Things to Know Before Going to Japan as a Language Student

Living in Japan, even as an exchange student or as a language student means that you have to know how to conduct yourself in society. Manners are required anywhere in the world and the same is true in Japan. You've probably heard the saying "when in Rome, do as the Romans do", well, "when in Japan, do as the Japanese do."

The concept of  "Omoiyari"

If you go to Google Translate and type this in, you'll get "consideration" as its translation. But the Japanese concept of "omoiyari" is more than just that. The full definition of "omoiyari" is the consideration towards others by imagining oneself in another person's position and act accordingly with their point of view. This is the actual reason why the Japanese people exude an aura of politeness. People will go out of their way to avoid causing inconvenience or discomfort.

Building on the concept of "Omoiyari", let's go through a few things to keep in mind when you come to Japan as a language student.

1. Be aware of the people around you

One thing I noticed in Japan is how people will try and avoid bumping into you as much as possible. People try their best not to be an inconvenience to anyone so they try not to bump into you unless there is nowhere else to go (ie a crowded train). This also applies to other forms of inconveniences such as noise and littering.

Backpacks

People try to avoid bumping into you and you should try to do the same. You should wear your backpack in front if you are standing inside the train so that you don't bump other people accidentally. You never know who you're bumping into like old people, children, pregnant women to name a few. You can even see reminders of this in trains sometimes.

Talking on the phone in enclosed places

Talking on the phone may seem like a mundane thing to worry about but people in Japan tend to mind if you talk to someone on the phone in enclosed spaces. You will notice that they go outside to make their call, or in trains, they wait till they get off. 

This also applies to other forms of noise like watching a video or listening to music without earphones, blowing your nose, even typing on a laptop with a noisy keyboard. Generally, a good rule of thumb is to just be as quiet as you can. You can have a hushed conversation with a friend, just keep in mind that there are people around you.

Eating and drinking while walking

It's considered rude to eat or drink while walking in Japan. It's perfectly okay to eat standing up but not while walking. If you eat and walk, you might drop your food, and people who step on it will be inconvenienced with it. You are giving other people who might be in a hurry consideration by not getting their shoes or clothes dirty.

Take your trash with you

You will notice that Japan is very clean, but there are hardly any public trash cans available. This is because people take their trash home. They don't just leave it somewhere for someone to clean it for them. 

Smoking

Smoking is very common in Japan. But there are rules to follow when it comes to smoking. You cannot just smoke anywhere. There are designated places, even in open areas, where you can smoke. This is out of consideration for people who don't smoke. In the past, restaurants offer smoking seats but in recent years, these restaurants are growing less in number. Also, if you do smoke, it's best if you have a pocket ashtray with you so that you don't dirty up the place.

Vaping is considered similar to smoking and people tend to be uncomfortable with the "smoke" (I know it's not smoke, don't argue with me on this) this produces. You will only be able to vape in smoking areas.

2. Follow the signs

Pay attention to signs

There is a multitude of signage all over Japan and you would do well to follow them. Some signs tell you what to do, where to go, what not to do, etc. Don't worry, most of the time, these signs are illustrated, and recently, (initially as preparation for the 2020 Olympics) signages have English translations. 

Follow the traffic lights, cross at the crosswalks

You will notice how people follow the lights even when the streets are empty. It would do you good to do the same. You never know when a traffic light is equipped with a camera that can capture your face. This applies whether you are a pedestrian or riding your bike. 

As a pedestrian, on the occasion where there are no traffic lights, try and see if there are crosswalks (zebra stripes), and cross there. If there are none, try to cross at corners or intersections. Try to walk on the left side of the sidewalk as most people tend to keep left, especially in crowded streets. 

As for bikes, signs show whether you can park your bike.  There are bike parking spaces almost anywhere you go, so make sure that you're leaving your bike where it's supposed to be placed.

Speaking of bikes...

3. Bicycle Rules

Yes, there is a whole, dedicated section for bike rules.

Riding on sidewalks and keeping to the left

Japan drives on the left side of the road. So when you ride your bike, it would be best to keep it to the left. Technically, unless there is a sign on the sidewalk itself, you are not supposed to ride your bike on sidewalks. Well, the rule goes: Children 12 years old and below are allowed to ride on the sidewalk, in a situation where it "seems" dangerous, then you can ride on the sidewalk as well. This is one of the "gray area" kind of rules in Japan. My advice, use your better judgment. 

If you do ride on the sidewalk, always remember that you should always yield to pedestrians. Hitting a pedestrian with your bike will cause you a lot of headaches the moment that pedestrian decides to press charges. Worst case? You end up in jail. 

