Well, I've been in Japan for exactly one week, two days, two hours, and thirty nine point five minutes. I say this because it's really been a long week. My mood swings back and forth, and I'm really not thrilled to be here. I anticipated being homesick, but you never really prepare yourself for those empty, helpless feelings.
I'm really grateful for their help and friendship, but I just miss everyone back home too much to really appreciate it. My outlook on the next two years (ugh!) ranges from the possibility that things will be great, to utter despair and repetition of "oh my God, why am I here?" One minute I'll be fairly optimistic, the next I'm crying my eyes out.
The first thing I did when my phone was connected was call home, just to hear mom and dad's voices. I then called Robin, and then Stephanie. It was so good to talk to them, as we're all going through a difficult time.
My yearning for home has me reading C.S. Lewis books over and over, and looking at road maps of Iowa. I even spent $1.50 to take the 15 minute train ride to school because there was a letter from home at the office there (actually there turned out to be four oh how wonderful!!).
It's really not that bad here, but right now I just can't stand it here. My biggest fear is lack of communication. I thought more people would know English here- especially at school, but so far only about 10% that I've met can speak enough English to tell me their name. I shudder to think of how my classes are going to be...
Well, so far I'm slowly branching out into the city to get things done. Not surprisingly shopping was the first thing I mastered. Then again, it doesn't take much skill to give my items to the checkout person and hand them my money. It does take nerve to just go out though. I'm already tired of being stared at, especially by children- they seem so rude, but I guess are just curious about the "gaizin" (foreign person). But geez, you can't pick your nose or nothing, because someone is always watching.
So far I've grocery shopped, bought and sent off letters, and knick knack shopped all by myself. I've also purchased a train ticket and ridden the train to my school in Koro and back (that was when I was desperate to see what mail I had gotten). So I'm slowly getting brave enough to be on my own, but not in regards to big things. K's help me there.
Speaking of which, I spend a lot of time at their house. They live alone in a 3 story apartment building. It has potential, but needs work. The other day I help Karl saw down part of a tree. After we sawed it down, we had to further saw it to put the branches in boxes to be picked up by the garbage men. Imagine if you will two grown men sawing big branches into little branches and putting them in boxes the size of a small suitcase...only in Japan.
Today's shopping excursion produced some rice bowls, a tea cup, stationery, forks, slippers, and this journal (that's why my first entry is now and not a week ago)(do you know how hard it is to find journals where the lines go horizontally??)(Japanese journals go up and down and backwards).
I guess I should say a word or two about my overnight with G's. They live in Tokyo and have the neatest house and yard. They actually have grass. Most of the neighbors around them have built two or three other houses in their yards and thusly have none, but G's have grass and neat trees and shrubs around the fence bordering their yard. Jerry and his wife Mary Jean were very nice, and helped orient me to the orient...ha ha!
Well, not a whole lot more to say at this point. School starts April 8th, so I still have another week, or so, until I really have anything to do- which is kind of making me crazy. If it weren't for a meeting of the tendai (Jr. college) English teachers last Thursday, I could still be in Iowa for another 2 weeks, and the meeting wasn't that important. But, I guess it's good to have these two weeks to get used to my apartment, my city, etc. before they throw teaching, grading, etc. etc. in my face. So, until next time...sayoonara.
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