First time moving into japan for work

A guide for starting work in Tokyo

This year, through a stroke of luck and fate I secured employment in a Japanese company. Little did I know that the job seeking process was just but a fraction of the challenges that I will face to prepare for permanent employment in Japan. I spent considerable time researching to prepare myself for the move but there was no source that was fitting of my profile. Thus, I am penning down my experience and tips, hoping that it can help in some way my fellow comrade in his/her process in settling down in Tokyo.

My profile

• young professional in the early 30s
• Can speak conversational japanese

Before you start work

Before you fly in, you have to secure your residence card. 

Your company should have sent you a certificate of eligibility, where you will head to your local embassy and apply for your residence card. You will receive your residence card at the immigration at Tokyo airport.

Congrats on securing employment and entering Japan. 

Now in Japan, you need 3 main things to get things work.

1. An address
2. A local phone number
3. A bank account and credit card

1. Lets work on the address first.

Before you start work, it is advised that you fly in before to settle your lifestyle requirements, of which the top priority will be  housing ( It is important to note here that a lot of processes cannot move without a confirmed address, including setting up your bank account)

My recommendation is to have a full week to go to the real estate agency and tour the apartments that you want to.

In my case, I flew in with nothing settled but short term housing secured. If you are planning to do the same, my advise is secure housing for at least 2 weeks. If a business hotel is too expensive for you(¥10000 and under) The good thing is if you are not very particular (and if there is no major holiday) you would be able to find cheap and reasonable accommodation (1298364728) from airbnb even at a very last juncture. 

The other tip that I cannot emphasize enough is to bring a local with you. Buy them a good meal, let them handle the correspondence and paperwork for you. You can set your mind at ease with a local looking at the contract and following through with the service provider to get things done on time.

One other consideration is to time your start date properly. I started work on the first work day of the year (4th Jan), which was a mistake as flying in during the new year holidays is expensive plus, you cannot get anything moving during this period. So avoid starting work during the new year. 

The other period to avoid is the new fiscal year (April) . It is also during this period that there are a lot of HR movement, new job transfers, starting of work for fresh grads, so it'll be competitive to find your desired housing.

There is a clear disadvantage for foreigners trying to rent homes as there will be cases where the owner prefers renting to a local. ( Possibly due to difference in customs) Your agent will filter out the apartments that do not rent to foreigners. If there are other applicants for the home you want to rent, the owner gets to choose who he wants to rent to and be prepared that you will usually stand a lower chance.

2.Getting a local number

This is significantly less strenuous than the other 2. 

There are 2 options, getting a phone line from the official provider (NTT docomo, Softbank, AU, etc) or the other option is what they call MVNO (telco providers that ride on the official providers network). You will get less priority but you can get a phone number at half the price.

As I am not a heavy user, I contracted with an MNVO called OCN (Open Cellular Network) which is run by NTT Docomo. 

My plan is about 2000 yen per month with 3gb usage and call charges will be charged at 40 yen per minute I would not say it is the best option, as my first choice was MINEO due to free cancellation of contract anytime. There is a cost of 80000 yen for cancellation at OCN before 6 months. I ended up with them as MINEO rejected my application without any reason provided.

To apply for a phone line via an MVNO provider, head to any electric stores (Yodobashi, etc) and they will have a telco department. The process is quite straightforward, do remember to bring your identification and a credit card for payment (International card is ok for OCN)

3.Getting a bank account 

In Japan, the top 3 banks are characterized by their color. Take your pick between red (Mitsubishi), green(SMBC) and blue (Mizuho). In my case, I had the easy way out as my company assisted in my application.

The other important thing when getting a bank account is to have your inkan ready. It will serve as your signature.

You can get an inkan at a reasonable price at Tokyu Hands~

Tips on getting around

Get a local (Katakana) name

While official places like banks will require you to use your official name per your passport, it is perfectly fine to give an alias for other places like consumer goods. For example, if you are buying furniture at Nitori and they request you to register, you can use your Name in Katakana, it will make life much simpler for you.

When you start work

Hopefully, you have already secured your home. 

Here is a basic checklist of other things you have to settle

• Furniture
• Utilities - there will be 3 companies to call for power, water, and gas respectively
• Wifi
• Registration with the ward
• Insurance

Hope this provides a good start for your relocation to Japan! 

EUFASS

Where to change SGD to TWD in Singapore

Where is best place to change Sing dollars to Taiwan dollars?

I did not had much to change for the taiwan trip this time round.
As recommended previously when changing SGD to MYR , for a small amount of a few hundreds, it may not be worth the time and effort to make a special trip down for the few dollars savings.

However, there is still a way to get a better rate than the money exchangers at the Singapore airport.

And that way is to think out of the box and...

Change at the money exchangers at the Taiwan Taoyuan airport.

