Living cost.. (Especially transport)

Hmm.. It's been 9 days since I've arrived in Japan. The living cost here is still something hard to get used to. In the past 9 days, I've spend a whooping total of 6340yen (~RM240.90) just for train and bus tickets. Below is my journey details and the cost for each journey:

1) Narita Airport - Hotel Metropolitan, Ikebukuro (2.9.10) 3000yen ~RM114

2) Ikebukuro station - Shiki station (2.9.10) 300yen ~RM11.40

3) Shiki - Ikebukuro - Shiki (2.9.10) 600yen ~RM22.80

4) Shiki - Ikebukuro - Shiki (7.9.10) 600yen ~RM22.80

5) Shiki - City Office - Shiki (9.9.10) 380yen ~RM14.40

6) Shiki - Ikebukuro - Shiki (9.9.10) 600yen ~RM22.80

7) Shiki - Wakoshi - Shibuya - Wakoshi -Shiki (10.9.10) 860yen ~RM32.70

And starting Monday, orientation will begin until 17.9.10 (Friday) and I have to bear the train fare myself, that means 600yen (~RM22.80) per day.. Well, hope everything will go well and really can't wait to buy Teiki (Commuter pass), will just cost 22,000+yen (~RM836) for 6 months and can use the train as much as I want.. :)

Dormitory 寮

From Ryugaku 留学 - Jepun

This is my dormitory! In Japanese, the reading is "Rikkyo Daigaku Kokusai Kouryuu Ryou" or simply as RUID Shiki. :) Really like staying here (not the rent though, it cost me 52,000yen very month). It's just 5minutes walk to the East Exit of Shiki station. Very convenient.

Ok, where should I start? Hmm.. My room is on the 5th floor and the location of it has raised many eyebrows because 5,6,7 and 8 floor is occupied by Japanese student. I was once asked by a girl in the elevator, "Are you Japanese?" and I said, "No". "Why are you on the 5th floor?". I replied "I don't know, I'm curious too". Hehe..

From Ryugaku 留学 - Jepun

Yeah, that's my name on the plate. Room 517 with the little Malaysian flag.. :) Things like opening the glass door in the lobby and to push my floor button in the elevator requires a key. The key will cost 30,000yen if lost. So, I have to be very careful not to lose it, it's 30,000yen you know.. ;)

Anyway, here's some pics of my room taken when I just arrived on the 2nd Sept.

From Ryugaku 留学 - Jepun

From Ryugaku 留学 - Jepun

From Ryugaku 留学 - Jepun

From Ryugaku 留学 - Jepun

From Ryugaku 留学 - Jepun

The room is small yet complete. You can do everything in here. Still got some function I didn't try on the toilet seat. I heard there's a function to warm the seat. Hmm.. Maybe later.. :)

The view outside is acceptable. I can view the street and the building on the opposite side. Lack of privacy when night comes. Below is the view on the right side of my veranda.

From Ryugaku 留学 - Jepun

Another facility that I like here is the Syokudo or Dining Room. It has 2 microwaves, 4 toasters, a hot water dispenser and HD LCD TV. The air con is always on (until closing time, 11pm).

From Ryugaku 留学 - Jepun

To Muslim who reads this blog, I wish them "Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri" or "Happy Eid" :D

A Shock at Narita Airport! 成田空港で驚いた！

After the clearance, I went to a 宅急便 Takkyubin (delivery service) counter to deliver my big luggage to my dorm, it cost me 1700yen. What a relief to get rid of that luggage for a while.

The shock that I got at Narita is that the airport is not 24hour (it closes at 11pm). At first, I didn't notice it until I went to an information counter to ask for a prayer room, the receptionist said that I have to get out of the airport later. Huh?! I can't do that! Where should I go? There's no more bus to Ikebukuro, I can't check in into my dorm that late. So I decided just to ignore it and sat somewhere.

When it was about 1050pm, a policeman came to me and ask "Stay?" and I said yes. He brought me to the other side of the airport where they assemble everyone who intend to sleep over at the airport. The policemen was nice and friendly. 3 different policemen took my personal details. One took my passport number and the other took flight details.

It's kinda shock for me because I didn't expect an international airport will close.. Huhu... And there's no free wireless in Narita, I was disappointed. Had to spend 200yen to use the desktop internet for just 20min.

During the 'lock-up', I met two students, one from Indonesia and the other from Malaysia. When I asked them why the airport closes? they said "This is Japan.. Even the atm is not 24 hours". Hehe..

It was very uncomfortable there, with no air-con. But it was relatively safe with police took turn to watch over us. Around 515am, it was already bright. I said farewell to the two students and we headed our own way. I bought my "Airport Limousine" ticket to Ikebukuro for 3000yen and the bus departed exactly at 7.30am. It took around 1hour 45minutes to reach Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo where I waited for volunteer (Yoshimura Hideki san) from Rikkyo University to guide me to my dorm in Shiki, Saitama. Took the train on Tobu Tojo Line from Ikebukuro to Shiki (300yen).

Here's some pics I took from the bus:

From Ryugaku 留学 - Jepun

From Ryugaku 留学 - Jepun

Japan! 日本で

Upon hearing some feedback, I will now use English for this blog.

Alhamdulillah, I arrived safely on the 1st of September 2010. Start my journey from home to Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 7.40am and reached KLIA quite early, so there's no rush. Flight departed 20 minutes late.

From Ryugaku 留学 - Jepun

Really like MAS in-flight entertainment system. Actually, I didn't thought about it much before boarding but when the controller was in my hand, wow, I just can't stop browsing the contents.

From Ryugaku 留学 - Jepun

And finally I was able to watch "The Last Air Bender" and "Karate Kid". Really glad I didn't go to the cinema to watch "The Last Air Bender", it's kinda disappointing really. Then, the last movie I watched was ダーリングは外国人(Daringu ha gaikokujin) My Darling Is A Foreigner. I saw this movie ad somewhere in a Japanese magazine.

Since I was fasting (I don't intend to break my fast even though I can), I just watched in envy when the person next to me was having her roasted beef, soba, chicken sandwich and a small cup of Haagen-Daazs ice cream. To kill the time, I just enjoyed the in-flight entertainment.

It was around 40minutes before landing when it's time to break my fast. Previously, the lovely stewardess said they will provide some refreshments for me but later they brought ALL the meals I was suppose to get. I ate Soba, salmon fillet and a nice caramel pudding. Roasted beef with broccoli and potato and finally the chicken sandwich. I didn't get the ice cream though. Sorry there's no pic for the meals because I was trying hard to consume everything before the plane lands.

Finally, the plane lands at Narita International Airport (成田国際空港Narita Kokusai Kuko) around 7.30pm (Tokyo time). Had to pass Immigration first (they took my picture and scanned both of my index fingers) and later the custom and quarantine. The Japanese Custom check was as smooth as it can get. They didn't even came near my bag. What a waste, I should bring the 'Serunding daging' (beef meat floss) my mom bought for me.. Hmm..

From Ryugaku 留学 - Jepun

Japan, I'm here! :D