Everyone I know in Japan has a banking story...here's Robin's.

Just received this from my husband who is getting ready to return home this week from Japan.

I have a funny banking story, sort of. I went to close my account at Shinsei today, at the Shinjuku branch, where I opened my account. I was successful, so if you don't want to wade through this story, no worries, you can stop here. I arrived at the bank, and was asked by the bank guard to stand in a queue of one (me) at the reception counter. A teller/receptionist behind the counter welcomed me and asked how she could help. I told her that I was repatriating to the US on Thursday, and told her I wanted to close my account.

Now here's a little side-story for context. I took the train up to Shinjuku on Saturday, thinking that if the bank was open, I'd pop in and close my account, and then hop over to Tokyu Hands to get the wall dope for the picture holes. Shinsei bank was, indeed, open on Saturday, and I was greeted by the guard, and asked to stand in a queue (of one), while a teller/receptionist was located. The teller greeted me, and I told her I wanted to close my account. No problem, she said, what is the name and branch of your other bank in Japan? I told her I didn't have one, that I was moving back to the US, and things went South in a hurry. She couldn't close the account on Saturday, because she couldn't dispense cash on Saturday. Apparently there isn't a manager on duty to check her work on Saturday, so could I please come back during the week? Sure, I said. Then I asked if I could exchange some coins or deposit them in the account, and I produced a container of about 4kg of yen coins of different value. She said sorry, that branch couldn't do cash transactions on Saturday, so I needed to come back during the week. I thanked her and left, lugging the coins on the subsequent errands, back to the house in Yoyogi-uehara while I patched the wall holes, then back to the hotel in Akasaka.

So I showed up today (Tuesday) at the bank, ready to deposit my coins and close my account. When I told the receptionist today what I wanted to do, and showed her the coins, her face screwed up in that "oh, it will be very difficult" expression, and she told me that they could only deposit 20 coins into my account, and that I should please have a seat while she consulted with her manager. She gave me a slip of paper with a number on it ("Now Serving. . ."), and I took a chair; she disappeared into the back. A few minutes later she came out and told me that I could deposit 50 coins into my account, but that they couldn't take the whole container - they had no way to count that many coins! Gomennasai! I said, ok, how about we just close the account, and I'll figure out how to take care of the coins on my own? You would have thought I just saved her from the firing squad! Her face lit up, she gave me a form to fill out with my name, account number, and how I wanted the funds in my account disbursed. A few seconds after I was done filling out the form, my "Now Serving. . ." number came up on a screen near the teller desk, and I went over and handed her my form. She also asked for my cash card and my alien registration card, and confirmed that I wanted to close my account. This happened to be the same teller I met on Saturday. She confirmed that I wanted the funds disbursed to cash (7784 yen), took my number slip, and gave me a plastic chit with a different number on it. She asked me to have a seat, then she did all the data entry on the computer, checked and double checked, then had her manager come and look at the transaction. So far, other than being tedious (and not knowing what to do with the coins), no big deal. When she and her manager finishing checking things over, she calls out my number (I'm sitting right in front of her), and I approach her teller desk, she presented me with 784 yen (yay, more coins!) in a tray, and shows me that she has mutilated my cash card for security (just cut a slice part way through it, destroying the mag strip on the back). She asks me to follow her over to an ATM, with the coins, and a piece of paper that looks like a receipt for the money being withdrawn from my account. She then puts her special teller's card in the ATM, asks me to verify that it now has exactly 7000 yen in the account, then proceeds to punch in a withdrawal for 7000 yen at the ATM. When the ATM presents the money, she asks me to take it, count it, and sign the receipt. Whew! Account closed! But I've still got 4kg of coins, plus the 784 yen that she just gave me. No problem, express contrite appreciation, bow a couple of times, and leave.

I walk immediately to my left outside the bank, and next door is a Mitsubishi UFJ bank, so I decide, what the heck, I wonder if they have a coin counting machine? I walk in, show the first guy in a bank jacket my container of coins, and he asks if I have a cash card with their bank. I tell him no, I don't have any bank accounts in Japan. He says I'll have to pay a fee, and I say "OK!" He leads me down an escalator to the basement floor, explains to another guy that I want to turn in some coins, but that I don't have a cash card, and they lead me to a normal-looking forms desk, like you'd see at a bank in the US. He shows me the right form, tells me where to put my name and phone number, then explains that they're going to charge me a fee, depending on how much change there is. I tell him fine, I just want to get rid of the coins. Both of these guys speak pretty good English (better than anybody as Shinsei I've ever met), and are really helpful. I take the form and the coins up to a teller window, the second guy asks the teller to get a basket out, and he has me dump the coins into the basket. The teller gives me another chit with a number on it, and asks me to have a seat. I watch as she goes back to the coin counting machine, dumps the coins in, the machine does its thing, and she comes back and calls my number and motions me back to the teller window. She's got bills, and just a couple of coins, has me sign a receipt, and I'm out of there in something like 7 minutes. Something tells me we were using the wrong bank for 2+ years. Oh, well.

