Japan trip 6 -Tues (friends) Wed. pt1 (CITI bank Hell)
I had a super busy day on Tuesday!
I had lunch with my friends from Shinyurigaoka Language Center! Moe, Meiko, and Jack! <3 It was soooo nice. 😀 I forgot what a great sense of humor you had, Jack. XD You really cracked me up.
After lunch at Harvest, they helped me find two cute towls because that was one of my goals to get to bring back to the US. 🙂
After that, I met Buri-chan in Harajuku and we went to the toy Kiddyland! Brittany got me cute Stormtrooper socks that I’m considering my birthday present! She got matching ones!
Then, I met Mana and Sakura and we went to Inoki Sakaba restaurant, owned by the famous pro wrestler! I love it!
Free popcorn!
I love Japanese themed restaurants! XD
See the boxing ring around the bar?
And Sakura!
So wonderful to see them again! Mana is one of the main characters in my book (for those of you who have read it.)
The girl who met me at the airport when I first came on my college exchange. So awesome to see her all grown up and successful. And she knew me before I debuted as a fighter! Wow, we go way back. lol
I gave her my book with her in it, and she got so excited she started reading it. XD
We ordered this chicken vegetable shishkabob on a SWORD!!
Wednesday, I had plans with my host mother for a sushi lunch. I figured I’d try to get my business done at CITI bank before that. I’d go right at 9 AM and be finished by 11 AM, so I’d have time to get to Hirama by 12. Right? OMFG I HATE CITI BANK. THE POOP HEADS. Never ever do business there. I’ve regretted every single second of opening an account with them.
I only opened an account with them because I heard that withdrawing money overseas was free because of a deal they had with my company. So instead of paying $50 for a wire transfer, I could open an account in Japan, put my money in it, and withdraw it in America, and close the account, for free. I should have just paid the damn $50.
Besides taking forever to open it, and having to provide craploads of paperwork, the plan seemed like it worked. However, it turns out I could withdraw a limited amount from the Las Vegas ATM at a time, so like a few times a week when I had time, I went to the ATM. I had to go at least 20 times, and it was a pain in the butt. It took me a few months, but whatever. Finally when I got to $17 remaining, it wouldn’t let me withdraw it because it wasn’t an even $20. I went to the teller and they couldn’t access my account because it was Japanese! They couldn’t close my account! I had to do it in Japan! WTF? I was told by the Japanese that I could close it in America! wtf. So I called them on Skype late at night, which was Japan’s morning, and they sent me forms to fill out by snail mail. 1) request change of address form 2) change of resident status form 3) bank account closure form 4) like two other forms
Why the heck do they need to know all my personal details about my country status and new address and new bank etc? No, F-off! So I just filled out the #3 and sent it back, but of course, Japanese do everything by the book, so those forms came back to me with a “please fill these out correctly” written in big red letters.
That whole process took 6 months because I procrastinated, and then got pissed off. SO FINALLY I got to visit CITI bank in person during this trip and be like “Close my account, biotch!” to the nice clerk lady. She checked her computer, and I wanted for her to give me forms to fill out. She didn’t. She read her computer for like 10 minutes before I said, “Is there a problem?” She said, “You need to provide these forms: resident card indicating transfer overseas, a certificate of residence, and written notice of oveseas assignment.”
…… I was like, “Um, I don’t have any of that. I’m this one: No documentation is required for foreign nationals with overseas addresses.”
She said, “No, your address in the computer is Japanese.” I said, “Well, I don’t live there. That’s why I need to CHANGE MY ADDRESS.” duh! She said, “But you need to show this paperwork.” I said, “This paperwork DOES NOT EXIST. I quit my job, I live with my MOM in Las Vegas now. I am THIS choice. THIS star.” She said, “You have no job?” I said, “I’m a fighter.” She said, “Do you have proof?” I said, “PROOF? Look at my cell phone picture of me punching this girl.” And I showed her. She was like “O_O OMFG” and pulled out her job manual. “Okay, I check manual.”
Her job manual? OMG
TEN MINUTES AFTER THAT, she ran off to talk to her boss. Not her fault. It’s society’s fault. She could get fired if she did it wrong. It’s a society where people used to commit suicide for making mistakes, mind you. I started thinking, damn, I’m going to be late to my lunch! It’s almost 11 AM! I’ve been here for about 1 hr 45 mins!! I gotta get outta here.
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER she came back and said, “We decide. We don’t change address. We pretend you still in Japan.” And she accepted my form #3, and sent me to the front to get my $17. How EASY was that? I wanted to strangle them all.
TEN MINUTES LATER I was just about to walk out without the $17, but I finally got called to the front, grabbed my money, and literally ran out the door, stiffling the urge to give everybody in the room the middle finger. I sprinted to the station and managed to meet my host mother at 12:00 even! go me. I hate CITI bank and I’m so glad I closed my account.
Wednesday….to be continued…