ONE OK BUNNY vs the loneliness

So starts the new world of this blog! I wanted to come up with a way to title my blogs with some kind of uniform. So ONE OK BUNNY vs... what ever the topic would be ^^

Tomorrow will mark a month since I landed in Japan. Though I have only been in my apartment under two weeks I am still working on getting things set up.

What I want to talk about is what I'm sure most people coming over alone will deal with in someway. The situation is worse in my case then most because I tend to be shy in new situations and have had very little money this far. I don't see the situation changing much until my first paycheck at the end of September.

I'm talking about the whole starting somewhere new and meeting new people thing. In this situation every situation is different as every person is different. I am going through a strange phase of being so lonely and going out of my mind sitting in my apartment as well as at the same time just wanting to be a hermit and not do anything or see anyone.

The ALTs I met in Hitachi are amazing and it might because I came right before break that I find myself with a lot of time on my hands. The ALTs I'm sure are also busy because they are on holiday. That coupled with no money means not seeing anyone really.

I got invited out a few times by the girl I came up with from Tokyo because the ALTs invited her out. It was left with a "I'll let you know" from her then nothing came of it. She had done that a few times so I just rolled with it.

I think this phase will go better for those in the fall intake because they start work shortly after arriving and I will have to wait a few more weeks before my first day of class.

I did meet one ALT that lives about 2km from me that I seemed to hit it off with. She told me when she came about a month before me she knew no one until the day we met in training. I couldn't believe it! When I arrived the company was all about me meeting the other ALTs so I wouldn't be lonely.

Today the one ALT so far I've started to get to know told me she wants to go home and break contract. Now this is her business but I wanted to bring it up because she is for sure not one who would crack in a new country; she's been there done that and is well traveled. There are worries about family at home that could turn into an emergency which anyone would want to be home for. Even though every job tells you leave personal problems outside of the work place it's almost impossible to do! Sometimes life points you in a direction that you need to head and that maybe why she wants to go home. on a more personal note one summer I had to drop out of summer classes and go home because everything worked against me and I couldn't afford it. It turned out my mom passed away that summer so I had just short of 2 months with her before it happen suddenly.

I'm sorry about being random in my thoughts and just kind of rambling. Emotions do that ^^

So as bummed as I am about the one friend I'm making leaving soon I totally support her and hope the best for her in the future. I just wanted to point out that I don't think there is a guarantee that you might not get depressed here no matter what you've done in the past or what type of person you are. I look back at my time studying abroad and see I spiraled into a depression and I thought it had to do with having no money to do anything. After today I wonder if there was more to it. I am being fully aware of all that keeping it in mind and trying to stay sane now ^^

And on an unrelated note! My money issues are sure to continue... why? because I had to buy a new computer with my loan... yeah my other broke. Though a friend pointed out that the difference in power would kill the computer at some point. So I got a new laptop yesterday and with that my issues with money continue! ^^

In my town~!

I'm in Hitachi got in mid-day yesterday and had a few hours of training looking over paper work and what not.

I found out 2 of my schools have been finalized and I love the name of them! So I know now what area of Hitachi I'll be in. I see how far the schools are from bus stops or train stations and I'm a little worried lol. They both seem about 1 km from the closest train or bus stop. I can't picture it so it seems so so far lol.

Today I got a call earlier about them getting information about my apartment. They basically apologized for not having an apartment yet for me and asked if it'd be ok to call me later and have me come into the office if they got info on one.

So about an hour and a half I think before they closed I got the call to come in. Since when I first went to the office and to the hotel I went via the local super market and by car so I didn't know how to get to the office. She told me to go to the reception desk at the hotel and call them and they'll tell them the directions and they'll give me a map.

Well I asked about directions and well... I got directions to the old office ^^ Due to damage from the quake they moved to another building. So I walked back to the hotel called the office and had them tell the front desk the directions. And now it started raining...

