Last week Thursday, my US version '05 Xbox 360 RRoD'd on me (my other xbox360 is doing A-OK. As to why I have 2 360s, that's another story). Considering the console was bought in the US with an extended warranty, I figured that something could be done to fix or replace my console if I called the USA cust. service line.

The first call was one of the worst cust. services I've ever had.

The CSR (whose name I don't remember, but will call Mary) was so rude that I was shocked. Keep in mind that she's a native American English speaker, so it wasn't simply mis-communication problems. After explaining to her that my console broke and that I lived in Japan, I started listing off my address. Since I live in a small town, there is no street names or numbers, but packages will get here. No matter how many times I tried to explain this, she just couldn't understand. So after I say my town, she says in a tone one would use speaking to a simpleton "How is your Xbox supposed to get back to you?? Are we just going to ship to X, Japan??" I reply with, "Well, if you'd let me finish my address you'd have somewhere to ship it to."

After she berates my living in Japan (heaven forbid anyone get out of the USA!), she goes on to ask me about my console's error and how it came about. It's the standard 3 red quads with a green middle light, but it presented itself after the console would cut out video, but keep playing audio in my games. Finally, it culminated in the console crashing and starting up with the RRoD. Though, after she heard the word 'audio' she tells me that an 'audio problem' shouldn't be causing the RRoD and that if the returns dept. gets my Xbox with a problem like that it won't be fixed . Keep in mind that I have an extended warranty anyway, so problems like that would be covered if that were the problem I was having afterall. Despite that, she attempts to set up the return, then realizes that it won't go through, and that I'll have to ship the Xbox to the US service branch, and then they will ship in the US to someone else and then I have to handle from there. I attempt to protest, but she quickly suggests I plan a trip to the US to facilitate getting my 360 fixed before hanging up. Call time - 1 hr.


Thankfully, I somehow kept cool and just decided to call another CSR the day after. When I called, I got an extremely nice and helpful CSR named Holly. After I quickly explain that I live in Japan and my xbox 360 is RRoD'd, she tells me that Msoft won't ship to Japan, BUT offers the extremely helpful tip that I can call Xbox Japan and they should be able to help me because all the Xbox 360 serials and services are linked across regions (why the hell couldn't Mary tell me this?). She says they may have some US consoles at that location though she cautions that they may have to send me a JPN console, but I was fine with that considering there are so many games with no region coding. She looks up xbox japan's cust. service number and wishes me luck with a cute giggle (she actually giggled). Call time - 15m


Next day, I call Xbox Japan. After wading through the tele prompts (all in Japanese), I get the CSR Kenichi who is one of the few reps who speaks fluent english. So I go over my problem and before he even asks me my serial, he asks for the when the console manufactured and assures me that it will be fixed by Xbox Japan free of charge. He apologizes profusely that the turnaround is 10 days and then schedules a free pickup for Wednesday at the time that it is most convenient for me. All I have to do is hand the postman my Xbox and power brick and that'll be it. After a pleasant chat, he says if there are any problems that I can call back and ask for him personally and that he'll handle it. Call time - 15m

2/3 really good CSRs isn't too bad in my book. I just have to wait and see what Xbox Japan does with my broken box now.

Summary: All of Microsoft's service centres are linked. Should you move and your box breaks, you are better off calling the CSRs of the region you reside in.

Also, I've been completely spoiled by customer service in Japan.

English is slowly leaving me, the teachers were asking for the translation of a word meaning being able to use ones hands well, and after a pause I said 'handy'. Luckily, I saved face by realizing that was not the word I wanted and my elec. dictionary saved me by popping up 'dexterous' >.<

My teachers asked me to spell 'clothes'. I spelt it, and then looked at it, and then wondered if it was a word (This doesn't sound anything like 'cloth'! I must be drunk!). Once again, my dictionary assured me otherwise.

--

So, one of my cutest second graders came into class today with a shirt that said:
'Banana: Kick Your Ass. Kick Your Ass since 1980.
I distribute a banana and eat peacefully.'

...Qwa?