Get off your bike

In situations where you are entering a people-dense area, it is best practice to get off your bike. When you cross the street at crosswalks it is best to get off your bike, unless you're the only one crossing or all of you are on bikes.  There are also places where you will be asked to get off your bike (in signs) like in underpasses. If you think that maneuvering your bike is risky, just get off the bike. 

Make sure you have bike lights

In Japan, it is required by law that you have a front light on your bike that is fully functioning. In addition to this, you are also required to have a rear reflector and a bell. Biking at night with no lights can get you stopped by police and you might be asked to pay a maximum fine of 50,000 yen. There are rumors that say the police don't really enforce this, but it's better to be on the right side of the law.

Don't ride double, don't ride drunk

Riding double, or 2 people riding one bike is prohibited in Japan. If and when you get stopped by police for doing this you might get slapped with a 20,000 yen fine.

Riding drunk on the other hand will land you in jail for up to 5 years. Plus a one million yen fine. You might notice, or read somewhere, that police don't really enforce this, but are you really willing to risk it? You can always leave your bike and get it in the morning, or simply push it home.

Hands on the handlebars at all times

When riding your bike, make sure you have both hands on the handlebars. You should never hold an umbrella with one hand. On the same note, you shouldn't hold your smartphone while biking. Any of these violations can cost you up to 50,000 yen in fines.

A similar violation is using earphones, earbuds, or headphones while you ride. The rationale behind this is, despite having your hands on your bike, you might not be able to hear oncoming vehicles that would help you react accordingly. This is also fineable by up to 50,000 yen.

4. House Rules

We are all familiar with having to take off your shoes before entering someone's home in Japan, but what other house rules should you be familiar with?

Shoes and slippers

Japan is famously known for the fact that you will have to remove your shoes when you enter someone's home. Upon entering the front door, you will enter the genkan part of the house. This is the part where everybody takes their shoes off to change to their indoor slippers. Most of the time they will offer slippers for you to use whilst at their home. This is also true for some offices (like at the dentist's and some clinics) and some public spaces. Just make sure to look around for a place to put your shoes and when in doubt, always ask if you need to take your shoes off. (靴を脱ぐべきですか - kutsu o nugubeki desu ka?)

Important note: Make sure to take off your shoes on the lower part of the genkan and not in the elevated part. This defeats the purpose if you step with your shoes onto the elevated part. The purpose of the genkan is to separate the outside shoes from the inside shoes. 

On the topic of slippers, toilet slippers are a separate pair of slippers you use only for the toilet. In the context of separating indoor and outdoor footwear, the toilet is considered dirty, thus a separate pair of slippers. Never forget to put your toilet slippers back and trudge around the house in toilet slippers.

Make your presence known

If you live with other people (roommates, dormmates, etc), always announce your arrival. If you live there, announce yourself by saying, ただいま (tadaima) or ただいまです(tadaima desu) meaning I'm home. People at home would greet you back with: おかえり(okaeri) or おかえりなさい(okaerinasai) roughly translating to "welcome home." In case you are entering someone's home, announce yourself by greeting your host and saying: おじゃまします(sorry for the intrusion). 

Alternatively, when leaving your home, announce this to your housemates as well by saying いってきます(ittekimasu) meaning "I'm leaving for the day"/ "I'm off to ~" (lit. I'll be leaving and coming back), to which your housemates would respond: いってらっしゃい(itterasshai) meaning "Have a nice day"(lit. go and come back). If you're leaving someone's home to go home yourself, you can say そろそろ　失礼します(sorosoro shitsureishimasu) which means "I'll be leaving now" and thank them.

Wait to be asked to sit

Whenever you are entering someone's home, an office, or anywhere you have to wait, always wait to be asked to sit. Do not just directly sit wherever. It is good manners to wait for your host to ask you to be seated.

Always ask permission

It's good practice, even with very good friends, to ask permission before doing/touching anything in someone's home. Japan is a culture of respect and it only shows that you respect your host when you ask permission before doing anything like touching stuff and using the bathroom.

Ask to help out with cleaning

Even as a guest, you should still offer to help with the cleaning up. Most likely your host will politely decline, but it is polite to ask.

Coming to a foreign country can always be overwhelming but arming yourself with the most basic of expectations can help you avoid making the common mistakes most foreigners make. This also will prove to your school how serious you are with your studies when they see the effort you put in to really fit in. Don't worry though if you do make a few mistakes here and there, what's important is you learn from your mistakes.

These tips should help you ease into your daily life in Japan. If you enjoyed reading this, you might enjoy these articles as well:

How to Come to Japan as a Japanese Language Student

How Much Will it Cost to Come to Japan as a Student

Part-time Jobs for Language Students

For questions, feel free to comment below or message me on Facebook or Instagram.

How to Send Money Home, International Remittance from Japan

"Will I be able to send money home?" 

How to send money home as a language student in Japan.

