I realize that it's been a while, but I honestly don't find much about my day-to-day working life worth writing about (I really doubt that those of you that read this want to read my rants of the annoying kids that are peppered throughout my week's classes). I do realize that I am already taking many things for granted that are alien to our own culture, but it's hard to step back and see what those things are on my own. Anyway, I know I have a decent amount to say now and will do so.
Familiar Things
I have spent the last two months getting accustomed to my daily life and the city that I now live in. I will admit that this has proved harder than I expected and hoped, but is now the less going well. I have met a few friends here, but most all of them are foreigners (I've learned that the Japanese people tend to form fairly tight-knit groups and it can be quite difficult to get into one, especially when they wont approach me assuming that I can't speak Japanese). But along with the new people that I have met I have been shown different parts of the city (one of the foreigners has a car). Since I am now aware of more places I decided to spring for a bike so I can actually get around more. On top of now having the familiarity of a bike, I just had steak yesterday for the first time in over six months, which was pretty cool and delicious. I have also since found a restaurant that serves hamburgers fairly close to American style of hamburgers, because everything else available doesn't come close.
Familiar Faces
Almost two weeks ago a friend of mine came to Japan for about a weeks visit, during which I spent what time I could showing him the sights that I have become familiar with. It was pretty cool not only being able to share the stuff I've seen with someone, but also (and probably more so) being able to actually talk and joke with a friend. I showed him around Matsumoto, during which we stopped by a sake brewery that does tours.. Since it was a holiday they apparently weren't doing the tours that day, but we walked around for a little bit then went to the 'gift shop' for a once over. As we walked in, one of the shop ladies took out 12 bottles of sake and said that we should help ourselves to tasting them, which we did with gusto! Now, my friend isn't a heavy drinker, but he none the less was more than willing to give some of the free sake a try. I, on the other hand, was happily about halfway through the twelve bottles in front of me when the shop lady mentioned a special sake that I could try, but this one cost 300 yen, I gladly accepted (300 yen, ~$3, doesn't mean much here) and she brought forth a big sake glass full of it. It was more than worth it, but that wasn't going to deter me from finishing my quest of tasting the rest of the twelve bottles in front of me! By the time we left the shop, my friend was weighed down with one bottle of sake while I was laden with not only the two bottles that I bought (one of which was the special bottle) as well as a reasonable buzz. After our day in Matsumoto Jon went on to Kyoto then next day as I had to return to work.
Familiar Places
Sunday morning I met up with Jon in Tokyo and I showed him what I could of the bustling metropolitan in the day and a half the followed. Although it was an extremely busy day and a half, I really enjoyed it, again not only because of the company, but the places that I was seeing again. I will freely admit that living in Tokyo would be quite hard, and that working there would be crazy, but I became quite fond to the places and crazy people that are there. I relished in being able to walk around the places that had become familiar to me in my first three months in Japan. On Sunday alone I showed Jon the 'goths in Harajuku, the electronic shops of Akihabara, the crossing at Shibuya, all ending with sushi in Tsukiji. We all but ran from place to place trying to catch all of the highlights that Tokyo holds while having to skip the more relaxed and subtle nooks and crannies of which Tokyo holds many! By the time we said our good byes on Monday (me heading back to Matsumoto for work the next day, him to explore the remaining bits of Tokyo on his own) I was exhausted and quite disappointed in leaving a friend again, it felt sadly similar to my initial departure to Japan, minus most of the excitement of the unknown, but also the despair and fear of it.
