Things Happen for a Reason

It is snowing in Victoria. This makes me very sad.

Anyways, this isn't what the post is about. I just thought I'd comment on how much little white stuff from above makes me an unhappy girl.

I am a big believer in things happening for a reason. Not in a religious sort of way. More like, subconsciously you knew that these things needed to be and thus, made it happen that way.

When I was in Japan, I got a promotion. With it came about a 300 dollar raise per month. Except that suddenly, I went from part time to full time. And with full time came paying into health care and the national pension. So basically, I got 20 bucks a month more to do a shit load more work.

Sucky? Yes. But because I was not planning on living in Japan my whole life (yeah, right) I could cash out the pension when I left the country. It was brilliant. Like enforced savings.

For the whole year I was a supervisor, I safe guarded my little blue pension book. It was like holy mecca. The key to the money. The reason for all my suffering. Kept safe in my desk at work and when the time came to leave, safely transported home.

Except when I returned to Canada, there was no blue book. I went through everything! EVERYTHING! It was no where. And thus, all that money that I had slaved for evaporated.

I called the company. They couldn't do anything. I called my old boss. She tried to get me a new book but because she wasn't family, nothing could be done. I needed to do it but they only spoke Japanese.

Alas.

Eight hundred dollars of pension down the tubes. Move on. It's just money.

Fast forward a year. I finally have gotten over the fact that the money is gone. I should just throw out all the forms to claim the money. I pull out the folder and dump the contents. And there. In the middle of all the forms. In clearly, the only place I didn't check. Out slid a tiny blue book with Japanese writing on it. Pension!

Yes, it was an OMG OMG OMG moment.

So, I filled it out and sent it away. And nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Months.

I despair. It got lost in the mail (I don't have the greatest confidence in Canada Post). My friend emails me that she sent hers in July (I sent mine in May) and she had gotten a letter about it already. I figure that this money is not meant to be.

I focus on studying. But school is expensive and I have gotten used to living on much more money. And then the day comes. I have 30 dollars in my savings and 1 in my chequing and a whole hell of a lot on my credit card. Broke my friends. I went home. Opened my mailbox. And there inside was a letter with Japanese writing.

My pension was on its way. Check the date. It was going to appear in my account the next day! And... go to xe.com and work out the conversion... it is over double what I had expected.

So the money came and I have been saved for the rest of the year. Happy day.

If I had gotten the money last year or even last summer, I would have blown it. It came the day I truly needed it. Perhaps the book knew this and that is why I couldn't find it for so long.

S.