Neil Hopcroft

Well, all the paperwork has gone off for the work permit application… it’ll take about two weeks, maybe three, once it gets to Japan. Then I get something I need to take to the embassy in London. And then its all systems go.

I’m moving to Japan.

It’s time to explain some of the cryptic comments and allusions I’ve been making here over the past few days…

On the Monday morning (after the verbal redundancy notice on Friday) I had a phone interview with Nokia in Tokyo. By 10am that morning I’d received a job offer.

This is something that has taken me a little while to figure out – there are loads of good things about going, but also some bad and scary things.

I had some things I needed to get my head around before I could commit to a decision. Those are all now sorted, there is nothing now except a bit of paperwork to go through. Doubtless there will still be some “What have I done?” moments, but there always is, isn’t there?

Whats the worst that could happen? I get there and discover I can’t stand it? I can just get on a plane back here…maybe that’ll burn a bridge with Nokia, hopefully not – they’re large enough to be able to relocate people if they need to.

Good stuff:
– seeing another culture
– travelling some more
– living in another country
– getting away from some of the (physical) baggage I tend to trail around
– Japanoise and Japan goth scene
– a chance to get to a whole bunch of places that are a real arse to get to from UK
– get to learn the language
– it’ll look good on the CV
– good excuse to buy a new laptop (the chunky P166 won’t cut it any more – my phone has a better processor, well, nearly)

Bad stuff:
– a long way from home
– no things around, have to travel light
– saying goodbye (even if temporarily) to people I don’t want to say goodbye to
– scary
– don’t know the language
– culture shock

What happens next? Well, all the paperwork is currently being sorted – I’ve got a bit of stuff to do over the weekend. Once that is sent off the employers certificate thing takes about three weeks, then I need to visit the embassy in London. I need to set up a UK based corporate structure of some kind to get paid. I need to put all my stuff in storage. Then I just turn up at the airport and hope it all flows nicely from there.

I’m holding a gathering at my house on Sunday to celebrate this opening of a new chapter… mail me if you would like to come along and need some directions.

Beyond that, if you would like to come out to visit Japan (or happen to be passing Tokyo for whatever reason) let me know.

phew – there – its official – the only thing that can stop me now is if Japan doesn’t like the look of my sort and fails to give me the right paperwork…