For the last 9 months (don't tell anyone) I have been driving w/o a license..(shsssss! Yeah I know I'm a baaaad boy). I have even managed to find myself in the embrace of the flabby arm of the japanese police on two occasions. The first I was rather proud of my cool headed escape (sorry you won't see me on COPS or anything like that if I can help it). The officer asked me for my license (it was a check point looking for drinkers which in that respect I was safe--I wasn't speeding or breaking the law other than not having a license) I feigned ignorance and inability to understand for a bit to warm him up then I got the eureeka moment and said you mean this? As I reached into my glove box removed ALL of the papers in there and handed him the messy pile of crap. He promptely looked at his partner and said, carry on. The 2nd time was about the same, but after 2 times I figured that for my last year I would try the hassle of the license.
Pretty simple in essence, but of course theory and reality aren't always compatible.
I have to go get my US license translated (by AAA of all things?!)
then collect: Passport, license, translation, and here's the catch proof that I was living for 3 months in the US after I got my license. Apparently this stops the Japanese (who can't drive well anyway) from going to vacation in california, picking up the license which is FAR cheaper and easier to get then coming home.
Since most JETS are right out of college they usually accept the college transcript as proof, but I am long from college so I was stuck. So I made this and passed it off as a pay stub from my last company I worked for. I did take some artistic license with it but generally it could be reasonably considered true.
I hope my former employer doesn't get
into a twist about it lol. I even got a
promotion on this forgery.
into a twist about it lol. I even got a
promotion on this forgery.
I went yesterday and wasted the whole afternoon, but was rewarded with going up to the city to enjoy AWESOME Italian food run by a guy from Napoli and wow it was good. I had capers and pizza and the best steak, 3 glasses of wine and a glass of sangria..and desserted it with a scoop of vanilla drizzled with amaretto wow! Of course I still don't have the license and have to go one more time to take a written test and a driver's test. A joke really because even though the Japanese system is much harder (for japanese not foreigners like me) they are easily the WORST drivers I have ever EVER seen. They should never have moved beyond foot travel if you ask me. I was with the new vice-principal for lunch two days ago and on the way back he made a right hand turn from the farthest left lane across three lanes of traffic and never stopped talking to me at the time (I get the feeling he never even noticed)..luckly we didn't have an accident.. and that friends is just the tip of the iceberg. When I do get my license I'll scan it and let everyone see it. ciao.
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