Helpful Advice
In a poignant twist, the word of the day for January 1, 2009 will define my year:
The BBC also gave me some very helpful advice regarding jetlag. Anyone who has crossed an ocean has experienced the phenomenon of waking in the middle of the night with horrible hunger pangs. Scientists have "discovered" that we have two separate internal clocks--one that controls sleep, and one that controls hunger--and the "feeding clock" is actually more powerful than the circadian clock. So, if you avoid eating, your body will remain awake until you eat. The article included this extremely helpful example:
If, for example, you are travelling from the US to Japan, you are forced to adjust to an 11-hour time difference.
Because the body's biological clock can only shift a small amount each day, it takes the average person about a week to adjust to the new time zone. . . .
A period of fasting with no food at all for about 16 hours is enough to engage this new clock.
So, in this case, simply avoiding any food on the plane, and then eating as soon as you land, should help you to adjust and avoid some of the uncomfortable feelings of jet lag.
Dually noted! Thanks BBC!
I also got an answer about the visa issue: It takes approximately 4-6 weeks after one receives sponsorship from an employer to receive a visa through Japanese immigration. It takes the same amount of time to receive a voucher from immigration to get a visa through a Japanese embassy. So it's a relief to know that I'll be saving a few hundred dollars in delaying my visit to South Korea (because I will no longer be changing my visa there) until I have a job and can actually afford it.
The BBC also gave me some very helpful advice regarding jetlag. Anyone who has crossed an ocean has experienced the phenomenon of waking in the middle of the night with horrible hunger pangs. Scientists have "discovered" that we have two separate internal clocks--one that controls sleep, and one that controls hunger--and the "feeding clock" is actually more powerful than the circadian clock. So, if you avoid eating, your body will remain awake until you eat. The article included this extremely helpful example:
If, for example, you are travelling from the US to Japan, you are forced to adjust to an 11-hour time difference.
Because the body's biological clock can only shift a small amount each day, it takes the average person about a week to adjust to the new time zone. . . .
A period of fasting with no food at all for about 16 hours is enough to engage this new clock.
So, in this case, simply avoiding any food on the plane, and then eating as soon as you land, should help you to adjust and avoid some of the uncomfortable feelings of jet lag.
Dually noted! Thanks BBC!
I also got an answer about the visa issue: It takes approximately 4-6 weeks after one receives sponsorship from an employer to receive a visa through Japanese immigration. It takes the same amount of time to receive a voucher from immigration to get a visa through a Japanese embassy. So it's a relief to know that I'll be saving a few hundred dollars in delaying my visit to South Korea (because I will no longer be changing my visa there) until I have a job and can actually afford it.