me jane

Not the alcoholic type. Was just thinking about CB's anti-soda comment in the other thread.

I voted over 3 weeks cos I wanted to see the results.

Hey GB, Glad you have made the decision, it can't have been easy. All the best.

I agree with what people have said above as it is really something that you must decide by yourselves. There are no right or wrong decisions and you shouldn't let anyone try to tell you otherwise. Was thinking about the part you wrote about how kids changes your life and wanted to add something. Everyone said that to me too and I understood that I might not be able to party all night or go trekking in the Himalayas for a few weeks but what I didn't expect was the emotional change. For me I think the change has been so much more emotional than lifestyle. I can still do everything th

Me Tarzan said that a few types are eaten but not many. They have to live in really fresh water and have a particular diet or something otherwise they taste disgusting. According to MT even the edible ones taste pretty gross and are just expensive. I think they are stolen to be sold on as ornamental carp cos they can be expensive, rather than for food.

Been there as in been pregnant in Japan but it was planned so can't say much about the confusing emotions/shock thing. Then again it was still pretty confusing with all the raging hormones and everything else. I'm in Yokohama so PM me if you need any info you don't want to post here or want to meet up for a chat. I'm full of useful(?) information about giving birth in Japan and I know a few new mums around Tokyo too. Going away for the weekend but I'll be back on Tuesday. All the best to you both.

60 is a bit different from 75. I can't imagine there are many 75 year olds with the reaction time of younger adults. Not really the point though - I think either you are fit to drive or you aren't. It doesn't depend on age but on the individual and having a sticker isn't an excuse to drive badly.

I seem to remember that for a lot of flights now you are not allowed to lock your bags. Disposable seals are a good idea.

Nothing. Three with minor injuries and one with a little cut in her neck needing a few stitches. They all insisted on being taken to hospital by ambulance though (so they can claim lots in compensation probably) The guy who reversed out in front of the bus had just had some kind of surgery to have a foreign body removed from his cornea but my boss said he could see fine.

Soubs is right, seems funny but could be crazy if that person doesn't check unused side pockets and ends up travelling somewhere else with it.

No interview I guess even the local media couldn't justify interviewing the resident gaijin about an accident she didn't see!

I took them almost 90 mins to sort it out. All quiet now.

TV cameraman has arrived.

8 police officers & 16 ambulance men are standing outside my company with 4 ambulances, 3 police cars and two fire engines and a bus blocking the road. The firemen have got out a huge folding table and are standing around it talking. A few others are walking around with megaphones and a few more blowing whistles. What happened? A car reversed out of our parking and the bus coming up the road stopped suddenly. They didn't hit each other but 4 passengers on the bus have been carried off the bus on stretchers. I don't really know what's going on down there but it seems to be a lot of peo

No it's true. I don't think it's a fine as such but if you have an affair and your partner files for divorce on those grounds then you have to pay your partner 30 or 40 man on top of whatever the divorce settlement is.

I hope rock David wins too

Weirdo. What did she want the can lids for?

Free jabs at work here in Yokohama

That sounds like a spoiler to me Thursday.

Get your driving license the same as your gaijin card, surname first. FT is right on the surname thing. It just keeps things much simpler if you do things as far as possible the same way as Japanese do when it comes to official paperwork issues. Just realised I don't think I acually know your surname!

Yeah FT's "inkan shomesho" is the same thing as the "inkan torokusho" I was talking about, it has lots of abbreviated names. The full name "inkan toroku shomeisho" I don't think it matters if the hanko is romaji or katakana as long as everything matches. Romaji might be easier for a hanko from that point of view. Make sure you've got the same name (in the same order i.e not John Alan Smith on one and Smith Alan John on another) on your gaijin card, drivers licence and bank book.

Yes, you need one for a car. I've bought a few cars in different prefectures and needed a hanko with my familiy name in Katakana (now kanji cos it's Japanese after getting married). The hanko has to be registered at the local ward or city office and you have to get a certificate called an "inkan torokusho" (certificate of seal registration) to hand in to whoever you are buying the car off. They give that certificate to the vehicle licensing people. To buy a car you also need to get parking first. You show the police the parking contract and a map of where the parking is and the police c

well that one will do

Thanks SJ They don't all show up in the full reply box. No space?

Summersonic always seems to have a better lineup but you can't camp. Kind of puts a downer on the day having to stand on a crowded train for hours to get home afterwards.