Thursday, July 31, 2008

Ossu?

Well, here I am. Safe and sound and in Saitama. It`s a very nice place. It reminds of my small hometown in a lot of ways. There are fields everywhere, and it has a nice rural feel to it. Of course, it is much bigger than where I grew up, but it combines the rural and the residential in a really cool way. I`m not sure how to photos on this blog, but if I can`t figure out how to do it, I`ll include a link to a photobucket account or something.
I really intended to update more often than I`ve been able to. I don`t have the internet at my apartment, yet...which has actually been the cause of a great deal of stress. Long story, really. First day that I got into Saitama, I met up with two representitives for Saitama. One was very nice, though he didn`t speak hardly any English. The other spoke okay English (L-San!), but it was still rudimentary (which is fine, you know? I`m here to teach it...at least there`s someone who can help me order food). I was really jetlagged, and had not been eating hardly anything because I`d been so nervous, and wasn`t sleeping hardly at all. I kept having this weird vertigo sort of sweep over me, where I`d feel certain I was about to fall over. So, after all this, I get taken to a government office where I need to pick up a Gaijin card. And already my body is like, failing me...and I was making an effort to speak japanese, but people kept laughing, probably not at me...but it didn`t help me feel any better. After all this, I get introduced to the mayor, who I then horribly offend with my lack of etiquette concerning meishi (business cards). I had bowed a lot and said polite things like `Please continue to look favorably on me` and things...which I understand could be funny. But, then someone comes into the office, and bows really deeply, like a full bow...as if he were greeting the emperor or something, and introduced himself as `a Japanese man.` I felt like he was having a go at me, so I introduced myself as `stupid foreigner`. ...Then the office got really quiet, and I was sent home for two days holiday.
I took it really hard initially like...`Oh, how did I mess up so much?` But...really, I`m trying here. I`m trying to learn the language, I`m trying to have a good time along the way, and if that`s not what I`m supposed to do, they can send me home.
The last couple of days have been really horrible, though. I`m totally over it now...but just sitting at home, sleeping 12 hours, waking up at 5 in the morning and not having anything to do all day but sit is hard. It felt like some strange kind of torture. Like...there`s no contact to the outside world, I don`t know anyone here, I can`t meet them because I don`t speak japanese yet, there was no internet, I can`t understand the TV, etc. ...Only, I couldn`t leave my house, because it was the only way my bosses could contact me, you know? I went for a couple of short walks, but ultimately, I just had a bit of a cry on the phone (I called my brother and mother, paying god knows how much for direct international calls...I considered it an emergency at the time).
Anyway...this is deviating from my initial plan for this blog. I didn`t want to get too personal, but for all my friends and family reading, I had my first freakout, but I`m doing much, much better now. As soon as I get the internet at my apartment, I`ll be fantastic.
As far as Tokyo Orientation goes...that was truly amazing. I mean...getting up early, and getting well-dressed (my school is aparently super laid back...so I have all these dress-clothes for nothing. I`m going to wear them, and my kids will think I`m just some straight-laced dude...*shudder), and sitting through long, hot lectures was a bit taxing. But, after that, we`d go karaoke (which I did for the first time...and it was AMAZINGLY fun), or hit up an Izakaya (bar and restaurant). I even got a drink on top of the Keio building, overlooking all of Tokyo. Pretty amazing things. I met really cool people, and got very excited to teach...especially grade school. I`ll essentially be like Barnie without a costume. ...Tight.

I miss one person in particular, and it`s hard to think about a whole year without them.

Hello, to all my friends, from Japan.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh Jake Looby, its all good.

Doc Ryder said...

Hey man, jist remember, no matter how bad you feel,and no matter how far from home you are (or feel...), people here love you and are proud of you. NO MATTER WHAT!! So let the bad stuff roll off your bac,and let the good stuff become memories, and dont get bogged down with regrets. WOW!! that was a ramble!

Barbara said...

Hi, Jake. You are in our thoughts and prayers now that you are in our hearts. We wish you the very best. Please don't eat the raw fish...yuk :) Peace, Barbara

Anonymous said...

"I miss one person in particular"

Oh, Jake... I know it's hard to leave me, but I will be here when you come back. ; )