1 Week In

Mina-san, Konnichiwa!

So the past week has been amazing. Before I came to Japan, I did a lot of research into Japanese culture, and what it would be like to live here as a foreigner. But there are some things that you honestly can't know until you experience them, and I want to touch on them before talking about what I've been doing.

Let me start off by saying, everyone that I've tried to talk to (shop clerks, friends, etc.) has been really, really nice, and they never seem to get frustrated because I can't speak Japanese very well. They just smile or laugh and try really hard to understand my meaning (which usually after I start saying random words as clues they understand and are eager to continue). I find this really refreshing when I think about some people in NA who just get mad or give up if someone's english isn't up to par with their standards, which, in my experience, happens quite a bit.

Simon also noticed a reoccurring theme in the way we were commenting on Japanese technology. I knew beforehand that Japan (in the cities) was ahead of the curve, but we found ourselves saying, "Wow, that's such a good idea" on many different occasions. To name a few, when you flush the toilet, there is a tap on top of it that begins to run so you can wash your hands, and this water is used to fill the toilet. How efficient. Another one along the lines of cleanliness is that McDonalds has a hand washing station next to the door as you leave, grease be gone! The country is just so convenient, and its beginning to shine through the more I try new things.

Anyways back to some cultural differences, they always said that the Japanese keep to themselves in public, because they don't want to be a Meiwaku (a bother). When I first heard about the "train molestors", I always shocked, and wondered why the women wouldn't just call out for help. But after being here for a week, I'm starting to get why they might just stand in silence. Everyone really, REALLY keeps to themselves. Even in restaurants, a lot of the people will just sit and eat, or perhaps have a really quiet conversation. When Simon and I go out it feels like we are the only ones conversing in the world. I wonder if we just look like a couple of loud americans.

I know I rambled a lot but I really wanted to express just what it feels like to be a foreigner, and it may take a lot of change before I start feeling like I fit in (if at all). So back to the blog.

The past week has actually been quite busy for me. I applied to a bunch of English teaching jobs, and even heard back from a few of them already. They seem really eager to meet me and want to set up interviews for this week. I'm pretty excited and also a little nervous, since one of the interviews requires a demo lesson. But then I remember that all I have to do is speak my native tongue and follow the rules set out by by TEFL class and I should be fine.

To prepare, Simon and I ventured to find a Uniclo the other day to pick up some spiffy collared shirts. After getting very lucky with our aimless wandering, we bought some cheap, stylish shirts while listening to vulgar english music that went seemingly unnoticed to the non-english speakers of the store.

In the process of applying for interviews, I also signed up for a site called "Conversation Exchange". Since I don't really know anyone here, I thought it would be a good to meet some Japanese locals who can speak a little English. Right away I was receiving messages and responses from a variety of japanese-english enthusiasts, and I even met up with one them yesterday over tea. Having friends is going to make this whole experience a lot easier, and yesterday was the most fun I've had since arriving.

Not everything is looking up Mil-house however. A week straight of eating from the konbini food and mcdonalds has taken its toll on our stomachs. The food isn't particularly unhealthy, but it doesn't leave you wanting more. So to change things up, I went shopping at a grocery store and bought what I believed to be ingredients for curry, but once again, it was all in this foreign language, and the only successful ingredient was rice. Cooking is hard. So after that we transitioned back into konbini bentos, but like Simon says, "after I eat this meal, I feel like I have nothing to look forward to in life". He says it all in good fun but there is some truth to it. I learned a useful phrase from my conversation exchange friend. "Chanto tabenakuya dame", You must eat properly.

Also, side-bar. For a country with basically no garbage on the streets, there are absolutely no garbage disposals. I don't know where to put something when I'm out, so if you buy a vending machine drink, you better be prepared to carry it all the way home and wait until garbage day haha (I learned this the hard way).

So that concludes my week 1 experience. On the list of things to do... attend the job interviews, meet more people from language exchange, and for the love of god, chanto tabemasu!