slow day
the journal of Michael Werneburg
twenty-seven years and one million words
Today Mari and I started the day by reviewing our priorities and deciding that there was no rush in finding an apartment. We really liked the place we looked at on the weekend, but there were thousands of dollars in needless fees and (illegal) key money in the mix, and then I'd be saddled with an apartment that I would have to furnish and so on. And it would sit largely unused for some months. And with the issue of The Boy's school unresolved and the local elementary school pulling down a 2.8 out of 5 rating we reckon there are just too many angles here.
I'd woken to find a request from the HR people at NN Life for a photo for the security card I'd be wearing at all times on the job (my first since Morgan Stanley more than fifteen years ago). It mystifies me that it was my responsibility to produce that, but I happen to have brought a camera, a fine (used) lens, and a small flexible tripod so .. why not. I set that stuff up on the stairs/ladder and set myself up in a sunny place and shot this:
the (failed) author as a middle-aged man
I went from that to the medical exam required by my new employer. A medical exam in Japan is like so many things, ranging from a night of drinks with coworkers to a wedding: timed and scheduled. Upon arrival I did some paperwork (natch), was handed badge #301, was asked to put my mask on, and then was shuttled from spot to spot with a cheery cry of "301-sama!" It was all over in 35 minutes. I am pleased that I got through the fasting without any .. meltdowns, fainting, what have you.
So I headed back to "mouth of the gully" for the usual round of shopping for plastic at "Donki". Today, recognizing that I'd be in my studio apartment/room for quite a while, I bought an ironing board that I can stand to use, rather than the tiny one I'd have to kneel to use and could only iron half a shirt's length at a time. I don't know if I can look at that as having wasted Y1,000 on the first purchase or Y5,000 on the second, but compared to $8,000 in fees, it's a walk in the park. I also bought a drying rack for my clothes and a special hanging fold-out thing to supplement that. Since I don't have a dryer, I'll have to somehow dry my clothes by hanging them despite the coming rainy season which will be followed by the monsoon season. I think I've discovered that my "apartment's" heater/AC unit has a laundry mode meant to turn the entire thing into a dryer. But I'll still need to spread the damp laundry as much as possible.
I've also decided that a rice maker is a must if I'm to renew my usual morning meal of rice, natto, a raw egg, and green onion.
Also, I met someone from my building. He was a retiree-age fellow who had somehow just pushed a bike of the steep slope from the main road. He saw me puzzling over the garbage bins outside the building and asked what the issue was. I asked him, uncertainly, if a certain kanji sequence meant that the garbage was burnable. Curiously, it read "生ごみ" which seemed to mean "fresh garbage". He said no, it's "fresh garbage". I asked "What's fresh garbage; oh, from food?" and he nodded. He then tried to tell me something else but I couldn't understand, so I introduced myself. He said something else I couldn't understand, so I introduced myself again. Derp.
Then I bought some dinner & beer. I finally remembered to register with Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (AKA Global Affairs Canada) that I was here. I was asleep by nine.