Roving Japan

On Friday I put in my official 2 week notice with my job. My last day will be March 27th!

We are planning to get a UHaul and head up to Eugene on March 30th!

Japanese people are amazing. They do their jobs happily and efficiently! I turned in the visa application just a couple of days ago, and BAM it’s done. Did I mention it was also FREE???

Risa bought the tickets today!

2 Tickets, One-Way.

We leave April 14th at 2:25pm. Non-Stop from Portland to Tokyo. Flying on Northwest Airlines.

I turned in the Visa application today.

It amazes me how easy it is to get this Japanese visa. For the grand total of $0, I will be granted 1year of residency and permission to work. The entire process is also super fast. I will get the visa on Thursday!

Just to compare, a US Greencard takes about a year to process and costs about $1500. And that’s on the fast track for spouses!

When I get the visa, we will have 90 days to enter Japan. No turning back now!

Blogging is going to be key for a successful trip through Japan. We want all of our friends and family to follow along as we trek through the countryside. So one of my biggest decisions is going to be HOW I blog the adventure.

I have been researching various mobile devices that might fulfill our needs, and I seem to be stuck choosing between the Apple iPhone, and the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet.

iPhone

PRO: Smaller than the Nokia Cellular connection gives it more range GPS Fast Internet Browser over cellular network Camera Free (With 2yr contract) CON: Tiny keyboard Writing while ‘offline’ could be a huge pain Battery life Have to get a 2yr service plan Slave to Apple software updates

Nokia N810

PRO Physical QWERTY Keyboard (But I’ve never tested it in person) Skype Offline Blogging (Uploads when you get a connection) Open source Linux based OS GPS Big screen No service plans CON Keyboard gets mixed reviews No cellular connectivity. Requires Bluetooth or wi-fi to get online $340 No Camera Slightly bigger than the iPhone

So it seems to come down to which keyboard I am more comfortable with, and whether or not it matters that the iPhone can’t really function as a journal if we are out of range. (No copy and paste between iPhone Notes and other applications)

If anyone has any ideas, I welcome them.

Update:
After breaking down the pricing, both devices are competitive.

iPhone

Device: $0
Service: $45.60/mo x 4mo = $182.40
BatteryExtender: $100
SolarPanels: $79.99 + $9.99 Adapter

Total Price: $372.38

Nokia N810
Device: $339.99
Service: $0
BatteryExtender: None
SolarPanels: $79.99

Total Price: $419.98

So the Nokia would end up being cheaper after the 5th month of use, and would require less accessories. But the iPhone would probably have more long-term functionality, as we would continue to use it once the trip was over.

Also, neither device will suffer from lack of connectivity. A quick check of the Softbank Mobile coverage map and a wireless hotspot map, shows me that connecting will be pretty easy to do for both devices.