Aspiring JETs Singapore edition 2012

[teabot]

i've seen milo in even the "cheap" grocery store in my area. so i think you should be good. i've never tried either the authentic or the Japanese version so i can't speak to whether there are some taste differences, but if you're not in the middle of the inaka it shouldn't be hard to find, i think.

[lepton]

Good morning, fellow Singaporeans!

Does anyone intend to drive in Japan? I have a driver's licence and my preference is suburban. I'm looking to rely more on public transport and my leg muscles (what little I have lol). Still, I think I would like to have my licence handy just in case.

Will an international licence suffice? I know it will only be valid for a certain period though. Is it then more advisable to go for the full licence conversion in Japan?

Hi!

Initially I intended to respond to this after I have successfully converted my license. But goodness know how many time I might have to take the test and by that time, the 2012 JETs might have left for Japan. And after what I went through applying for the conversion today, I thought I might want to share this with you guys now.

Firstly, an IDP will suffice for the first year in Japan. Just head down to SAA to apply for the IDP. The IDP is only valid if you concurrently hold the Singapore license. So make sure you have both document when you are driving in Japan.

Secondly, unfortunately Singapore is NOT one of the countries who are exempted from the test. I was told by the embassy that this was the case for my prefecture, but I highly suspect it is for the whole of Japan (someone do chip in if you know otherwise). The written and practical tests are simplified test and not the full version of the driving tests in Japan.

With my translated license (done by JAF) and relevant document, I headed down to the centre to apply for the conversion. Now, the proofing of residency seems to be not so straight forward for my case. To do that, of course they referred to the passport. They will check through every page, EVERY stamp. I had quite a number of stamps and that poor guy had to use another piece of paper to write down the details (arrival/departure; country and date) of every stamp. Next was to ascertain my period of stay in Singapore. Unfortunately my first stamp was that of US.

Now, US only has the date of entry and no date of departure. So he told me that there was no evidence that I re-entered Singapore. And even more unfortunate was that I had 4 such stamps interspersed in fairly regular interval. I suggested to list all the stamps in chronological order so that if there was evidence of me visiting somewhere other than the US consecutively, that could be my period of residence in Singapore. Either he couldn't get what I was driving at or it was just to messy as I REALLY had quite a lot of stamps, he didn't do it and/or seemed unwilling to it. Lucky for me, a second guy said we could use my first date of entry to US as the time I left Singapore after I got my license. I barely made the 3 mths mark.

So for those who might be in the same situation as me, I am not sure if there is any document we could request of to proof our period of residency. Of course ESID, this might just be for my prefecture, but one can never know. Oh, and mind you, ALL those malaysian stamps when you pop over to JB for a meal or so would 'break' you period of residency.

Yupz, so that was my ordeal this afternoon. My heart probably skipped a beat there. Haha. Thought I would give you guys a heads up on this.

Have fun preparing for your departure!

[rebeckyc]

Hey there Singapore peoples!

Is anyone here named Ange or Angie (something along those lines)? If so you're taking my spot and I'm your predecessor!! Welcome to the greatest prefecture ever Angie (I hope I'm spelling that right).

[oviparous]

Regarding milo: i've seen it in almost every supermarket in my city. and i've come across it in chiba too. it's common enough. bear in mind it's not the 3-in-1. you have to add your own milk and sugar.

Regarding cars: depending on where you are, it is not expensive to purchase a car (brand new cars are around 2 million yen before all the extra costs like insurance and tax, which may add up but still be less than 3 million. if you think about it, it's still more affordable than Singapore). maintaining a car is expensive because of this thing called shaken (車検), which is like a fee you have to pay to get your car maintained. the older your car is, the more shaken you have to pay to maintain it.

If you're worried about getting a car, driving and all that, my advice is don't worry about whether you need a car. (Lame advice, sorry. But it's really the best I have to offer.) Go to Japan, evaluate your situation, then decide. For example, my story - my prefecture has the highest percentage of car ownership in Japan so it's naturally more convenient with a car. Also, since I'm planning to start a family here, it will be safer for my kids to be in cars than on bikes because (another bit of prefecture trivia) the wind here is extremely strong and dry, especially during the winter months. On the other hand, my pred was here for 4 years and she didn't need a car. She biked everywhere. Then again, she wasn't planning to have kids and her parents didn't visit her as often as mine.

Don't worry about doing all these 'big decision'-type things before you arrive. You may be worried because you don't speak (enough) Japanese. You may be worried because you know you don't know anyone in Japan. But really, your bosses and COs are going to try their very best to help you rather than harm you. Trust the system. Even if they turn out to be total jerks you will definitely find support from the JET network.

