Short Freedom.....

Oh my goodness! It has been three months since I wrote here. And to think I made a promise to myself that I will write here daily because I wish to record all my experience here. Well, one thing for sure is that I have not experience Japan. Been basically just going to the University and doing experiments, taking Master class, Japanese classes (which I enjoy the most) and then collapsing on my dorm bed and sleeping the day just to wake up and do things all over again. I have only a handful of experiences and they feel so long ago...  (pictures are posted below) It's not even because of my sensei being demanding or anything. In fact, no one is demanding anything. My sensei and sempais are very accommodating and helpful.

It's mainly because any knowledge I accumulated in the past is just a teeny tiny percentage here in Japan. As one of my foreign lab-mate said, when I arrive here, I realize how dumb I'm actually are. So, that means I have to chase and level myself as with the others. Which....is not so easy mainly because I don't know how to I will learn everything and still manage my time to actually sleep and eat. I feel like I'm just running but not going anywhere.

I sometimes wish I have the super powers of Japanese because they look like they don't eat or sleep and yet have enough brain power to do things. No kidding. They come early, leave late and work everyday. They have extra-curricular activities on top of studies and they have time to non-school related stuff (like looking for a job, which by the way the system is insane).

It doesn't help that I'm feeling sad and lonely in this country. Japanese people.......are kind but not as friendly as I hope. Or maybe it's just me. But it's really hard to be energetic when they are not responsive. I mostly get just a smile and nodding of the head and then the conversation is dead. I felt so sadden by them especially because I have dreamed to come to Japan, making friends and experiencing what Japan is for most of my life.

Though one of my dorm-mate has a very warm and loving laboratory mates, which are all Japanese. I envy her so much. I think it's because she acted crazy around them and care less what they think so they started treating her like one of them. It's also nice that they are only a few of them so they can grow closer. It didn't hurt also that she was the only girl on that lab. My other dorm-mates also felt the coldness of the Japanese. Actually, most of the foreigners I met have the same problem. Even during our orientation, the Japanese counselor herself said that it is hard to be friends with Japanese.

To be honest, some Japanese are more open but I notice that those Japanese have experience living in a different country. Moving on, I do enjoy the winter here as long as it snows. The snow here is fluffy and nice! I hate the ice though. I have fallen so much, I'm surprised that I have not yet broken something.

Anyway, have to get back to reality. I promise myself that I will try to more here. With that, enjoy the small pictures.

 

about MARIMO: about MARIMO

about MARIMO: about MARIMO: MARIMO, PET  THAT DOESN'T NEED TO BE FEED Marimo (literally 'ball seaweed'), also known as Cladophra ball, Lake ball or Moss balls in Eng...

Pre-Japan: Preparing for Sapporo

Gahh...it's so hard to prepare for Japan, especially Sapporo since it snows there. Coming from a Tropical country, it's not easy trying to prepare for a 4 season country. I laid out all my things I thought I would need and I was prepared to pack until 46kgs (23 per luggage).

I was booked for Korean Air economy class. That means that Japan Government approved to provide a connecting flight from Manila-Korea-Sapporo. I didn't have to pay for a domestic fare from Narita to Sapporo. Problem is, while other airlines allow 2 23kg luggage, Korean Air only allows 1 23kgs. I ended up paying $100 for another luggage because it would cause $75 per 1 kg overweight.

I started packing weeks before my actually flight but let me tell you, you end up repacking and repacking again. At least, that was my case. I'm not petite or even slim so my clothes are big. My first time packing, I ended up with 41kgs total. Anyway, long story short, I repacked 4 times and ended up with 36kgs. I was very conscious about my bags because I felt it was too big. Very one except for my mom and sister was also shock on how much I brought. In my defense, I'm a big girl and I was already given a lot of clothes from my relatives so it would be pointless to leave them behind and buy new ones in Sapporo.

Anyway, pointers for those who are having a hard time to pack and will be going to a different country alone without knowing anyone there at all.

