Ahh, yay! Forms have been sent off to Kinjo! Finally! And I spent a little extra for priority - otherwise it would have taken 2 weeks to get there. I don't have 2 weeks! But it's all good. $14 was a fair price to pay, methinks.
I've essentially made it a habit to update this blog whenever something study-abroad-relevant occurs, however insignificant. So. That's it! =D
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Visa: Check =D
Ugh. What an awful morning. To think I was worried about the actual X-ray report retrieval - instead I should have been worried about the journey to the actual Records office. Y_Y Well, I was originally going to get a ride from my good friend Amanda, but her car was being awful, and she was unable to. No problem!, I thought. I'll just ride the Shuttle!
The shuttle at my apartment is... extremely "flighty" in its scheduling. I haven't taken it at all this semester, due to my friend taking me to Japanese by car, so I wasn't sure what the schedule was exactly. So, I figured, I could just show up and wait. It was a nice day =]
Long story short, I get up to the bus stop, see it driving away, sigh a little bit, then decide to wait for another one / for it to come back. 15 minutes later, an office lady comes out and tapes a sign on the door: Only One Bus Running. 40 Minute Schedule.
Er, okay. I can wait. So... I wait. Meanwhile, my boyfriend Sean has been waiting patiently at the hospital for me. I feel really bad that I'm dragging him along for just a report retrieval, but I'm honestly so ridiculously lost without someone to help me with directions (see previous post). He helps me more than he knows. Plus, I didn't think it was such a big deal. I'd meet him at the hospital, we'd get the report, and leave. Easysauce.
Except once the bus came - 40 minutes later - the driver stepped out and said she was on break for the next hour. So typical! I knew there was a reason why I was the only one waiting for her...
So I go back to the apartment, call Sean, and like. Cry. Because I felt so horrible for making him wait this long, even while I already felt bad for dragging him along. Not to mention I had very little sleep last night. I tend to cry when I'm grumpy. o.o. But yeah, decided I'd just wait for the next bus, because he wasn't coming home anytime soon anyway - there was no one to pick him up from downtown.
40 minutes later again I'm finally on the bus. Poor Sean is tired and hungry and ever-so grumpy, so it was a silent trip to the Records office, getting my report, and waiting for the bus to take us home (omg). Worst morning.
On the BRIGHT side, I finally have all the papers I need to fill out and send, and that'll be done and over with and omgosh. So happy. I also got my Visa in the mail once I got home - 50 cheers for me!
So hopefully, no more stress for a while now. Or until later on when I get that stuff in the mail. Only thing left to do is work on getting a Japanese cellphone ^_^ Oh, and maybe study the language a little bit too. Maybe...
The shuttle at my apartment is... extremely "flighty" in its scheduling. I haven't taken it at all this semester, due to my friend taking me to Japanese by car, so I wasn't sure what the schedule was exactly. So, I figured, I could just show up and wait. It was a nice day =]
Long story short, I get up to the bus stop, see it driving away, sigh a little bit, then decide to wait for another one / for it to come back. 15 minutes later, an office lady comes out and tapes a sign on the door: Only One Bus Running. 40 Minute Schedule.
Er, okay. I can wait. So... I wait. Meanwhile, my boyfriend Sean has been waiting patiently at the hospital for me. I feel really bad that I'm dragging him along for just a report retrieval, but I'm honestly so ridiculously lost without someone to help me with directions (see previous post). He helps me more than he knows. Plus, I didn't think it was such a big deal. I'd meet him at the hospital, we'd get the report, and leave. Easysauce.
Except once the bus came - 40 minutes later - the driver stepped out and said she was on break for the next hour. So typical! I knew there was a reason why I was the only one waiting for her...
So I go back to the apartment, call Sean, and like. Cry. Because I felt so horrible for making him wait this long, even while I already felt bad for dragging him along. Not to mention I had very little sleep last night. I tend to cry when I'm grumpy. o.o. But yeah, decided I'd just wait for the next bus, because he wasn't coming home anytime soon anyway - there was no one to pick him up from downtown.
40 minutes later again I'm finally on the bus. Poor Sean is tired and hungry and ever-so grumpy, so it was a silent trip to the Records office, getting my report, and waiting for the bus to take us home (omg). Worst morning.
On the BRIGHT side, I finally have all the papers I need to fill out and send, and that'll be done and over with and omgosh. So happy. I also got my Visa in the mail once I got home - 50 cheers for me!
So hopefully, no more stress for a while now. Or until later on when I get that stuff in the mail. Only thing left to do is work on getting a Japanese cellphone ^_^ Oh, and maybe study the language a little bit too. Maybe...
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Chest X-ray: Half Check?
What a frustrating day. Trying to find Radiology at WVU's hospital, only to forget to get myself registered, and then having to find Radiology again. I am so lucky I had Sean with me or I'd be crying in a corner, so absurdly lost. If you don't know me, you should know that I am so awful at directions, the "You Are Here" arrow in my brain is non-functioning, and the slightest corridor with only 2 adjacent hallways would have me so turned-around and confused... (Worst analogy ever. Hey, I tried.)
I don't know how I'm going to go 4 months in Japan without a boyfriend to cling to and tell me where to go. Especially when all the signs are in kanji!
Blah, whatever. I had a tough time explaining to the nurses that, Hey, I need the report of this to send to the school. It's for a physical. They didn't understand the concept of "paper copy" until the end of the procedure, when the mentioned it so offhandedly that I must have looked at them funny. "Oh, but if you want a physical copy, just go down to the records office Monday morning and sign a release form." ... THANK you.
I was kind of hoping to get everything done today and relax this weekend, but - it can wait for Monday or Tuesday, I guess.
