I finally have a vehicle! It's a Mitsubishi RVR, 4WD, Manual, 166,000 kms which I bought for 120,000 Yen (~$1200) from an ALT who was leaving Japan. You would think buying a used car would be as easy as signing a Bill of Sale, getting insurance and then registration, but in Japan it's a little different. Here you need an international drivers license, the transfer of ownership papers, Shakken (car insurance + inspection that is mandatory every two years), proof of additional insurance, proof that you have a parking spot and a notification form to the police. I think there's more to it but I'm not sure. I had to give all of these papers to someone who knows what they're doing and hanko'd (a hanko is a personal seal, like a signature) at least 8 different forms then pay a fee of $140 in order to get all the paperwork done. On top of that, they are sending over a police officer to my apartment to make sure the parking spot and car are connected to my address. Gotta love Japanese beauracracy.

My new snowboard-mobile. Isn't she a beauty? No? ok...

Manual right-hand drive. It's like rubbing your belly and patting your head at the same time.

Last weekend I went to a goodbye party in Abashiri, a city about an hour and a half away from me. The ALT who was leaving was selling all of his stuff including his car. I was told I would probably need a car in my area so I started shopping for one before I left Canada. I told the grapevine that I was looking to buy a car so eventually I got an email from him with a few pictures of the one he was selling. It didn't look too bad but I wasn't sure how much money I would have at the time so I said I'd consider it. A few weeks later after I'd arrived in Japan, he still hadn't sold the car so he let me take a look at it at the party. I decided I would get it but didn't have all the cash yet but, being the nice guy he is (in case he's reading this), he said I could just transfer the rest of the money into his bank account when I got my next paycheque. He was leaving the country in two days so he said he would leave the car at his car garage and they would handle the paperwork for me. All I would need to do was to call them ahead of time and let them know when I would be picking it up.

The next week at work I told my co-worker (who speaks really good english and has been helping me out since I got here) that I'd bought a car and wanted to pick it up that week. There was a meet & greet/birthday party in the next town over that weekend so I was hoping to have the car by then. She was happy that I'd found one because they had been helping me shop for one the week before. To double-check if I could drive the car back from Abashiri she makes a few phone calls and finds out that I wouldn't be able to pick it up unless I have the additional insurance. I guess since I am a town employee and held in higher regard, it's required. I ask her how much that would cost since I'm a bit short of money at the moment (I had gotten my first paycheque on Thursday and it was a whopping $170) so she calls and talks to the insurance guy who handles the accounts for all the town employees and tells me its $550/year (if you do that math, that's $45/month!). I was a bit distressed at this point because I didn't have the $550. So much for having it by the weekend. I tell her I can't afford it right now and that I would have to wait a few weeks. She calls back the insurance guy and tells him I can't afford it right now. Luckily, he tells her that I don't have to pay it right now and they can take it out of my September paycheque. This is good! Unfortunately, he also tells her that in order to get the $550/year insurance policy, I have to be a member of the town employee union. She says that to become a member of the union takes at least a week to do. This is bad! Disheartened again, I resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn't have the car by the weekend. A few hours later the insurance guy calls her back and lets her know that he made a few calls himself and they would be able to fast-track my membership and have it by the weekend. All I would need was a copy of my driver's license and my hanko. w00t!

After getting that all cleared up, I came up with a plan of how I was going to get to Abashiri. On Saturday, I would catch an early bus from my town to the next town over, Nakayubetsu, which is about a 10 minute ride. From there I would take another bus that goes to Saroma, a town about 45 minutes away, where the leaving ALT's husband would pick me up from the bus depot. We would then drive to Abashiri to pick up the car and then caravan it to the party which was an hour and half drive away. The garage where the car was was supposed to close in the afternoon that day so I timed everything such that I'd be in Abashiri by 11:00am.

