Japanese Bureaucracy

Let's begin with an omg. Trying to get the basic necessities for working in Japan is turning into an obstacle course. Payment is done by direct deposit - so clearly to begin I need a Japanese bank account in order to get any pay. I had the Shinsei Bank recommended to me, because it allows ATM withdrawls for free and has ATMs running 24/7 (which isn't the norm here). So, I go to Shinsei Bank and they're like - "You can't open a bank account without a mobile phone". So I then go to the major mobile phone company in the area, and tell them I want to get a mobile phone - "You can't get a mobile phone without a bank account". Huh? Ok, so that wasn't going anywhere. Luckily a few days ago I had muddled my way through opening a postal savings account across the street. I'm told that I can't have my pay deposited into it, but it should be perfect for getting a phone, which will then let me get a real bank account, which will let me get paid. I find that they tried delivering my pass book yesterday (pass book being what I needed to actually use the bank account for the phone), so I went to the post office with my little notice of delivery slip and my passport, and got my passbook. I then proceeded to walk all the way back to the phone company with all my papers in hand, and set about getting my phone. I picked out the phone and the plan and what number I wanted, and then was told that the Certificate of Alien Registration or whatever that I got wouldn't be enough, and I would need to wait for my Alien Identification Card. The entire point of the certificates is to sub in for the card until you get it!! Arrgh! So, as things look now, I need to wait until my Alien ID card is ready, which will be another week before I can open a bank or get a phone. That means any chance of getting my pay advance is pretty slim, and I will have to remain a social invalid without a phone. I had to pay for those certificates so that I could use them to open bank accounts and get a phone, and it turns out they serve absolutely no purpose at all.

Anyway, on a happier note, I'm now done my children's training and begin teaching regular lessons tomorrow, and kid lessons the following day. I don't think the kid ones will be too bad, as long as I don't get stuck with any chibiko classes (2-4 years old). Just because it amuses me, here is the basic template of a chibiko class:
1. Entering the Room - High Five!
2. Hello Time - Hello Song
3. Numbers Time - Numbers Song, Counting (1-10) Song, Incy Wincy Count Song, Blast Off!
4. Cards Time - Touch and Mime
5. Color Time - Color Mad
6. Rotating Element
7. Music Time - Music Song, Shake Shake Shake
8. Cards Time - Four Walls
9. Movement Time - Movement Song, Move Move Move!, Move In Move Out Song
10. ABC Time - ABC Twist Song
11. Story Time
12. Goodbye Time - Goodbye Song
...yeah

Last night we went out to a bar called The Shack for a hamburger eating contest. Sadly, there was only one entry allowed from each continent, and there was already an American signed up, but there were 3 other people in it from Nova (New Zealand, England and Mexico). The Kenyan eater stole the show though, and won with relative ease. We just sat around playing pool and drinking after that. Everybody is scrambling to come up with backup plans if Nova folds, but I'm kind of caught in limbo. It's bad enough that I have little money and no japanese language ability and next to no contacts, but I'm also still waiting for a phone, and it's pretty impossible in Japan to look for jobs at all without a phone. Hopefully once some of this administrative stuff clears up I'll be able to forge ahead and try to find some work.