Twd change at the airport in taiwan

There will be 3 money changers,
・one straight after you touch down towards immigration,
・one after immigration at the luggage retrieval belts area, and
・the final one at the pathway after the customs declaration.
The final one had the best rate 21.5, though only slightly better than the one right after you touch down towards immigration(21.3).
I would say go for the one with the least queue.

Comparison of rate

Singapore Airport offered 20.6
Taiwan airport offered 21.3 -21.5.
That translates to a 3~4% savings! which turns out can be quite substantial!


Learn tips, share tips

EUFASS

Taiwan: New Taoyuan Airport MRT vs Guo Guang Bus from airport to Taipei Main station

During my recent trip to Taipei, I took the newly launched(Mar 2017) taoyuan airport MRT during my recent trip to Taiwan.

For the month of March, there is a promotional rate of 80TWD one way. Of course, the trip is payable by 悠游卡 （transport card). 

 

How to get to the Taoyuan Airport Mrt

From the airport:

Come out from the arrivals section, turn right and walk towards the escalators and head down to the basement.

To the airport:

It is located at taipei main station, though it was quite a walk from the taipei main station metro (7-10 minutes)

There are many signs that point you to the right direction.

Review of the train ride:

There are 2 types of train services avaialble - the normal service and the express service.
The common sense advised me to take the express service for faster arrival to destination.
The express service only operates a total of 5 stations (airport terminal 1 and 2 included), as opposed to 16 stations for the normal service.

 

The seats are not as spacious as the high speed rail, but still comfortable. I would say they provide better comfort than airplane seats.

 

We were rewarded with a great view of Taipei (or what is in between) as the train zips through an elevated rail.

 

The ride from terminal 1 to taipei is about 30mins - 35mins

 

The usual price is 160 TWD but for the opening month of March there is a half price promotion.

Recommendation (Train vs bus from airport to Taipei main station):

・The MRT provides a faster way to commute to the city, as compared to taking guo guang bus which can take up to 1 hour.

・The price is comparable (160 TWD vs 125TWD)

・One potential disadvantage is that it might get crowded during peak hours, while for the bus there is always the comfort of a coach-style seating.

・Both operates at comparable frequencies.

First time to dubai: what to wear for work, how to get to your hotel, where to change money

I had the chance to visit Dubai,UAE for a work assignment and being the maiden trip for me, I felt myself asking a lot of questions. It was after all, not the usual work trips to Southeast Asia, and the culture is much different.

What to wear to work

I was thinking to wear polo tee in view of the hot weather, but was concerned if it would be too casual by Dubai standards. My worries were unfounded. There were definitely people in suits and ties, there were also a handful in normal long-sleeve shirt and pants, and polo tees were not uncommon.

For ladies, my feel is most expats dress conservatively, though you could still see some ladies dressed like they are still in Europe. (Dubai is a city with a significant number of western expats after all)

In times of doubt on the dress code, always err to the safer side.

Where to change money

Unlike more common places like Malaysia and Japan, where the currency rate does not differ much whether you change it in some of the currency exchange hotspots in town or at the airport, for the case of AED ( United Arab Emirates Dirham, UAE's currency) , it does matter where to change.

In simple numbers, this was the rate i got at various places

Arcade: 1 SGD : 2.530 AED

Airport: 1 SGD : 2.358 AED

That is a difference of about 17 bp , which is about 7% difference. (To put things in perspective, thats about $7 bucks you are saving for every $100 you are changing)

I changed 500 for this trip , saving me about $35. (Totally worth a trip down to raffles place to change!)

I also read online that the rate is better at dubai.

I went to the Dubai mall to check out the rate, they offered 1SGD : 2.35AED (Not fantastic)

Not very sure if I was able to get my hands on any AED at Dubai, I decided to change in Singapore just in case(my usual style). I am glad i did!

How to get to your hotel from the airport 

(Hint:Uber)

Nice rides, you will get minimum a lexus.

Call the driver to coordinate where to meet.

My case:

From the airport, Head out of arrivals turn left, and you will exit to the taxis area.
Across the road is the car park.
This location is gate 2, I waited for my driver here , who parked his car and came out to meet me.

Hope this was useful for you!

Learn tips, share tips

EUFASS

5 ways using Grab can play you out

Just wanted to share some of my experiences where i felt "cheated"/frustrated using Grab.

In the midst of the fierce taxi competition in Singapore, I have been using Uber and Grab quite a fair bit, especially since my company formally recognizes claims through their electronic receipts. I am definitely one of the happy consumers welcoming the newcomers in the taxi scene, where it was once dominated by the blue Comfort Taxis & yellow City Cabs. The commuters in Singapore (and also the region) has benefited from affordable fares, occasional promotions and most importantly, a greater convenience.

