Bank Adventure

I know I haven't written on here in a while. I have been meaning to and so many things just keep coming up. I will try to be more consistent and I will get back to writing about how I am doing and what God is teaching me, but for today I want to tell you about my adventure at the bank.

I had to go to the bank today to transfer some money to pay for a plane ticket. I can transfer money with my Japanese bank card at the equivalent of the ATM, but its all in Japanese. So, I asked JuShin to come with me. We left a little before school was out and I made sure to grab my wallet and the paper that had the information about the transfer.

When we got there I put my card in and then realize I couldn't remember my pin number! I knew what the 4 numbers were, but I couldn't remember for the life of me what order they went in. So, I tried it one way and the machine allowed JuShin to put in the information for the transfer and then it said sorry it was the wrong password. So, I tried a different combination, still no. Then another one, still no. Finally after the fourth one the machine spit out my card. So, we took the card into the bank and JuShin explained that I couldn't remember my pin number. The lady took my card and checked it and said sorry your card isn't good anymore, you tried too many times. Apparently you can only try 4 times (in one visit) to get your pin number right and then the card is bad. I guess its a good way to prevent random people from being able to use your card, but really, only 4 tries!

Then the lady asked JuShin if I had my bank book and hanko (japanese seal used in lieu of a signature in many documents) with me, because if I did I could use it to withdraw the money and then they could wire it to the place for me and I would also need the bank book and hanko to be able to get a new card. Of course I hadn't bring it, so we decided to come back later. I just decided it wasn't worth it to try to withdraw the money and wire it, so I paid for the ticket with my credit card and my bank account in the states (which is probably what I should have done all along).

We went back to the bank later and this time I brought my bank book and hanko with me. When we got there the lady immediately recognized us and JuShin explained that I didn't need to do the transfer anymore, but I still needed to get a new card. She gave us the paperwork and sent us over to a table to fill it out. Basically I just had to write my name, the date and my address. I just moved over Christmas (I'll tell you about it another time) so I had no idea what my address was, so we just put school's address. While we were filling out the sheet the lady came over and asked if I had my AR card with me. Well, somehow I hadn't brought my wallet, so of course I didn't have my AR with me. Thankfully we didn't end up needing it.

When we were done filling out the paperwork the lady came over and made sure we had filled in all the areas we needed to and then asked me for my hanko. She did all of the stamping with it, which I think is pretty funny but made it go much faster. Then she had me write down what my new pin number would be while she and JuShin looked away (the number cannot be your birthday, the last four digits of your phone number, or all the same number). Of course she reminded me many times to make sure it was a number I could remember this time! After I had written it down she put a sticker over each side of the paper so no one could see it and then had to hanko the edge of the sticker too (like a seal). Finally we were done.

Then she got out my bank book and compared. I had written my name in English and in Japanese on the form, but I had left off my middle name when writing it in English. And I had written it Hardeman, Kelsey instead of HARDEMAN KELSEY BETH (the way it is on the bank book). Which apparently makes a big difference. So, the lady goes into the back of the bank to talk to someone and comes back with a new blank form that we have to fill out. We have to fill out the same exact form all because I didn't write my name in capital letters and she had already hankoed the whole paper. Thankfully JuShin was allowed to fill it out this time (her Japanese looks much better than mine and she is much faster writing it). Then we had to go through the whole procedure again of writing my new pin number covering it with stickers and hankoing the whole document.

Finally we take it up to the counter and all of it looks good. And then they ask for the old bank card (since I will be getting a new one in the mail in a few weeks). Of course since I didn't bring my wallet I don't have the old card. So, after all that we have to go back tomorrow! We also have to change the date on the paperwork (since it will be tomorrow's date), so we have to hanko the change as well.

It was quite the adventure and I was really thankful JuShin was there to translate and help me through it all. We spent most of the time laughing at how crazy it all was and how stupid I was for forgetting so many things! Lesson learned: I will now bring anything even remotely connected to the bank with me whenever I go to the bank.