Interesting Lessons

A couple days ago we decided to get a cell phone in the hopes that we would be able to use it as a hot spot for internet when we move into housing in a couple of weeks.  We stopped by the cell phone kiosk located in the food court on base and spent about an hour learning that the calling plans available in Japan pale in comparison to what we can get in the U.S.  However, I ended up with a new iPhone that will serve as its own hot spot, but after 7 GB will slow down to what could possibly be GTMO internet speed.  I will still make good use out of it considering I can talk to family and friends with Facebook and Skype from my phone, check exchange rates, and ask where the toilet is using my handy translator app.  I did use that app today, by the way. :)

Later that afternoon we went car shopping. The process of shopping for a car from the base is interesting in that it is useless to look for a vehicle any bigger than a Nissan Cube.  The average size of a Japanese car is a lot smaller than what you would find in the USA.  Most Americans stationed in Sasebo spend between $1,000-$6,000 for a used car with low mileage.  We looked at cars that were 10-15 years old that only had 30,000-40,000 miles on them!  What was more surprising is that the car dealer is happy to pick you up and drive you to the dealership to shop their inventory.  In our case, a nice lady came to pick us up just outside the base, along with a new friend of ours, and drove us 25 minutes to a very small car lot in the back of a vacated fish market.  Her English skills were decent and she motioned with her arms how many of the cars on the lot were for sale.  Another salesperson who spoke no English followed us around and confirmed prices and mileage on the cars we asked about.  He did not budge on any price!  They will also not sell you a car that they feel is not in top condition to drive...even if you offer to buy it anyway and fix it yourself!  After a good 30-40 minutes on the lot we didn't make any purchases and we were driven back to the base.  The nice lady even offered to drop us off at a restaurant since it was dinner time, but we told her that wasn't necessary.  At the end of the day I still had a new phone and a meal from Chili's, so I was happy. :)