Over 4000 Days in Japan and Over 450,000 Blog Visitors / Jamaica Festival 2019 / Happy Birthday Takako
Hi all. Between last blog and now was fairly quiet except for the One Love Festival back at Yoyogi Park and a few other events.
This month I will feature a location in Jamaica known as Martha Brae.
This is a relatively popular location for tourists in Jamaica. Legend has it that an Arawak witch changed the course of the river in order to drown some Spaniards.
I look at these pictures sometime and realize that I really haven't explored Jamaica properly enough. I'd love to try this rafting thing someday.
Day 3981 (Permanent Residency Application)
Thurs, May 9, 2019
Took a day off from work today to apply for my permanent residency in Japan. This was my second time applying. I applied back in 2017 when it would have been 9 years living in Japan. The only reason why I applied then was because my friend from New Zealand applied for it after 4 years living in Japan, and got through!
So I thought, since I lived in Japan for 9 years, with the same company, married to a Japanese and own property, I should be capable of getting it too... don't you think? Well, not so my friends, they rejected the application and said I should wait until I'm here for 10 years, and I can't apply again within the next 6 months.
So this time around, I waited until I'm here 11 years +. Let's see how this goes, stay tuned!
Day 3983 (Neighbourhood Association Member - chounaikai)
Sat, May 11, 2019
This year, I became a member of the neighbourhood association (chounaikai) in my community in Japan. Now, what is this you may ask. This is apparently a sort of system in most, if not all Japanese towns for people who own property in the area. Not everyone joins it, but the ones who don't, are frowned upon.
So we joined and we have to pay a yearly fee of around 4000 yen (US $40) and we also in theory have to be a member of the neighbourhood board for at least 1 year. The duty is passed on to everyone in neighbourhood, again some refuse but most try to comply. The duty came around to us and even though we didn't want to do it, I decided to give it a try. The problem is that my area is like 95% old people who are over 65 years and are not working.
My duty this year is to lead the sports and culture committee, which involves planning festivals and sports events. Ha. I don't mind doing this at all but it's the meetings that I have to attend in all Japanese and sometime on days when I have other stuff to do is the problem.
In the morning I had to walk around and help clean the bus stop nearest to our house and tonight, was one of the first major meetings at 7pm. So in the morning, it was me and a couple of older Japanese folks walking around and cleaning the area, you can imagine the stares from onlookers. In the night it was a meeting again with mostly older folks and planning what to do this year.
Day 3984 (Pinched Nerve again!!!)
Sun, May 12, 2019
My shoulder,back and neck area have been hurting me a few days now, same thing happened to me last year. Heard it is called a pinched nerve. Woke up with my neck hurting then the pain moved down to my shoulder and it has been hurting non-stop since. Really painful and annoying for days!
Day 3991 (Pig head served)
Sun, May 19, 2019
Had some kind of special "pig's head" dish at church today for the first time. It's something from the Philippines known as lechon. It was pretty good though!
Day 3997 (One Love Festival 2019)
Sat, May 25, 2019
Went to the yearly One Love Festival this year again. Last year for the first time it was cancelled. Been going since 2009, so 10 years now. I got to meet some of my friends so it was pretty good. There were aspects of it that I didn't really like but overall it was good to see a lot of friends.
Day 4000 (4000 Days and over 450,000 views!)
Sat, May 27, 2019
Today was just a regular day nothing special, but it's 4000 days living in Japan! and my blog now has over 450,000 unique visits. It's less than expect after 11 years but still wayyyy more than what I imagined it would be when I just started blogging back in 2008. And recently the unique visitor numbers made a big dive. I think it has something to do with facebook wanting me to pay to advertise my blog to get more views. Nope!
I also started watching the season finale of Game of Thrones and got to episode 4. The first 3 episodes were pretty good, but thereafter, nothing to talk about.
Day 4001 and 4004 (Happy Birthday Takako and Surprise Party)
Wed, May 29 and Sat, June 1, 2019
Surprised my wife with some gifts today inclusive of our watches, big photo frames, roses and a video of random friends and family wishing her happy birthday.
I also organized a small surprise party for her on June 1st, which was also my sister's birthday. I got a few friends from church to come to Sizzlers restaurant with us. The surprise almost didn't work but we pulled it off lol.
