Welcome to Japanese bureaucracy

[pergamond]

After one week in Canada I returned to Japan. For two weeks. Then on Thursday, I go back to Canada.

Confused? Let me explain:

This brief interlude from my collaborative work trip in North America was to allow me to interview for a job identical to the one I already had, be offered the position, formally start and then order a computer before this was prevented by floods in Thailand.

There. Isn't that clearer? No? Well, I will elaborate but I warn you now, it's not going to help.

Our story (although I defy Disney to create something more fantastical) opens with our young heroine (totally me. It is my blog, after all) assuming the role of "specially appointed assistant professor". The "special" part here means that my salary came from the Japanese Government, not Hokkaido University, who have a scheme to support women in senior roles for three years. After that time, it was understood that I would be moved onto the university's normal tenure track (leading to a permanent position) for faculty members.

This transition was not contracted, but I was told it was a question of honour for the university to uphold the verbal agreement. Since the breaking of Japanese honour traditionally results in disembowelment, I felt there was some incentive for the people who mattered to follow this through.

A few months ago, however, in response to increased pressure from the government to increase the fraction of female employees, Hokkaido University opened a call for two tenure track positions for female scientists. It was suggested that I apply for one of these positions, since it would end any uncertainty regarding my job status in three years time and everyone could retain their digestive tracks.

[As a side note, I don't really approve of any form of sex discrimination in jobs. My concern in this case is it could devalue female researchers' achievements if it is felt they only gained their current position through having a decreased pool of applicants. Despite this, I discovered when put to the test, my morals were surprisingly easy to sweep under the nearest carpet. No one put me in a court of law.]

Even though I had been hired for my current position just months before, I still had to complete the full application procedure, including the in-person interview.

I pointed out that I would be in Canada at that time.

Everyone agreed that it was incredibly daft just to come back so that I could be re-interviewed for a near identical position.

..... but that was just the way it was.

Since a foreigner was preferred for the job and since the Japanese have an innate suspicion of foreigners they have never met, my chances at getting this position were high. This led to a problem concerning money.

New faculty members are typically awarded a large one-off sum known as a 'start-up grant'. This is for single large expenses that are needed to equip a new researcher with the tools they need to do their work, for example outfitting a new laboratory. As a theorist, my wish-list was simple: I wanted computer power. Lots of it. Think 'the ultimate question' solving stuff. The problem was that all this money needed to be spent by the end of the fiscal year which was ... March.

Everyone agreed that it was incredibly daft to spend such a large sum in a month and it would only lead to wasting funds.

..... but that was just the way it was.

Now it transpires that machines more awesome than Steve Jobs builds are manufactured in Thailand. The way it was explained to me is that the ENTIRE COUNTRY disappears under water due to floods each year around this time. Since constructing electronic equipment in such a condition presents some difficulties, an ordered machine will take more than a month to arrive. Since the earliest I could begin the new position was February 1st and the money most be spent by March 31st this left less breathing space than for a snorkelling computer engineer.

The upshot was that I had to still be in Japan on February 1st, so I could officially begin this position as soon as humanely possible and order a computer from waterworld. I booked my flights back to Canada on the 2nd.

I think maybe I should have asked for two passports while in the UK.

Comments

[surexit]

This is kind of awesome. :D

[pergamond]

I couldn't decide if it was cool / crazy / annoying but working with the phrase 'when in Rome...' I went for:

"..... but that was just the way it was."

and loaded a bunch of books onto my kindle XD

[februaryfour]

I am really really REALLY hoping you're getting a ton of miles for this.

[pergamond]

I get some, but they're not really worth that much. Airmiles make the flight free, but you still have to pay the taxes which is normally the majority of the cost, so eh. Also, I since I tend to fly different routes with different airlines my airmiles are quite scattered about. The people who benefit the most are business men doing the same route 10 times a year and even then you still have the taxes.

So, I'm unimpressed with airmiles :)

[februaryfour]

Pity. I know what you mean, though. >_< I used to not bother at all. Then I moved to Denver and prices to fly home are within the $6000 to $10000+ range (that is dollars, NOT yen.)

[pergamond]

Owch. But is most of that taxes? I don't get a huge amount off my flight from the UK to Tokyo with airmiles, although the cost is only 1/3 of yours.

[februaryfour]

That was including all taxes and fees, but it was never mentioned how much they were. I was trying to fly any time from November 2011 to January 2012, which was what I was trying to price. I tried pricing directly on united.com and then on expedia.com, and both were terrifying in their listed prices.

I just tried pricing a flight for April/May, and the price was a MUCH more reasonable $2120. (It goes up to $5500+ if I dare fly on a weekend, though.) And yes, this was including all taxes and fees. The problem, of course, is that I _can't_ fly in April or May, seeing as how I have classes. November I wasn't working, December I wasn't working, January I've just missed Chinese New Year. >_<

Seeing as how taxes and fees don't tend to fluctuate seasonally, I can only surmise that taxes and fees are far less than USD $2120, so that $10,000 flight I saw was just outrageous. >_< Oh, and have I mentioned that they want me to fly via FRANKFURT?

Flyertalk was very helpful, but their suggestions won't help me very much until Doug and I get a lot more paid holiday (and a lot more money.) http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travelbuzz/1286574-separate-flights-vs-all-one-ticket.html

[pergamond]

Hmm you'd think the taxes wouldn't change, but the flight I tried (which I discovered wouldn't save me much) was at Christmas, where you'd think the non-tax price would be at its highest (and therefore the drop price from using airmiles should be at a maximum). So... hopefully... airmiles would potentially save you a lot if you fly November/December but... maybe don't count on it!

Changes are inevitable :) I change in all kinds of crazy places to get the best prices. I flew from NYC to Calgary once via Houston because it was a hub for the airline :/ And for India, I changed twice in Seoul and Hong Kong. Sometimes for the UK from the USA, I flew west (to a hub like Chicago) before going East. C'est la vie.

[februaryfour]

Sadly, for all the travelling I did before, I didn't collect air miles. Now that I _am_ trying to collect them, I don't have time/money to fly. It's a horrendous catch-22. >_<

Guh. IDK, flying's gone down a LOT from the way it was. I know I should put up with a lot to get the best prices, but even the "best prices" don't seem very good to me.

[pergamond]

Yet, if you had, it would probably be for the wrong airlines and only take a small amount off the cost off an international haul (although I agree that every bit is welcome).

I rediscovered travel agents recently. I used to book all my own flights via expedia etc, but --while trying to book a particularly complex route-- I went to see a travel agent in Canada. They didn't get me a big discount on what I'd found, but they did find MUCH better flight times for that price. For instance, for my last trip from Toronto to Sapporo, I found a flight that went Toronto (at 6 am) --> Chicago --> Tokyo ---> Sapporo. My travel agent replaced it for the same price for Toronto (noon) --> Tokyo --> Sapporo. At least I felt I had something more for my money!

So, doesn't help the cost, but when you're going to break the bank and go, maybe check out a travel agent?

[februaryfour]

Thanks--I might at that, especially since a friend just started a travel agency. (A tour operator, really--pacsettours.com--but they sell flights too.)

[lunaluna]

This would make a hilarious documentary.