Wednesday we left Tokyo for Shizuoka – a 3 hour bus ride. We stopped somewhere along the way, although I don’t remember where and wish that I did, for lunch. I had a delicious tempura-soba, (soba noodles in broth, with chopped vegetables mixed with baby shrimp and fried tempura style, and completed with green onions). The meal was AMAZING and by far the best soba I have ever had, and I am sad I didn’t remember where we stopped because I would love to go there again, just for the soba. Then a friend and I went in search of soft-serve ice cream, and ordered the green tea/vanilla swirl. Someone informed me, as I was licking my ice cream, that Shizuoka folks love their soft serve, and that its everywhere in all kinds of flavors. I almost fell off my seat I was so in shock by this. Soft serve everywhere??? To a Seattlite who has lacked DQ the past the five years, this is truly a euphoric experience.Upon arrival in Shiz, we had to give some nerve-wracking speeches to our supervisors and carted off to our respective cities and towns. The first thing my supervisor asked was if I liked Ichiro Suzuki, to which I laughed and said the Mariners are from my city (a better response than: …yes I suppose except that I dislike baseball… better to start off on good foot here). I was informed I would meet my Kyoto-sensei (vice principal) and Kocho-sensei (principal) when we arrived, which really eased my nerves. (If you believed that, need to catch on to subtle sarcasm). After an awkward hour of bowing and hajime mashite’s and yoroshiku onegaishimasu’s, we went shopping for a fridge and washing machine, which were delivered yesterday thank goodness, so I can actually eat. I also bought an amazing toaster oven which is larger than most of the typical toaster ovens here so I can cook more things. (I didn’t want to buy a microwave). These were all secondhand, so cheaper. So for all your secondhand shoppers, Japan would be a dream for you.
I was tired at this point but was also starving so my supervisor took me to dinner with a fellow teacher for – soba. I had claimed all the foods I liked but mentioned how amazing lunch was. Of course I didn’t want soba after lunch, especially since I doubted it could live up to my amazing lunch expectations. I ordered something a little different, good but not euphoric. I have to say since I got to Japan my healthy diet has partially gone out the window. I don’t even know if lettuce exists here…(I did find lettuce, but only two kinds and very small).
Finally I was able to sleep, and started my first day of work yesterday. The day went by quickly, since I had many papers to read and sign, and my supervisor and I ran many errands. I also joined the girl’s basketball practice, which reminded me exactly of high school basketball practice with all the running and work, and I have been lazy for so long. I also haven’t played basketball in awhile so had to get my body used to what I was doing. Needless to say, today I can hardly move my body. The girls also tried their best to communicate with me. One funny moment was when one asked if I was tired (I must have looked like I was dying). I was doing ok, so I said (in English) “a little bit…” They all looked at each other quizzically, unsure of what I said. I thought they had heard little before, so I said “chotto….?” (little bit in Japanese) and they all exclaimed “AHHHHH chotto! Little!” I have a feeling I will be using chotto a lot since I say a little in English a lot.
A sidenote – everytime I speak in English the girls laugh and giggle. I’m not sure if its me, or what, but I have been laughing at myself these days it doesn’t matter anyway. I laugh too, dance around and make funny hand motions. They also make fun of the girls who try to talk to me in English, repeating their words as if they did something wrong. Rather amusing.
I will skip the rest of the day but got a call during work from my sempai (senior) who technically “looks after” us new ALTs. You don’t even know how incredibly excited I was to speak in English, full-on, without worrying about if they understand me or not. She mentioned taking me and the other ALT in my city, who is also new, to meet her friends and get some food. At home, I’m not too social and usually stick to hanging out at home or going out with one or two friends but not for anything huge… but I have to tell you a day full of Japanese and I was DYING. So she picked us up later and we headed to Hamamatsu for dinner.
I won’t go into much detail of the first part of the evening, but I have tried more new food the past few day than I have in a year I think. For dinner I had these yummy mochi balls with melted CHEESE in the middle, and they are fried (I know, so healthy), shredded daikon (radish), yakitori, bean sprouts, and these delightful fried shrimp. By the way, the shrimp were fried…whole, legs and everything. They really just tasted fried and nothing else. Weren’t bad actually. I also have tried chicken heart (texture between beef and fat), some strange seaweed salad, a mashed up fish/veggie “bamboo” ring (it is molded around bamboo so it has a hole), fried mochi balls with curry inside, seaweed and cheese sticks, and some other random food. I basically just start eating and then ask what the food is later. On the topic of food…. Dessert is divine here. I love Japanese desserts, snacks and treats. I polished off a box of chocolate covered almonds (similar but slightly different than at home), a roll of mini choco chip cookies, some donuts, and my favorite koala choco cookies (found at Asian supermarkets at home). Yes, food, for the most part, is quite excellent here.
Also eventful of the evening in Hama was a long conversation another ALT and I had with a cashier at Mister Donut (donut shop). She spoke some English and so we talked in a mixture of Japanese and English, as we asked about the benefits of becoming a Mister Donut member. It was an incredibly random conversation, but she was really nice, and laughed a lot, so we must have been pretty funny. (Who am I kidding I was laughing the entire time).
After we walked out we wandered down the street, sort of tired and staring into space. Well, suddenly this little gray kitten I had been trying to take a picture of earlier darted across the sidewalk just as a man was riding his bicycle in that same place. I find it hard to describe in a way that will make you fall out of your chair laughing as I essentially did when I saw this, but I will try. Along rides a man on his bike, just pedaling happily, not really paying attention to much. Suddenly, little gray kitten has a spaz attack and streaks from his hiding place like lightning right in front of the man’s bicycle tire. SQUEEEEAK!!!! Man practically flips over the bike as kitten almost becomes kitty pancake. Ashley is doubled over having a laughing attack at this point. Man recovers from near heart attack, as does kitty. I digress, cats have some innate sense that spurs them to run across streets and sidewalks when a large moving object is coming towards them. Why else do so many cats end up on the road? Sad to say, but really…not too bright kitties. And of course, some men walking by started laughing at me, since I was laughing so hard. The past few days have been somewhat uncomfortable, but in a good way. As each day goes by I start to adjust a bit more, and learn how to live rather than just survive. I am comfortable taking the trains, which I feel is a big step in my adjustment (now I just need a bike!). I also feel somewhat more comfortable greeting others and saying appropriate things at appropriate times. My Japanese is slowly working its way from the depths of my mind back to the surface so I can actually use it. People say the first stage is euphoria, noticing similarities… and the second stage noticing differences. However, I’ve been noticing both, and on an equal level. I cannot speak too soon, but I wonder if people who experience culture shock to a greater level really are incapable of examining the things from a third person type of view, rather than just confronting in first person. When I analyze, I see it as it is within its context, just as I do at home. Getting angry is just letting the situation control you, similar as to home, or anywhere. Something we aren’t used to, something doesn’t make sense, but all of that is within our own context, not theirs. Perhaps these are ignorant words since I have only been here a week… but from a theoretical standpoint (based in sociology) it makes complete sense.
On a lighter note…saw my first gokiburi (cockroach) today and then in fright ran through a spider web belonging to a giant spider. Gokiburi = culture shock.
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