Coming from a Filipino background, it's deeply ingrained in our culture to take care of our families back home once we set foot on foreign soil. This is especially true for OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers). But, being a student, is this really feasible?

In my previous post, I described in detail how much the initial costs are for studying in Japan. It goes without saying that it gets pretty expensive. I also wrote a post regarding a student's monthly budget to give you an idea of how much you will earn and spend monthly. 

As a student, you will be earning an average of 80,000 to 100,000 yen a month for working 28 hours a week, Factoring in tuition, rent, and other necessities, you will probably have about 10,000 left depending on how much effort you put into savings. If you live simply, cook your meals at home, and don't spend much on going out, you can save even more.

There are no hard and fast answers to this question, but technically speaking, yes, you would be able to send money home, but it's not as much as most people expect.

Now that you have established a working budget and will be able to send some money home, let's talk about international remittance in Japan. There are several ways of sending money home including banks, wire transfers, and remittance services.

International Bank Remittance

This is probably the most common and the first thing people think of when you say remittance. Banks are very secure and reliable but they tend to cost more. If you are transferring large amounts of money, going through banks would be the most sensible course but if you are only transferring small amounts (anywhere from 1,000 yen to about 100,000 yen), you might want to go a different route.

Transaction Fees: 4,000 to about 7,000

The best banks to use for international remittance are Japan Post Bank, Shinsei Bank, and Prestia. 

Japan Post Bank

You can apply for remittance by filling up an information sheet, printing it out, and bringing it to the nearest Japan Post Bank branch. They have recently suspended their corporate remittance and will only process individual or personal remittances. They charge ￥7500 for over the counter transactions and ￥3000 for online transactions. I haven't tried this yet but I will try and write a post on how to register for their online services.

Shinsei Bank

Shinsei Bank offers bilingual support which is very beneficial to non-Japanese speakers. They also have a smartphone application available making it very convenient. Their remittance fee is a total of ￥4000 yen and may go up depending on how much you will be remitting.

Prestia (SMBC)

Prestia is another great bank for transfers because of its English language support. They also offer mobile and online banking which makes remittance convenient. They charge ￥3500 yen for the remittance and will charge additional fees depending on the amounts.

Remittance Services

Whereas banks are the first thing that pops into someone's mind when sending money home, more and more remittance service centers are stepping up to the plate. 

These remittance service centers tend to charge less than banks for transactions and with fees depending on how much you send. Remittance centers would be the best choice for transactions below ￥300,000. 

Most remittance services offer to give you a furikomi card for easy sending and recipients at home can choose whether to pick up the money or have them deposited to a bank account.

Seven Bank

Seven Bank gained popularity because of their mobile app that lets you transfer from your smartphone. They offer discounts if you use their mobile app and guarantees no additional fees to be borne by the receiver. Another feature they offer is the option to receive the transfer in local pick up points all over the Philippines. They also offer directly depositing your remittance to local banks.

Metrobank Japan

This is a local bank in the Philippines that operates a branch in Tokyo and Osaka. They function mainly as a remittance service. I personally chose this because it's convenient for Metrobank account holders. I can transfer money and have it received within a few hours.

Japan Remit Finance

I discovered this remittance recently while researching for this article. It's a reputable remittance service founded in 2011 and by far offers the best exchange rates. These remittance services and banks follow their own exchange rates, and though they post it on their websites, they tend to have different rates. The differences are in decimal points but when you're sending a big amount, the difference grows. I have not tried their service as of writing this, but I did apply for an account with them. If everything goes well, I might be switching over to them soon.

SBI Remit

SBI Remit is another long-standing remittance service established in 2010. They offer competitive fees and exchange rates. I was going to use SBI Remit for my remittances but for reasons I can't remember, I just went with Metrobank. They have a very streamlined registration process and they are very responsive. 

Online Money Transfer

For those who have experience working online or shopping online, you have heard of several online payment systems. One classic example is PayPal. I have personally trusted this online payment system for a very long time, and they have never let me down yet. But with the dawn of the digital age, more online money transfer systems are popping up and these are a few that I personally used in the past.

PayPal

I am a fan of PayPal. I learned about PayPal back in the early 2000s when I worked as a chat support agent for eBay. And through the years, they have only improved their security and I have been a member for almost a couple of decades now. To be honest I only ever do online shopping if I can pay using PayPal. As a remittance service, they only charge a currency conversion fee. The catch is, it's a percentage, so the bigger you send, the bigger the fee. Also, they charge you to deposit to your bank account. They charge about 2-3 USD to deposit to bank accounts.