1. Enough underwear/socks. Because it's pretty awkward to shop around for those and on your first few days, you will be busy buying for house stuff not personal things.
2. A set of formal clothes for presentation and fancy clothes for any formal events.
3. Set of loose clothes so you can wear something underneath to fight the cold.
4. Medicine and easy to cook food from your country because most of the things here are in Japanese and if you have zero knowledge on Japanese, you will be buying blind.
5. 1 large bag for carry-one and small bag for your important documents.
6. Separate your money into different wallets.
7. 1 month personal items like shampoo, soap, etc.
8. House clothes, slippers and 2 sets of shoes excluding formal shoes
9. Towel and if you can blanket and pillow because the pillow they gave me was super weird, I ended up using the thick blanket as my pillow and the free blanket from Korean Air as my pillow.
10. Japanese-English Translator or dictionary, because gestures can only get you so far.
11.A case or envelope for all the papers they will be giving you (and there is A LOT).
12. Fold-able laundry basket.
13. Personal kitchen tools like spoon, fork, lunch box, water jog. Doesn't have to be big.
14. Writing materials and set of important documents.
15.  If you get sore throat easily or anything related to cold sickness, get vaccine.
16. Not really needed but if you have long hair and you want to avoid getting sick, bring a hair dryer because it takes time for hair to dry and when you go out, your head will feel like it was in a freezer if not dried properly. I didn't brought one so I have to wake up extra early just to have it dry.
17. There are many more but the last one is anything that you cannot live without that might not be available in Japan.

For me, I brought my Bible, favorite book and some foods.

Well, that's all.

Pre-Japan: Japan Visa

Pweh! I can breathe much more easier now. I have been fretting over my Japan visa application. I didn't know what to write or if I'm writing the correct things down on the form. I think I did okay since the officer accepted my application. Now I just have to wait for my visa. I will received it a week after. I hope that nothing goes wrong in the process.

So for those who are applying for a Japan visa directly at the embassy because you got a guarantor or a scholarship, here's what I did and what documents are needed. Though for those Japanese government scholars, your embassy will send you instructions. Or at least mine did.

Documents:
1. Application form (can be downloaded in Japan Embassy website or sent by the embassy through email)
2. white background, no any kind of hair accessory, ears must be shown, business attire, no shadows or borders, picture 2x2 in or 45x45 cm (the embassy also sent a one page require of the picture, it made me very nervous).
3. Birth Certificate (you must have gotten it within a year)
4. Passport and any valid ID
5. Letter of Notification from University
6. Any communication with the University if you have any

Steps:
1. Fill out application form (try searching for a sample form so you can see what you should write, oh and pictures must be paste, and I don't know if it's required but print everything in A4)
2. Go to the embassy to apply (for my country, it's only weekdays except for Wednesday from 8:40 to 11:00pm only, wait until window 5 calls your number which the security gave me)
3. Give all the needed requirements (they require all the original docus, so make sure to have scan or photocopy of the documents you have)
4. The official will ask you a bunch of questions I guess to verify if you are the person
5. A receipt will be given so that you can go back again after a week to claim your passport and visa which will be in the same place but only to window 6. Note that within the receipt, it states that there is an initial verification. Hopefully mine has no problem. The official will return your valid ID.
6. Go to out and tell the security that you have to go to JICC Library to get your letter of tax exemption so you can get the Tax exemption certificate for your flight.

Future Steps:
1. Go back and get the passport with visa
2. Go to the place where you can get your flight tax exemption certificate (for my country, it's PTA)
3. There will be an orientation before flight but I have not received info on that yet.

It was surprisingly easy and fast. Then again, our country just experience a really bad storm for 3 days so maybe not many people planned to go today. I was number 25 and I arrived 10:15am and finished around 11:30am. I was so worried that I won't make the time cut-off.
      
For those who are interested in studying at Japan, I wrote down the procedures below so you guys can know what to expect. It was pretty nerve-wracking for me because no one was explaining it clearly to me. Anyway, happy reading.

So the scholarship I applied is MEXT scholarship. It's a government scholarship. No strings attached. The scholarships purposes is to increase relationship with different countries.

Basic Facts about the Scholarship

a. The scholarship pays for the tuition fee

b. Scholarship pays one base air international ticket to Japan and one back to the country after your studies are done. You will pay for the taxes and other charges of the flight. Also if the country you are staying does not have a direct flight to the international airport you need to get to in Japan, you will pay for any domestic cost that may incur.

    ex. you need to get to Sapporo but the only direct flight from you country is to Narita. You will pay for the flight from Narita to Sapporo.

I was given an application form because MEXT will apply for your flight. In the form you write down you travel request. You can request for them to arrange a domestic trip for you and they will bill you later. According to our coordinator you can still write down the actual airport and they will book a connecting flight from a different country but there is no guarantee that it will be approve. Hopefully mine will.

    ex. your country - fly to another country that has a direct flight to the airport in Japan you need to go.

c. They will also give you a monthly stipend around 144,000 yen. This will change depending on which part of Japan you will go. Everything else, you pay. So essentially, they are paying you a salary every month and you budget it. You may work part-time while you study but you have to ask for your professor's permission and there is a procedure that must be done to allow you to work.

d. Stipend is given every end of the month so you have to bring your own money for the first month and a half. Estimate is around 2000 dollars needed.

