going to Takasaki from Kiryu by bicycle to change my visa

It was one of the most tiring things I've ever done.


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A distance of about 21 miles (33kms), by bicicle, because the trains are either too few, or not running at all, because of the earthquake.

I had to go because the company I'm going to work for (Rakuten) told me if I didn't apply to change my visa about that day, I'd probably not be able to get it in time to work for them... So I was obviously desperate.
I had to change my visa from "student", to "Engineer/Technician".

These are some pictures I took while going from Kiryu To Takasaki (both cities in Gunma prefecture, Japan).

From the juku I was working part-time while in college. I used to teach elementary, junior high, and high school students English. The girl in the flag is so cute^^.

You can see the mountains, which really made me feel I was in Gunma (it's known for being the country side...)

 The you are entering Takasaki sign.

 Takasaki's roads are so much better than Kiryu's... My bike just keep breaking (getting flat tires mostly) because of them.

 Some bike road

 Some bridge being cloned.

 Another juku of the same chain I was working for. It was the first time I saw another of them...

Some cute Japanese girls

 The JR Maebashi train station. Empty because now that we have almost no electricity (after the earthquake) trains are going like once every 3,4 hours... if you're lucky and your local station wasn't too damaged.

As you can see, I was going pretty easy. I had no idea what kind of a horrible day it was soon going to become...

I arrived to Takasaki in about 2 hours 40 mins. A lot sooner than what I expected, taking into account the convenience store breaks, and the time it took me fixing my bike.

I got in line in the immigration office (Takasaki Regional Immigration Bureau) like more than 1 hour before they even opened (they open at 9am).

And that's when the nightmare began...

They called my number.

I tell the lady something like "I'd like to change my visa.", gave her the documents.

And out of nowhere, she answered me in a very rude way "You can't apply with these documents! There's nothing to prove you have graduated from this college!" (it doesn't sound too bad in English, but in Japanese you have to refer to people you don't know well in a polite form she wasn't using)

Still, I took it easy. Being that I'm foreign, and many foreigners don't even understand basic Japanese, I thought she was just trying to sound clear to me.

And I went along: "I really need to get these papers done by today. Would it be possible to call the University or hand over a copy of my college ID for the time being? I assure you I'll bring the papers I don't have right now by tomorrow... "

Ugly woman from immigration goes: "No! Not possible! Bring papers from your college... where is it?... Oh Kiryu, go back to Kiryu and bring them over"

Me: "I'd really much like to do that, however due to the earthquake's impact, as you know, trains have been stopped, I came here by bicycle running over 20miles, and taking over 3 hours just because of this. "

Ugly damn woman: "Then good luck going back to Kiryu by bicycle! It should take you 6 hours so you can still do it, we'll be open till 4pm"

I repeat, I can't really express in English how rude she sounded, but believe me, she was!

I've lived in Japan for about 6 years. And I've never been treated in such a displeasing/rude/bitchy way. I was about to kill her with my bare hands.

I'm so going to send a complain letter.

Anyway, I just gave her a homicidal look, and hurried back to Kiryu.

This woman had no idea who she was talking with.

I came to Japan just to get a cute Japanese girlfriend for god's sake.

Telling me to run 40miles just to get some documents was like the easiest thing for me.

The things, her attitude is not fit as someone who has to talk to people all day long. Hell with those manners, I don't think she's even fit to live in a society (in a Japanese society at least, she'd be in home in China probably).

Going back to Kiryu, I was so pissed off and not concentrating in the way, I got the wrong way and arrived to Ota. And by then, it was like really windy, so I really lost some valuable time.

I was "lucky", my graduation ceremony was cancelled as a sign of respect to all the people who died in the earthquake. And the needed documents were the graduation certificate, and my grades certificate, which were both going to be given to me that day together with my bachelor's degree!

I arrived at about 1pm to Kiryu. Got the documents, and headed back to Takasaki...

With that wind and being that tired I probably wouldn't be able to arrive in time, so I called a friend to give me ride.

Again, because of the earthquake, gasoline stands have very few or no gas, so it was a hard thing to ask. But he did^^. We reached Takasaki in time, and finished the damn thing.

Now I just have to wait till they send me a post card telling me to go get my new Visa (if I pass the screening, which I likely will).

Anyway, that was a horrible day.

Takasaki's company, and the best flirting techniques

I went to Takasaki today for a company's guidance.

The company totally sucked. It was called マクロ (Macro). The people there were like Japanese asset price bubble times (the 80's). They greeted me like 10 meters away from the entrance, yelling me "こんにちは！！！" (something like "good afternoon sir!").

And when the guidance begun, everyone employee entering the room was like "失礼します！！！" (excuse me!!), and there were so many of them I couldn't really hear wtf they were explaining, and the kept entering and leaving the damn room, so it was very annoying.

Not even the people in the Japanese do stuff like that.

And the CEO came and started talking about their "special" policies...

He said something like "women are to behave as such, so we make them bring us (the men) tea, and wear a uniform. Men are to behave as men too, so if needed you are to carry heavy things, etc." ... I kinda agree with what he's saying, in the way that it's obviously more "pleasant" to be brought tea by women rather than by guys, but that guy kinda sounded like a dick><.

Anyway, I really felt as I was in North Korea or something.

Putting the company's talk aside...

Takasaki's (Gunma) girls are SO hot!

Really! Not only all those ＪＫ (highschool girls), and ギャル (gyaru) girls, but even regular ones were extremely hot. They use such a cute make-up><. Makes you wanna kiss them all day long lol.

Really, the most beautiful thing ever has to be a Japanese girl/woman. Or, at times, a blonde one^^.

Flirting technique...

I was there with a friend. And I started telling him about a TV show I saw the other day talking about ナンパ(flirting/hitting on something).

Apparently, especially Japanese girls, have a thing for media/mass communications. Their brains, in general, are set like that.

So you can use that to your advantage... How you say? That's pretty obvious; with a microphone!! lol

No, for real! A mic! You talk to them and put the mic in front of them so they can answer, and apparently they just can't resist it! They answer almost anything you ask><.

You have to make it seem kinda funny by using something like a toy's mic, rather than a real looking one though^^.

And it gets better! Using the same principle, if you get some friends to help you out, you can make one guy use the mic, other guy a camera (just look like you're carrying one, don't ACTUALLY carry one^^), and other guy with a board/paper (use it like a teleprompter).

So you can write like "Now say your phone number", and there's a change she just might^^.

In the TV show they tried that, 4/42 girls actually told their phone numbers:D all the rest answered to some questions, and no girl just ignored the guy (as it's normal in Japan lol).

I so have to try that some time.

I want a Japanese girlfriend so much><