To Do List:
I don't know how I'm going to go 4 months in Japan without a boyfriend to cling to and tell me where to go. Especially when all the signs are in kanji!
Blah, whatever. I had a tough time explaining to the nurses that, Hey, I need the report of this to send to the school. It's for a physical. They didn't understand the concept of "paper copy" until the end of the procedure, when the mentioned it so offhandedly that I must have looked at them funny. "Oh, but if you want a physical copy, just go down to the records office Monday morning and sign a release form." ... THANK you.
I was kind of hoping to get everything done today and relax this weekend, but - it can wait for Monday or Tuesday, I guess.
To Do List:
- Phone. Figure out how Skype's 2cents a minute works. And also find a cheap cell.
- Money situation. Gonna try to make a bank account ASAP when in Japan, but got to figure out how dad's going to wire money over to it. Anyone know is US checks work at Japanese banks? <-- probably more trouble than it's worth.
- Send everything in amg! I need that x-ray report so I can finally send everything over to Kinjo.
- Get a haircut =] so I can look super cute
- Stock up on necessities. I don't know how prevalent chapstick is in Japan, but I'm definitely buying like 10 before I go. (I have a pretty depressing addiction to chapstick.)
- They mentioned bringing "American" things to show my Japanese friends (hopefully I can make some~). So... I'll buy a magazine or two before I leave. This might be done last minute at the Airport...
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Visa Application: Check
Finally got my entire visa application in the mail. Freaking out about it - I really hope I didn't mess anything up. The application's signatures need to match my passport's signatures, but I wrote on that thing back in High School. My sig has completely changed since then. So I really hope they're not too strict about that.
Also praying it doesn't get lost in the mail. I had no money left for insurance, having spent it all on the express return envelope. Me being the paranoid girl I am will be worrying about this for days.
Last thing I need to do is get my chest x-rayed. No big deal. That form, plus all the other forms, need to be in Japan by March 18th. Plenty of time. =]
(... watch, my next post will be dated March 17th and I haven't finished everything I needed to! Typical Lori...)
Also praying it doesn't get lost in the mail. I had no money left for insurance, having spent it all on the express return envelope. Me being the paranoid girl I am will be worrying about this for days.
Last thing I need to do is get my chest x-rayed. No big deal. That form, plus all the other forms, need to be in Japan by March 18th. Plenty of time. =]
(... watch, my next post will be dated March 17th and I haven't finished everything I needed to! Typical Lori...)
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Plane Tickets: Check
Finally! Time to take "buy plane tickets" off the list to do. It was a little less than $1500. It's the same flight we had seen before at $1300, super cheap, but they decided to be mean and increase the price >[ So we went ahead and bought it before the prices went up anymore. We like this flight the best because the layovers - while there may be two - they're only about 2-3 hours long. All the other flights had crazy layovers. Like, 8-10 hours. No thanks.
But! We got the flight. No more stress ^_^
To Do List:
But! We got the flight. No more stress ^_^
To Do List:
- Chest xray! Do it! I have the form, just got to go to radiology and get it done. Not too worried about this.
- Visa! Get one! I have my flight number now, and I bought some kickass envelopes, so I could potentially do this tomorrow. Found a great tutorial on the NYC Embassy website - not too worried about visa anymore =] Priority: high
- Forms! Fill them out! It isn't really much at all. Gotta get this - and chest xray - done to send in by the 18th. Priority: eh.
I think that's everything...? Oh, and packing, of course. Figuring out how I'm gonna get moneys from home. I'm gonna try to get a Japanese bank account once I'm there. According to Kinjo's orientation, they're letting us purchase an inkan - something needed for bank accounts. So hopefully there will be a workshop or something for me.
Ok, well, time for dinner.
STILL SO EXCITED. Yay Japan.
Til next time <3 <3
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Getting Excited!
I was excited before, but now that I'm actually getting stuff done and not freaking out about it - I have time to feel excited! Yay! I scheduled a chest x-ray (which is actually just another physical) with Student Health for tomorrow. I'm going to pick up my acceptance letter. Marvel at it for a couple hours. And then fill everything out and hopefully have everything done except the Visa.
Raawr the visa. That's the only thing bringing me down right now. I have to figure out how to do that... Sending important documents through mail is NOT SCARY AT ALL. Ahh I'll figure it out..
Still so happy I got the scholarship. The only "application" for it is just filling out my name, school, and address. Oh man! So difficult!
Yes, two posts in one day. It will make up for the lack of updates in the weeks to come =] Hopefully nothing horrible will happen that will warrant an update...
Raawr the visa. That's the only thing bringing me down right now. I have to figure out how to do that... Sending important documents through mail is NOT SCARY AT ALL. Ahh I'll figure it out..
Still so happy I got the scholarship. The only "application" for it is just filling out my name, school, and address. Oh man! So difficult!
Yes, two posts in one day. It will make up for the lack of updates in the weeks to come =] Hopefully nothing horrible will happen that will warrant an update...
Relief!
I got the scholarship. 80k yen a month will significantly help. I just need to fill in the little form, and then send it with all the other paperwork. Proof of health insurance, chest x-ray, etc. Which reminds me. I need to get my chest x-rayed.
My acceptance letter came today, but it's at the office downtown. On campus. Way too hectic for me to go there just for the letter - so I'm gonna try to get the boyfriend to pick it up for me tomorrow. Then I can finally apply for my visa!
Things are looking good. =]
My acceptance letter came today, but it's at the office downtown. On campus. Way too hectic for me to go there just for the letter - so I'm gonna try to get the boyfriend to pick it up for me tomorrow. Then I can finally apply for my visa!
Things are looking good. =]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
