Monday, November 07, 2005
Alien Card
I'm an alien. But I guess in Japan, I should be called an Alien-u. No sense in ending a work in a constonant, when there are vowels aplenty. It become news to me that if i leave the country, without a reentry permit, I cannot get back in. Without a Alien aka Gaijin Card, I cannot get a reentry permit. The card takes 2 weeks to process. If I get it precisely on time, I will get to go to South Korea. If it arrives even one single day late, i've lost $300 on the flights.
So I went to the ward office today, and got flattered by the guy behind the desk who was impressed with my status of Engineer (rather than English teacher) and Wholesale Banking (rather than Retail). This was cool, because he talked a bit about himself. Then I sat back in the queue, and waited for my application to be typed & submitted.
A woman rushed to sit down next to me, turned and said "Are you from Bangladesh" in an abrupt, assuming manner. "No". "Then, from somewhere nearby?". "No". What I meant was "I have no interest in engaging you in conversation. Perhaps you should have started with HELLO first. This is an international courtesy. Unlike slurping and staring, greetings prior to engagement in conversation with a stranger are a globally accepted standard in social etiquette". People in Japan do not stare. People in Europe (trust me) do.
Then my application became typed, and I needed to sign. She refused to accept my signature. I tried pointing out that the signature on my passport was "Furro Name" rather than "Signature", and "Signature on bank card - see?" didnt work so well. So we argued, and I eventually conceded and wrote my name, rather than signature onto her paper. I could have been there all day, and still not won.
Of course, an application Service Group failed to start this morning, on the day that I do not turn up to work, thereby making me look incompetent. But they had to call me, and let me preach hagrp commands down the phoneline, which makes me essential. Thus I am essentially incompetent.
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