7:13 a.m. on Friday August 8th 2014

Yesterday wasn’t too eventful but it was a day that made me realize how lucky I have been so far. I went to the city hall to register my new address; opened up a Japanese bank account, and got a new cellphone! Yay!

Lucky case #1 – an iPhone for 9800 Yen = $105

I went into a mobile shop, and looked around at phones and plans. I initially wanted an android phone, but it looked like android phones and plans were more expensive than iPhones. But iPhones were still quite expensive – around $430 Canadian. Luckily, a customer service rep mentioned to me that the phone was being sold for $105, and there was only one left at the store. I hesitated a little bit because I was skeptical at how a 40,000 Yen phone can be sold for 9800 Yen. So I asked several times if the price was right, and he said yes. So without any hesitation, I bought the iPhone 5c for around 9800 Yen. Amazing!

Lucky case #2 – my apartment

I was supposed to get into an apartment in Nishijin. This apartment is located right in downtown, but its downside is that it’s very old. But in the last week before my departure, my predecessor emailed me that I couldn’t get into Nishijin anymore because of some administrative error. So other housing options opened up. Now, I am in a very new apartment that’s very close to my office and has lots of JETs already living here.

Lucky case #3 – at the airport

I was told that if my luggage was overweight, I would need to pay $100+tax. It was overweight, and a lady at the counter just let it pass without any fees.

Lucky case #4 - my placement

During the Tokyo Post Arrival orientation, I was reminded many times how lucky I am to be in my placement – Fukuoka City! It’s one of the top 10 most livable cities in the world. I am also working at Fukuoka Prefectural Government where I will be doing lots of interesting work.

Overall, I am very grateful for everything that has happened so far! Maybe it’s a sign that my time here will be amazing. J