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

Kirei Ja Arimasen!

Atarashii Kotoba

Kirei - beautiful
~ja arimasen - negative form (this is appended to an adjective, noun, or adverb indicative of the negative version of said word)
hai - yes
iie - no
kudasai - please
arigatou gozaimasu -thank you very much
sumimasen - excuse me
gomenasai - I'm sorry
ohayou gozaimasu - Good morning
konnichiwa - Hello/good day

Kirei ja arimasen!
This is a side story of an on-going joke we have amongst the group. The next episode is still in the works. ;p

Upon landing in Japan, we were armed with our very, VERY limited vocabulary of the Japanese language. Of course we know the basics such as: hai, iie, kudasai, arigatou gozaimasu, ohayou gozaimasu, sumimasen, gomenasai and konnichiwa. We also know a few descriptors here and there, some we've heard from anime, some from friends and some from family members who have settled here in Japan.

Kirei is an adjective used to describe something beautiful, clean, and pristine. But mostly, when referring to people, it means beautiful.

Because, we are.

Now, from the very first day we have been in Japan, Jerome has this habit of asking anyone and everyone (but most of the time it's either Carol or Regine) "Are you beautiful?". He asks this usually in our native tongue, but since we are learning Japanese after all, he tends to ask this in Japanese as well.

Carol-san wa, kirei desu ka? (Carol, are you beautiful?)

With which he promptly answers his own question with:

Kirei ja arimasen!!!

"Are you beautiful?!"

I know the story seems senseless but it's funny because even with our lessons, this particular string of words keep following us around.

On our first day in the factory:

Most of the things the people we work with say, we basically and hopelessly could not understand. But one word apparently stuck, it was making sure that the packing was kirei. 



In school, learning about adjectives:

We were taught that kirei is a "-na" form adjective. It is used to describe people, places, and objects that are aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

And when we were learning about negatives (ja arimasen)

And recently when we were learning about the casual form of speech. (kirei janai!)

I know that this is not the end of the Kirei ja arimasen series. But I wanted to make an entry regarding this so as not to forget.

Now let me end this entry with a picture worth...well you decide! Hahaha!

Jiko Shoukai: Presenting the Oarai Isohamacho 711-Crew

Atarashii Kotoba (New Words)
From this post forward, I will start the post with the Atarashii Kotoba section to introduce a few basic Japanese phrases, words, and expressions to help you with learning a little bit of Japanese while being entertained with the colorful life of Silak.

Jiko shoukai - self- introduction

The 711 Crew


I arrived in Japan on the 9th of October 2016. I arrived here on an early morning plane with 6 other Filipinos for the commencement of our life as students in Japan. We were part of a program that allowed us to study and work part-time in an international language exchange school for the next year and a half.

Now, before the trip, none of these 7 people (myself included) have ever met in person. We may have chatted online via Facebook once or twice, but we were complete strangers to each other. So to make sure everybody is on the same page with the subsequent posts of the future, we will be doing a quick jiko-shoukai of the 711-crew.

Sunshine

Yours truly. I am the author and writer of this little story.

I am a blogger, a nerd, a control freak, and somewhat a shopaholic. I love Japanese food, and I hate the cold weather. I love dressing cute, and I am particularly fond of boots. I usually wander off alone and am a bit of a weirdo. I have loved Japan and its culture for a long time. I am also a bit of an explainer with a compulsion to explain everything.




Jerome

Jerome is the alpha of the group. He tends to be the bossiest of them all but is also the voice of reason most of the time. He is the instigator of most of the escapades the group has. He has a powerful personality, and tends to end every sentence with "charot." Jerome can very well be the life of any party, and can definitely light up a room with his presence. This guy never goes unnoticed.



Liezel

Leizel is the little explorer of the group that tends to get lost and discover places all on her own. She is the epitome of the independent woman, able to do anything and everything on her own.  She is spunky and sweet but is a bit strict. Well, of course, she is a teacher. One more thing to love about Leizel is her friendliness and being approachable even with strangers. She has a healthy curiosity for life and culture, and basically anything under the sun.




Richard

Richard is the eldest and the father figure of the group. He is the voice of maturity and is the kindest and most caring among the crew. He is quiet most of the time and can be caught in contemplative pauses from time to time due to the struggle of missing his family back home. But, this has never stopped him from doing his job and whatever is required of him. Don't let that quiet facade fool you though, this guy is well equipped with throwing perfectly timed punchlines, enough to get everyone rolling on the floor laughing.




Regine

Regine is the second youngest of the group and tends to be a little bit headstrong at times. She is always on the go and can go for weeks without rest. She always gives her one hundred percent at work, and will always be able to live up to what needs to be done. She loves fun, can be a little rough around the edges, and a bit scaredy, but this sweetheart definitely has a lot of potentials.





Toshi

Toshi is the artistic soul of the group. As is obvious with the picture. He tends to be dramatic in his pictures and is full of artistic ideas. He is also musically inclined and has a nice set of pipes according to the alpha. He is the mysterious guy that seems to keep his activities on the down-low. He is the number one Japan lover among the crew and is the most knowledgeable regarding anything Japanese.





Carol

Carol is the youngest of the group and is our little ray of sunshine. Her laughter is one that does not go unnoticed. She is our little homebody that takes a lot of coaxing to get out of the house to explore our little hometown. She always has a lot of food to share from day one and loves going on group activities. She is the youngest but definitely not the weakest. This girl has faced many struggles and is one who can face anything the world throws at her.




And there we have it, folks. The 711 crew of Oarai study and work program. In the next episode, we will be regaling you with the story behind how these 7 people became the 711 crew.