a world of fascinating.

konichiwa! i have officially been here in japan for 4 whole days. it’s really hard to believe that it’s only been 4 days. i’m not sure if this will make the majority of you happy or sad, but i already feel really comfortable here. not in a “i look anything like anyone here” sort of way, but in a “i could see myself having a really nice life here for a while” way. (sorry, mom.) and i’m sure that this will wane, as these types of feelings always do. but, since it’s such a different situation from my other times abroad, in that i’m super independent from the start (although, thank god for my coworkers who have already helped me a ton. there are so many ways i would have been screwed had they not been willing to help), i’m working full-time right away, i know NONE of the language, and i’m committed to at least a year from the start. with all those things in consideration, it’s really comforting to have even a moment of feeling like i could be comfortable here for at least a year.


some things i think might be contributing to that:

--the independence. i’ve loved all the people who cared for me in my past living situations abroad, but it also feels great to be able to create my own life here from the start. i have SO much to learn, and that’s a bit harder without a “host” family, but being able to come home to my apartment after a long day, have a beer made from sweet potatoes (really!) or a glass of santory whiskey (thinking of bill murray, of course) and read a book is a great, great feeling.

--feeling a bit ignored in public. i know, it seems crazy since i do, of course, stick out. yet, i feel like people are definitely used to seeing white people (although there aren’t many around right now). so, i’m not such a spectacle like i was in sri lanka. and so far, the men aren’t nearly as forward as latin America (or Chicago, for that matter), so sometimes i really do feel nearly ignored when i walk down the street. people look, but then look away as if bored. i kind of love it. i feel like i finally get to be a bit of a fly on the wall, rather than the freak that everyone is staring at. i wonder if perhaps this also has to do with the general state of the country right now, post-disaster. i’m not sure if it’s a huge factor, but i wonder if people are just generally somewhat preoccupied with that.

--my job and my coworkers. although it was a bit overwhelming to be with a bunch of kids speaking a different language the two days immediately after i landed, i think i am going to really love my work at the ymca here. the kids were really sweet and fun, and my coworkers are amazing. i really think i am going to like it there. and after a couple days off (Sunday and Monday are my days off), including some lesson planning and lots of japanese studying, i’m really looking forward to the beginning of my week!


some things i’m a bit nervous/hesitant about:

--japanese is hard! i’m LOVING studying it so far, but it’s really really tough and different. and there is way less English here than i was imagining. including signs, food, etc. as a vegetarian, it’s tough to buy food because i have no idea what’s in it! at least in sri lanka, a lot of labels were in English too. (and someone was cooking my food for me, i guess…). but today, i learned of a Japanese class for foreigners at a community center, and the flyer was in Spanish! so i’m hoping i’ll be able to learn Japanese and meet latinos!

--granted i only looked briefly at one little beauty shop/pharmacy, but they had NO red hair dye. HUGE uh-oh. why would a country of people with black and dark brown hair need a wall full of black and dark brown hair dye?!?!

--although people don’t seem too phased about it, i do feel like a giant in this country. a pale, red-headed (although that might change) giant. it’s nice that a lot of girls wear really high heels, which genuinely makes me not feel that tall. but that doesn’t do anything for the size of my ass.


as for other notables, i found myself thinking the other day, “how do i write about the interesting things i’ve seen, when EVERYTHING is interesting?” no exaggeration, everything here is different and fascinating! literally, if i made a note of everything, like i’d like to, i would be writing CONSTANTLY. i’ll try to pick out some biggies below. the others will, i’m sure, come up in future posts.

--i would describe the neighborhood i live in (for you Chicagoans, at least) as a mixture of wicker park and Lincoln park, with a little boystown thrown in. there is a lot of super hipster style. a lot of young people. but it’s much cleaner and prettier than wicker park. and there’s some pretty gender-bending styles as well. and some (actually, a LOT of) super short skirts. often paired with long socks. today i saw a super hipster little family, both young parents with really funky clothes, hair, shoes, and glasses, and a double stroller! it took all my strength not to get out my camera.

--there are also salons and coffee shops EVERYWHERE in my neighborhood. the coffee shops i like, of course. (aside (if i were david foster Wallace, this would be an awesome footnote): as i began in chile, i will continue to defend the starbucks business model. throughout the world, i have ALWAYS been made to feel more welcomed and cared for at startbucks than any other business. i’m not even ashamed to say that i’ve already gone a couple times here, and will continue to do so.)

--bikes! i love that people ride them everywhere, and i’m planning to get one myself within the next month or two. but the CRAZY thing is that they don’t lock them up!!! it’s literally almost too much for me to comprehend. today, when i was walking around with my friend/coworker yuko, i kept saying, “but, really? they just leave them there? i don’t get it? why don’t they get stolen???” she replied, “i guess they do, sometimes. but not like America. when i lived in America, i had 2 bikes stolen!” mmm…home sweet home.

--aftershocks. i’ve already felt a couple, and it’s pretty crazy. but, nothing scary at all, actually. i wrote in my journal the other day:

it’s so strange to be constantly aware of the movement of the earth—of the world around me, actually. as i sit in bed and read, with my back against the wall, i can’t tell if the movement i feel is the earth moving or my own heart beating. it sounds a bit terrifying, but it’s also an incredible feeling of connection with the earth.

it sounds a bit cheesy, but it’s really such a unique feeling. some of you may know what i’m talking about.

--the food is really, really good. it’s very different, but good. i will talk more about that when i can put pictures up on facebook. i’ll make sure to put the link here, just in case. (everyone who reads this is on facebook, right? if not, stop reading this and make a facebook account.)

--there really are vending machines everywhere! i’m so glad i don’t have to walk ONE block (no exaggeration, i bet there’s at least one on every block) without a soda, water, coffee, or juice of some sort!



i could probably go on forever, so i will stop for now. this post is already pretty crazy long. but, at least i was able to give the first run-down of my life here. thank you so much for checking in on me. i am doing well. i am happy. if you would like to send me anything (why yes, i love mail and care packages!) my address is:

7-16 Sugawara-Cho #402
Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan 350-0046

i will hopefully be posting pictures on fb soon. (check to the right for a picture of where i live. the pic was taken from my apt window.) and updating here at least once a week. please do send me an email when you get a chance to let me know what is going on with you, how you are doing, and some interesting things you have experienced lately. (and don’t you dare say nothing. even an apple is a swirling mix of protons, neutrons and electrons—so interesting. and delicious.) i would love to hear from you, especially if you’ve taken the time to read all this.

domo arigato. sayonara.