Settling in

I guess my first couple of weeks here haven't been as productive as I would have liked them to be. I feel like the one major thing holding me back from getting stuff taken care of is my lack of Alien Registration Card. If anyone knows why it takes so freaking long to get that card, could you please leave a comment? I'd like to know. I still need a cellular phone and a bank account.
Besides wandering around Ashikaga trying to find life's necessities like city-regulation garbage bags and public fax machines...I visited some other parts of Ashikaga, like the Orihime shrine that is actually not far from me at all!
Orihime is the princess from the Tanabata legend. On the 7th day of the 7th month is the Tanabata festival, when Orihime is reunited with her love, Hikoboshi.
I suppose it is always auspicious to visit your local neighborhood shrine when you move in, right? So, I threw my money in the box, rang the bell, clapped my hands and bowed.

I've been kind of lonely since I don't know a whole lot of people here in town, but I managed to cure my loneliness by hanging out with some people from work this past week. Went to Ueno Park & Zoo, and to Hanami at Kichijoji park this past Sunday. My first couple experiences with the Tokyo metro system have been completely overwhelming. Mostly because everyone keeps to the left instead of the right like in Kansai. Also because Tokyo is just a huge city. It just... goes...