I have now officially been a master's student for two days. I'm all registered for my classes, and I'm TAing two of them. My lab station now has a simple computer for web browsing, handling documents, and e-mails. Once I start getting busy, though, I'll have to make a proposal for equipment. But that probably won't happen until around June or July.
Another update on my phone: the reason for all of the delays was because I did not supply my full address. In Japan, addresses are done a bit differently. Everything is in reverse order compared to the US, so in my case, it's postal code --> prefecture --> city --> municipality --> sub-municipality --> sub-sub-municipality --> campus name --> building number. As it turned out, I was missing the sub-sub-municipality in my address. I'm sure that if they had told me this in advance, they would have saved both of us a load of time. Regardless, everything has now been straightened out. The SIM card should be here by the start of next week.
I met with a local car dealer today who goes to car auctions for clients. My main desires in a car are Mazda brand and manual transmission. Both of those things are a rarity in Fukushima. (As it turns out, automatic cars are super common here, too.) The dealer said that he had not seen a Eunos NA Roadster with a manual transmission (my top pick) in over ten months. I asked him to keep an eye out for one, and ask around for anyone who may be looking to sell. I gave some alternatives to look for in the meantime. I told him that the longest I'd be willing to wait is up to two or three months. He goes to the USS auctions in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya, which are all towards the later end of the week. He will keep me updated on what he finds. The foreign personnel advisor does not return until Monday, so I probably will not hear back until then. I'm pulling for him; even with the limited English, the dude was pretty chill. Into American imports, too; he even showed up wearing a GM Goodwrench work suit.
To be honest, I wouldn't mind a car with an automatic transmission if it weren't for the licensing laws. In America, as soon as you get your license, you can drive whatever vehicle you want, so long as it has four wheels and isn't a semi. Here, however, it's slightly different. Driving a manual transmission vehicle requires an endorsement on your license. If I tested in a car with an automatic transmission, I would be allowed to drive a car that came equipped with an automatic transmission only. If I wanted to drive a car with a manual transmission, I would have to test in a car with a manual transmission. Just as America had the Ford Crown Victoria for general government fleet vehicles, Japan has the Toyota Crown. And from what I've heard, the clutches in these babies are heavy. So in the meantime, I should be getting ready with a car that has a manual transmission, so that I can hone my driving skills. Otherwise, I can kiss getting to experience most JDM classic cars goodbye. And that's where I put my foot down.
Also, I know that most of you reading this have by now probably thought the word "train" at least once. Here's the campus (i.e. where I am). The nearest convenience store is a 20 minute walk one-way. The nearest grocery store is 40 minutes one-way. And the buses in Aizu run sporadically. Plus, it's colder during the winter in this part of Japan compared to Connecticut, and the wind can be very strong. I'm not necessarily tearing public transit a new asshole; I respect it for what it does in this country. But for me, and my needs, it is not working. I can live another month or two without the car. After that, I'll need to do something.
On a more positive note, my Introduction to Sound and Audio class today was interesting. My professor actually did a barrel roll, and then a cartwheel, during my lecture. Top that, UNH. He also provided iPads for the class to do our assignments or, well, whatever the hell we damn well pleased. Some of them were purchased this morning (I got one of those models). I just have to return it when the class is over. In three months. This school does not skimp on equipment.
So there are a few setbacks, but nothing major to complain about. Hope that the rest of the semester, or at least the quarter, is as smooth.
-wp
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