Mystery Date Revealed, Countdown Begins, Nail Biting Intensifies

Welcome again friends. It is time for an important update: the leaving date has been revealed. But only because someone on the Interac forum told me he got a date after asking for one in an email. Rosy's work were pressuring him to hand his notice this month, but without a leaving date, I was anxious for him to left out of work, weeks before we leave. Thus, I sent off a groveling email, requesting a leave date, and I got back what I wanted:

       Interac training is in Tokyo and a week long, beginning Monday 13th August (2018). We will be moving to our mystery placements on the Friday or Monday following training.

It is such a relief to finally have some clarity on leave date. This allowed me to book flights for Tuesday 7th August in the morning, via. Moscow. Fun times. At least the football will be over by then. We were actually requested to arrive on the Sunday before training, but I don't know who enjoys the idea of walking off the plane to Japan, and being ready in full business attire at 8:30 am the next morning. No, especially not with a jet lagged toddler. We are staying in an Airbnb for a few days before moving into the hotel where all the other ALTs will be staying. So there we go, the countdown to getting on that plane has started, and I am SO excited.

Now to mention the serious issue of money. As an ALT with a dependent family, I am incurring a lot of financial punishment for daring to keep my family together. Everyone else gets their training hotel paid for as well as their onward transport to their placement. I have to pay for all of our stay together in the hotel, even though all we need is a small double bed, rather than the presumably twin room share that other people are getting. I've asked if I can have my portion of hotel fees paid to me instead to subsidise the cost but I doubt they will grant this request. The same applies to onward transport to Sendai (and beyond). I don't have details on this yet, but I'm predicting, as with the hotel, I get a free seat on my own, or have to pay for everything on my own in order to avoid separation from my family. Not to mention the cost of the flights for 2 adults and a child.

I realise that this shouldn't come as a surprise to me, which it doesn't, I just wish these money making companies would be a little more family friendly, and at least give us an equal portion of money that is spent on other ALTs rather than actually making a saving on us (this issue has actually been amicably almost resolved thanks to Interac so I retract the previous statement and is explained in the next post, 01/07/18). These costs have drained the savings we spent ages making for Japan, and I am having to borrow money off Interac to cover renting costs/start up fees etc. God knows how we will afford to eat until we get the first salary, which could be end of October. At least living costs in Japan are lower, and having a cash society makes it a little easier to manage expenditure.

Money issues aside, there are many other logistical issues that have now been given a looming deadline. Firstly, there's that pesky mortgage that really needs 6 weeks to complete, and now probably won't have that. And I've locked myself out of my online banking thing that was supposed to allow me to apply for that mortgage, because I swear I got my data right, but literally none of it was working! So I've got to allow for more time to unlock that. Then there's the visa. I've got to sit tight and wait for an email from Interac telling me my COE (certificate of eligibility) has arrived in Tokyo, then a further wait for it to be flown to England, then I need to rush down to London to submit it, and camp out there until it's ready to collect at the end of a week. And still somehow pack our bags, empty the house of most of the junk and furniture, store that somewhere, and somehow make it to the airport on time.

Today I need to renew my car insurance or declare it off road or I'm being illegal. Wish me luck. The nail biting is real. I don't know how much of this will get done, or what path of destruction I am going to be leaving behind, but I don't care, I'm getting on that plane.

After all the above moaning, and stressing, I apologise. I am still feeling incredibly positive about this, and I appreciate the opportunity I have every single day. Now that plane is booked, it all feels much more real. There's nothing like a bit of excitement and uncertainty to spice up my boring days, and help things go quicker. I'm so lucky to have such wonderful and supportive family and friends, and I do hope I can get around to seeing all of you before I leave.