The JET Orientation: Arrival

After that ridiculous flight, you can imagine that I was jump off of the plane and teleport to the hotel. If you think that'll happen, then I'm sorry (but not sorry) to burst your bubble. After leaving the plane, we were escorted to customs. Prior to landing, the flight attendants give customs forms and a second forms for my residency card

Residency cards are issued at Narita Airport during customs. Don't worry about the long times at customs because they opened a separate (and large section) just for JETs. Also, don't worry about your appearance during customs. Your picture for your residency card is exactly the same picture used for your visa (with some slight difference in saturation).  I wasted time and make up on the plane. Don't judge me!

After I received my residency card, I went to baggage check to receive my bags. 

Grab that big ass cart because you are going to need that bad boy to take all of your belonging to transportation.

After passing through baggage security, there was endless checkpoints of JETs in green T-shirts for me to follow so that I could ship off my largest bag to my board of education.

You'll receive an envelope with baggage tags and all sorts of other goodies prior to your flight. Don't lose that ish!

Afterwards, we boarded a bus to the hotel. The bus ride can take around two hours to four hours depending on the traffic. My bus ride was around two hours, so I used that time to casually chat with friends and unwind. The hotel for the Tokyo orientation is the lavish Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The hotel is frickin' immense. There, I followed signs to another room where where I received orientation materials, and my room key. My roommates were fellow OkiJETs. Tka, who also flew in from Miami, and Lora, who came from Nashville. They seem to place us by destination, both original and future. I took a shower to wash of the travel stentch and got ready for dinner. Dinner, on the arrival night, is not provided, but since this wasn't my first time to Tokyo or Japan, I didn't feel intimidated. Lora opted for combini food while Tka and I went with my friend Alexis to a nearby Indian restaurant for some curry and nan. Afterwards, we went back to the room and I knocked out. 

If you think that partying it up in Tokyo that first night is a great idea, remember that you are expected to be at the Orientation at 9 in the morning and breakfast is only available the hours before. You'll be surprised how fatigued you are just from the flight.