I’m at Hot One Breath again. Yep, no internet at home yet. What in the world is taking so long, you might be wondering (I know I am). Well after the fiasco and long time it took to finally get my Gaijin Card (over a month after moving into Ichihara), I was then able to apply for internet. I did so, and had to wait about 2 weeks for them to send an NTT (phone company) guy to my apartment for the “initial inspection.” This took about 10 minutes, and it just involved the guy running a guide wire from my apartment’s phone jack area to somewhere else in the building. Then another week, and they call me and tell me they’re ready to make an appointment for the actual installation. But of course, the soonest they can do this is a week after that call. I am scheduled to have internet installed on Thursday morning, FINALLY. It will be exactly 2 months since I moved out of the US and it’s about time. I miss having the internet at home. For Japan supposedly being so technologically advanced and efficient, it’s amazing how simple things like this can take forever. Yes, a lot of things here are advanced, but you would be amazed at how much stuff is weighted down in this country because of meaningless paperwork and plain old bureaucracy.

Once this works, you will see me online Thursday night I hope. I am also planning on installing Skype sometime very soon, so I think I will be able to actually call people from my computer. Who wants to get called? It’s apparently super cheap.

By the way, even though the Wii comes out here about 2 weeks later than in the US, I am reserved at the Goi Laox to buy one. I’m number 7 on the list at the Goi store. Wii Sports will be the first game I play!