TransferWise

TransferWise is a UK-based online transfer system that I came across in the last 5 years. I made a payment to someone in Thailand using this payment method and the fees were considerably cheaper. A couple of years ago, I couldn't use this account yet because they haven't established their base in Japan yet but I checked recently, they are now fully up and running. I am thinking of trying this service again soon and see which one truly will give me value for money.

WorldRemit

Okay, this one I admit, I have never used. But I did research on it and they function similarly to TransferWise. I did a quick comparison and their conversion rates are very competitive too. This is another way to send money conveniently. 

Depending on your needs and level of comfort transacting online, you can choose from these methods to send money back home.

If you enjoyed reading this, check out our other posts that might interest you:

Study in Japan: How Much Will It Cost Me Initially?

Part-time Jobs as a Language Student

Japanese Language Student's Monthly Budget

For questions, feel free to comment below or message me on Facebook or Instagram.

Part-time Jobs as a Language Student

On our third day in Japan, we started with our very first part-time job or arubaito(アルバイト).

When you come to Japan to study, you will be allowed to work for 28 hours a week to help with your day to day expenses (rent, utilities, food, etc.) At the time, the hourly rate for part-timers in Ibaraki was 800 yen per hour. One good thing about working as a part-timer in Japan is the fact that everyone is paid the same rate. They don't look at age, gender, or nationality. Across the board, the minimum wage is the same.

Update: As of 2020, the minimum wage in Ibaraki is at 850 yen per hour.

There is a multitude of part-time jobs available all over Japan. But if you come here with practically zero language skills, then your options become limited. Let me show you a few of these arubaito gigs that can be done even when you barely speak Japanese.

Let me tell you our story...

After the school orientation, we were given the rest of the day off. Or so we thought. At around 3pm, (if memory serves) we were told to report to the school's field office. We called this place jimusho(事務所). This is where we would go whenever we needed administrative stuff; work issues, problems with our apartments, payments, or when you accidentally get bit by your neighbor's dog (true story XD), among other things.

So, we were told to go there because they decided what our part-time jobs would be and when we would start work- which was the next day. We were told to buy work boots and hats. Hmmm... what was this job going to be?

The next day.

So we went to school and had our first day of lessons. We were then loaded on to a van to be taken to our very first job. We ate our lunch in the van, en route to our destination. 

Farm Work

Sweet potatoes...as far as the eye can see...

We were taken to a large field with exposed sweet potatoes for the picking. Digging the crops are done by a machine but the initial sorting is still done by hand and thus we had to go, pair by pair into the field and pick out the big ones first, and then the smaller ones.

休憩中 - Breaktime

This is one of the jobs available for students who are still at the very basic stages of learning the language. It's hard labor, we all had muscle aches the next day, but it was a very fun day.

Some other farm work part-time jobs in Oarai are:

Harvesting cabbages and other vegetables

Harvesting strawberries

Note: Harvest jobs are typically seasonal. 

Factory Work

The next day, the boys continued with the farm work, and the girls were taken to the factory to help with the packing of the finished products. We were given a white long-sleeved shirt, a yellow apron, and a head covering.

Guess who???

This is what factory part-timers usually look like, especially the ones working in the food industry. Uniforms vary depending on the work they do. In this factory, we had to arrange the dried sweet potato in a way that it will look beautiful inside the packaging.

Nihongo wakaranai!

Going back to the story

We thought that we would stay with this part-time job till we graduated like most students. But the sweet potato industry only operates in full capacity from autumn through winter. So when spring comes around, they let all their part-timers go. A lot of industries will have peak and off-peak seasons so there is a possibility of needing to change jobs from time to time.

We were then transferred to a different food processing company.

"Why am I always the one holding the camera?"

From sweet potatoes, we moved on to vegetables. We prepared vegetables for restaurants and bento making factories. 

"Aren't we supposed to be working?"

Some other factories that employ part-time student workers are:

Fish/Seafood processing plants

Bento (boxed lunch) processing plants

Industrial laundromats

Restaurant/Cafe Staff

The saga continues...

When we were transferred from our sweet potato life, we were divided into two groups. Three of us were sent to vegetable processing, the other three were sent to a seafood restaurant. 

Prep time!

Another entry-level job students can get while studying is in restaurants and cafes. When you can't hold your own in a conversation yet, you will most probably be placed in the kitchen where you will wash dishes all-day-long. 

But as you progress with your Japanese language skills, you will slowly, but surely, be introduced to other aspects like taking orders or manning the register.

And sometimes, you get to wear cute uniforms!

Hotel Staff

Oarai may be a small town, but it does have a number of hotels. Students can get jobs in housekeeping, cleaning, kitchen staff, etc in some of the hotels in the area. 

Do not disturb me!

Other Arubaito

For students who come to Japan with some Japanese skills, you can find other part-time jobs. I listed these jobs for last because most of the time, students come with almost no Japanese language skills. 

