Mission Accomplished...and then...

Mission: Get my Alien Registration Card from the Atsugi City Hall, and my Work Permit from the Immigration Office in Shin-Yurigaoka.  Both offices open at 9am.  I got up at 9am.  And left past 10am already.  Sigh.

I got to City Hall and I was done around 11:00am.  Yikes!  I got to the Immigration Office around 11:40am (they have lunch break at 12 noon).  Yikes!  And I noticed the machine that dispenses the number (you know, "take a number and wait to be seated"?) wasn't there, and already there was a sign that says "Lunch break, 12:00~13:00".  I asked if they can attend to my needs, basically I just need to get my work permit already unless my application was denied.  The lady apparently told me to get a number first.  Yikes!

It was 5 minutes before 12 when they put the number dispensing machine out again, and I got a number (# 129; it was still #79), went straight to the counter, and gave my passport.

Then it became 12:00.  The guy at the counter apparently was announcing that it's lunch break already therefore everyone should just come back at 1pm.  Oh boy, a one hour wait.  But I stared at him for a little while and apparently he was ready to give me my passport with work permit.  And he did.  At 12:00.  So apparently I got there just in the nick of time!  Thank God.

And so back to school I went.  Got back to TPU around 1:20pm I think.  The bus was packed, as in Edsa-MRT rush hour packed!  I was deciding whether I should wait for the next bus or try to "fit in."  The next bus was not until 20 minutes later!  So...  Funny thing was, the bus felt "full" already when I got on, but after a couple of bus stops and a few more passengers getting on, we all still fit!  Apparently there were some who were refusing to give way and make space.  Oh well, who wants to be cramped in an enclosed space, like sardines!?

And then back to "work" - reading here and there.  And then 5pm came...  Basketball time!  Or not.  Someone was using the gym.  The basketball gym is also an indoor soccer (futsal) gym, a volleyball gym, a dodge ball gym, and a badminton gym.  So...  We have competition.  For using the gym, that is.  And we don't have the "right," because we're not "paying members" of any of the sports club who have the "right" to use the gym.  Oh well.  So running we just went.  I probably ran around at least a kilometer.  We were hoping that by the end of our running, the badminton and volleyball players would be packing up already, and so we can play basketball.  Nope.  As Okada-san said, "not our day today."

And so here I am a little tired again.  Tomorrow...  is an important day here, we are hosting an event.  I look forward to new learnings tomorrow, and free lunch buffet and dinner.  Ja mata ne!

P.S. I also discovered a Chinese restaurant in downtown Atsugi.  I am craving for Hainanese chicken.  Or anything not fried!!!

Out-of-Office

Today I left home 9:00am to meet with my graduate program's secretariat who will help me with a number of things...  First at the Atsugi City Hall at 9:30am.  I got there a little early (better early than late!) because while I knew the bus ride was just 15 minutes, something could go wrong and I did not want to be late.  First time I saw the City Hall, and the Central Park right in front of City Hall.  Took some pictures.  I think we were done around...  10:30am?  Then off to the bank to open an account.  We were done around...  12:30pm?  Then by myself I was off to Shin-Yurigaoka, 11 stations away on a local train (stops at every station) or 4 stations away on an express train (stops at select stations), to go to the immigration office.  It was around 1:15pm when I arrived at Shin-Yurigaoka so I had lunch first...  At Pap-parap-pap-pa!  Had a quarter pounder with cheese meal.  They have a double quarter pounder here.  Yay!  That'll be for next time...  :-D  And they have discounts if you eat between 11:00am and 2:00pm!  Anyways, I got to the immigration office around 1:40pm.  Took a number - got 192.  The number they were serving was still 96.  Guess what.  Got back to the school around 5:30pm.  Phew!  What a day.  And as a reward...  I'm having konbiini (convenience store) food for dinner!