Moving to Japan: Passport Blues among other things…

Well, I have just got my birth certificate from Aunt Mandy is Taiwan.  So I am going to try to get my passport renewed.  Now I do have a passport, but it was so out of date.  Heck, I still had hair in the picture that is how old it really is.  I had got my passport when I was like eighteen for my first trip to Taiwan with my brothers and I have to admit I did not want to go, but by the time my month was up in Taiwan, I did not want to leave.  That is how I am picturing my trip to Japan.  I am scared but when I get there, I find out I will be fine. 

My old passport, me with hair...

New passport photos, me without hair... sigh...

After my stroke, I found out I did not talk to many people anymore.  I just sat and listened to other people talk.  I have adopted the quote by William Shakespeare: listen to many, speak to a few.  But a bit of me misses having someone to talk to.  One on one I am fine, but get two or more people opposite me and I just shut right up.  I had a girl notice that about me once a long time ago and she asked my about it.  I just said I was tired of getting cut off and ignored.

Blah.  I am taking about my passport troubles.  As I was saying I have got my birth certificate and it is in Chinese.  What has got me worried is that it does not have my name on it.  Anywhere.  It should have my name in English but it doesn’t.  I am going to have it translated and find out if I have got the right ones! Get my niece to read it for me.  After all, she can read Chinese much better that I.

[I have just got my niece to read it and I am obscured in the corner.  I do exist!  I just have to get it translated now... yay...]

Now I could of had dual citizenship and I wish I had taken it, instead of just taking American citizenship.  But I was worried about the Taiwanese mandatory military service for all males eighteen and over.  I wish, so wish that I had the guts to take the dual citizenship.  Oh well.  I was eighteen and did know any better.

Now +Jim Mullins suggested that I should get my job situated before I head on over to Japan.  Maybe I will, but I feel that it is too early to be looking for a job.  It will all depend on when I am going and how my airfare will be because I am churning for it.  I am looking at a Sakura House for staying there.  I figured out I will get there and play the tourist for a week or so.  Then look for a job and move to where I can find the job.  It will be a teaching job, that much I know.  Been reading up on the visa situation as well and I found a really good Guide to Living in Japan on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website.  That, combined with the Japan National Tourism Organizations Practical Travel Guides, and I should be good to go.

Now relearning Japanese.  I have picked up the book Japanese from Zero and I hope that it is good enough to teach me.  Heck, I hope I am good enough to learn!  hehe

Working on passport, check.  Relearning Japanese, check.  Now I have got to go through all my stuff and pick what I am keeping and what I am selling and visit somebody... I am looking at you +Rynyn.