I was soaked by the time I got to the office! After waiting a bit and filling out a tax form I learned of the apartment they had in mind for me.

it seems to be 500 meters from the local station and my main JHS is about a km from that so it's close enough to walk or bike.

The problem with it is though that it's unfurnished... it also seems that the "move in help" for coming early doesn't include rent. though rent will be just over 40,000 yen a month so it's not so bad. I only have 7900 yen left though so I am really worried about money. I can rent furniture for 7000 yen a month i think.

Ok to give you an idea an unfurnished apartment in Japan means no stove or washing machine or anything. So I move in on Monday but there is nothing in the apartment. They are planning to have the local IC meet me and take me shopping but I have no money. I have no idea what is going to happen now.

Though tomorrow after training I'm to get the internet ball rolling which here it can take a month to get internet sometimes. She kept saying a week or two so that's what i'm hoping for but we'll see tomorrow.

I am loving Hitachi so far though!

Training coming to an end!

OMG!! That was something @_@ So tired from training!

I learned today that we did undergo a slightly shorter training period of 3 days with final demos on the 4th day.

I have to say the staff at Interac is A~M~A~Z~I~N~G! I feel like I already knew them so who knows I might just stay with them and move up in the company. I did not meet the infamous Jodie who a couple people I talked with about training had mentioned.

BAD THING ABOUT TRAINING

The health checks. What made it bad was the last minute change in our schedule so we were sent out to the clinic early. We didn't know the clinic went to lunch from 1-2 so when we arrived a little before 1 we signed in and then had to wait for an hour. We didn't have lunch so we were all starving! Plus to add to it we were going to have a urine test so we couldn't pee while we waited or drink anything else besides water.

Stephanie and I worked as a interpreter for the whole group (though a couple others knew a little Japanese). My Japanese wasn't so fluent at the time though lol Interac wanted us back around 3pm to keep going on training but we got back around 4:30pm I believe.

What we had done... it was amazing it was going station to station and they moved us around differently for the quickest result.

Urine test-> chest X-ray -> Hearing test -> EKG -> Eye test -> Blood test -> Doctor consultation. @_@

I think I was the only one the doctor gave orders to. Cut back salt because I had slight Edema she said to cut back on water but realized it's hot so she scratched that ^^

Haven't been to the doctors in a long while so it'll be nice to see how it all turned out.

I hate the hearing tests though lol I have bad hearing and it was those push the button when you hear the beep test and I started to hear beeps I'm not sure were there lol

I am currently working on laundry needing to pack up my suitcases again today to send them off to Hitachi.

I don't want to get ahead of myself ^^

Only Stephanie and myself are in the Hitachi branch and the rest of those at training were with the Tokyo branch. Tokyo got all their contract info and signed for housing and health care and all that. We Hitachi people got handed a train ticket to Hitachi for Tuesday. So it turns out we are here in this hotel for the holiday weekend. I got a phone call from the MC at Hitachi and learned that we would once in Hitachi be spending another week in a hotel. During that time my schools and Leo Palace housing would be worked out.

I'm scared a bit because I came over with very little money and already got a 30000 yen of the loan to survive and another week in a hotel means another week until I get the rest of the loan. The MC asked me how my money was doing and I told him and he said not to go crazy this weekend. Which means I shouldn't go see Harry Potter this weekend... They have been very helpful so as long as I'm vocal about needing help I should get it.

I can only pray and hope the bed in the next hotel will be softer then the hard as wood bed I'm sleeping on lol

Ah! talking with the MC it sounded like Hitachi branch office got a bit of damage so they were in a temp building waiting to move into their new permanent building. The MC seemed really nice so I'm looking forward to going into the office and meeting everyone!

I guess it's a good thing that I will start teaching when school comes back from Summer break. I get to move in and explore Hitachi as well as get the way to school timed.

So far this experience has been amazing!

......cept for the bed that is hard as wood -_-