The First Day. Lost in Town

My first morning!! Started with a couple of things on ToDo list for today. And I'm feeling determined. Somehow.

1) I will get officially registered as a resident of this town and other required procedure.

2) Get a small mirror for my desk (for makeup when the bathroom is occupied etc) and a body wash sponge

3) Explore the town, find a shortcut to the station. 

This is what I had for breakfast. 

I sat on the chair in the kitchen and looked outside the window. 

I've got all the time for my own. I can do anything here. 

Study is possible. So many chances to make friends. Going shopping after work is possible again just like I would do in Tokyo. 

There's nothing but excitement. 

I don't need to be rich to be happy. I am happy enough to do anything I want. I've got everything to go anywhere I want to be. If I were asked what would make me even happier, that would be a couple of more languages I've been wanting to learn. But I won't ask for more. 

After I had breakfast and got ready, I stepped out the door to go to the city office. The cold rain was refreshing the air. I can't wait for the time when each rain washes up and renew the sky and make it warmer as it's close to Spring.

First, I stopped by a bank and asked the banker the way to get there.
"Do you see the bus stop over there?" "Yes." "When you walk by the bus stop you'll see french fry shop. Then turn left. Keep walking straight and turn right on the corner of a restaurant." "Ok. Thanks a lot"

I missed the french fry shop after all which is just a few meters from the bus stop and kept walking straight instead of turning left.

That led me to the railway. "Wait……..where's the fry shop?" 

There's no street to go on there. So I had no choice other than following the street in front of the railway and I turned left to find a restaurant that I should have found earlier. 

"…….ok. I'm lost. Great."

I didn't see any restaurant walking up the street.

"Let's ask the first person I see" then I saw a woman refilling boiled eggs in the egg vending machine which I never saw before. 

I walked towards her and asked there the city office is. She said that she isn't familiar here and yet still tried "I can't guarantee you but I believe you should turn left on the first corner of end of this block (pointing it) and then turn right as you enter the next street." I thanked her and left. I walked as she told me and the street after turning right didn't look like there'd be an office following way. The rain didn't seem to stop.

"Ugh……" looking around and I found a guy standing by the door of church. I got the same answer and he told "Ask the pharmacy there. They should know it.". I went in the pharmacy and asked her.
I must've looked both desperate and frustrated.
"Very easy. Walk back up there and cross the street. Go straight and you'll see it on the right side. The yellow building. You see?"
Thank God. I'm glad it's yellow. Finally here I am…..

The whole procedure took for about 30 minutes but my address got officially registered in this town. 

The lady who took care of my registration told me in the end that I should go to the immigration to change the information of my visa soon. 

I came back outside and received a phone call from my recruiter that gave me position offer information from 2 companies. I need a job. I didn't wait for a second to decide that I'd want the jobs (you never know which one you can actually get) and asked her to send them my resume. 

What I needed to get done today was finished. In Germany, many public offices such as the city offices and the immigration bureau open until noon during the week. One or (if you're lucky) two days in the week open until 15:00 or 16:00.

This is one of the biggest differences from Japan or things that surprised me in the beginning. These places in Japan are usually opened from 9:00 until 17:00 or 18:00 all week except Sunday. 

I spent the rest of the day exploring the town by my bike. 

The rain had stopped then thankfully. It turned a very productive day. 

Some grocery shopping was done. Mailing a copy of the certificate of my residence to Jan was done as well so that my gym membership gets cancelled. 

Walking in the  town for a while I started to grasp the vague but approximate image of this town. 

Many more to discover. 

What a fun day.

M