Posts

Posted on

So close, yet so far

When I flew in to Nagoya, I bumped in to the manager who had to approve my housing situation at the airport. I convinced him that he really did need to do something, so he sent an email of approval on the spot. Unfortunately, it is also Golden Week here so most offices are closed. The consulting office was closed, and the Tokyo office person who controls the purse strings is on vacation until Friday. Shoot. So I sent an email trying to set the expectation for Friday, but that will be impossible I think. I shall have to postpone all the deliveries of my household things. That’s pretty disappointing. I was very ready to move in. My hotel room is starting to look like a trunk room. I have three large boxes and expect to get two more soon.

With all my whining, I’m glad that my place looks like it will come through. I think it will be nice. It better be, because I’ve made quite an effort to get it!

I’ll put pictures up once I get the keys.

Posted on

Goodbye home. Hello home.

In about 13 hours I’ll be sitting on NW 1, maybe even rolling down the runway. Heading home from home. It is a much different feeling than I’ve had before. In all my trips, even the long term ones, I knew when I was coming back. I sort of maybe know that I’m coming back in 2010 probably. But that seems like a long time from now. I’m leaving my home in LA to make a home in Nagoya. My place here will look like a time capsule. I didn’t completely sterilize it so to speak. So things are left as I left them. I don’t anticipate a lot of vacation time soon either, so I really don’t know when I’ll be LA home.

Also, this time, I know what the work is like. I know what I know, and I know what I don’t know. That’s reassuring and intimidating at the same time. Some aspects of the job I am dreading, but in general I’m pretty motivated when I get back there to work really hard and do a good job. I’d really like to get some good things set in place now so our future goes smoothly. My long term colleagues start arriving next week as well, so I’m happy that I’ll be able to start putting together a team and have a plan. Wish me luck!

In some good news, I sold my car today. Yippee! That gives me some closure in LA. The review that I came back to support was successful and I was able to accomplish most of the personal things I had to do. I’m glad that I am returning to Nagoya without the feeling of a major loose end here in LA. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got plenty of loose ends, but I can deal with those.

In some bad news, still no resolution on the Nagoya housing situation. I’ve been pushing the issue for closure with little success. I’m convinced it is OK to accept the housing contract as is. I just need to convince some other folks.

In other interesting news, my company’s policy on blogging was in the company news. I’m quite aligned with it. If you remember, I made a vow at the beginning not to make this specifically about work. That’s good, because if I had I would have been in violation of our policy! Please refrain from any comments that may identify my job, my program, etc. I want to be a good employee and stay out of trouble, but I want to continue this blog too.

I’m sure you are all waiting to hear how the housing situation resolves. SO AM I! Stay tuned, I’m sure that will dominate this blog in the near term.

Posted on

Mendokusai

That’s Japanese for troublesome. Apparently there are difficulties reaching agreement for my apartment contract between the lessor and the lessee. No, I have no control over my own rental contract. I am hoping it can get resolved. Unfortunately, this is a holiday week in Japan, so any resolution may prove to be difficult. I am afraid I will miss my planned date for taking “ownership” of the apartment, which ripples in to Tomo’s visit and the delivery of all my recent purchases. Uh oh. Additionally, it means that I may have to go looking all over again and start the negotiation process all over again. I’m pretty frustrated. The housing situation is not so easy in Nagoya at the moment. I’m seeing what I can do.

In the meantime, here’s a slightly fuzzy picture of me modeling the outfit that Ben recommended I buy. I’m not so sure that it works on me. I love the pants, but I can’t really pull them off (so to speak).

Pimpin' back home

Posted on

In the land of cold toilets

For anyone who has traveled to Japan, this headline should make sense. For those that have never been, well, it takes some explaining. I’m back in the States, of the land of cold toilets. In Japan, toilets vary. In a public restroom you are just as likely to have a squat toilet as a sit down toilet. Some public restrooms have both, I assume so you can pick your style. But at home, the variety is much more extravagant. Many toilets have heated seats, and the complexity of the heating is a product of what you paid. Many also have heated water sprays that, with a little self positioning, hit you in all the right places. The hotel certainly has this more deluxe toilet and I think my apartment does too.

Wow, I was going to write more but I suddenly got overwhelmed by sleepiness. I’ll write tomorrow about shopping and the fabo outfit I was recommended to buy.

Posted on

Paid

I left work early today to take the train back to Nagoya station, dump some stuff in my room, pick up my Furniture Dome receipt, and hop on another train. I really didn’t leave work early, it was a nine and a half hour day (excluding lunch) but to everyone there I guess I left early. Oh well. I made it to the dome by 7:30 pm and successfully removed the chairs from my order, changed the delivery date by one day, and paid! Yes, I paid! My Visa card actually worked. Yeah! So now I will try Tokyu Hands tomorrow. That will be the next test.

Not so earth shattering news, I know, but I figured I’d update all y’all.