Convenience store clerk

Whenever you take a customer-facing job, it will require you to speak and it goes without saying that you will need language skills for this one. I never experienced this myself so I really have no opinion about this.

English Tutor

For those with English speaking skills, you can sideline as an English tutor. The biggest downside to this would be having to find your own students. Although there are a lot of available websites to do this.

Supermarket Staff

This is similar to the convenience store clerk job where you have to man the register. Although sometimes you just need to stock the shelves or put discount stickers on bento boxes two hours before closing.

I'm sure there are other part-time jobs I may have failed to mention here. Not to worry, the key is to be open to any available job and you can't go wrong. Besides, no matter how difficult, it makes for a good experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the usual questions students have. If you have any other questions, feel free to comment below and I will update your questions here periodically.

Q: Can I have more than one part-time job?

A:  Yes. But you still need to abide by the 28 hours per week rule. During long school vacations (golden week, summer vacation, winter vacation, etc), you can work up to 40 hours a week.

Q: Are we allowed to work night shifts? Do we get paid night differentials?

A: Yes. You may work any shift as long as it does not interfere with your class schedule. Yes, the night differential is paid. It's set at 25%.

Q: Do we get paid holiday premiums?

A: Depends on your company. Some pay it, some don't. Same with weekends. It really depends on the company you work for.

Q: How much do you earn a month?

A: Part-time workers earn about 80,000 to 100,000 a month.

What do you think? If you liked this post, read about how a usual day goes in our life as a student in Oarai. For questions, feel free to comment below or message me on Facebook or Instagram.

Silak's JST Series: Introduction to Silak's Japan Survival Tips

Hello Everyone!!!

I have been thinking of some things to post and I really wanted to share how I am learning to survive in Japan. Yes, I may have a little bit of Nihongo under my belt but not nearly enough to understand everything that goes on around me.

And so I came up with this!!!

Silak's JST (Japan Survival Tips) series

This will be basically short posts on practical tips and tricks I've picked up along the way. I will be sharing stuff that I learned and am still doing that makes my life so much easier.

This will be anything and everything under the sun from post rescheduling, inquiries, groceries, and many, many more!

And, good news to the introverts out there like me that want to minimize their human contact as much as possible, these, are going to help you a lot! (As much as possible I do most of my stuff online and I only call if, and when I really need to.)

I will try to make the posts as educational as possible with as many picture illustrations as I can.

So as for now, this is all the free time I have, I will keep you guys posted, and please share the word so we can help as many people as we can!

So as our introductory, inaugural post, let's get to our first survival tip

Silak's JST #1: Japan Wi-Fi Auto-Connect

I recently went home to the Philippines for a long-awaited summer vacation. Needless to say, with the little money I saved up for a mini splurge, this homecoming was a success and I successfully gained 3 kgs due to the amount of eating I did while I was there.

On my trip back, as I was fighting back the tears (I guess leaving home is never really easy no matter how many times you do it) I couldn't help but overhear a nice couple (I will be assuming and assume that they are newlyweds as the wedding rings look fairly new) discussing their roaming plans. When we got on board I thought they were frequent fliers to Japan so I didn't really talk their ears off with tips, but for the internet connectivity thing, I knew how hard it is not being connected.

Where art thou, oh Wi-Fi

And so I gave them the tip I used to survive the initial days in Japan when I didn't have a mobile wifi device yet. When traveling to Japan, try to download this app (for android users) before leaving the free wifi areas of the airport.

It's called Japan Wi-Fi auto-connect and I have provided links here:

Website 
Google Play
Apple App store

Basically, what this does is connect you to available wifi spots (including those that are sometimes locked or requiring logins under the NTT Docomo network) It's a cheaper alternative to getting the rental hotspots from the airport, and if you will be staying longer like us, a means to an end till you can get your own phone plan.

And, it's easy!

Simply install and register! The app will automatically connect you to wifi hotspots all over Japan. 

If you prefer being in control of when you connect rather than automatically connecting to hotspots, you can instead download the sister app, Japan Connected-free Wi-Fi instead.

Website 
Google Play
Apple App store

Both apps are powered by the NTT Broadband Platform and the only difference is the first one connects you automatically once a hotspot is available, and the other one you will have to manually connect.

Although, the downside is, when there are no wifi spots available, you will not be able to connect to the internet and the next thing to do is to look for a convenience store. Most likely, they will always have wifi. But not to worry! The company is adding more wifi spots with time.

This is the first tip I can share and this is usable by all, tourists and first-timers alike! Feel free to share and if you have questions or tips you might want to share, feel free to comment below or message me on Facebook or Instagram so we can all make our Japan stay more fun!

Ja ne~

お久しぶりですね～ Long time no see!!

