Scooter vs Japan
How to Pack for JET (sorta)
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Here’s another cross post from TheJetCoaster, which has lots of other tips from super keeners on life, JET, and how to be a dirty foreign barbarian.
Every JET
When I think about packing for this move, I try and think about what I need and what I want… And then I got get a drink. And then after I’m done drinking and crying, I go back to thinking. How the heck do I pack for a multiple year move in just 3 suitcases?
Once I’ve processed all the liquor I just put into my blood, I try to remember that I’ve done this before I moved to Japan in 2009 to study abroad, so I’ve had to pack like this before. But there are two key differences between this and that trip.
Difference the first: I am going for much longer this time. When I was studying abroad, I didn’t have to worry too much if I left something in Canada. I was only going to be there for about 9 months. I didn’t need my cherished childhood toy, nor my book collection. I could safely leave things in Canada and return to them later. With JET and this move, that’s not really the case. I do not know when I will be returning to Canada. This means I need to be very careful with what I pack and what I leave, since those decisions are basically written in stone.
Difference the second: I am no studying abroad. This is actually a nice save here. When I was studying abroad, I was inclined to bring this and that textbook with me. I needed a large amount of Japanese language materials, but I also had other materials I needed to bring with me for other disciplines. As a JET, much of that is less important. Sure, I’m still going to be learning Japanese (and in a proficiency level I’m less comfortable with), but I’m not doing it formally. I can also find some of these materials locally should I need them. So sorry, Genki textbook, but you gotta stay behind. But I’ll look you up in Japan if I need your help.
So what does this mean? Well, everything and nothing. Because I’m moving to work instead of study, my academic needs are much lighter this time around. I don’t really need to be hauling a suitcase full of books with me. But because I’m moving, I need to bring extra or different items with me this time. In my mind, the two sort of cancel each other out.
There’s sort of a third difference as well (give me a break. I can’t count). This time, I’m a little better prepared and know more about what is available to me and what isn’t. I’m going to touch on this later, but it’s a good point to keep in mind moving forwards.
What to pack? Step One.
I don’t think I will ever forget what my school’s Exchange Coordinator said during my pre-departure to study abroad. Standing in front of a room full of university students, all bound for different countries and different experiences, she said one thing that applied to all of us; one thing that we all needed to remember.
You are all going to countries that sell shampoo.
Those few words resonate with the frequency of the galaxy, and are so important to remember at every stage of packing. Never in my life have I heard some good advice that keeps coming back to me, whether I am leaving the country or moving down the block.
This phrase and the meaning behind it is going to come up again and again, and it has already impacted how I look a pre-packing.
Step Two: Clothing
So the first thing to consider packing is probably clothes. As a teacher, I’m going to need my suit, ties, formal shirts, and dress pants. Check. I also need my man shoes (check) and other similar formal wear.
I don’t like going commando, so boxers are a must (check), as are socks. This is basically where packing takes it’s first nose dive off the side of a mountain. Without trying, I have amassed a large collection of socks. Most are for casual daily wear, but some are for formal situations, while others have a more silly time and place. But I don’t have a lot of formal socks, because that has never really been a thing. So I’m going to have to pick though my daily wear socks and cut them with my formal and other socks. I guess check?
So I;ve got my formal wear. Now what. Well, I’m going to need some casual wear for the weekends and for when I need to gaijin smash. I’m going to be wearing my favourite plaid shorts, so those don’t need packing. Jeans are right out. Ahh. The first cut. See, I’m going to have several pairs of pants with me, and bringing a few pairs of jeans is pointless. It’s also very hot and humid in Japan (compared to Prairie Canada), so wearing heavy thick jeans isn’t something I’m excited about. Lastly, I can buy jeans in Japan. There’s that phrase again. If I don’t want to dress like a grown up, I can always go somewhere and buy some jeans.
Now for the rest of the casual wear; shirts. I love wearing t-shirts, but I really am not going to need that many. Maybe 5 or 6. I dunno. I have a LOT of shirts, so so that’s going to take some time. But again, I can buy clothes in Japan, so if I only bring a few t-shirts with me, it’s not a big deal.
Shoes are super easy. I’ve already decided on my man shoes. I have a pair of runners (check), and if I can find my sandals, I’ll bring those two. I don’t actually own winter boots, but that’s something that would just take up space anyways, so that’s a Japan buy.
