Group B Orientation

[Wasabi]

Who else is in the Group B Orientation? Is anyone thinking of doing some exploring during our (very limited) free time in Tokyo? Maybe we can have a newb O-rama and complain about the veterans of ITIL or just aimlessly shamble through Shibuya crossing like zombies? I'm up for just about anything. They haven't told me which flight I'll be on yet, but the flights out of Boston arrive either at 12:40 pm or 3:55 pm on Sunday.

[Ananasboat]

I'm in group b leaving from Boston.

[Villebillie]

I'm group B leaving Nashville, I think we're supposed to get in sometime around 4:15 on Sunday, although I don't knwo the exact time without looking it up. I wouldn't mind joining in on wandering around Tokyo. Last time I was in Tokyo I didn't do much except get lost. It took me a shamefully long time to figure out I was looking for a subway station and not a train stop.

[mishmash]

I'm in Group B, but I haven't received my flight information yet.

I've been to Tokyo a bunch of times, but I've never really spent much time in Shibuya or Shinjuku. I'm definitely up for doing some exploring and/or shuffling around with terrible jet lag.

[Jurassyk]

Has anyone thought about trying to put themselves on an exactly 12 hour different time schedule for the week before we leave? My girlfriend is actually pretty much already on one, so at least I'd have someone to keep me company if I tried. Jet lag is almost always impossible to avoid, though. I've found that usually the best thing to do is to tough it out that first day (read: caffeine IV) and go to sleep with the sun in whichever land you have travelled to.


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[sourdoughsushi]

Has anyone thought about trying to put themselves on an exactly 12 hour different time schedule for the week before we leave? My girlfriend is actually pretty much already on one, so at least I'd have someone to keep me company if I tried. Jet lag is almost always impossible to avoid, though. I've found that usually the best thing to do is to tough it out that first day (read: caffeine IV) and go to sleep with the sun in whichever land you have travelled to.

I'm crap at sleeping on planes, so the lack of sleep usually does me in and helps with the reset. Interesting thought, but a long flight in the dark would probably through you off, anyway.

Group B, departing Anchorage for Portland. I'm mainly looking to hit the UNIQLOS around the hotel area.

[Moso]

All British JETs are group B! No idea what time our flight(s) arrive though. But I'm definitely up for making the most of my time in Tokyo!

[Ini]

Its a nice idea in theory that has never worked in practice from my experience. Just get plenty of rest before you leave then gut it out for a few hours when you arrive. Jetlag isn't that big a problem going to Japan, always seems worse going the other way.

[Jiggit]

I'm mainly looking to hit the UNIQLOS around the hotel area.

Were you the guy placed on the island? If not I'm pretty sure there'll be plenty of time to go to uniqlo at literally any other time within the next year.

[sourdoughsushi]

Were you the guy placed on the island? If not I'm pretty sure there'll be plenty of time to go to uniqlo at literally any other time within the next year.

The nearest from my placement is only an hour away, but I've already lived out my weeaboo fantasies and don't need to romp around Tokyo when an 8 minute walk can save me the car trip later on. ><

That is, if the cooltech clothes I hear about there are worth it. Alaska kind of lacks in that variety.


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[therealwindycity]

Its a nice idea in theory that has never worked in practice from my experience. Just get plenty of rest before you leave then gut it out for a few hours when you arrive. Jetlag isn't that big a problem going to Japan, always seems worse going the other way.

This.

[Villebillie]

I'm originally from 'the city' and working in a rural area right now, and going to a rural placement. I don't think it's weeboo fantasies to want to spend at least some of the time in Tokyo basking in the sweet pollution of the city, a city, any city.

[sourdoughsushi]

I'm originally from 'the city' and working in a rural area right now, and going to a rural placement. I don't think it's weeboo fantasies to want to spend at least some of the time in Tokyo basking in the sweet pollution of the city, a city, any city.

No, definitely not. I didn't mean for that to come off as a reference to you guys going out, my bad. By all means.


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[par92186]

I'm in Group B as well. Landing in Tokyo around 2pm on Sunday. I'd be down for a little exploring of Tokyo. Plus airplane food makes me sick. I'll come hungry.

[Gizmotech]

Seriously, when you get there you're just gonna want to crash. I had similar dreams of doing a whole bunch of shit when I got there, but in the end I maybe wandered the block or two in front of the keio, bought a beer, and went to sleep.

The next night a bunch of us went out and had some drinks (as the canadian reception was a small thing), while others actually did some real sight seeing that night. The final night was when JET lag started to hit like a ton of bricks, so I just crashed.

Honestly, Tokyo on your first few nights in Japan isn't all that much fun/interesting.... The whole WOAH factor can be found taking a walk down the street without going off exploring the city. You'll also appreciate Tokyo if you come back to visit it rather than try and see it at night while you're exhausted.

Final thing to remember, you might land at 2, but you won't actually get to the KEIO until 5 (narita really is in the middle of nowhere), and own't be able to leave it until probably 6-7. There's a lot of time in between plane arrival and freedom that you would think you have, but you really don't.

[Jiggit]

As with most capital cities, I find Tokyo isn't worth going to unless you know someone who lives there or have a really clear cut and researched plan on what cool shit you're going to do. Otherwise you just wander around taking pictures of things and bumbling into rubbish and overpriced bars and restaurants.

[Ini]

Boring buggers, in my day you slept all day, drunk all night and relied on your jobs worth room mate to pick up any important documents for you from the orientation.

[jacklostinred]

Step 1 in getting a Japanese wife:

Boring buggers, in my day you slept all day, drunk all night and relied on your jobs worth room mate to pick up any important documents for you from the orientation.

[5100]

wut.

[soh]

Last year, we spent about an hour at the airport going through customs, getting luggage and shipping them, finally getting on the coaches. The ride took two hours because of traffic.

You'll be very tired when you arrive at the hotel. Eat something, take a shower and take it easy.
If you aren't too sleepy, go to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, a five minute walk from the hotel. The observation deck on the 45th floor is free.