RIP Roxanne Revue

1992-2010

We had some good times, you and I.  I remember the day I picked you up. October 23, 2004.  It was the day typhoon 23 hit Toyama, so driving home was a pretty bizarre thing.  We didn’t do a lot for the first little while — we went to the store and back.  Sometimes we’d go to Toyama, and that was always dodgy in winter.

Over time, I grew accustomed to you, and I decided we ought to go on a trip together. We went on a whirlwind roadtrip to Tottori at the end of August 2005.  It was epic, and I think we really bonded. We learned what we were each capable of, and a new chapter began.  Soon, we were roadtripping all over the place: Shikoku in 2006; Kyoto, Nara and Ise in 2007; Kyushu in 2008 and again in 2009.

In 2009, as I looked for a new job, you faithfully carried me through dodgy backroads to get me to my interviews in Nagoya and that shithole in Nagano with the log-rolling.  Though neither of those jobs panned out, I felt secure that if nothing else, I still had you.

Finally, I was offered a job, and a big part of my getting it was you.  By having you by my side, I was a much more attractive candidate.  Thank you.

You helped me lug my stuff to the other side of the country to start a new job and a new life.  It was a hard life for you, one you weren’t accustomed to, and one you didn’t take to well.  You had to sit out in the rain, you had to travel far more than you’d had to before, but you did what you could and I was glad for it.

In all our time together, the only problems we’d ever had was when one of your eyes went blind, and that day you wouldn’t wake up without a bit of help.  This new, harder life, though, took its toll on you, I’m afraid.

The extra travel, the water getting into your bones… in the end, it was too much.

On Friday, September 3, 2010, Roxanne started to bleed.  Though I did what I could to stop it, there wasn’t anything I could do alone.  I called in the professionals, who hooked her up to life support and sussed out what was the matter…

I’ve just learned that she’s terminal.  Our last trip together was to a Yellow Hat before the tow truck took you to that horrible Mazda shop…

I’m sorry we never got to go to Kyushu together again.  I’m sorry I took you for granted. I’m sorry I didn’t take you to people who would take proper care of you.  I’m sorry it’s ended this way, because there was still so much good in you…

This Saturday, September 11, 2010, sometime in the afternoon, I’ll go and collect my stuff from her and discuss what to do with her. I hope someone is willing to deal with it for free, because I can’t afford to, and I’m not sure I could handle it.

Goodnight Roxanne. I’ll miss you.

No matter where you live, no matter where you move to, the various procedures involved are always difficult.

I’ve been going through the steps to make myself and all my things legal this week, and it’s not so easy in some cases. First, I registered at city hall. All people who move in Japan, native or foreign, have to tell city hall that they’re in town and where etc. The name of the forms differs, but the main purpose is the same: the city is going to provide you with services so it’s necessary for them to know who they’re serving. Whatever.

This wasn’t. Very difficult thing to do. As I’d already registered as a foreign resident when I was in Toyama, I only really needed to change my address. The lady was super helpful, and explained things simply. I also joined national health insurance at the same time, which was also ridiculously simple.

Afterwards, another lady explained how to sort my trash. I was told by some residents, “Ooh, trash sorting here is very strict!” But it’s not really. Burnables twice a week (and unlike Toyama, plastic IS burnables, not it’s own category) and none burnables once a month, in 4 categories: food glass, other glass, newspaper and cardboard, cans and PET bottles. There’s also the food trash that they use to make compost, but most people I’ve spoken to hide that in their burnables because the food trash bag is troublesome and breaks easily.

It’s not so bad because most of my trash is burnable. The PET bottles and random foam trays can be rinsed and returned to the store. Bottles and cans too, at some stores. Shouldn’t be a problem, I reckon.

Next up is updating the address on my car reg and safety check certificate. This is not so easy. First, I needed a proof-of-parking certificate from the real estate agency (¥3000), and then take that to the police station to say, “Hello! I have arrived and I have brought a car! Please change my address on my license and my something else; also I will be parking here legally.”. Then they do the license while you wait, and give you the forms (¥20) for the other part which I couldn’t figure out, but I luckily had someone to help me. The registration of parking space with the cops was ridiculous. I had to have a diagram of the parking lot with my space indicated; then I had to draw a map to my apartment (which is easy in some places, but which is stupidly difficult for this place); then I had to fill in dimensions of various things (width and length of space, width of lot entrance, width of road, etc.) It was dumb and I made up values because I hadn’t measured that stuff, get out.

Next week I’ll have to pick up paperwork from the police station and then go to a transport office to register the changes that the cops made, register for car tax (boo!) here, and then get my new number plates. Whew! It’s not easy, so I’m glad the lady from my company is helping me.

In other settling-in news, I’m completely unpacked, except for the living room, which can’t be completed until next Wednesday when the last of my furniture comes. Until then, though, I’m pretty free and clear to relax and explore. More on that another time!