I think that leaves things like winter wear, sweaters, and jackets. Just like shoes, I live a simple life. I have my leather jacket, which is quite warm and I wore all winter (check). I’ll bring some gloves and a toque, and maybe a scarf if I can dig one up (check all around). And that’s it. If I need anything more, I will buy it when I get to Japan. Winter is months away and I have no intention of taking up valuable real estate with tons of winter wear I’m not convinced I need.
Here’s the catch though. I’m overweight and I know it (clap your hands *clap clap*). I also have short legs and wide shoulders. I know from past experience that some clothing just won’t fit. Japanese boxers are the worst (at least the ones I bought. Pants probably won’t fit me well either, since I’m not an androgynous 100 pound Japanese cross dresser. But I’m short like a Japanese man, so that’s a plus. And most Japanese people have smaller feet like me, so shoe shopping was a dream. And socks… don’t get me started on socks. I have a pair of socks from Uniqlo from 2009 that have lasted longer than socks I bought last year.
But at the end of the day here, the recurring theme is that I can pack light and buy anything else I need after I get there.
Step Three: Books
I sort of touched on this already, but I plan to bring far fewer books with me this time. Since digital media has become more common, I can buy novels and the like online, so they don’t have to take up space in my bag. I can go pretty textbook light as well, though I do want to bring some English grammar books and other learning aids (check). And I scanned a lot of my TESOL material, so no 5 inches of textbooks there. So hopefully, I’m gonna be pretty book light.
Step Four: Gaming
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NERD!
Here’s where I drive off a cliff again. I’m a tabletop gamer. Just like last time, I expect to bring a certain number of gaming books and board games with me. But I need to be SO careful here, since I have single board games that can fill a suitcase and take up half my weight limit. So here’s how I’m thinking about this.
First, my living conditions are different. I’m not that close to any large expat communities like I was when I lived outside of Osaka. And there aren’t a lot of them even around me. My town has me and my predecessor (who told me he’s received a position with the town). I think there are some JETs around me, but that is literally around me in a circle. The likelihood that I can find gaming groups is much, MUCH smaller than when I was in Osaka. So bring a lot of games isn’t as necessary or valuable.
Second, specific to roleplaying games, I own many in digital form. Since I will most likely be playing online, having physical books isn’t as important. Sure, I’m going to try and bring a few of the smaller ones in case I do get a local game going, but I can pack pretty light.
Third, I am aware that many board games are available in Japan, either in Japanese or as an English import with a Japanese crib sheet. In the case of the latter, it’s often the same game I can buy in Canada. For the former, I can find English crib sheets or even the full rules online, either from the publisher or on BoardGameGeek.
So I can leave some games here, even if I really enjoy them (like Forumla D) since I can buy the after I land, and I can leave others that I love but are unlikely to play at this time. Also, I can buy most (but not all) gaming books I’m watching online, which I am increasingly doing anyways. So that’s kind of a check.
Step Five: Other Hobbies
I do other stuff too. I swear. *cries* Anyways, I would like to again bring my rock climbing harness, since there are a number of gyms in nearby Asahikawa (check). I’m also going to be bringing some bookbinding supplies (I tried to get into that but lacked the time and room where I live now), mostly since the tools are pretty small. And if I have a printer at home and find any craft stores to get the rest of the supplies, I’m good (so check). I don’t think I’ll bring any origami books or the like with me. Although it was surprisingly hard to find non-kids books, I can just cross that bridge when I get there.
Same goes with a lot of other hobby and interest stuff. No point in packing around my several hundred disc DVD and blu-ray collection since I can stream movies, watch TV, and hit up some rental stores. I will try to bring my Arduino and electronics kit, provided I can get it small enough and through airport security (I still have to make that phone call).
Step Six: Computers
See that “s” on the end. Yep. Nerd. This is a tough and stupid choice, but one that needs to be made. So let’s start with my laptop. That’s a check, or rather my main laptop is a check. I’m not bringing my other two (yes, I have three laptops. Get over it). My desktop is also staying home.
Dramatization. May not have happened.
That leaves my mini-PC and my file server. Yeah. I have a lot of computers. I purpose built a file server (to handle redundant storage and to prevent data loss) to be as small as I can make it, yet be a full PC so I can better maintain and control it. It’s still really big and very heavy, but that’s the hand I was dealt. And my mini-PC is coming with me, which I may convert into a media centre-settop box kind of deal.
