picking up and moving

MJ: So it has been a really long time since either nico or I have written on here - we have been CRAZY busy ever since our return home from the wedding in Perth. Why? WE GOT NICO'S VISA TO IMMIGRATE TO AUSTRALIA!!! And we're moving to Perth at the end of October, so within a space of 2 months we will have gotten a visa, moved out of an apartment and moved countries!

(We may have to change the name of this blog, since we won't be in Japan anymore! the incredible life of two girls in perth maybe?)

I'm really excited about moving to Perth, I really can't wait. But at the same time I am quite sad to say goodbye to the life we have built here.

One of the hardest things to leave behind will be the children I teach at my school. They are so wonderful and sweet and such kind little things that it makes me tear up just thinking about leaving them. This year, I teach two girls - one 4 years old, one turning 4 in a month. I first told them I was leaving at the beginning of last week - and I have been getting a lot of perplexed 'But why d you have to go to Australia Minni? But why? But we won't see you anymore...' One of the girls, obviously wanting to do something for me, when we started to play 'Go Fish' says 'Let's play lots of games together before you go! And, it is OK if you win you know'. 

And I like our life here - but realistically it can't go on forever. For one reason, same-sex relationships are not recognised in any way, shape or form in Japan, so we can never be recognised as a couple. Which is not such a huge deal, but it means that the only way I can live in Japan permanently is to have employment sponsored visas, meaning no real stability. But in Australia nico has a visa as my partner.

And, at the moment neither nico or I are working in fields that we want to be in forever. I love my kids, but I don't want to be a kindergarten teacher for the rest of my life.

So it is off to Perth we go.

And by god! The things you've never even thought about.

We can't take a lot to Perth - our kitchen/whitegood stuff is not worth what it would cost to send, the electricity is different (voltage and outlet points), our furniture isn't worth it. So we are basically taking clothes, books, PCs, shoes. Everything else we have to sell, give away or throw out.

Sell- nothing we own is worth a lot of money. A lot is nico's from when she lived alone, and the rest is stuff that I bought when I moved to Japan - knowing that it wouldn't be permanent nothing is top of the range. But saying that, everything is well looked after. So recycle shops have become my new favourite place! They take everything - and we have been making the rounds of the three near our apartment, each specialising in slightly different things. Nothing is worth a lot of money, and everything is then resold for about 4 or 5 times what they paid us, but anything helps.

AND! In Japan to throw out anything that doesn't fit in a garbage bag costs money!! Small coffee table - ￥900. Small plastic drawers - ￥300. Most things ￥900. So because we can't take it, can't give it away - selling for ￥100 sounds perfect to me. I would be happy if they just took it and not give us any money- as long as it doesn't cost me.

Thank god for my friend N from work. N and his girlfriend are the happy recipients of everything we can't sell - especially our kitchen stuff (nabe pots, sukiyaki pans, etc etc etc) and warm blankets!

Apart from that, we are moving in to nico's parents house about a week before we fly to Perth - so after we have done the clean up here, we have time to do things like close bank accounts.


ARGH!


But looking forward to it. The next step!