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kaimana
Joined: 17 Mar 2004
Posts: 18
Location: Los Angeles, CA
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 Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 7:35 am Post subject: Hindsight is 20/20, what do you wish you would have brought? |
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In 2 weeks I'm leaving for a 2-3 year stint in Japan and I think I'm ready.
I've got a stash of size 10 (41) shoes, picked up a lot of deodorant at Costco, & bought enough toothpaste, toothbrushes & floss to last a year. I've also water-proofed everything (it rains a lot in Yokkaichi) and the winter clothes are in the mail to my apt. I've got flavored coffee and non-chocolate individually wrapped American candy for omiyage...am I missing something?
What do you wish YOU would have taken to Japan? |
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AgentMulderUK
Joined: 22 Sep 2003
Posts: 360
Location: Concrete jungle (Tokyo)
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| Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 7:59 am Post subject: |
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A return ticket
Actually, some good reading books and CD's |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 9:27 am Post subject: |
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| bought enough toothpaste, toothbrushes & floss to last a year |
WhatEVER for? This is not deepest, darkest Africa.
You might want to stock up on multi-vitamins (especially if you want them to contain multi-minerals, too). Cold medicine that you trust (although Contac is here). Same with pain killers. |
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lajzar
Joined: 09 Feb 2003
Posts: 647
Location: Saitama-ken, Japan
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| Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 10:22 am Post subject: |
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I'm not sure why you water proofed everything. Unless you are being taken for a ride, your house will be water proof. I was in that area last year, and felt no reason to protect things from water beyond having a decent coat to wear and an umbrella.
Or were you planning on playing computer games outdoors in rainy weather?  |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 11:33 am Post subject: Re: Hindsight is 20/20, what do you wish you would have brou |
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| kaimana wrote: |
. I've got flavored coffee and non-chocolate individually wrapped American candy for omiyage...am I missing something?
What do you wish YOU would have taken to Japan? |
What are you buying omiyage for? Omiyage is when you go away on holiday and buy stuff for the staff back at the office, not a buttering up bribe for the office ladies when you start a new job. They dont expect anything from new teachers, though they wont say no if you do buy something.
You can buy imported American foodstuffs from Foreign Buyers club anyway.
If you are talking about Yokkaichi in Mie-ken, never lived there but my guess is the rain is not THAT bad. Its not the tropics. |
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azarashi sushi
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Posts: 562
Location: Shinjuku
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| Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 11:52 am Post subject: |
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| More slip-on shoes |
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guest of Japan
Joined: 28 Feb 2003
Posts: 1601
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 1:38 pm Post subject: |
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| an MA |
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kaimana
Joined: 17 Mar 2004
Posts: 18
Location: Los Angeles, CA
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| Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 3:59 pm Post subject: |
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I should have been more specific...I've water-proofed my shoes and jackets and rigged my laptop bag so water won't kill the laptop. According to those who are currently working this position, I'll be biking a lot to/from the 3 schools I'm working at & city hall. I'm told it rains all the time.
Bringing omiyage was recommended by the current gaijin teachers. It's bought so I'm bringing it.
Thanks for your responses...got any more?
-Kai |
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lajzar
Joined: 09 Feb 2003
Posts: 647
Location: Saitama-ken, Japan
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| Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 9:48 pm Post subject: |
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Well, Japan does have one of the highest annual rainfalls in the world, so I guess compared to a dry region like California I guess it would seem like it does rain all the time. However, it is quite seasonal - sometimes there are entire *hours* without any rain at all!
Still, now you've done it, there' no reason to undo it I guess.
I'd probably have brought more clothing appropriate to the season. Bear in mind that summers here are hot and humid, and winters are seriously cold - the lack of insulation doesn't help at all. I guess I'd probably have brought an air conditioner with me |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 10:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Bringing omiyage was recommended by the current gaijin teachers. It's bought so I'm bringing it. |
A few pieces of advice:
1. Paul was explaining the definition of "omiyage". You are NOT bringing omiyage to your new job. You are bringing a gift. Reread what Paul wrote to see what it really means.
2. Please be careful when throwing out the word gaijin. To some of us, it's offensive or at the least, irritating. Gaikokujin is more polite and proper.