Other Important Stuff:

a. For dormitory, every University has a set of dormitories but you can only stay there for a certain time and then you have to find your won because the new incoming international students gets to stay in the dorm. Again, you will pay for the expenses. For Tokyo Tech, I think you are allowed to stay for a year. For Hokkaido, I was told it is for 5 month.

b. You will be assign a tutor for a certain length of time to help you go around the place and assign in the applications you need to make.

c. There is a required Japanese Language coarse for you to take but knowing Nihongo before you apply is not a requirement. There are classes offered that uses either Japanese or English. You do have to ask for an English Medium certificate from your school as proof that English is the medium of instruction at your school and it's proof that you can speak and understand english. If your school does not have it, I think you would need to provide IELTS or TOFEL scores.

d. There is a National Insurance in Japan. Meaning you have to pay certain amount of money every month so that you will only pay 30% of hospital bill. According to my friend, the cost is around 1200yen.

You can apply for the scholarship in two ways

a. One way is to apply at the Japan Embassy but I don't know the procedure. Also, I was told that they are very strict when it comes tot he 16 years of schooling.

b.Another way is to apply directly to the University because each University has a number of sports for the MEXT scholarship. Depending on the school, they won't mind much about the lack of academic years. I applied to Tokyo Institute of Technology and Hokkaido University. Each university has different requirements. You can see if from their link.

Tokyo Tech: http://www.entrypark.com/en/univerisity/view/page/15/name/tokyo-institute-of-technology or http://www.gakumu,titech.ac.jp/gakuseisien/english/life/dormitory/index.html.

Hokkaido University: http://www.eng.hokudai.ac.jp/e3

Take note that Tokyo Tech requires proof of the companies you worked for (certification of employment) because you will place that in the application and they kind of accept that as part of the 16 years. I think.....

Hokkaido University doesn't ask for the COE but you can include it just in case. Hokkaido also ask for 1-2 page thesis proposal.

In addition, Tokyo Tech has a program called Integrated program (A). This program is for 5 years straight and you will take Masters and Doctorate under the MEXT scholarship. Though they also have a program for Doctorate degree only. For Hokkaido, it's only either masters or doctorate. If you take doctorate after your masters and want to avail for the scholarship, you will have to apply again for the MEXT and start the entire process again.

Flow
a. First thing you need to do is ask professor from respective schools if they are willing to take you as part of their laboratory.
b. Application procedures. Gathering documents. Applications starts around August to November. You apply a year before a school year.
     ex. School year 2013, you apply on 2012
c. November to March is the period where the university chooses the scholarship awardee. They will email you within these months to tell you that you are awarded a spot for the scholarship.
d. Around June is the final confirmation where the Japan Government will email your University saying that the scholarship is confirmed.
e. Forms for air ticket request, dormitory request, visa instructions are email around July. Results for this one will show around end of August. Other forms are also emailed to you to be fill out and send back to your respective University. So, in other words, make sure to check your email daily.
f. August is the time where you process your visa as long as you have already received your original acceptance letter from the University. Japan Embassy will also email you the instruction on where you will go and what documents you need before flying out.
g. Around mid or end of September you have to fly to Japan.
h. Classes starts in October.

Well, I hope this information helps.

Pre-Japan: Confirmed!!

Weeh!! It is now confirmed.  I am going to Japan Hokkaido in September. Thousands of ideas have gone through my head once I received the email. Like what will I bring, how on earth will I pack and what should I do before I leave my country.

Heh, it's certainly intimidating thinking about all those things. I also have to deal with visa application and the money issues. I've already made a list before but I did not follow any of it. Working during the night shift really makes me lazy. I just want to sleep all the time, especially when I have a free time.

I've started with the gathering of things though. I've already placed an order for products I would need from my friend. I was told multiple of times that moisturizer is important when going to a cold place. So, now, I placed an order for products from Mary Kay. I've used the microderm set and their really nice. Though I'm not good at noticing the difference, a lot of people did say that my face has improve (I have annoying large pores). I especially like how long the products last. I ordered the following:

a) tinted lip balm rose color for Php 605

b) Age-fighting moisturizer for oily skin for Php 1280

c) Targeted action toning lotion for Php 2100

d) 3-in-1 cleansing bar for Php1175

I'm not a girly girl so I didn't bother buying any make-up. I wouldn't know how to use them either way. Even with the lipstick, this will be the first time I will use it.

Anyway, next hurdle would be applying for the Japanese student visa. I'm waiting on the acceptance letter from Hokkaido as well as the flight booking. I will write again to detail the procedures. There's not a lot of information on that. I can't wait though! I have a few more days left before I finally stop working and can concentrate on preparing to go Japan.

Till next time!!

~Len~