For the second weekend since starting work, I have to admit that it's been fairly tricky finding things to do to pass the time, besides preparing for the following week's lessons. I have read and heard from others that there is not all that much to do in Kamisu, and that most foreigners seem to prefer to go to Tokyo over the weekend to pass the time. However, as I'm not all that interested in going to Tokyo on a regular basis, I find my options limited, though it hasn't been impossible for me to find things to do.
For the past two weekends, I've been going out to restaurants or cafes to study for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). As I have little time on weekdays to do any solid study, I try to make up for it by doing a few hours on the weekend. Usually, I'll order something inexpensive, and just pass the time studying. I started off with studying at Starbucks, but alas, just like my experiences in Kyoto, even the Starbucks out here in Kamisu is usually full, and the one time I was able to study there appeared to be a stroke of good luck. I had considered going to Saizeria, but compared to Starbucks, it's a further drive away, and I usually am not out that far unless I have some errand in that area to attend to. Instead, I've been going to Gusto, which is closer to me than Starbucks and Saizeria. The food is a little more expensive than Saizeria, but I usually order some inexpensive dessert, plus the drink bar, and I study away while drinking coffees or teas. Also, if it's later in the afternoon and after lunch, it's fairly quiet there, so I don't have to worry about noise.
Another particular activity I have just started doing yesterday is going to the gym. In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned that I had heard of a cheap, goverment-funded gym around. Well, after asking around, I managed to find it. It happens to be close to Kamisu's City Hall. As promised, the gym is very cheap, as in 50 yen for 1 hour. Fifty. Yen. That is less than $1 in my country. However, while it does sound too good to be true, it is and it isn't. The gym is very small, and the equipment is fairly old, and all of it centering on weight training. While it would have been nice for an exercise bike to be available, the equipment were in good enough condition in that I was able to utilize the full hour with a bit of creative thinking on how to best use the equipment for specific exercises. Because I haven't been to a gym since arriving in Japan three weeks ago, it's natural that my body is a bit stiff after yesterday's workout. Despite the small size of the gym, I'm satisfied with it in that I plan to go every weekend.
Other things I have been doing to pass the time includes having a look at WonderGoo, BookOff, and a place called Kanteidan, which seems to be a combination of a game center, electronics store, card game store, and toy store, and a couple of other stores. I usually look around for either gunpla or gunpla-accessories, or even games and music cds. When looking at the price of gunpla, I'm reminded that I was very fortunate to get the majority of my gunpla from Yodobashi at a cheaper price than recommended retail when I was in Kyoto. While I have been considering buying specific gunpla, I've been holding off on that kind of spending for the moment.
Finally, I got my Japanese phone sorted out today after a week and a bit. Now I've got a number, and on top of making calls, I have 5GB of data a month for around 2100 yen, and the setup fee waived. A pretty good deal I must admit.
On the other hand, the internet that my company has been providing me has proven to be insufficient for my data requirements after two weeks. Despite watching very few youtube videos, my skype calls to my parents and my girlfriend have been eating through my data allowance, and I'm down to 128 kbps speed of internet. Fortunately, my nextdoor neighbour earlier offered to let me use his internet in exchange for splitting the bill with him, so I was able overcome that problem. However, I intend to go for a more long term solution by getting a better internet service. I have been reading up on WiMAX2+ from Asahi Net and this month, they're waiving the fee for the device itself (around $200). On top of that, it's unlimited data, which will be perfect. I've already sent an inquiry to them to find out about the availability of WiMAX2+ in Kamisu, and my area, and if it is available, I may apply for it at the end of the month.
Despite being only the second week in Kamisu, I have been able to keep myself occupied outside of work with various activities and errands. Whether I can keep this up for at least six months is yet to be seen.
No comments:
Post a Comment