This past weekend I’ve been tasked, with some help, of shoving a shit ton of clothes and other knick knacks into two suitcases. I had planned on bringing three, but $200 dollars for a third suitcase is breaking the bank and with no guarantee of finagling this third suitcase for free, we’ve came up with an ingenious route of shoving two suitcases worth of clothes into one:
a 12 dollar zip lock bag called a ‘space bag’, why the hell not?
I went to the store and bought a box that had two huge space saver bag thingies for $12. We shoved all the clothes + my favorite comforter since I was like 6 into these bags, sucked the air out of them, and shoved them into one suitcase. I have a feeling I am overweight so I’ll be stuck paying $60 for the bag, but it beats $200.
My second suitcase is filled with shoes and other crap relative to my real career (I’m a web designer/developer). I have a relatively large foot to Japanese standards and I know I will not be able to find shoes my size in the country. So, a suitcase full of shoes it is (boots and sneakers).
Today was also my last day of work. It was sad since the company is trying to promote me and I while I enjoy the promotion I can’t stay. It is really awkward trying to separate with a company that you enjoy working for and there’s actual career advancement.
I also got my okanez today from the bank.
Ballin’
When I got it my face was obviously like this:
I managed to save up 3800 dollars for my Japan adventure, with the help of my wonderful grandparents <3. I lost 1300 trying to convert to 100,000. Because the exchange is absolute shit I decided to hold off on converting all my cash. I’ll convert as I go in Japan. I think 100,000 will be enough to hold me until pay day on the 21st. I just can’t have exciting wacky drunken hijinks during TO~ I’ll be filming it though! And living vicariously through my fellow JETs :V
I heard giving trinkets and stuff was the worst thing ever for omiyage. Since I know I wouldn’t like some paper weight as a gift, I tried to think of what would be a legit awesome gift I’d enjoy.
Liquor of course!
everyone in japan likes alcohol. this is true fact.
Florida is primarily an argicultural state. Drive thirty minutes outside of Orlando or South Florida, and you’re standing in the middle of a cow/orange/sugar cane/strawberry/blueberry/chicken/tomato/etc field. So, obviously, Florida has a wine country. Florida wineries tend to make untraditional wines like mango wine, strawberry wine, blueberry wine, orange wine, etc. I thought buying two bottles of some weird Florida wine would be a nice omiyage for the sup and whoever is above him (haven’t really thought about the other bottle).
Along with Florida’s weird wine industry, we’re also honey producers. In my town, we have a few honey apiaries because of all the citrus farms (the bees pollenate the orange blossoms and all that farmy stuff). At the farmer’s market, these guys sell raw honey. You can buy the honeycomb, the honey, the pollen, etc. So, for the JTEs, I got them fresh, raw, Florida honey from the backyards of my local farmers. Actually, one of the farmers is like 20 minutes down the road.
Everyone else is getting jolly ranchers in a bowl in the teacher’s room with a card.
And that’s pretty much it. Finally closing the chapter in my life here in America.
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Pierre