Lastly is my tablet, which will be coming as well, though I may be replacing shortly. So that’s lots of big, heavy, stupid checks. Note that this is pretty excessive and due to my specific needs and neurosis. I wouldn’t actually recommend anyone bring a desktop PC or as many computers as I am bringing. Computers can be bought and built in Japan. I’m only doing this because of careful planning over the duration of about two years.
Step Seven: Personal Affects
This one is both easy and hard. Since I can buy shampoo in Japan, a lot of toiletries are going to be left. I’m going to get a cheap toothbrush, a travel bottle of mouthwash, and I have some little bottles for shampoo and body wash for a few days. I’ll have a towel, but that’s mostly for suitcase padding to keep other things in place, and so I can have a shower my first morning.
I’m also going to try and bring a small quilt that belonged to my grandpa, since it made a really good blanket and cuddle buddy last time. But my suitcase is getting full, so I’m not sure about that. I’d also like to bring my zafu, because I am a terrible Buddhist. But I also know that I can buy religious materials after I land, despite how ridiculously hard it was last time, so this might get cut too.
Aside from that, I can’t really think of anything. Photos and valuables are staying here, aside from legal and personal documents. I’ll surely have a bunch of knickknacks and small items, but nothing major. And of course, my gifts, prizes, and teaching aids. Oh. And that silly amount of loose tea I have. Basically no weight but does take up a little space (yes, I can buy tea in Japan, but this stuff is expensive and probably won’t keep).
That might seem like a lot and it probably is, but there is going to be a pretty heavy slash and burn as I pack. Stupid crap or replacables like casual clothes, board games, and my zafu are on my endangered list, as is anything that isn’t totally vital for my job or sanity. Ironically, computers are probably quite high up. I paid good money for my server and it holds all my important documents and off device storage, so if any cuts had to be made, it probably won’t be here.
Advice?
Pack light. Seriously. I know it doesn’t look like it, but that’s basically an itemized list. We are really attached to physical things, and all this is going to do is weigh you down. So many things can be bought in Japan once we are paid that it makes at least half of what we pack completely pointless.
Perhaps the best way to pack is to take half of what you want to bring, lay it out, and then pick up half of that and put it away. And then maybe do that another time. I actually do feel, file server taking up my carry on suitcase aside, that I am going to be travelling a bit lighter than last time. I’m going to be really light on clothes, bring fewer board games with me, and may actually go bookless (save for a few texts and classroom aids). Everything else is pretty small and manageable.
Ultimately, everyone’s packing is going to be different, but this will hopefully give people and idea of what they may or may not want to bring.
Thank for watching.
Silver Week Week, or Scooter’s 5 day Weekend
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So the semester kicked off nicely with a 5 day weekend. The block of time, called Silver Week, is an informal term for a block of 3 holidays, Respect for the Aged Day, Autumnal Equinox Day, and Kokumin no kyūjitsu (don’t ask me what any of these mean).
So my weekend started with a trip to Kinkakuji, or the Golden Pavilion, on Saturday. The trip was led by students of the English Studies Society, a campus club, who’s members go to temples and other sites and give tours. It was a really nice trip, since the last time I was in Kyoto, the temple was being renovated and could not be seen. Among the highlights of the trip include a billion photos and minutes of video, recorded explanations (via the club members) about the various sites within the temple’s walls, and a wonderful walk through the temple’s gardens and lakes. The trip concluded with a trip to the gift shop, where I bought some small rosaries and a book called “How to Practice Zazen,” and a pit stop at the temple’s Shinto department. I will point out, for the Asian impaired, that temples are of Buddhist use, while Shinto, an indigenous “religion” in Japan, resides in shrines. However, there is a lot of cross pollination. Also in the trip was a trip to the “Big Boy” restaurant, where we ate strange hamburger dishes served like steaks, and rode a Kyoto bus for longer than I’d rather think about.
Sunday was an interesting day. I volunteered for a campus open house at KGU (my school) directed at potential high school students. KGU, being an international school, wanted a bunch of foreigners to show off their countries and confuse the high school students with our linguistic mastery of English. All the while, I was waving over students, who were shy and bombarded with colors and white people, and greeted them using Japanese Sign Language (which I am learning in my “Body and Communication” class). Suddenly, it was a trap! One of the parents started signing back to me. As it turns out, his younger daughter is deaf, and so he knows Japanese Sign Language. All in all, it was a fun day, and I was given a KGU t-shirt as thanks. I will later use this t-shirt in pimping the school when I get back to Canada.
