Other goings on...

Whew! Now that the pic posts are out of the way, I can do some regular blogging.

Today's instalment - the immigration saga. Actually, it's not much of a saga considering some of the horror stories I've heard. I suspect the source of most of those was the Tokyo Immigration Office, which I'm sure handles a few more people and situations than our local branch. In fact, the greatest obstacle I faced was overcoming the unnerving fear that the kami were waiting to throw some spanner in the works of the bureaucratic machinery here, but it never materialised and I never spent more than 20 minutes in the office at any one time. If I'd known it would be so easy, I wouldn't have had to take a day off on Immigration Day, just nip over on my lunch break.

I first walked in expecting to get deported as soon as they looked at me, and the ever-helpful (dis)information centre did nothing to allay my fears in that regard. However, once armed with the requisite forms and originals and copies I'd prepared well in advance, the guy behind the immigration desk barely even looked at me.

I encountered much the same reaction when I first landed and went through customs back in March. I suppose it helped that I arrived with a legion of Vietnamese, who were probably all doing the same thing I was (Thank you, Vietnam Air!), so they just took one look at my passport (not even at me), asked the requisite questions, which I duly answered ("How long are you staying?" "About two months." "What's your purpose?" "Sightseeing and visiting friends."), and then stamp, stamp, stamp and I was in. Here I was worried they would search my bags, find the English books and resumes, and send me on the next plane back or to jail (granted, it doesn't happen often, but it does happen), and they never even looked at me!

I got my Certificate of Eligibility (not the visa, mind you, but the piece of paper that gives me permission to apply for one) about a week before my tourist visa ran out (and about six weeks after I'd started work (shhh! Don't tell anyone! ;) )). Again, stamp, stamp, stamp and I can stay until my visa arrives - so no emergency dash to Korea to renew my tourist visa (or to apply for the work visa, as used to be the case not too long ago) - and a week later it was stamp, stamp, stamp again, and I had my visa. Overall, less than an hour spent in Immigration, and no hassles. The only nod to the illegality of my actions here was to limit my visa to one year instead of the three that most others get, but I'll wear that gladly.

Of course, timing was part of the story. That final stamp I got the day of the World Cup game between Japan and Australia. I think if I had gone the next day, the mood there would have been significantly different.

The World Cup was a funny thing, wasn't it? I've been watching way too much sport since I've been here, for the simple reason that it requires no translation. I've seen more baseball and sumo than I've ever wanted to. As you might expect, moods lightened here after Australia lost (even if it was by cheating!), and now Japan is quite happy to once again be completely oblivious to the existence of soccer. Suits me fine. Bring on the fat guys in nappies, I say...