That's all for this blog. See you next month or after that!
This month I will feature a location in Jamaica known as Martha Brae.
This is a relatively popular location for tourists in Jamaica. Legend has it that an Arawak witch changed the course of the river in order to drown some Spaniards.
I look at these pictures sometime and realize that I really haven't explored Jamaica properly enough. I'd love to try this rafting thing someday.
------------------------------
------------------------------
Day 3981 (Permanent Residency Application)
Thurs, May 9, 2019
Took a day off from work today to apply for my permanent residency in Japan. This was my second time applying. I applied back in 2017 when it would have been 9 years living in Japan. The only reason why I applied then was because my friend from New Zealand applied for it after 4 years living in Japan, and got through!
So I thought, since I lived in Japan for 9 years, with the same company, married to a Japanese and own property, I should be capable of getting it too... don't you think? Well, not so my friends, they rejected the application and said I should wait until I'm here for 10 years, and I can't apply again within the next 6 months.
So this time around, I waited until I'm here 11 years +. Let's see how this goes, stay tuned!
--------------------
Day 3983 (Neighbourhood Association Member - chounaikai)
Sat, May 11, 2019
This year, I became a member of the neighbourhood association (chounaikai) in my community in Japan. Now, what is this you may ask. This is apparently a sort of system in most, if not all Japanese towns for people who own property in the area. Not everyone joins it, but the ones who don't, are frowned upon.
So we joined and we have to pay a yearly fee of around 4000 yen (US $40) and we also in theory have to be a member of the neighbourhood board for at least 1 year. The duty is passed on to everyone in neighbourhood, again some refuse but most try to comply. The duty came around to us and even though we didn't want to do it, I decided to give it a try. The problem is that my area is like 95% old people who are over 65 years and are not working.
My duty this year is to lead the sports and culture committee, which involves planning festivals and sports events. Ha. I don't mind doing this at all but it's the meetings that I have to attend in all Japanese and sometime on days when I have other stuff to do is the problem.
In the morning I had to walk around and help clean the bus stop nearest to our house and tonight, was one of the first major meetings at 7pm. So in the morning, it was me and a couple of older Japanese folks walking around and cleaning the area, you can imagine the stares from onlookers. In the night it was a meeting again with mostly older folks and planning what to do this year.
--------------------
Day 3984 (Pinched Nerve again!!!)
Sun, May 12, 2019
My shoulder,back and neck area have been hurting me a few days now, same thing happened to me last year. Heard it is called a pinched nerve. Woke up with my neck hurting then the pain moved down to my shoulder and it has been hurting non-stop since. Really painful and annoying for days!
--------------------
Day 3991 (Pig head served)
Sun, May 19, 2019
Had some kind of special "pig's head" dish at church today for the first time. It's something from the Philippines known as lechon. It was pretty good though!
------------------------------
------------------------------
Day 3997 (One Love Festival 2019)
Sat, May 25, 2019
Went to the yearly One Love Festival this year again. Last year for the first time it was cancelled. Been going since 2009, so 10 years now. I got to meet some of my friends so it was pretty good. There were aspects of it that I didn't really like but overall it was good to see a lot of friends.
--------------------
Day 4000 (4000 Days and over 450,000 views!)
Sat, May 27, 2019
Today was just a regular day nothing special, but it's 4000 days living in Japan! and my blog now has over 450,000 unique visits. It's less than expect after 11 years but still wayyyy more than what I imagined it would be when I just started blogging back in 2008. And recently the unique visitor numbers made a big dive. I think it has something to do with facebook wanting me to pay to advertise my blog to get more views. Nope!
I also started watching the season finale of Game of Thrones and got to episode 4. The first 3 episodes were pretty good, but thereafter, nothing to talk about.
--------------------
Day 4001 and 4004 (Happy Birthday Takako and Surprise Party)
Wed, May 29 and Sat, June 1, 2019
Surprised my wife with some gifts today inclusive of our watches, big photo frames, roses and a video of random friends and family wishing her happy birthday.
 |
| Still trying to identify that guy holding my wife! |
I also organized a small surprise party for her on June 1st, which was also my sister's birthday. I got a few friends from church to come to Sizzlers restaurant with us. The surprise almost didn't work but we pulled it off lol.
That's all for this blog. See you next month or after that!
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