Almost as good as my first grader who came in with the shirt that said:
'Fuck oil'

--

Anyways, should you ever come to Japan and are asked "Who's your favorite major league team?" the correct answer is NOT "Oh, I don't follow baseball." You will only be met with tilted heads and blank looks, as if you couldn't have possibly understood the question. Notice how the question pre-supposes you watch baseball, so it's best if you run with it. Believe me, I experienced this first hand today, as I single-handly stopped time and space until I finally blurted out "Oh, my Favorite TEAM. Yeah, it's the Red Sox."

Should you be asked about your favorite player, there's a chance your rouse may be discovered. I find that mumbling nonchalantly about pies gets me out of these situations.

So I'm at work today, on a Sunday, with nothing to do since it's a PTA day. At least I get a replacement holiday tomorrow to do... nothing.

Anyway, I get to school and the first thing my Vice Princepal asks me is if I know what 避難訓練
is, and I say no (cept that I know it's some kind of class). He then motions things for fire, earthquake, and we act out a kidnapping scene, and he asks me for an English translation of all this. I come up with `danger prevention... class`, though after consulting my dictionary, I come up with `evacuation training`. Kyoto-sensei nods, writes this down and returns to what he was doing.

I like this fresh and novel way to learn new vocab, but I wish they'd give me a little bit more of a segue between 'hello' and 'do you know what this is??'

Speaking of new things, I finally went to the one restaurant in town on Friday. I've been trying to go to this restaurant for the the last 4 months, but everytime they were closed or were tending to an　宴会　(think wacky food and drink party). I eventually thought they just didn't want my money, but twas not the case.

However, since I was the only one in the restaurant, the owner came over and talked with me for about 2 hours. He had lived in the town all his life, but went to Tokyo to learn cooking. Now in his thirties, he wants to travel around but can't since he is the only one who cooks in the restaurant (he can't train an apprentice cause there are nothing but grandmas in town), he can never take more than two days off at a time. He also let me know how tough traffic laws here in Japan are, as he was caught on the highway last year speeding without his seat belt on, and they took away his liscence for a year. Basically, due to the restaurant's hours and the lack of a car, he had been home all year playing his DS and not getting out. Even parties were a hassle for him since he runs the restaurant until about 10pm, and that`s just about when a drinking party has hit its peak in Japan. Generally, pretty sad story all around. Since a JET's work/drinking schedule is pretty lax, I promised him I'd invite him over whenever I planned to down some Sake. He seemed genuinely pleased with that.

I just found it amazing that we communicated in Japanese for almost 2 hours, on a broad range of topics, without me scrambling for my dictionary. It's been tough to really get out there and talk to people, but it seems like a little persistance pays off in folds.

Man, I can't believe it's February already. I'm under the kotatsu but my hands are numb, the toilet is freezing up and my toothpaste has become as stiff as a wrench. BUT, I'm happy. Everything is going much better than I could've hoped for.

Before coming on JET, I had a good amount of apprehension in regards to my town's weather, village-ness, and a pretty tight work schedule, but I came in with an open mind. The only thing I couldn't gauge ahead of time were the people I would have to work with. See, as an elementary-school-only teacher, I have to teach with every teacher at each of my schools (except at the school where they make me teach by myself, sigh). Though finally, after about half a year, I can finally say I feel comfortable in my job and that I'm actually putting myself out there to meet new people. I don't think I've ever been any good at just shooting the breeze and my neutral facial expression has been described by my teachers as "uninviting*", but now that I know my town and the people that I work with better, things have started to go a lot smoother. I actually thought one of my teachers hated me on a personal level, but then realized her general personality is like that. We're BFFs now. She gives me vegetables. It's all good.

So now, when I've finally gotten used to most things, my predecessor emails me. She lets me know that there is a good chance that most of my teachers at my schools will be shuffled around come March/April. Also, when it happened to her, she ended up crying alone in the teacher's room. Thus, I have to start the whole process over again.

yay.

can't wait.

*Funny story, the first week of school, the three vice principals from my different schools expressed the fact that they were worried when I first arrived because I had such a serious expression on all the time. I replied that I've been smiling most of the time since I've arrived.

Awkward silence continued from there on out.