[OdysseyOfNoises]

To a previous poster...
At this stage I wouldn't go around posting successor information in a public forum. Edit it out or delete it.

[xqester]

Hi all.

First off, congrats to all the 2012 shortlisters! Hope you guys are looking forward to coming to Japan.

For those of you concerned about milo, no worries, you can get the stuff here. Like others have said, they carry it in several supermarkets and I've even seen it in some small mini mart type grocery stores. I do live in a city (albeit a slightly rural one), but for those of you who get posted somewhere inaka you can still order it off amazon jp (http://www.amazon.co.jp/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?__mk_ja_JP=%83J%83%5E%83J%83i&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=milo&x=0&y=0#/ref=nb_sb_noss?__mk_ja_JP=%E3%82%AB%E3%82%BF%E3%82%AB%E3%83%8A&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=%E3%83%9F%E3%83%AD&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3A%E3%83%9F%E3%83%AD). It would probably be far cheaper to do that than to bring bunches in your suitcase or get your family to send it from home.

Taste wise, personally I'm not a milo fan, but a friend of mine here is a regular drinker; she's had both varieties and she says there isn't a difference.

[rinforest]

is it strange that i'm amused we're still talking about milo?

in any case, i think it's the milk you're going to have to get used to. japanese milk tastes very different from australian milk (which we drink more of) in my opinion.

in other news, placements seem to be coming. does anyone know if tina usually call or email?

[palindrome]

regarding passports:
to add on, you can collect your passport from the nagoya consulate too, not just tokyo and osaka. the whole process takes about a month from application to when you can collect it. you don't need to apply for a new visa. just go to the immigration bureau in your prefecture and get it transferred over.

regarding milo:
i have a bag of milo bought in japan and it says 'made in singapore' on the back

regarding driving:
imo, ask your pred about whether it's recommended to drive. if you're in a city, you should be able to get around without problem, but out in the inaka, it helps to have a car sometimes. i'd actually stated on my application that i don't drive cos i didnt want to get a car in japan, but after a few months, i got one anyway cos it's a lot more convenient (travel time to work 15 min with a car compared to 30 min + waking half an hour earlier and leaving work half an hour later due to train timings), cheaper (less than 150yen petrol cost compared to 350yen train tix) and i can actually have a life and go places.

renting a car is an option worth considering too. i am a car idiot and rent mine from a guy in my area who gives a pretty good deal. at the end of the day, the cost probably works out to about the same as if i bought the car, but i dont have to deal with shaken etc and if there is any problem with the car, i just call the guy and he fixes it. no paperwork to deal with too! makes life a lot easier for me.

singapore is not exempt from the driving test, no matter where in japan. the test differs from pref to pref, so you should ask the people in your pref for tips for the test when you have to take it. in my experience, the written test is no problem (beware of bad english translations!), but for the practical, it helps to take a couple of lessons to familiarise with what the test will be like. imo, the test is more about following rules (craning your neck for mirror checks, signalling 31.73m before you turn, stopping 24.97cm before the stop line etc) than about driving skill.

anyway, some useful links for licence conversion:

http://jhsenglipediaproject.com/Links_N ... _Exam.aspx

http://ishikawajet.wikia.com/wiki/How_t ... _to_Finish

p.s. if you drive in the inaka, look out for the padi fields! i've seen more than 1 car end up in them...

[shortsmallsweet]

I'm not a milk drinker, but I think Japanese milk is おいしくない！

You should be hearing about your placements by email.

is it strange that i'm amused we're still talking about milo?

in any case, i think it's the milk you're going to have to get used to. japanese milk tastes very different from australian milk (which we drink more of) in my opinion.

in other news, placements seem to be coming. does anyone know if tina usually call or email?

[Tomereader]

Milo is available, definitely, even in a semi-inaka area like mine (Nabari-shi, Mie-ken).

Have been trying to get my license converted (failed twice already!!) boohoo. They're really strict here - just make sure you do all the stuff you did in SG when you passed - AND MORE. Do full 360 degree check like the mata is waiting for you. I failed on that. ALONE. Go figure. Heh. Most people say that they are sticter with foreigners, so we just have to try harder. Japanese people don't take the same test we do - they can take it at driving schools - and they pay a lot of money for lessons and tests.

Here, each test is 2400 yen - still cheaper than in SG I guess. So that's no so bad. There are many rental car stores around Japan. For me, BUDGET is the cheapest option. Including insurance, it costs 4410 yen to rent a Nissan March or Honda Fitt for 24 hours. Find your own parking, though.

Get an IDP cos it's fun to drive and when you travel in Japan, it is easier to visit the ulu places by driving. Like when you go camping in Kirishima or wanna try the black sand onsen in Ibusuki (both places in Kagoshima-ken although some people say Kirishima is in Miyazaki-ken). There are many websites detailing what you have to do when you wanna convert your license - just search online when it's time.