That said, these benefits come at a price. A price of frustration especially when it is coupled with poor customer service policies to rectify the issues. In my opinion, poor customer service is what distinguishes Uber and Grab. I am writing this for awareness for Grab users on how you could be played out by their services, based on my experience with them so far.

Scenario 1: Promotion codes are mostly limited to first xxxx users

This is quite common, and I am sure most of the savvy users are aware of this now. There might be a great 50% discount, but there are always small terms and conditions like only valid for first x users, up to discount of $x. So do not assume you will always get the advertised discount.

Well, this is still acceptable.

 (Someone shouts “Nobody ask you to take taxi what, take train lo!!”)

Scenario 2: Promotion codes keyed in by you may not be reflected by the taxi driver

Especially for NOBOOKFEE.

Watch out, taxi drivers may still charge you in full even though you have entered the promo code. There was also the situation where there is a no-promo-code-required $3 off was not reflected on my final bill.

It has become such a chore to need to always check and clarify with the driver “ You got minus the promotion already?”. Well, that is still better than having dealing with Grab’s customer service.

Which brings me to my next point:

Scenario 3: No promo code may be a big lie

In my case, it was.

When I saw that the $3 off was not reflected, I raised this to customer service. They asked me for proof, and I have to send them the screenshot.

They showed no sign of being apologetic in missing that out. For me, I got my $3 and also the feeling that I’m the biggest cheapskate out there...

Scenario 4: Promotions with credit card

Yet another case of promotion that was never delivered.

I think there are quite a few credit card rebates promotion out there in alliance with Grab. For me, I took Grab as there was a $10 rebate if charged on a Citibank credit card. The $10 credit rebate did not come. When raised to customer service, they said that the credit card company will reimburse the rebate. It never came.

Whose fault?

Scenario 5: Cash or credit? Exercise prudence when paying cash

This scenario applies to Grabtaxi.

Well I could I couldn’t remember if I selected the option to pay by cash or card. Taxi driver asked to pay up at the end of the ride in cash. Not thinking it is a big issue, I paid up, only to realise I was charged by card as well.

Raised this issue to customer service, and again, was asked to show proof. This time I had no proof, but perhaps to Grab’s customer service every commuter is trying to cheat their few dollars.

Thankfully my current trip was $7. But for my fellow commuters out there, always make sure you are not charged by card already when paying cash!

In summary

Well, there is always the convenient excuse to please read the terms and conditions. For me, I am quite sure I was eligible for the promotion (eg. $3 off no promo code required) but still not awarded. I guess there is a fundamental execution problem in Grab.

Thus, I wrote this post to give fellow commuters better awareness, and not to take the fares for granted. You might think you are saving money but in the end paying up more than the usual taxi ride.

I am willing to overlook the issues if the customer service is nice (. In my recent trip with Uber, they also missed out in awarding the $5 off for my 2^nd ride as part of the promised promotion. I raised to their customer service and they promptly reimbursed the amount. No questions asked.

This post is not about taking sides, but kudos to Uber and I know I will have a piece of mind riding with them. At the end of the day, I have no intention to make myself unhappy over a few tens of dollars. I believe every commuter out there shares the same feeling - which is the reason at the very beginning why uber and grab could succeed - that at the end of the day, we just want a fuss-free ride home.

Learn Tips, Share Tips

EUFASS

How to change money at Singapore money changers

Today, I was at lucky plaza to change some money to Hong kong dollars HKD from Singapore dollars SGD. 

Why lucky plaza?

My top choice has always been the arcade at raffles place, simply because of the high density of money changers as well as the transparency of prices displayed on the electronic board
However, today was a Sunday and the arcade is only open on weekdays and half day on Saturday (url). Thus on a Sunday or weekends, I would typically go to Chinatown or Lucky Plaza.

As I am near to Orchard, Lucky Plaza was a natural choice.

Rate quoted verbally at Lucky Plaza

So previously I have shared with readers how to see the rate at money exchangers under we buy or we sell, but bear in mind these are rates quoted on the digital screens.
For lucky plaza, most shops did not have those screens and you have to enquire verbally.

In my case of HKD, it would have been 0.18 under we sell, but when quoted verbally, the money changer person will give you the convertd we sell rate, for example 1/0.18 = 5.62.
In this case of converted rate, the higher the number, the better.

The 5.62 stands for for each sgd, you will get 5.62 hkd.

So after asking around, I got a rate of 5.63 and settled at that rate (Rates would not differ that much though there are many shops there ).

Savings versus rate at airport

At the airport, the rate was 0.18196, which translates to 5.49.
As such, I have saved about $18 (2.3%) from my $800 change..
Not much, but since I was already in the vicinity, why not pick up the savings?

Read more: My recommendation on where to change


So in short,
when quoted verbally at the money exchanger,
The higher the rate,
the more foreign currency you will get.