Come Saturday morning, I wait for the bus to Nakayubetsu which came exactly at 8:16am (the buses in Japan are always on time). After trying to get on through the front of the bus the drivers promptly tells me to go through the back doors. In Japan, you enter buses through the back door and take a little stub from a machine. On the stub is a number that you match up with a big board that has your number and a price next to it. The farther you go, the more expensive it costs, kind of like a taxi. When you want to get off you push the "Stop" button next to your seat then pay and exit out the front door by the driver. Anyways, I made it fine to Nakayubetsu without mishap (albeit a stop early). The next bus to Saroma didn't come for another 45 minutes so I wandered the area for a bit and took pictures. The bus was supposed to come at 9:15am so at 9:05am I went and waited by the bus stop. At 9:11am a bus rounded the corner and, assuming it was the one I wanted, got on. The fact that it was 4 minutes early should've given me a clue! Anyways... I had gotten on the wrong bus. I quickly found that out when the bus started going the wrong way. I went and asked the bus driver if the bus went to Saroma and got, "Ikanai" as a reply. I quickly got off the bus before I was carried off to God-knows-where and started walking back to the bus stop. It was 9:15am at this point so I had definitely missed the bus... the actual bus.

Not sure what to do and thinking about my friend waiting for me in Saroma, I started walking back to the bus depot. I looked up and saw a sign, "1km to Tulip-no-yu". Dammit. As I walked, grey clouds billowed above me and it started to downpour.. no, just kidding.. it was just a light shower. On my way there a man with his boy walked up to me and asked, "Yakuba?" (Town hall). I realized he was asking me if I work at Town Hall so I say yes. He spoke a little bit of english so he introduced himself and said that he works at town hall too. He recognized me from when I did my self-introduction to all of the town employees the week earlier. He asked what I was doing so I explained to him that I had missed my bus to Saroma. He thinks for a second and then, completely unexpectedly, says "I will drive you. Daijobou (It's okay)". I told him I would be alright, after all, we had just met! He said it was okay and that he wanted to go for a drive with his son. I was surprised and didn't want to be troublesome but eventually I agreed. After walking back to his car, he made a stop by his house to pick up his daughter to come along for the ride and to tell his wife where he was going. When she saw me in the car, she already knew where I was going because her friend (my co-worker who speaks really good english) had told her all about me buying the car and going to Abashiri that day to get it. Small world! She hands us a couple cans of juice and then we were off with me and his two kids in tow.

We drove to Saroma and chatted a bit on the way. When we got there I told him I was supposed to meet my friend at the bus station. Unfortunately I didn't know exactly where I was supposed to go and he wasn't sure where to go to either. After driving around aimlessly for a few minutes we spotted a bus ahead of us. As we pulled up closer behind it to read the sign in its window, it turned out to be the bus that I was supposed to get on in Nakayubetsu! I told him to follow the bus and luckily it led us straight to the bus depot. When we pull into the parking lot my friend was already there waiting for me. He was watching for me to get off the buses but instead I got out of the car that was following the buses.

When we got to Abashiri, the garage was still open so we quickly signed the car over and got all the necessary papers. After that we decided that we would stop at a grocery store to buy food for the party so I said I would follow him there in my new car. I was so stoked. I got into the car and turned the ignition, all ready to go... and nothing happened. I thought, "WTF?". I tried the ignition again and still nothing. I watched as my friend starts driving away before I could stop and ask him how to get the car started. Then, still not entirely sure how to drive a manual, I decided to press down the clutch and try the ignition again. Aha! There we go. I put it into first gear...and stalled. I tried it again... and stalled again. Dammit! I had driven a manual forklift before so I figured it would be the same. I tried once more and that time I was more careful. Slowly I got the hang of it.

It was interesting driving a manual for the first time... on the opposite side of the road. The drive to Rubeshibe was good practice for me, especially after going through Kitami and a kajillion stop lights. I'm almost a pro at it now. I took it for a drive today after work to explore my area. Having a car in the inaka is like a handicap person having a wheelchair... it's a necessity! I have so much more freedom and don't have to rely on anyone for the simplest things like getting groceries anymore. I've fought off all the car-gods who tried to prevent me from having a car and now I'm unstoppable. Here's hoping I don't get into an accident o_O