みんな、お久しぶり！
Long time no see everyone!

Okay, so I know I keep promising to update more, but despite all the time I have, I can't seem to get into my blogging groove. But I guess I can churn at least 1 post a week. I will most certainly try.

So, I can't even remember what my last post was. Hahaha! But lemme catch you up with my current status.


Before December 2017
 The first time I took the test was back in July 2017 for the N4 level which I passed due to diligently studying for exams and memorizing kanji every down time I get even if it's just for 3 mins. So N4 was easy for me, but since then, everything went downhill.

I was lucky enough to score plane tickets on sale and went home for a couple of weeks during summer vacation.

When I got back, I was really tired of going to school everyday. It was so boring and I got caught up in a game on my smartphone. In short, I was barely studying if at all. Before we knew it, it was December and we needed to take the JLPT again.

In all reality, I did not want to take the exam again. I wasn't prepared for it like I was with N4. I spoke to my parents and told them that I didn't want to take the exam anymore. They agreed with me and said that if I didn't want to, no need to force it. But I did take the exam, because my friends convinced me that this is the last time we will be taking this test together.

So I did.

December 2017
I took the JLPT N3 exam with my friends. It was nice and the weather wasn't that cold yet. So we all enjoyed the trip and as for me, I just took the test for the sake of taking the test. I knew I wouldn't pass so I wasn't pressured with the exam and just tried to answer to the best of my ability.

I quickly forgot about it.

I don't really remember how I spent Christmas then...I think I just slept, or maybe I went to my friends' apartment, I really, for the life of me, can't remember.

January - February 2018
In January we renewed our visas. We experienced several snow days that caused a snow blanket that lasted for a week. One of our friends suddenly went home to pursue her Bachelor's degree. We all applied as ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers) and all got accepted. And everyone was barely attending school at this stage.

March 2018
I got bit by our neighbor's dog. It resulted in quite a bit of an issue as the person who was supposed to help made matters worse by acting like a vigilante whatchamacallit. But everything was settled in the end which brings me to a lesson I learned.

"Always see the best in people."

Graduation

We all graduated on March 16th. Who knew. We started with 7, and graduated 5 people. One is still in Japan although we have this idea that he might be hiding from the law. The other one went home to pursue her bachelor's degree. And we who remained, are now ALTs.

Disneyland!!!
Yeah, as a gift to the graduating students, the school sponsored (well we think they did but maybe we paid for it hahahaha) a school trip to Disney. It was my first time to go there and it was just sad that it had been raining that day.

Moving out of Oarai
It was a roller coaster of a life in Oarai. It was bittersweet to leave that apartment I shared with 3 other people for over a year.

April 2018
And this brings us up to date with our lives. We are now ALTs and are in separate schools and somehow prefectures.

At this point, I will try to write articles more on a weekly basis.

First Day High

Atarashii Kotoba

O hisashiburi desu ne - It's been a while... Typically an expression used when you haven't seen someone, or something in a while.
Konnichiwa - good day. Generic greeting for anyone. Usually used from 10 am till there is daylight.
Hanami - sakura (cherry blossom) viewing
Zairyuu card - Residence card issued to us when we first landed in Japan as ryuugakusei.
Ryuugakusei - Foreign exchange student
Yakuba - Town hall
Kokumin Kenko Hokenshou - National Health Insurance card
obento - packed lunch
arubaito - part time job

First Day High

Konnichiwa!!! O hisashiburi desu ne!

Wow, seriously, it has been a long time. Hahaha! Sorry for not updating you guys in a long while. Life as a working student here in Japan can be quite time consuming and basically, tiring. But, all in a day's work. Now, a lot has gone down since the last entry. We've experienced snow (for a day), our first hanami, we've also taken the JLPT N4 exams back in July, we experienced the Oarai summer, and a lot more. I will probably make entries on those, hopefully once a week. (Or once in two weeks, if time permits.)


So going back to the 711 crew series.

After arriving and settling and exploring for a day in Oarai, we went to school for the first time. We had our bikes and we set out to retrace the way to school after being shown where the school was, exactly once.

Since we girls lived together and since it was our first day, we all agreed to go to school together. Using our super sharp memories, we set out in search for our school and where it was exactly. Needless to say, we nearly ended up in Hitachinaka because, well we forgot to turn left at the 711 corner.

So after a bit of struggle with the language barrier and such...Leizel was able to ask for directions and got us to school with ample time to take a picture.

Us on our first day.

I wouldn't say it was our first day of school exactly, it was more of an entrance exam of sorts. We were made to take a Japanese language aptitude test to see which student goes to what class. Thankfully enough, and since there were only 7 of us, we all ended up in the same class. After the exam, we had a quick interview to asses our speaking skills.