There are second hand cars here that cost 65000 yen (about 1000 sgd) but there's shaken (complusory mechanic check) and insurance that can get you to spend about 800,000 yen a year on your car. Not including parking and petrol. Parking at your own apartment's carpark is about 5000 yen a month. Petrol is about 150 yen per litre, and you use up quite a lot here cos the terrain is hilly. Full tank can cost 8000 yen. If you are posted to inaka areas, you will usually need a car - but your supervisor or school should help you with the procedures. SHOULD. ESID. Heh.

From what I've read about COE prices, owning a car here is still cheaper than in Singapore! Haha! Oh, some JETs aren't allowed to drive during office hours - something about insurance etc if you get into accidents (touch wood) so please discuss with your school. On the other hand, I have a friend who insisted on driving herself to school and out during lunch or to different schools (she has to teach at many schools) and they allowed her to, so ESID again, ok?

The milk here is super oishii!! The butter is yummy too and my baked goods somehow taste so much better here. So I concluded it must be the butter and milk in Japan. Maybe radiated (kidding) but it does taste good.

You will have so much fun here!!

[rinforest]

I'm not a milk drinker, but I think Japanese milk is おいしくない！

You should be hearing about your placements by email.

Thanks Ru-chan! Now I don't have to worry about not hearing my phone and just focus on refreshing my email every 10 minutes

[milychan]

Milo is available, definitely, even in a semi-inaka area like mine (Nabari-shi, Mie-ken).

Have been trying to get my license converted (failed twice already!!) boohoo. They're really strict here - just make sure you do all the stuff you did in SG when you passed - AND MORE. Do full 360 degree check like the mata is waiting for you. I failed on that. ALONE. Go figure. Heh. Most people say that they are sticter with foreigners, so we just have to try harder. Japanese people don't take the same test we do - they can take it at driving schools - and they pay a lot of money for lessons and tests.

Here, each test is 2400 yen - still cheaper than in SG I guess. So that's no so bad. There are many rental car stores around Japan. For me, BUDGET is the cheapest option. Including insurance, it costs 4410 yen to rent a Nissan March or Honda Fitt for 24 hours. Find your own parking, though.

Get an IDP cos it's fun to drive and when you travel in Japan, it is easier to visit the ulu places by driving. Like when you go camping in Kirishima or wanna try the black sand onsen in Ibusuki (both places in Kagoshima-ken although some people say Kirishima is in Miyazaki-ken). There are many websites detailing what you have to do when you wanna convert your license - just search online when it's time.

There are second hand cars here that cost 65000 yen (about 1000 sgd) but there's shaken (complusory mechanic check) and insurance that can get you to spend about 800,000 yen a year on your car. Not including parking and petrol. Parking at your own apartment's carpark is about 5000 yen a month. Petrol is about 150 yen per litre, and you use up quite a lot here cos the terrain is hilly. Full tank can cost 8000 yen. If you are posted to inaka areas, you will usually need a car - but your supervisor or school should help you with the procedures. SHOULD. ESID. Heh.

From what I've read about COE prices, owning a car here is still cheaper than in Singapore! Haha! Oh, some JETs aren't allowed to drive during office hours - something about insurance etc if you get into accidents (touch wood) so please discuss with your school. On the other hand, I have a friend who insisted on driving herself to school and out during lunch or to different schools (she has to teach at many schools) and they allowed her to, so ESID again, ok?

The milk here is super oishii!! The butter is yummy too and my baked goods somehow taste so much better here. So I concluded it must be the butter and milk in Japan. Maybe radiated (kidding) but it does taste good.

You will have so much fun here!!

Great advice Tomereader ^_^ But Nabari is not inaka at all haha.. More like suburb.

(Sorry still on the topic of milo) Milo is available everywhere! I actually gave out milo packs to my neighbours when I first came, and they were surprised that it's from Singapore. They were like... "we have milo here?" I actually had problem finding condensed milk to add to my milo powder.. It didn't come in canned form, but in tubes like facial wash :S

Good luck to all regarding your placement areas. For alternates, don't give up hopes too! I think this is when the first wave of upgrades begins.

[rebeckyc]

Ok my BoE gave us names but no email yet. Not sure why, but the email comes later? Anyways I'm allowed to search for my successor! Her name is Seah Angelina anyone know of her or is her? Please PM me!!

[Nomnoms]

Have any other shortlisters not gotten their placement yet? -worried-

[kurikuri]

Have any other shortlisters not gotten their placement yet? -worried-

It'll be out today or Monday.