Signing my life away...

Today was a momentous day for Nathan and I... not only did I drive for the first time by myself (and not get lost), go to the supermarket on my own (and not get lost) whilst Nathan took the train and then bus to work (and not get lost) but we also signed on for our new apartment.
If it wasn't for our trusty translator (Tom)who held our hand through the entire process it could have been a complete nightmare! Luckily for us it actually turned out to be quite fun.
There were a million and one forms to be filled out (I did my best to smile and nod whilst the real estate lady did her best to explain what I needed to do).
Getting the keys was pretty exciting but not nearly as exciting as getting to use my new inkan (signature stamp) for the first time. Here in Japan instead of having a signature each person has a special 'seal' with their name on it which is used to 'sign' official documents. I have to admit I was pretty chuffed with my ultra-styley purple inkan!
Next step... organising to have the electricity, gas and water turned on. Thank god for our trusty translators!