Journal lingqi's Journal: August 3rd, 2004 2
August 3rd, 2004 (5:17pm)
A little more detail about the whole moving violation and all the crap that follows. When I say crap, actually, I am pretty serious about its crappiness - It reminds me of the where the turbulent cavity closure in a forced supercavitation device: it's a tail of long nastiness.
Anyway, stemming from the speeding violation has at least three immediately identifiable trails of nastiness. Two of which I knew about back when I first got the ticket, though not the intimate details. The other one turns my stomache.
I read somewhere (probably Debito's website) that language barrier is always a problem when you want something from them, and never so when it's something they want from you. In many ways, this is really true. Take for example the two I knew about: one is the prosecutor hearing that decides on the amount of the fine - as this is a mandatory requirement (i.e. government is shafting you for money), they will provide english translation service to ensure that you have no excuse to not pay up. On the other hand, the training course which is optional in name - I mean, optional if you decided to not drive for 30 days, which is never really an option), so you have to provide your own interpreter if you decide to participate. Despite the fact that I have confirmed numerous times beforehand, I was basically told (albeit politely) that I may feel free to go f*** myself. As a consolation they offer english test at the end of the course. ha!
Steming from the fact that I am considered a beginner driver (more later), I will have to take the "beginner's driving course" - of course this is "optional" as well. I have to confirm with the driving school three days before the scheduled lesson to tell them if i intend to go or not - and so I was making the phone call today.
Picks up the phone, makes a call:
Driving School Rep: blah blah blah (driving school, hello?)
Me: moshi-moshi? eigo daijyoubu? (hello? Is english ok?)
*click*
huh? I call again.
DSR: blah blah blah
Me: moshi-moshi? eigo dekimasu ka? Is english ok? (hello? Can you speak english?)
*click*
Haha... unbelieveable. I call again.
DSR: blah blah blah (though, audibly stressed, sensing the fact that it was the same person)
Me: moshi-moshi? Can you speak english? eigo de ii desu ka? moshi-mos- (hello? May I [carry on this conversation] using english? hello?)
*click*
I have no choice. I call again.
Me (before she went blah): moshi-moshi? eigo -
*click*
I was really thinking of how to chew her out like "dammit you vile woman stop hanging up!" But I call again.
DSR: blah blah blah (even more stressed and being the fourth time she repeats this, she spoke it really fast. I think she can probably rap)
Me: moshi-moshi? eigo dekiru hito ga imasu ka? (hello? anybody there who can speak english?)
DSR: iiya, imasen. ato de denwa shite kudasai.
*click*
What she really meant was that as it was about 4:58 when I called, call when the office is thoroughly closed. I called five times, I was tired and decided to give it a rest. Only that I needed to register today or else I would come dangerously close to having the license revoked.
And more on this beginner driver business: If you would look on every state sponsored website on the driver's license kirikae (license changeover), every single one lists about the same list of items, foreign license issued at least 3 monthes before entry into japan, translation, and a slew of others. EVERY one of them omits the information that if your license had not been issued at least one year before entering japan, you will receive a japanese license with an one year probation period along with harsh penalties if you are caught as much as farting on the wrong side of the street. So of course I had no idea that this would even be something they check coming into the application process - but they don't even inform you of this during the application either: I was simply told that I needed to hang a new-driver sticker out of my windows - I thought every foreigner had to do this. There was also very, very little information on the draconian rules in the probation period: Heck, the JAF translation of the "Rules of the Road" booklet leaves that entire section out!
The worst part of this is that there are no channels for recourse *despite* the fact that I can prove my driving history in the US at this point. I mean, of course I have the "option" of retaining a lawyer and sueing the japanese government - and on principle I really want to - but let's be honest, that's not really an option, simply on the time and money requirements.
Like I said earlier, a bundle of stringed crap that I cannot untangle from.
Though I have to say: I am discovering that no matter how awful the situation, if one makes a conscious effort to untie the brow, it makes it nigh impossible to feel stressed. I think it is a psysiological requirement that a person have his brow in a knot in order to feel the gravity of under stress - I mean, if the stress is heavy enough of course the brow will re-tie soon by itself, but after untieing it a few times consciously almost always wipes away the gloomy skies and brings forth a brighter day.
Re:Got any time to blow? (Score:1)
I realize that some of the more painful subquests in RPG games from japan follows the exact same pattern. I wonder where they got their ideas; hmm.