Immigration

I was so excited about my rice pudding that I forgot to mention the lovely trip I had to the immigration office today to get my re-entry permit.

It was a pretty easy ride to the station but the stop inbetween, Oimachi, is huge and about 8 stories underground. Apparently that's where we should go if there's an air raid. Anyway, we got to the station rather easily and then we found the the office easily as well but it was quite a walk.

Once we got to the office we went to the Form Desk and got our form and filled them out even though they were rather confusinf and all of the examples were in Japanese. Then we went up to the second floor and took a number. I believe my number was 124 and they were on 93 when we got there so there was quite a bit of waiting before my number was called. I went up to the desk and, in Japanese, the lady asked for my Alien Registration card and my student ID and then told me to take another form and go down stairs to the convenience store, yes convenience store, to pay $60.00 for my re-entry permit and come back up stairs again. So we did all that and I got it and everything was good. They gave Matt a little trouble for whatever reason, I don't know, and then we left. So it was just a lot of red tape that was really annoying and ridiculous. $60.00 for a re-entry permit that only lasts 2 years is just not cool.

In retrospect it wasn't so bad but still rather annoying and, I think, completely unnecessary. From what I've heard through the grape vine they are trying to get rid of this system but I don't know when or if it will be successful. Until then we fight on! (Even though, because I got a multiple re-entry permit, I won't have to go again for two years... Not the point...)

Still, it was all made better with rice pudding...