Learn tips share tips
EUFASS

Travel tips from my trip to Sydney, Australia

It was my second time to Australia in two years but i have forgotten most of the tips i gotten the last time during which i visited Perth. I'm glad though i have blogged about some of my experience back then from my week-long trip.

So I have listed down all the travel tips I have acquired during this short trip to Sydney. I stayed at Travelodge Sydney along Woolsworth Ave.

Gifts and souvenirs 

• Tim tam,  macadamia nuts are my top recommendations to buy back from australia.

Taxi

• Use Uber. A ride to the city from the airport is about AUD 35-60
• Go to the "express pick up" area near p9 car park, there will be signs guiding you there.

Accommodation

• Hotel may not offer drinking water bottles
• Buy your stuff from supermarket, it will be much cheaper. Still, expect to pay about AUD2 for a 500ml bottle of water
• Convenience stores are expensive (3 bottles of water and 3 bottles of coke costed my AUD24.60... GAHHHH) 

Traffic

• Traffic is generally smooth even during peak hours. (Probably very smooth compared to the likes of Indonesia and Philippines)
• There was a prolonged rain during the afternoon on our way to the airport, but we managed to get there in under an hour.

Currency

• Smallest note is $5. Comes in 5,10,20,50,100
• The $2 coins are gold coloured and are the smallest of the coins. A 20cent is so much bigger.
• Refer to my previous post on changing SGD to AUD... It matters where you change!

Immigration

• Singaporeans will need an ETA to visit Australia, even for a short travel. 
• The process is fairly simple and can be done at the singapore airlines customer service area on the spot for $50. (Will verify if you need to be flying SQ to be able to apply through them) 
• And yes, we can use the smart electronic immigration gate.

Learn tips, share tips

EUFASS

Uber or Grab or Taxi (bluebird) in Jakarta indonesia

Was in Jakarta a few days back again and once again traffic was a nightmare (Welcome to Jakarta!)

Made a few notes about my ride experiences when using uber, grab and bluebird taxis.

Do also look at my previous post on taking taxi from the Jakarta airport as well as my experience on blue bird rides.

Some notes when choosing to take uber or grab in Indonesia:

• When taking uber, problem encountered: GPS is spotty
  
  As such, the uber car icons may not be showing accurately where the driver location is. There are times where the car has arrived but the uber app still shows the car being few minutes away.

• So, do we wait and trust in the drivers?
  No! Some of the uber drivers in Indonesia do not know the way, does not come if there is police, and they do not cancel the ride. They wait for you to cancel the ride and you get hit by the cancellation fee of RP30,000 once you have waited more than 5 minutes.
  If there is still no sign of your driver, please make alternative plans or book again.
  
• Please remember to claim back your cancellation fee if it is not your fault.
  
  Yes, although it might be a small amount from your perspective. But lets not condone with the drivers who are abusing this system.
  
• So, what are some tips to mitigate this?
  
  There is the call driver function to let the driver know where you are and if he is really coming or not. Only thing is, the drivers are usually not well versed in English and speak Bahasa. What you can try is to pass to a local next to you to help explain your pick up location. The locals are generally friendly and helpful.
  
• What else can I do?
  
  Another alternative to consider is blue bird. They are generally available but you will have to live with the advantages uber and grab gives, which is their GPS-enabled navigation to your desired location.
• That is a sacrifice to bear in time-sensitive times, until the system and driver pool quality of uber and grab taxis improve in Jakarta.

Learn tips, share tips

EUFASS

Which number to see when changing money?

A beginner's guide to we buy we sell in currency exchange

Confused when comparing currency rates? 

Not sure how to interpret the two column of numbers : we buy , we sell?

I have not travelled for a while and found myself asking this question when changing to Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) in my recent trip to Jakarta. I thought it will be useful to share this information since I believe this question will be encountered quite frequently by people like me who does not do currency exchange often.

Click here for the best place to change currency in Singapore

Here are the 2 tips to remember when you are exchanging currency.

• Always look under "we sell"

>We sell is the amount that the money changer will charge you for 1 unit (or could be 100/1000 units) of the foreign currency.

• Then find the lowest number among the shops you are comparing

>Think as it from this perspective

: you are looking at the currency selling price and the smaller, the better.

Now, an example

I wanted to change SGD to IDR (Singapore dollars to Indonesia Rupiah) , there were 2 banks at the airport (Why change at the airport? Reason here )

So i looked under the "we sell" column

1st bank offered 0.109 the other offered 0.112. Which one should i go for?

I should choose the one offering 0.109, which means I will receive 1000 IDR for $0.109 SGD

To exchange for 1,000,000 IDR, I will hence need $109. (It will cost $112 if I went for the other bank)

So remember

look under we sell, and 

the smaller the figure, 

The better rate you'll get

Hope this was useful for you

EUFASS