Things I still need to find out, part #1 of one assumes several

When I started this blog, I set myself the goal of publishing something new every one or two days. I figure that if I want to be any kind of professional writer, I'd better learn to meet a deadline, even if its self-imposed. Part of the problem with this is that sometimes I just feel like I don't have anything all that interesting to write about; other times, I have ideas that turn out to be too big for a single blog post, or that can't be properly developed in a single twenty-or-so-minute burst of typing. My hope is that I can learn to pace myself well enough so that I can have a regular stream of properly developed "big posts" with a few relatively smaller posts to keep things on moving.

With that in mind, here's quick list I wrote up today of things I still have to find out about living in Japan.

1) How should I go about getting a mobile phone? 

I want to get an iPhone 4s, to go along with the MacBook Pro I'm hoping to buy sometime this summer. From what I know, the only telecomm company in Japan that carries iPhones is SoftBank. Can I buy a unit here in Canada and bring it Japan, or will I have to buy the phone in Japan from SoftBank? Will I need to go to a big city like Koriyama to get an iPhone, or can I get one in Shirakawa? (if these questions seem a little naive, it's probably because I've never been on a smartphone plan before. . .)

2) How do I get around in Shirakawa? 

What's public transit like in Shirakawa? Can I get a bike in Japan which will support a 6'7" frame? Will I need to drive to get around the district?

Answer: It looks like I'll need to buy a car. I've been told that the Shirakawa Board of Education might help me out with finding a car to purchase. This will be pretty cool, since driving in Japan is itself an new and alien experience.

They drive on the left side.

It's a completely different kind of driving!

3) Student Loans

How will I arrange for my student loans to keep getting paid? I probably find out more about this once I get my bank account set up, but it might not hurt to ask if anyone in JET paid their student loans while in Japan. I might also have to talk to the Canada student loan office.

4) Science!™ ?

I know that many ALTs take part in volunteer activities not directly connected with their duties as English teachers. Are there any science-related activities, like science fairs, science/physics clubs, etc. that I could take part in? Are there any other JETs with scientific background?

I'll try asking these questions to some of the JET folks who've contacted me. Then, maybe, I'll post the answers I get, either in this post or a new one.

Also, if anyone here has answers, feel free to comment!