With all the assessments done, we were then whisked away to the Yakuba to have our zairyuu cards stamped with our addresses and for the issuance of our Kokumin Kenko Hokenshou.

We were then given the rest of the day off.

The next day, we had the opening ceremony where the officers of the school were introduced, as well as short speeches from each officer. There was also a garbage disposal orientation (Japan is very particular with garbage disposal. Schedules, sorting, etc.) picture taking for the school ID, and a quick round robin of introductions from the students. Our particular batch of students is quite small so we were all asked to make self introductions in Japanese.

With the whirlwind of events all done, we then had to fill out bank application forms to open our very first Japanese bank account. In preparation for this, our names were written one by one on the board by our Japanese teacher and we had to copy these for our bank forms.

And that's how our first day of school went.

Again, we were given the rest of the day off with the reminder to bring obento for the next day because we start with arubaito after class.

See you next time for the next episode. ^___^

A Day in the Life of the Filipino Students in Oarai

For more information on Oarai International Exchange Academy, you can contact me via Facebook or Instagram, or by commenting on this article. 

Life in a different country is never easy. You are far from family, friends, loved ones, and the comforts of home. Everything might look fun and glamorous in picture-perfect pictures but those, are but moments. A fleeting glimpse at the everyday life of a person.

We are the first Filipino student delegates of the Oarai International Exchange Academy (大洗国際交流アカデミー), a Japanese language school set in the quaint little coastal town of Oarai in the Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. We came to Japan with minimal knowledge of the language and have been, since arriving, consistently learning and improving our grasp of the language. Life in Japan, in Oarai in particular, has been quite the adventure with all the ups and downs and everything in between. Our life here is full of discoveries, realizations, little victories, a lot of tears, and a lot of hard work. We always look like we're having fun in pictures because, to tell the truth, we are. But the fun is just the tip of the iceberg.

Our first ever group photo.

Upon arriving in Oarai, we were overwhelmed by the stark difference in cultures. Some of us have experiences in traveling abroad but nothing could have prepared us for what was in store. We are all full-blooded Filipinos and have all been raised the Filipino way. Of course, each family has its own values and traditions, but generally speaking, we are Filipinos through and through. Needless to say, our first challenge was the language and culture barrier. Unlike traveling abroad for leisure, coming to a town like Oarai was a culture shock. Virtually no one speaks English and those who do, barely speak the language.

Our home away from home, 711.

The only place of comfort and familiarity was the local 711 store. It became our hangout, go-to place, and lifesaver. We went to 711 mainly for the internet connection and for the clean and comfortable toilet. This may seem funny but going to the toilet also presented a challenge as the toilet seats get freezing cold and the water to wash with feels like it came from Antarctica, so a warm toilet seat and a bidet are quite the lifesaver.

The 711 nights.

Another battle to fight was the daily bout of homesickness. Especially for those with kids they left behind, it was almost debilitating. For me personally, homesickness hit me around 3 months in. The adrenaline rush of settling into a foreign place kept me occupied and when finally everything settled into a routine, that's when it hit real hard. But thankfully enough, we kept each other sane, providing support and comfort whenever one needs it.

School started soon after we arrived, and we were introduced to our part-time jobs right after. Now, we seven came from different occupations and industries. A couple of us are teachers and entrepreneurs, one is an insurance expert and hotel connoisseur, a few come from different technical industries. We were all used to office work and, so to say, professional jobs. Who would have thought that upon arriving in Japan, we would all embark on our first manual labor stint.

The Philippine Farmers, in Japan.

We worked at a sweet potato product company. They make dried sweet potato (ほしいも) of different kinds, shapes, and sizes. So everything from harvesting to packing, we were involved in. Now, this is a perfectly normal job in Japan. But for us who are not used to manual labor, the struggle is real. Some of us broke down in tears from the exhaustion and exertion. It was not a glamorous job like we imagined, but, we are proud to say, we survived it all.

Winter Wonderland!

We have only been here for a few months, and we still have a lot to encounter, a lot of challenges to overcome, and a lot of mountains to conquer, but as long as we have each other and the support of those around us, we are sure to succeed. Every day is a new day, and every day is another step closer to our goals. Years from now, we might find ourselves on different paths, but we will be eternally grateful that at one point, this is where it all started. In our hometown away from home, our Oarai.

The First Batch

The Tropical Girl's Guide for Surviving Winter in Japan Part 1

I am a tropical girl. And I love it! I love the sun, the heat, the tan you get from walking from your car to the mall entrance. I love everything about the tropics. Okay, maybe not everything, because I do hate the flies and mosquitoes and the smell of dried sweat. But still, I am happy with the muggy temperature of my homeland.

