Observations

Let me start this post by saying that I feel better. I'm still a bit homesick, maybe, but I'm feeling good about being here. I'm not physically ill anymore. Except for the lack of sleep, I'm doing really well.

I know that I've only been in Japan for two and a half months, but I've been doing a lot of thinking. There is actually quite a large number of things that I've started to take for granted. Well, no. I don't think that's the case. I don't know that I would say I take them for granted. I think it could be better described as things that I've started to become accustomed to. Let's talk about this a little bit, and see if we can't figure out what I'm trying to say.

Convenience - There are more vending machines within a kilometer of my house than there are in all of Tujunga (where I live in LA). They are almost literally on every street corner. In Tokyo, they are definitely on every street corner. But consider the fact that I live in a town of about ten thousand people. That's small, where I come from. There's even a Seven Eleven in Kamigori, which was actually very surprising for me. I guess what I'm trying to say is this: within reason, it's easy to get what you want, when you want it. It's the "getting things you need when when you need them" part that can be a challenge.

Tidiness - This is something that one cannot easily describe. In Los Angeles (and San Diego, for that matter), there is an underlying grittiness to just about everything. That's how it feels, anyway. Not to say that everything is dirty, and there's litter everywhere. I think it's at least as much about the attitude of the people around you. In Japan, there are almost no public trash cans. There are lots of places to get rid of recycling, but this just goes hand-in-hand with the proliferation of vending machines. You can offload cans and bottles all over the place, but not trash. Despite this, there is virtually no litter. People just seem to care more, here. Which is a good segue into...

Tolerance and consideration - People in Japan are nice. Even if they are not really "nice," they are at least not obstructive. Most, however, are genuinely considerate of others. This is a great change from Los Angeles. I almost feel more welcome here than I do in LA. I'm not talking about my house and my family. I'm talking about the general public. There is a safety here that I've never felt anywhere else. I'm almost afraid of what being back in LA will feel like.

General awesomeness - This includes many things. Badass old Japanese castles are within a half-hour train ride. Arcades (called "game centers" here) are stocked with fully-working, non-vandalized cabinets. And the prizes to be won are incredibly cool. All Japanese snacks all the time. Some of the weirdest and most interesting television shows in the world. Plus commercials. Great restaurants. The list goes on.

As I've been here for almost three months, it will be time to return to the US soon. Two weeks from tomorrow, to be exact. I still don't know how long my stay will be before I'm back here. I'm definitely excited to go home for a while. I miss Jen. I miss my friends. I miss my family. It will be good.

Here's a quick rundown (with pictures!) of some of the things I've been up to lately.

field trips with the preschool


letting random kids wear my sunglasses


finding my way into the abandoned junior high school


lunches with the Imaoka Family


going to the driving range with Ikki


And I added a sweet new calendar to the sidebar. Check it out.

Confusion

I've been experiencing some weird things, lately. I don't mean things that are happening in Japan, but things that are happening to me because of Japan. If that makes any sense. I think that I'm having a weird case of shock. I'm not going to call it culture shock, because I'm positive that's not what's happening. Maybe lifestyle shock? Daniel told me that it's pretty normal to be totally fine for a while, then suddenly feel messed up. Just about all of my normal habits have changed, and I think that my body is feeling it. I don't eat the same, I don't sleep the same. Man, I don't even think the same. That part might be culture shock, a little. Hopefully I'll start feeling better soon.

I have been hanging out with Daniel a bit since my last post. I went to his house and met his family, and that was really cool. He lives with his Japanese wife and her parents. He also has a new baby. So I met all of his family in Japan. We stayed up super late and played Wii games all night. In the morning I helped him mow the lawn and clean up the yard a bit while his family was at church. This is an interesting sentence to write about a Japanese household. His in-laws are Christian, and they live in a western style house out in Ishii. Which is near Sayo. Which is kinda' close to Kamigori, but takes a long time to get to. After mowing the lawn, his family came home and made me some delicious okonomiyaki. Overall, it was a good time.

Last weekend I went to Otsu with the Imaoka family. We went shopping, but I didn't really buy anything. I got something for myself, because it was cheap. But I was looking for souvenirs for people back home. There is just so much cool stuff here that I don't even really know where to start. I'll have to write a list or something. Otsu is near Himeji. We went to a bunch of game stores, too. Imaoka sensei even introduced me to a huge anime store in Himeji that I wasn't even aware of. And it's right next to the station. Guess I just missed it every time I went there.

Jen bought her tickets to come out in August. I'm very excited about that. I'll be back in LA for a short time in the beginning of July, but it will be fun for Jen to come to Japan again. I can show her a whole new side of Japan. We went to Tokyo last October, and that was awesome. But it will be cool to show her around the countryside, instead of the city. I can't wait.

There are no pictures today, because I'm having trouble with my Flickr account. I do have the option of uploading images directly to the blog, but I don't like the way they are handled here. Next time, I promise. And it won't be so long between posts.

Now, I have a private lesson to give. More soon.