The Highly Anticipated ...

Here it is ... the long awaited, highly anticipated first blog since I have arrived in Japan. I hope nobody's been holding their breath. I apologize that it took so long. I have just been so tired. But here we go. Wow, where to begin.

Saturday -
My family got together for a going away celebration. It was everything I could have asked for - people I care about, my favorite foods, good weather, good stories, the whole nine yards. The only thing missing was my mom, but thats ok. We talked on Sunday. I text messaged her from the runway :)

Sunday -
My family bid me farewell. I was so excited to leave that I didn't anticipate the overly emotional goodbye. It was really hard to say goodbye knowing that I wouldn't see most of them for at least a year. It hit me like a ton of bricks in the Eastern Iowa Airport and I cried harder than I thought I would. I passed through security with my sunglasses on and tears streaming down. It was almost like a battle of past and future with no real present. My past being Cedar Falls - my house - Freeburg - Iowa - the whole United States - my friends & family (although they are my 'always', seeing them daily would become my past). My future being Japan - Okayama - my apartment - my new schools - my new Japanese family. It was a very strange feeling.

I flew Northwest. Not the best, not the worst. The flight lasted 14 hours ... I tried to sleep, I tried to read, I tried to think, I tried to clear my mind. I failed at all of the above. It was a long flight, but we arrived in Osaka. I followed the crowd to luggage and customs, which went surprisingly well. When I walked out of customs I saw a sign that said "Tara Sensei, Welcome to Japan!!" Naoko (now-ko), who is like my Japanese mom (she takes care of everything, makes sure I eat, is on call 24-7, explains everything and anything, etc.) showed me where to exchange my dollars to yen and then how to get a train ticket. We got on the train (with my 120+ pounds of luggage) and ventured to make the two hour trip to Okayama. At this point in time it hasn't really hit me that I am in Japan. I'm tired, hungry, jet lagged, confused, disoriented, and in a state of disbelief. I feel drunk ... I talk with Naoko on the train ride, but I don't remember about what. She drives me in her car from the train station to my apartment. It is close to 10:00pm on Monday.

I meet Amanda. She is from Alabama and is doing the same job that I am doing, only at different schools. I instantly think she's amazing (even in my jet lagged state). After Naoko leaves Amanda invites me up to her apartment (I live in 705, she lives one floor up in 805). I go up and chat & meet another 'westerner' Clo. She is from Italy/Philadelphia. :) She's pretty amazing too. Finally, I come home & go to sleep. Much needed sleep.

Tuesday (we skip a day coming to Japan) -
I go with Yoko (just how is looks) to a restaurant for lunch. First impression - very different, yet kind of the same. Yoko talks and orders for us. I order pizza with bacon and tomatoes and Yoko orders pasta with 'white sauce'. We go to a salad bar that has some interesting things - I stick to lettuce, green beans, black olives :), and carrots - and to the drink bar (the waitress does not bring you drinks). I drink apple juice, which tastes very similar. There wasn't anything really radical. Everything was good.

Next Yoko takes me to the Okayama City Office. She helps me fill out paperwork for insurance (which is supposed to be pretty good - I'll keep you posted) and an application for my Alien Registration Card .... weird huh? I notice that it is unbelievably hot outside. The temperature is mid 80's with 90% humidity. Sickening. Instant sweat. I haven't really hit the language barrier yet. I always have an interpreter (Naoko or Yoko) with me and I just take everything in. After being downtown, we drive to the train station. Yoko buyes me a one month pass that will get me to all of my stops during the week. At the train station we meet my new friend Clo who is heading to her apartment. She asks if I want to join her & I think 'Why the hell not?', so I go. We hang out, I help her clean (she is moving out of her apartment and leaving to go home in 2 weeks), she tells me about Japan, we ride the train back and get some Chu-hi on the way home. Chu-hi is like saki (Japanese rice wine) mixed with fruit juice. We came to the apartment and Clo cooked dinner for Amanda and I. We ate together, drank Chu-hi, and toasted to our upcoming adventures. I have to go home & to sleep because on Wednesday I start work!!

I will blog about school, work, my apartment, & post pictures tomorrow (Saturday). I am about to fall asleep in my chair!! At 11:00pm on a Friday night at home I would be getting ready to hit the town, here I'm getting ready to hit the hay!! :)

more to come ....
-tara-
xoxo