Following the adventures at school, a few friends and I headed out for a quick meal. One friend and I talked about campus involvement, where he pitched the idea of starting a sort of Students’ Union at KGU for international students. Being a bureau-hack, I was sold instantly. After supper, most of us headed back to my dorm to play a game of Settlers of Catan. This would be, I think, the third game I’ve played with my own copy, and the first I’ve played using some small expansions I grabbed. In much annoyance, and something that is probably a miracle, I won the game (just barely). After that, we pulled out Pandemic, and played a few rounds of that. We won the first game, which was an easier difficulty level, and got served badly in the rest.
Monday saw some light travel, with me heading into Namba to meet a teacher-friend of mine and play some Warhammer. Namba is a shopping district in Osaka, not unlike Tokyo’s Akihabara. Both districts are completely messed up, riddled with Maid Cafes (if you don’t know what they are, please don’t ask. It’s weird), and some cool nerd stuff like model and toy stores, and a bunch of gaming stores. The games went well. I won both, but only after disgusting casualties. Necron armies (what I was playing) are lame and cheesy. The brighten the day further, my reserved copy of a board game called Space Hulk came in, and I blew a large stack of money on that. I planned to spend it already, so all is fine. After that, the two of us did a bit of shopping and mocking the locals, including some 4 Maid Cafes that were all next to each other, and then headed home for the night.
Tuesday was a slow but busy day. My friend’s host family invited a bunch of us to go and have a picnic with them. The morning started out with a few hours of forum reading, followed by me rushing out the door to the picnic without eating anything (this is important later). The host sister picked us up in her car and drove us out to Hirakata Park, where the picnic was to take place. It was a little unusual, because the picnic was not really in the park, but underneath a bridge that ran over it. I’ve seen this before, and the explanation was something about not wanting to make the park messy. So we do a round of introductions, shot some pictures, and start with a round of drinks. I claimed Strong Seven, a 7% beer that Host Dad brought. I was excited because Japanese beer is usually on the 4-5% side, so a good stiff drink made me feel at home (complete with the raiding of a large park). Remember that part about not eating anything? That caught up real fast, and I had to slow down with the drinking for the rest of the day (which included Strong Seven, a carbonated Plum Wine, and some Whiskey and Club Soda, which I couldn’t finish). The food was great, although a little odd (like taking these tiny hot dogs and putting 2 of them onto this huge bun. Also strange Asian desserts).
Today (Wed), I headed to Kyoto again to visit Eiga-mura, the Toei Studio Movie Park. English words can’t really explain what Eiga-mura is. Toei is a large Japanese film studio, which makes, among other things, Sentai (Costumed Task Force shows), Metal Hero shows (similar to Sentai, but without the team of heroes concept), and Jidaigeki (of Samurai dramas). The park is the Kyoto film studio for the company (I believe its largest). It is also the sight of a recreated Edo-period town, with a ton of buildings and streets. On top of all of that, the park also had live performances (one including a Samurai who violated the hell of of the fourth wall by stopping mid show for photos, complete with the Japanese finger V sign), period actors, and a number of small museums and attractions. The first museum we went into was the Super Hero museum, which was a gallery of costumes and props from several of Toei’s Sentai and Metal Hero shows. One display included almost all of the Red rangers, dating back to the creation of Sentai and Super Sentai (the display appeared to be missing the last 2 years of Sentai Reds, although these shows were represented elsewhere). I also f*ing peed myself when I say this. I’m a huge Tokusatsu (Special Effects/Sci-Fi) fan, and I was able to see a bunch of familiar characters up close. Also, I was able to snap a few good shops of how the helmets are worn (a latch system I’d read about), which shall serve me well as a prop builder. That part of the park ended with a 3D ride, where we went back in time to (presumably) the Edo period, and witnessed a Sentai battle.
