coz I'm still single till now, LOL), my boss offer me to go to Japan, to experience new environment.
Okaaay, I thought that it just somekind of joke, not a serious offer at that. I said that I would love too, without talking to my parents, LOL coz I think it was a joke!.
But then, it turned out to be a serious one.Waht!
And I was suppose to go on May.
OMG, I was told on March if I'm not mistaken, I was taken aback. But well, since I have said that I would to go, and in fact I really want to go, I hurriedly talk to my parents. Gladly, my parents let me to go, but actually I can sense their worried face. But well, every parents surely have same reactions on that kind of situation right?

Okay then, in short, I try to negotiate my boss to let me go in July instead, becoz its frigging a Lebaran holiday in June and my parents will friggin cry if I'm not at home during that time.
So then, after discussion here and there,  my schedule was pushed back to July. Yeay!

I was so sad on my last day at Jakarta office. I cried, but I wasn't showing it.
As well as in airport, I cried when my family went back home, but then I wasn't showing it, coz I don't want them to worry.
I'm okay.

Sooo, I reached Haneda airport safely. Then, I buy limousine bus tickets which would take me to YCAT (Yokohama City Air Terminal). So guys, if you go to Yokohama, its nearer to land in Haneda airport. From Haneda to Yokohama only took me 45 minutes by Limousine bus. The ticket price not more than 1000 yen. Oh ya, when you have purchase the tickets in Haneda airport, you have to go down 1 floor by elevator on the left if you brought heavy and much baggage, or by escalator if you didn't bring much baggage. Then you just have to find Pole no 7. Normally bus to YCAT always at Pole no 7, if you want to confirm, its all in your ticket anyway.
The bus will depart around every 5 minutes. You just have to show your tickets to the person at the Pole. I brought much baggage at that time, and when I was going to put all my baggage into the bus, the person whos at the Pole was helping me, I'm so grateful.

Okay, after 45 minutes by us, I finally arrived at YCAT. Actually YCAT and Yokohama Station is in one place, connected one another. So don't worry if on the bus you hear that it goes to Yokohama Station, actually the same as going to YCAT. I remembered I was a bit panicked at that time thinking that I was aboard the wrong bus. LOL.

So when I arrived at YCAT, I was told to wait at 2nd lobby,but once I went out of the bus, my company staff already there waiting for me. Then she kindly took me to my current apartment by taxi.
And actually, my apartment was only like 10 minutes walking from YCAT/Yokohama station. But since I brought much baggage, we were going by taxi instead of walking.

Okay, after briefing, checking the apartment and what not, she showed me way to the office. And it surprisingly far. LOL. I spent around 30 minutes walking, and it was in the middle of summer, hot as hell. I can imagine myself getting skinny in a few months (but its not happenning tho!).

After that, I just slept.
LOL

So maybe the next question is, how about wifi? transportation? food? clothes? language?
Okay, for wifi, there is a wifi in my apartment, so I just need a router. and its all done.
For internet connection when I'm outside, at first I used roaming data for 3 days. After that I bought OCN and subscribed for Data only. LOL, I'm not subscribing the phone and sms service, cause, I don't have anyone who gonna call or text me anyway. Sad.

For transportation, I walked to my office. Actually after I found short-path, it only took me 15 minutes. For train, I bough a PASSMO, kind of transportation card in Japan. There are other transportation card as well like SUICA, and others. But I choose PASSMO, I don't know why, its the same anyway. LOL.

And next is food. Actually I brought bunch of stuff from Indonesia for emergency case, like rice, and its side dishes. So on my first week, I just cook myself and brought lunchbox. But now I'm getting bored so I started to buy mostly on convenience store, mostly I picked veggies & shrimp tempura bento box from Family mart, sometimes went out to eat soba at standing soba which mostly available in Train stations, indian food, etc. Its not that hard actually to find food you can eat.

About clothes, I only bring summery clothes coz I know its still summer in Japan when I arrived. Soo I just brought 3 jackets (which I used when I went to Korea last time). It only can cover the cold in Autumn weather, in winter I have to buy again. sigh. Perhaps I will buy from Uniqlo since Zara is freaking expensive girllll.

For language, I can't speak Japanese! I only know like common phrase like arigatou, sumimasen, itadakimasu, shitsurei shimasu (when you left the office you have to say this phrase to your co worker), otsukare sama deshita (its to reply to someone when they say shitsurei shimasu), onegaishimasu. And I only can read hiragana. LOL. on the street you won't find much hiragana, it's mostly has kanji. So, it doesn't help me much. But well, I can survive anyway, because mostly in Japan there's not much conversation with others going on on your daily life. You can find any instruction, signs, procedure everywhere in a really clear manner that you don't have to ask random person on the street.
I notice only when I bought something in convenience store, you will have conversation. And I can mostly understand what the shop keeper say in convenience store, so it's not a problem at all.
sometimes, I greet and show appreciation to the cleaning lady in my apartment by saying, "ohayou gozaimasu, otsukare sama desu". I would like to talk much in Japanese, but I am still learning, so hopefully I can learn fast. Huhuhuu.
And what about language used in the office. It's all in English, so no probs at all!
but actually sometimes they talk in Japanese, but if it has nothing to do with me (a.k.a my name wasn;t called) I just stay silent.

So then, I think its enough of this pilot post of my life in Japan, I will post more about the places that have visited on my next post.
Well then, see youuu

 
Images by Freepik