I’ve been incredibly lucky one week into my Japanese adventure.
Anyone who messaged me in the past seven days would be aware that my introduction into Japan was not a smooth one. I had a raging fever on the plane and a migraine that lasted six days; my longest ever. So I spent the best part of my first week in bed. Despite this minor setback, I’ve been able to count my blessings in other ways.
Data only sim
When I arrived at the first hostel, Omorisouko, my French bunk-mate, Claire handed me a data only sim card that she couldn’t use. In my disoriented state I didn’t really understand so I compartmentalised what she was saying making a note to come back to it when my brain didn’t feel like fuzz. This sim card has proven to be invaluable. For 30 days I get 2GB of data that I didn’t have to pay for! If I had had to rely on WiFi hotspots or roaming my GiffGaff sim, I should think I’d have never been able to travel more than a 50m radius from my bed because without Google maps in Tokyo, I am lost.
And because luck always comes in threes, my third good fortune didn’t come in the shape of a person, but rather a place to live. In my hunt for a more permanent place of residence I spent many a hour searching online for a suitable Gaijin house that was relatively inexpensive, without too many housemates, close to a metro station, near enough to Shibuya for when I start my Japanese language course but also keeping the Sivananda yoga centre in Koenji within commutable distance. In Tokyo that seemed like I was asking a lot. But fortunately on the last night before I was due to leave the hostel I found the international sharehouse to move into the next day!
So now I’m currently sharing a room with a lovely, bubbly 18 year old Japanese girl named Haru, who is working full time and studying for her SATs, in a place with only 6 housemates (2 French guys I rarely see, a Chinese girl I’ve yet to meet and a Japanese guy that should be coming any day now…). It’s only a 12 minute walk to the station, from which it’s only 30 minutes to get to school by metro and 40 mins to Koenji, all for the low low price of only €550 pcm. That’s my life in Tokyo, y’all!