Other attractions of the park were a bunch of gaudy Ninja and Samurai-themed gift shops, where I failed to acquire the right kind of tacky souvenir, and a haunted house. The house was scare and amusing as hell, and was themed after some kind of supernatural massacre in this estate. One of the Japanese guys who came with us struck me as this macho-nothing-scares-me type. As soon as we entered the house, he demanded that I go in front so he could hide behind me. While he and the other were getting scared shitless, my attention was focused on where we were going, and trying to figure out which thing on the floor was going to reach up and grab me. Aside from the cheap scares of people jumping out at us, there were a lot of really good techniques used. Lighting was often played with, which gave the feeling of lanterns and candles that wouldn’t stay lit. Also, some doors were closed or partly closed, giving a air of mystery and suspense. Some of the spots rocked or weaved, further adding to the illusion. It was really well done. There were a bunch of other cool little bits, including a walk past 2 of the studios, a robot dinosaur head that pokes out of the water and hisses, and this weird mountain that turned into a smiling head as is rose. Unfortunately, didn’t get a picture of that until after the head descended. After we left, I was reading a pamphlet they gave us, and it said that there were some movie technique classes (little drop in deals, probably not actual classes), ad bunch of other shows, and a large sized gift shop that we didn’t go into. The pamphlet also said that Toei still films at the studio, which is pretty cool. I’m not sure how they juggle productions and crowds. I think I’m going to have to come back at least once to get in the rest of the park.
It’s now 9pm, and I’m blogging because I don’t want to do my homework. Also, if I didn’t write this now, I probably never would. School starts anew tomorrow, where I have a small test, will learn some more sign language, and then have a regular weekend. Highlights of the coming weekend include going to the Kyoto Handicraft Centre to learn how to wood block print, a return visit to the Heian Shrine, where I went during orientation, more damning of Hello Kitty, who is completely evil and sinister, and hounding my friends to bet naked with me and go to a bath house.
By for now. I’ll try to figure out how to upload pictures soon so you can witness the madness of my weekend (mostly Kinkakuji and Eiga-mura).
Meeting the locals
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I really hope 4am blogging doesn;t become a habit…
Anyways, I decided while I couldn’t sleep to start doing random google searches about Japan. I found a small forum on Japan Guide about the area I’m heading to. Mostly, it was locals looking to meet people (mostly language exchange) and a few people posting wondering why on earth they can;t find a single word on Hirakata City. Anyways, I replies to a few of the classifieds. Here’s hoping that I can strike something off with some of the people, and actually know someone when I get to Japan.
Also (notice I clicked the “Gaming” tag), I seem to have found a few possible outlets for playing Warhammer. I stumbled across a YahooGroup of gamers in Japan. I also found a forum post about a guy who’s getting back into Warhammer and is currently in the same area. Here’s hoping. Maybe I can even find someone who will take me to Japan Game Con 😛
Still no word on my Speech Partner application. I sent the person an e-mail asking if things were ok on their end (the attached application form didn’t work at first). I haven’t heard about my In-Laws either (I’m calling the weekend host family my In-Laws; I have too many dads already). But I’m not expecting to hear about that until after I land.
T-11 days (or something like that).
The Army Buildeth
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This is more of a random musing than anything.
So I’m a gamer. Through and through. After I started getting the ball rolling to attend Kansai Gaidai, I started looking into, you guessed it, Japanese Gaming. Now, I’m already a bit familiar with gaming in Japan. Of note is that Games Workshop (a gaming company that I regularily whore myself to) has had an increased presence in Asia.
Anyways, after some thinking, I decided to bring some miniatures with me. I settled on Necrons, as the army is fairly small, and looks simple (I want to try and keep the language barrier as low as possible). So this is all well and good… except that I am lazy and never assemble my minis. So I was building a few earlier before I got distracted. I’ll probably assemble another 4 or so tonight, and finish the ones I was working on.
All told though, I have a fair bit assembled. I just need to finish all the minis I have so I can pack them (still working on that part) and bring them with me when I fly out in 2 weeks.
In unrelated news, I haven’t yet heard anything about my Speech Partner or Japan Game Con. Still seeing how that goes.
One day, I’ll make a normal post. Until then, gaming.
Something is happening
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My other post came off rather… bitchy. Oh well. Blogging sucks. As does 5am.
Nothing really to note right now. Trip is planned. Stuff is booked. Passport has been successfully retrieved from Calgary.
Oh. And my ridiculously contrived plan to game while in Japan has moved a step forward. With a ton of luck, I might be paired up with either another gamer, or someone who has an open mind. With ludicrous amount of luck, I might still be able to attend Japan Game Con (Japan’s largest Gaming con) shortly after I land. Cool beans.
Aside from that, now I just play the waiting game until I can find a copy of Hungry Hungry Hippo. I should know some more stuff next week about my Speech Partner and my Family-in-law.
Scooter vs Japan 