3. You really don't have to insert such Japanese words into your messages here. Probably 99.9% of us are foreigners, not Japanese, and we speak English.
Oh, and why was it that you decided to buy all of that dental stuff? |
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denise
Joined: 23 Apr 2003
Posts: 3419
Location: finally home-ish
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| Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 11:00 pm Post subject: |
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Regarding buying a year's supply of toothpaste (or any other personal care stuff), if there's a specific brand you like, either bring it or have some kind person back home send it to you.
I've found that it's affordable to order anything that I need online and have it shipped to me. There are some companies here in Japan, but I've ordered stuff from the States, too--books, CDs, music, specialty foods, etc.
d |
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Sweetsee
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything
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| Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 11:32 pm Post subject: |
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Neosporin and maybe some Cotizone cream.
Oh yeah, don't forget the "chronic". |
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kaimana
Joined: 17 Mar 2004
Posts: 18
Location: Los Angeles, CA
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| Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 1:00 am Post subject: |
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1.
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Paul was explaining the definition of "omiyage". You are NOT bringing omiyage to your new job. You are bringing a gift. Reread what Paul wrote to see what it really means.
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| What are you buying omiyage for? Omiyage is when you go away on holiday and buy stuff for the staff back at the office, not a buttering up bribe for the office ladies when you start a new job. |
I am bringing omiyage for the staff back at the office, not random office ladies. At city hall I'll have 25 co-workers and 1 supervisor. I've got 3 principals and 3 teachers that I'll be working with throughout the year at my schools. No need for a bribe. The program that I'm participating in has been going on for 25 years, so if they tell me I should bring omiyage, using that exact word, I bring omiyage.
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| Please be careful when throwing out the word gaijin. To some of us, it's offensive or at the least, irritating. Gaikokujin is more polite and proper. |
Sorry about the use of "gaijin" I've been reading this forum for about a year and I've never seen anyone use Gaikokujin. I'll incorporate it into my very limited vocabulary.
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| You really don't have to insert such Japanese words into your messages here. Probably 99.9% of us are foreigners, not Japanese, and we speak English. |
Like you've never used a little Japanese on this forum. Picky, picky...
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| Oh, and why was it that you decided to buy all of that dental stuff? |
I'm a mouth freak, the stuff's cheap here, I've got the luggage space...why not?
Thanks for all your responses...keep 'em coming! |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 1:17 am Post subject: |
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| kaimana wrote: |
1. I am bringing omiyage for the staff back at the office, not random office ladies. At city hall I'll have 25 co-workers and 1 supervisor. I've got 3 principals and 3 teachers that I'll be working with throughout the year at my schools. No need for a bribe. The program that I'm participating in has been going on for 25 years, so if they tell me I should bring omiyage, using that exact word, I bring omiyage.
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If you are coming to Japan for the first time (as implied in your post)
how can it be 'back at the office' when you haven't been there yet? Do you know and have you met any of these staff?
If you will have 25 co-workers I assume you have not met any of them yet. Who told you to bring omiyage- the other foreign teachers before you or the Japanese staff? I can assume that as other foreigners have brought 'gifts' it has become a custom, but it it is not an established custom in Japan for new staff, especially foreigners, to spend money on co-workers and bosses when they start a new job.
Omiyage or 'souvenir' is what you bring back if you have been on a trip somewhere and you want to share a memento of your trip. Japanese buy omiyage when they go on trips to Hawaii and fill their bags with macadamia nuts.
I only referred to it as a bribe ( somewhat tongue in cheek) so they will think favorably of you when you begin your new position and be willing to help you out when you want something (that's their job anyway). |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 1:50 am Post subject: |
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| kaimana wrote: |
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| You really don't have to insert such Japanese words into your messages here. Probably 99.9% of us are foreigners, not Japanese, and we speak English. |
Like you've never used a little Japanese on this forum. Picky, picky...
4! |
Glenski
For once I will agree with Kaimana
You have often referred to language schools as "eikaiwa" as in 'teaching at an eikaiwa' or 'eikaiwa's dont pay as much as high schools'.
"Eikaiwa" is not an English word in any shape or form. |
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