I was thrown into a whirlwind of events when I decided to go for my dream of going to study in Japan. And to add the cherry on top of my ice cream sundae, I was set to fly and arrive right smack in the middle of autumn. Not bad, cool weather, red leaves and all.

And then the temperature starts dropping.

And dropping.

And... now, daily, we get -7 degrees Celsius every morning.

Quick disclaimer...I am by no means an expert in surviving the freezer-like temperatures but this is a memoir on how I am currently surviving the sub-zero temperatures.

So, how will a girl, who loves the sun and the heat so much, survive winter in a coastal town with a sub-zero daily temperature?

Okay, this is going to be part one and we will talk about how to keep yourself (like literally your body) warm during winter. I will make another post regarding how to keep warm at home next time.

Tip#1
Layer, on top of layer, on top of layer!

Coming from a tropical country, I have never, in my entire life, needed to wear thermal underwear. Heck, I didn't even know such a thing existed. But these warm overall, long johns kinda things will save your life. Uniqlo will be your new best friend with their HeatTech apparel that you can purchase for cheap. (They tend to go on sale a lot) Also, don't be afraid to wear 3 or 4 layers of thermal underwear... believe me when I say that shivering is not a fun thing to do when you're out and about.

Also, look out for flea markets from time to time. We are blessed that Oarai holds a flea market called "Free market" in the Marine tower grounds twice a month and we were able to score winter coats and jackets for as low as 300 yen.

And, forget about fashion. Just dress warmly. Thankfully enough, people here dress weirdly that no one really notices that you're not color coordinated and all.

Tip#2
Moisturize!!!

Japanese winters can be so dry. To think that this is a coastal town. On the first week, (it wasn't even winter then) I got what was called a windburn. My skin was literally hurting like when you get a sunburn, only this was due to the cold wind blasting in your face. So the best way to make sure you don't start peeling like old paint on a plaster wall is to moisturize. My go-to products are the classic Nivea creme, Vaseline Petroleum Jelly, Nivea Extra Repair Lotion (boys, this is scentless so this will work wonders for you!), Nivea Vitamin E Moisture lip (no scent, no tint, and flavor as well) and the Nivea soft for face, hand, and body for my on-the-go moisturizing needs. Works for boys and girls. Most of the products I am showing here are scentless and gender-neutral.

My winter moisturizing arsenal

Tip#3
Buy winter gloves, winter socks, and invest in earmuffs!

Nothing hurts more than your toes and fingers freezing to bits. Like literally, it hurts!!! Not to mention your ears. Invest in a pair of gloves that are waterproof and are similar in material to winter jackets. If all else fails, a friend recommended ski gloves. A bit bulky and annoying, but they should do well in keeping your digits from freezing off.

As for socks, you can buy those from 100 yen shops available all over Japan. Just buy 5-6 pairs and you should be fine. Provided you do laundry every week.

As for earmuffs, if you can't seem to find a pair, you can make do with mufflers and winter hats that cover the ears. Believe me when I say that it hurts like a (female dog) if you leave your ears exposed. You'd do well to invest in 2 or 3 beanies and you should scrape by.

Bonus note: the same friend who recommended the ski gloves also recommends rainboots and raincoats to help fend off the cold winter. I tried it personally and it helps!!! You just look weird wearing a raincoat in sunny weather, but hell, I'm cold!

Tip#4
Kairo!

Boy, you have got to love the Japanese and their brains! Kairo packs are little iron and something-filled packs that once exposed to oxygen creates an exothermic reaction thus creating heat up to such time the chemical reaction is complete. (Okay, that sounded a little nerdy, but I'm so sorry, I just can't help myself, I love science and math!) These things can be bought literally anywhere in Japan during the winter season. They come in different shapes, sizes, stick-able and nonadhesive, special foot kairo, and so on. How to use it? Just rip open the packet and expose it to oxygen. This can be a real lifesaver when you no longer can produce your own heat fast enough. 

A word of advice, these things can literally burn you so if you are going for the adhesive-backed ones, don't stick to skin. Only on clothes. 

*時 (ji)- denotes approximately how many hours the kairo should give off heat. Try to remember this kanji.

Tip#5

Keep the Neck Warm!

Okay, I've only been here for 4 months so I can't claim to understand tv shows just yet, but I happened to see one of these shows that were conducting a comparative experiment on how to wear mufflers to keep you the warmest. So I won't go into detail regarding that but I have concluded from that short clip and my own personal experience that the more you keep your neck (and ears) warm, the less cold you'll be. So again, like the bargain hunter that I am, I recommend you visit your local 100 yen shop for boa neck warmers, scarfs, and mufflers. 

So these tips should keep you warm enough to live another day. But, as promised, I will be writing part 2 for this survival guide. That time, I will be talking about how to keep your room warm, what stuff to invest in, and a few tricks that are keeping me warm at home.