Speechless....

So as of 9:40ish AM my time, my COE was in Jacksonville with the courier... 6 hour drive away. Some how at 11:45ish AM my time... the door bell is ringing and I'm like "MY COMPUTER!" and open my door to DHL O.O HOW'D THEY DO THAT!?!?! Ok... so I still diss DHL for it's lack of dependability and for it's horrible online tracking. But I'll give the kudos for magic tricks.

Now to figure out if I should ship it or just hold on to it.....

Please stand by...

EDIT #1: I believe DHL has made a mistake on it's tracking. Up until delivery it said the destination was my city...... now that it's been delivered it says it's delivery site is Jacksonville >.> I still prefer FedEx.

EDIT #2: So I was told to ship it overnight. I'm going to trust my adviser... if she really didn't believe I would get it back before I left... she would not have told me to send it. So it is overnight'ed there (VIA FEDEX!) to be delivered Friday morning... and overnighted back to me. Now to find a way to contact the consulate to tell them "If you can't do it or if something is wrong, send it back NOW"

Also, I was wrong about it costing $100 to send.... cost about 50$

A True Visa Horror Story

Kudos goes to FedEx for their awesome service- tracking, delivery, and doing what they are suppose to do. GO FEDEX! IN FACT! My netbook is suppose to be 2 day delivery! And it was shipped YESTERDAY! So I get a day early :D

Disses go to DHL because their service sucks and so does the their tracking. COE was shipped NEXT DAY delivery. I know some people wonder how that is possible from Japan but it is, because some people have received their COE next day. It surprised me, too. Well my COE took a detour to Hong Kong. Currently, it's in Atlanta. It's been in Atlanta since about 5:30 am EST. Has not been processed, has not left. I think even if I do get the COE today (I'm starting to doubt that), there is no way I'll get it in time to overnight it to the embassy.

My biggest fear was shipping it, passport and paperwork, and it not come back before I leave (you know it'll cost me over 100$ to overnight and send an overnight envelope to have it back to me). That would suck, to not have my passport when I need to leave. Basically, overnight, take 4-5 days to process, and overnight back... Embassy is not open on Saturdays. So 6-7 days. It needs to be there by Friday (not sent, BE THERE). This is SOOO not gonna happen.

Plan? Apply for visa in Japan. I'm not sure how this will work. I'll be enter Japan on a tourist visa..... I'm not even 100% sure I can change my status. I've hear I can, I've heard I can't, I've heard I can but I have to re-enter the country. Well, this is a set back... but I'm sure it's making my blog a juicy read.

I'm not telling people not to use DHL, but if you are rushing something, don't count on them. With this experience being my first with DHL, well, first impressions are hard to change, and my first impression of DHL is not a good one.

EDIT: As I was typing that entry, DHL updated my tracking... at 10:40 EST my COE arrived in Jacksonville, and with the delivery courier... in Jacksonville............... >.> Uhm, that's worse than FedEx. I was O.o when my FedEx package was in Crestview... but I'm just O.O to think my COE is with a courier in Jacksonville. That's on the other side of the state >.< Dear DHL: YOU FAIL! Dear KG: Let me introduce you to FedEx! And I hope you got reimbursed for a failed next day delivery service.

RUSH!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I got my email today that my COE has been shipped next day delivery (let me comment again on how Japan can manage this yet my netbook is still being built *tsk tsk* Dell... you lose). I plan on getting all the visa paperwork filled out today and have my keys in my hand when DHL delivers my COE to go ship it to Miami. I hope I still have enough time to get this done. Wouldn't it suck to send it to Miami and it doesn't return before my flight??? I have to send my passport with it.

Man, my blog is getting exciting!

Stay tuned for there is less than 2 weeks to go!

PS: I'm seeing the new Harry Potter movie in Japan with my friend :D WOOT WOOT


PSPS: I've been trying to figure out how to link my online photo album to my blog... this may take time and may be figured out when I get there and have pics to share.

Flight Itinerary and Visa Woes

I believe I promised this entry...

If you are one of those people who like things done and done fast, you get stressed out when things are getting down to the last minute, you are female whose PMS can cause you to get extra stressed out and emotional, etc etc... I do not recommend a Two Part Adventure at Sophia and Kansai Gaidai.

For those who are wanting to study abroad for a semester/year, you will need to acquire a Certificate of Eligibility (abbreviated CoE/COE) from the school are attending to get your visa. Kansai Gaidai says that they do not recommend people come TOO early to Japan because they, KG, cannot guarantee you will get your COE in time to get your visa before you leave. Now, I'm leaving at the end of July, that makes me think I have plenty of times especially when I have been told so and read past blogs where people receive their COE at the beginning of July.

Well..... KG must be taking their sweet time this semester. If you have Facebook or any other social networking account try searching for others who are going abroad as well to your school to get to know people. I've already got a roomie :D The downside to this lately is hearing about everyone getting their acceptance before me, getting their COEs before me, and at times I'm just like "If I don't go, I don't go, oh well". Currently, though, I will admit I'm very "moody" *cough*PMS*cough* Although some people may hear you cannot apply for your visa in Japan, I have been told I can but their is a higher chance of being denied. So basically, the worst case scenario is that I will not go to KG. Hopefully it doesn't come down to that.

No word from Sophia since my big packet of maps. Though I'd like to comment on my ability to now figure out how to get from point A to point B on the map via train(s). Kinda awesome. I know buying my train ticket and getting on the right train is going to totally spoil that ability but..... hopefully I will be ok with travels.

I have bought my plane ticket (technically, it is on hold while my card is pending). I'm flying exactly what I flew last year to Japan. I leave at 6 am and should walk through customs into Japan by 3 pm :D Kinda nice. Only costed about 1225$

For those students going abroad, here is a nice website (Orbitz links to this, and I've heard of others using it so you can trust it unless any future posts say otherwise):
www.studentuniverse.com

The only thing annoying on that site is if you do your name wrong, you have to call them to change it. So go on and register and type your name EXACTLY as it is on your passport. I wanted to get angry and complain about that (like I said I'm moody) but the lady was so nice I didn't want to yell at her. Also, if you are a UWF student there is a possibility you may need to help them verify your student status. Just take screen shots of your account balance via Argus from the most current semester, even if it takes two shots, and paste into a word document. It needs to have your name, UWF (the address is at the bottom so that works), and the semester name and date.

Anyways... I'll be sure to update when I get my COE (which is sent next day delivery... now if Japan can manage that why can't Dell manage to build my new laptop and ship it in a week? Yet again, Japan wins).

I believe I had a TO DO list in an earlier post

*Buy a plane ticket |||CHECK|||
*Receive my visa |||STILL WAITING FOR COE|||
*Meet with Uni personal to get classes registered |||WILL BE REGISTERED ABOUT A WEEK AFTER EACH SEMESTER BEGINS|||
*Pay for summer tuition |||WILL BE ABLE TO AFTER I'M REGISTERED THROUGH MY UNI|||
*Double check my financial aid |||AWAITING REPLY|||
*Shop |||STARTING THAT SOON BUT MAY TAKE A WEEK|||
*Pack |||WILL DO A FEW DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE|||
*Buy some new flip flops |||CHECK|||
*Maybe get some travelers checks |||WILL DO BEFORE DEPARTURE|||

Countdown: 17 days (I can HAHA at this point to all the KG students who are waiting 50 days or so... HAHAHAHAHA)