Here's the graphics posting for today. An interesting use of English... We can get the idea, anyway, but kind of creepy, isn't it? It's got a Rolling Stones feel to it, but why? The thing is, what is this stuff called? Can you go down to the store and ask if they've got any Xylish in stock? Another example of English that isn't really.

As far as living in Japan goes, what can I tell you today? I eventually managed to get a real contract at work. It took a while. If you remember, I came to Japan on a tourist visa and couldn’t get paid until I had a contract and couldn’t get a contract until I got a work visa and couldn’t get a work visa until the paperwork came back from I don’t know where, and THEN couldn’t get a work visa incountry and had to go to Korea for a few days to get that done. When I came back, now that I had a visa, I had to register with my local council, I guess you’d call it, city government, anyway, and get my gaijin card - an official driver’s-license type card that tells the government exactly who you are and where you live and even who you work for. Very 1984. That took another couple of weeks. In the meantime, I bought that scooter I mentioned earlier, just for getting around a little more quickly and easily.

Well, that was my plan. I bought the scooter, yes, with a lot of help in translation from another friend from the university, Mitsuru-san. It’s all registered and licensed and insured, BUT they won’t let me drive it. Turns out that the driving license process is a lot more complicated than you would think it should be. I’ve got a lot to say on that next, but basically, I can’t drive on my California license, understandable, I suppose, and I can’t use an International Driver’s Permit because I’m now registered as a resident. I have to take a driver’s test in Japan, also understandable, but not even close to easy. That process is going to be a whole nother day’s writing.

The thing is, I decided to drive the scooter anyway the day after I got it - just to the university and back. I thought, well, if I get stopped, I’ll just show them my CA license and explain the situation and they’ll let me off with a warning. No big deal.

When I got to school, I checked the internet to see just what the penalty was for driving without a license in Japan, and it is actually a very big deal indeed. The penalties are, and this is true, a $3,000 fine, a year in prison, and deportation. I suppose those are imposed at the discretion of the judge, but, oh, wow. I drove back home very slowly and carefully and the bike has remained parked outside my apartment house for a month now while I try to get a scooter (gentsuki) license.

I will try to describe the level of hell they put you through next time.