Tomorrow, I close my SoftBank account. I'm sure that will be another adventure, because Kirby dropped his iPhone in the ocean in Hawaii and fried it - I'm going to give him mine, and see if SoftBank will switch his SIM card and put it into my phone, which I was going to discard. It's almost a game - messing with the processes over here is really disruptive, and usually quite humorous (for the gaijin, anyway).

Women Swimmin' 2010

Our "Pod" of swimmers


Sunrise over Cayuga Lake

We did it! And it was easier than ever this year. These are some pictures of our "pod."
I luxuriated in the warm thoughts, prayers and good kharma flowing my way. I could feel it! All the way from Japan, even. The sky turned blue, the birds were free wheeling on the wind and the sun came out over the Eastern shore. The water was 77 degrees F. A fabulous morning!

The sky cleared while the first wave of swimmers started. But this year was a little different. Due to the high wind and waves moving South-North, we actually swam parallel to the shore from almost the end of the lake, North toward the Yacht Club. As we continued Northward, the wind continued to build, until white capped waves were breaking over our heads, and we were all taking water unexpectedly into the nose and mouth. Consequently, they CANCELED the second wave of swimmers. That means that half the women who prepared for this swim didn't get to go. Or so we thought. Some of the women decided to swim anyway, and swam from the docks at the North end of the Yacht Club up about a quarter mile and back.

Hospicare exceeded their goal of raising $250,000! There will still be more coming in. Anyone who reads this and still wants to donate can send a check directly to:

Hospicare and Palliative Services of Tompkins County.
172 E. King Road
Ithaca, NY
14850 USA

It was a great event. Thanks to all my supporters! (I received an award for being in the top 25 fund raisers!) Thanks for supporting Hospicare.

An amazing experience and wonderful new friends.

I've been sitting here for a few minutes, watching my cursor blink on and off...it invites me to write about the visit of my Japanese friends, The Chiba International Singers. I think I am finding it difficult to put into words just how spectacular the weekend was. More specifically how spectacularly the women in the Trumansburg Community Chorus coordinated our efforts. We had a brain trust that was out of this world! We shopped, designed, cooked, baked, sang, rehearsed, practiced, drove, planned, set up, tore down, cleaned up and showed up. The Japanese chorus members kept trying to express how they could NEVER express their gratitude to our group. I have the feeling it was mutual, for I have been told by almost every TCC member that they feel deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in the weekend's activities.

There were a few glitches involving map-less bus drivers and border crossings, but other than that, it was a perfect weekend. The temps dropped and the air cooled off just in time for their arrival late Thursday evening. Friday morning found us at the overlook at Taughannock State Park. My Favorite picture from the weekend is this one:




The group then hiked the gorge trail to the base of the falls. After the hike and the taking of more pictures, we made it just in time to the Columbia, for a lunch cruise up and around a short distance of Cayuga Lake for 2 hours. The afternoon was capped off by a drive through Cornell's campus and a visit to the Ithaca commons for some shopping. After a brief rest, we all met up again at the church at 5:00 for a rehearsal of the Sunday worship service and concert program. This is where the choruses all met each other. We enjoyed singing for and with each other. For a bunch of jet-lagged travelers they sounded great! Then when THAT was done, everyone hopped into a host of vehicles and we bopped over to my backyard for grilled chicken (Cornell sauce of course), dishes to pass and libations. This is where the real getting to know each other began. It was a party. I haven't seen so much smiling in one place in a long time.

Our visitors stayed in a variety of accommodations. The men and one couple were hosted by the Reunion House B&B locally, and a group of 6 women stayed at a Neil and Maureen Shallish's beautiful home. Yoko and Steffen stayed with me.
I had known for a long time that I was going to be singing on Saturday at a wedding of a couple of friends. (who, coincidentally met while singing in the TCC!)CIS headed off to Niagara Falls for the day. They say it was worth the trip, but it was a long day of being stuck in traffic at the border and a late arrival back in the 'burg. I have seen smiling wet faces in pictures from their Maid of the Mist voyage, so I know that some of their day was well enjoyed!

Sunday morning dawned a little warmer and muggier, as we prepared to sing in Presbyterian church for worship. Amazing Grace, Joyful, Joyful (from Sister Act 2) and Shenandoah were in the line-up.



Worship was followed by a light lunch in the Fellowship hall across the street. Our concert was at 4:00. We enjoyed a full house and enthusiastic crowd that gave us 2 standing ovations. TCC preformed first, followed by a group I sing in called songsisters. Then the CIS sang a variety of English and Japanese music to everyone's delight. They sing with such heart and soul. They are passionate performers.




The weekend ended at a wonderful dinner (in everyone's favorite barn) at the home of Scott Sutcliffe. We had a catered meal that was delicious, the libations (again!) flowed freely and by now, we were all becoming well acquainted and very fond of each other. TCC presented the CIS with gift bags designed by Kathy W and filled with all things local by Delores H. CIS presented me with 2 beautiful silk furoshiki, as well as rice crackers for the chorus! By the end of the evening, I think everyone's hearts were as full as their stomachs.

I truly wish these lovely new friends could have stayed longer...there is so much to experience here in the summer. I feel that they only really just skimmed the surface of the Ithaca area.
There is a new murmur circulating now amongst the TCC- in two years: DESTINATION CHIBA!