As we’ve been without our own access to the Internets for the last ~five weeks (and will be for at least 2 more). I’ve been jotting my thinkings in long, tedious e-mails to my only father. For your edifijoyment, I’m going to post some of the choicer bits here, so if you’re my father, these are likely to seem familiar. If you’re not my father, keep in mind that these bits contain old information and should not to be confused with the information of now.
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We have to apply for our Registered Alien cards in order to do anything productive (get bank accounts, phones, intoneto, jobs, etc.) so this morning, we determined to get that done. After some strain we discovered the likely building was in Oji(-Ku), one stop away on the rail line we take everywhere.
The City building was on the opposite side of the Oji shrine, so we had to walk thru some of the shrine's grounds to get there. When it's entirely less humid, we'll go back and see the shrine itself, because it looked god damned gorgeous. The path we followed wound among deep green trees and alongside a (currently dry but for a trickle) creek bordered by rock and bamboo railings. Gorgeous. Alas, it was also horribly muggy in there. Like rain-forest muggy. We sped our stroll.
Before leaving home, I took photos of the Google Maps (we have no printer, so I used my camera's screen, you see) thinking the place would be difficult to find, but, upon exiting the station, we discovered signs pointing the way. Very good! Once at the building, Scout found an info lady who grabbed another lady and had her point us the way to where we would submit our card applications. That lady did so by walking us across the building, out the door, down the block into another building, then pointed to the window we needed to visit - and nearly walked us there, too. This has happened before, and kind of blows me away. The effort not just to be helpful, but to make sure the help actually accomplishes something, is mindblowing.
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Our applications filled and submitted (in 30 minutes or so), we asked where we apply for healthcare coverage - which is mandatory in Japan (as Obama claimed for the US, the individual mandate keeps the pool large enough that prices stay low here). 20 minutes later, tops, Scout and I had coverage. And still do. Insane.
I would think occasionally about not having health insurance, obviously, but I never obsessed about it. So I had no idea that finally getting health insurance would feel so emotional. It was a weird, elative moment that has led to much resultant calming. At worst now, should something happen, we can only go ~$7000 into debt. At worst. And it took 20 minutes.
For fuck's sake.
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