First just want to thank David again, honestly I was not expecting answers that were as detailed and informative as yours when I had first signed up on this forum.
That's the difference between a forum and "traditional" (now) social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (comparable to our
Okinawa Media gallery, but we allow 5, 10, 30, 50, 60+ megapixels to be uploaded and preserved for the future; try that on Instagram! ?
I grew up on forums from the late 1990s and always questioned why people would still use Facebook to seek knowledge or even talk... I suppose it's easier to just answer a question without justification.
Example (which I'm searching for now because it popped in my mind to know): Someone could ask, "why is Japanese rice sticky?" On Facebook most of the answers could be, "because it's grown in Japan." ?
Though, most, if not all, won't take the time to research the question themselves and make assumptions or base their answers on personal anecdotes. I, on the other hand, try to be as thorough and as detailed as possible, researching it myself, even if I know but am uncertain; I've even been told that my answers are like books ?.
But to answer the question regarding rice (summed up and not in a full report), and to see my process why: It's because Japanese rice has a higher proportion of starch and moisture content, which makes it more clingy and stickier than rice in which you would find in Western countries (JUST ONE COOKBOOK, 2019).
I study it, but I won't give APA citations
. I will usually add just [1]. [2], [3], etc. after a sentence and the sources with a link in the "footnotes" of the question posts to let them ultimately make the final decision.
A forum, however, allows you to answer in more detail (which I'll get to later on too).
JUST ONE COOKBOOK. (2019, February 13). Japanese Rice - Everything You Need to Know • Just One Cookbook. Retrieved December 22, 2019, from
Japanese Rice - Everything You Need to Know • Just One Cookbook.
Rent where I am right now is more than double the amount in Okinawa but I understand that I will have to accept making a lower salary while I am new to the country and develop my language ability and skills.
Which a lower salary is okay to have because rent is generally a lot lower here anyway. It'd be nice to have the amount that you pay in rent now leftover as you can either save to buy land at one point or splurge to go out and have a great time sometimes.
I had heard about the separate test and licensing for manual transmission vs. automatic but it didn't occur to me until now about the challenges that it might face.
I just recalled that you were from Canada. You are one of the few lucky ones if you have a license right now. Like me as Washington State (USA) resident, I could, as you can, convert straight over with simple paperwork costing about 10,000 yen as opposed to testing and failing 5+ times to get a license.[1]
Group 1 – Convert Directly to a Japanese License (JDL)
The first group includes license holders able to convert their foreign licenses directly to a Japanese license. For this group, conversion is a shorter bureaucratic paperwork process that takes a couple of weeks and one to two visits to the License Center. If your license was issued in one of these countries;
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, The United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Taiwan, South Korea, or USA (only Maryland [from Jan 2016] or Washington [from Jan 2017] )
Be sure to bring pay stubs, rent receipts, tax returns, a record that you took a driving course (not really necessary but would help), etc. with you that can prove that you drove in Canada 90 days after the
issue date of your current license.
Ninety days, that's it (but bring a few more documents just in case because they may give you trouble).
They will explain the conversion process there, but bring a ton of paperwork proof if you have it as they even asked for my official (stamped) high-school transcripts when I graduated nearly 10 years prior.
One thing that I must add is that my license doesn't say AT (can only drive automatics) or MT on it like most other licenses that I've seen.
I appreciate your views on the convertible and I totally agree as I have owned a convertible before and in Vancouver it rains a lot so getting leaks can always be a problem if the drainage pipes around the car aren't cleaned properly.
We have a rainy season as well as a typhoon season here which combined last for several months and rain can be an issue.
But as far as convertibles go, I wouldn't get a soft top because it'd eventually fade in the sun nor would I get a hard top cause I wouldn't trust a "category 5" typhoon blowing so fast that it has enough pressure to break the seals for water to enter to get it wet enough inside to mold, which is still even a problem with door seals on older cars.
Also I am aware of being careful with understanding the fine-print of bumper-to-bumper warranties, often times not everything is covered and there are limitations and exceptions, which is why I will probably buy from an English speaking place.
That is the best option, but don't rely on popular opinion. Ask each dealership, face to face, listed in the
Okinawa cars category of our
Places directory what their warranties are and exactly what they do and do not cover.
This will help you select the best car insurance, as you may get "full coverage" as opposed to the minimum like me, which if it were my fault, my insurance would pay out the minimum—most likely enough to cover their damage—and not pay me for a new car.
However, like rent, cars are so cheap here anyway that you could go buy an 80,000-100,000 yen car until you have enough to get a new one.
It's funny how you mentioned Bollywood Dreams... I was watching a youtube video of an American family that was visiting that restaurant and were raving about how it was their favourite place to eat.
Bollywood Dreams is great, as is
Bollywood Jewel, each having a different atmosphere with a different taste. Both just sitting about 200 meters away from each other.
In fact, we actually have coupons for them both to save 10% on your meals. Simply click the "Coupon" tab at the top of the listings and show that page to the cashier (
registered members only).
This will surely help you save a few yennies until you don't need to coupon anymore (but why not, especially when we'll eventually have more by the time you're here?).
I was looking up videos on Hilton Chatan Resort (This is where my wife and/or I would like to work ideally...) and found their channel.
A good place to work. However, I hear there's another Hilton coming soon (2020-2021) more northern so you might have better luck getting a position there as opposed to waiting for one in Mihama/Chatan.
When you say "churning" I take it to mean "turnover?"
Yeah, churning is a business term for turnover, but I should've used turnover instead of churn as churn mostly relates to customers coming and going.
I am open to working pretty much any job as long as I can keep improving my Japanese and still be able to put food on the table.
Don't sweat it. There are plenty of jobs here, but, you're going to need to work for them and not be lazy. If you sit around, you won't get anything at all.
We are trying our best to prepare as much as we can so we don't end up in a "rut" as much as possible, but of course no matter how hard you try there will always be surprises and challenges along the way.
Yep. I thought life would be a breeze when I came back and that I could quickly get a job on a US base. Though, I was sadly mistaken. It took us a couple of years to get up and up. But, you'll be fine as long as you remember "time" is all it takes.
I am looking forward to moving here but I have to admit there are still some butterflies in my stomach.
I'm sure everyone feels the same way about moving to Okinawa for the first time, especially if used to another country. You may experience culture shock along with a rut—a bad combo, but one you can overcome.
Good luck and we're always here to help you (with information, that is).
PS: Nice family you got there. You should introduce yourself to everyone in our
☆ Meet and Greet forum with some more pictures to try to network, not only for a job but to see if there are any spouse or couples clubs you can join, or even set up kids play dates!
[1]
Converting your Foreign License to a Japanese Driver's License | H&R Group K.K.
