Tag: japan

My travel plans

I’ve been reading my 6 travel books and my travelling plan is this:

Fukuoka -> Kobe -> Osaka -> Kyoto -> Uji (for Genji museum) -> Nara -> Tokyo

I also plan to use the Seishun 18 tickets during my 6 weeks in Fukuoka to visit other places in Kyushu.

To N, I might go and visit Nodame’s hometown, it’s in Okawa, Kyushu. (Secretly wish some Chiaki will ambush me.)  ha ha ha

Visa Application Go Go Go

I visited the Japanese Consulate of Kota Kinabalu on Tuesday. Very lucky that it is in Sabah or else I’ll have to ask a travel agent to apply for my visa and that will take lots of time and cause other hassles.

Like I said in a previous post, Malaysians (in theory) do not have to apply for a visa because the government is (supposedly) friendly with the Japanese government. But (in reality) the Japanese authority suggests that we get a visa to enter Japan. So, it means that I can buy a ticket to fly to Japan, arrive in Narita Airport and be sent home because the officials there think I look like someone who will overstay.

It sucks. And visa applying sucks even more because of all the rubbish we have to submit.

In theory, my visa application is going to be smooth because of the documents I have from Kyushu University. And they’ll give me a 90-day visa because that’s the regular visa. Yipee! But (there is always a “but”!!) as I want to travel after the summer programme, visa is not that simple.

I went to the consulate to ask about that. I don’t want to buy an extra week free in Japan air ticket and then they say they don’t want to give me a visa. Air ticket is so exp.

Thank goodness the old man at the consulate speaks understandable English. He advised me to get the extra document to apply for visa. So the visa application journey begins!

  1. A valid passport
  2. One(1) visa aplication form     [will fill up soon]
  3. One(1) Malaysian passport size photo
  4. Confirmed flight itinerary (issued by the travel agency/airline) or a flight schedule in detail [will pay soon]
  5. Visiting relatives: Documents clarifying their relationship Visiting friends: Documents clarifying their relationship between the applicants and his/her friends in Japan
  6. Material showing your capacity to bear staying expenses in Japan (e.g. Bank statement) [yup]
  7. A letter of guarantee from your relatives or friends in Japan, guarantor’s income certificate and the residence certificate in case the guarantor bear the expenses during your staying in Japan
  8. A copy of your relative or friend’s passport and Alien Registration Certificate in case your friend is a registered foreigner residing in Japan

Gasp. I hate bureaucracy.

Youthful reads and plans

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I like to plan my travels. It makes me more secure than just plopping in some where and walk aimlessly.

But even with planning, I would walk in the opposite direction of my destination. My sense of direction falls below average in foreign places.

I’m now planning a seven day backpack trip (should I say, wheeled trolley trip). I want to stop in historical locations. I’ll skip the big cities during this solo travelling trip because my main aim is Tokyo.

This strange niece

Met two aunts for lunch today. Aunt 1 had told Aunt 2 that I will be going to Japan. I sense that Aunt 2 isn’t too happy for me.

Aunt 2 asked, “So you pay for the plane tickets?”
I said, “Actually, I pay for everything.”
Then Aunt 2 gave this “I can’t believe this” laugh. I imagine she thinks I’m a girl who likes to waste money going overseas, six weeks some more!

Well, I’m not asking her to sponsor me. I can go if I wish to.

Then went to uncle’s place. Uncle is aunt 2’s husband and they are my kindly 3-year bond sponsors.

I told uncle about Japan. He nodded and asked, “So you’re taking Japanese now?”
I said, “No.”
He asked (surprised), “Then why are you going to Japan?”
“Well, I’ve taken Japanese before and I want to see the world.”
He asked, “Your French?”
“Level four.”
“Can you read documents?”
“I can’t really read the papers but no problem with comics.”
“At least…”

I wonder what they would say if I went to France for immersion. France is on the other side of the world and the plane tix (wait a minute, plane tix is about the same as to Japan, actually.)

I’m probably a selfish girl, who doesn’t know the value of money, in their eyes. But, but, I’ve been Girl-on-a-Budget for so long!!!

I believe I deserve to go and I’ll make it come true!

PS (probably) going to Japan

Found out today that PS has been offered an internship at Hiroshima. It’s a 3 week internship and there’s less than ten vacancies. Before knowing that she’s offered the internship, she said Japanese Studies majors are given priority and it was quite late when she applied.

What a pleasant surprise, even though we’re going at different periods. But it’s great to know that someone else gets to go to Japan too.

Baby crying contest

Interesting festival

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Took a break from updating yesterday. It’s my birthday after all

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Yesterday in Tokyo’s Sensoji, they had their annual baby crying contest. Parents bring their babies to the temple. Sumo students would carry the babies and try to make them (the babies) cry. The louder you cry, the healthier you are.

I read that the tradition started waay back when babies didn’t survive that easily. Weak babies didn’t cry that much while healthy babies kicked and screamed. So it’s good to give your kid a scare so that it’ll grow up healthy.

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Good series to prepare for Japan

 

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<Eibun Nihon etoki jiten> publisher: Japan Travel Bureau

The series of book above are illustrated books about Japan. There are available in Sabah libraries and I found them in the school library last week.

They are easy to read and the illustrations help with the reading. They are very informative.

If you want to know more about Japan, this series is a good start!

adding to Must Do in Japan:
Visit Shinto shrine

Ten Nights of Dreams

Weird coincidences led me to 2006 movie Ten Nights of Dreams
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0899224/

The original story is by Natsume Soseki. I first read the translations of Ten Nights of Dream in year 1 when I took Introduction to Japanese Studies. It comprises of ten different stories, all of them bizarre and I have yet to solve them.

Ok, the reason I’m watching the movie is because of Kenichi Matsuyama. I was watching another drama and found him very cute! (I have a limited vocabulary when it comes to describing guys) Then I found out he’s L from the Death Note movies. Wow, such a long time since I’ve been catching up with my J-entertainment news.

Anyway, the library has a recording of Ten Nights of Dreams. I might borrow it one day to brush up my Japanese.

Currently in Japanese drama mood.

Update on summer programme

Mom suggested that I join a tour group to Tokyo. Then I join the group for seven days of fun and when they leave for Singapore, I leave for Fukuoka.

It’s a lot cheaper than backpacking in Tokyo if I do this. The plane tix are already exp and the accommodation cost is very high too.

Plus, I can go to Disneyland if I join the tour group. Will consider it.

I’ve faxed my passport details to Kyushu’s person in charge. Quickly get the visa and everything will be confirmed.

Met with U today at D’s. Learned something about the Japanese from her. I will be a brave traveler!