I wake up again around 6:30am. So strange for me. I ate some fruit for breakfast (my new thing), showered, got ready for school and realized that I must ride to the train station alone today. Yikes. I'm slightly nervous, but than again I have this new found confidence from successfully navigating around yesterday. Sink or swim (the theme of my adventure). I make it to the train station a-ok, walk the mean flight of stairs, scan my train pass & find my platform (not hard considering I ride from the same platform everyday). I stare at the train schedule for a few minutes, but I have NO idea how to read it. Not yet anyway. People come down to the train, but no one sits by me. I'm avoided like the plague. It's ok. I don't take offense. My train comes (right on time) and I ride 3 stops to Higashi Okayama Station. I get off, find my driver and he takes me to Chitose Nursery School. So far, so good.
At this school I have my own little area in the office with a computer and small desk space. The office workers Midori (me-door-ee), Aki (ah-key), and Shoko (show-ko) are very kind and again, "Tara Sensei, drink?" No thanks. "Tara Sensei ok?" Yes, I'm fine thank you. Everyone is super polite. I teach two student lessons to 5 year olds. They are adorable. I'm just as fascinated with them as they are with me. The exchanges are pleasant, although the idea of the children sitting silently in amazement and staring wide-eyed when I talk is false. They are just like any other 5 year old class and I love it. They ask me where I am from and my favorite things. They ask what color my car is and if I like fruit. They ask if I have friends and if I have brothers and sisters. I ask them similar things. I rely heavily on the teachers to translate, but smiles are universal. We smile a lot. I give one teacher lesson at Chitose and go back to the office to gather my things. In the office Aki says, "Tara Sensei (she hesitates) umm ... hmm ... you know typhoon?" Excuse me? No, not at all. In Iowa, no typhoon. "Typhoon come tonight. If bad, no school next day. I call." WHAT?! I've only been here for 3 days. I am not ready for a typhoon. Later I ask Kazuyo about the typhoon. She explains that there will be a small typhoon to hit Okayama around midnight. It will rain and be extremely windy, but should not be damaging. She explains that there are mountains or hill or something of the sort on the ocean side that protect our city from high waves, damaging winds, and drenching rains. I feel better, but I'm still unsure of the situation. The day continues.
Next the driver Kiyoshi (key-oh-shi) takes me to a different school for more lessons. I go to Jyoto (joe-toe) Child Center. This school just opened in April and is beautiful. Here I give a teacher lesson, and two private lessons. Typically one to the principal and one to a 9 year old. Today, with the typhoon coming, one of my lessons is cancelled and I am sent home. When I go outside I notice that it is SO windy. Like tornadic winds. Everything here is in kilometers, so I cannot estimate how many miles per hour the winds were, but just know they were bad.
The train was fine, bumpy but fine. Once I get to Kitanagase Station (my stop) I debate over whether or not to get a taxi or ride my bike home. I decide to try the bike. What was I thinking? I start my trek home and the wind is terrible. Although the route is completely flat, I was riding directly into the strong wind and felt like I was biking up the steepest hill I have ever biked. Half way home I am thinking I am a huge idiot. I finally get home & the wind is so loud and so strong I'm convinced it's going to blow me over. Luckily I make it home and after an unexaggerated two minutes struggling to pull open my door, I get inside. Wind-free.
My hair is a mess, I have sand in my eyes, I feel like I rode a marathon on my bike, and I immediately think that my grandma is going to freak out about the weather (she told me she would worry about me and typhoons and earthquakes). I can't call yet (it's like 3 am back home) but my phone does ring and it's Amanda wanting to meet for dinner. Since we have no food here and I was supposed to go grocery shopping this evening (not happening!) I decide that we should meet at Sunday Sun for dinner. It is similar to Perkins at home & they have a picture menu for easy ordering. Clo (my other new friend) and I walk to the restaurant which is very close to our apartment. We meet Amanda and another 'westerner' Melissa. We have dinner, chat, swap stories, laugh, and make future plans (maybe salsa dancing lessons?). We trek back home and make it safe and sound. I'm tired and, typhoon or no typhoon, I am going to sleep. Whatever happened between 10:00pm and 6:00am I don't know, but I did sleep well.
I took pictures of the area around my house. Very stupidly it was during the pre-typhoon weather, so the sky looks dark, but I figured everyone was desperately wanting pictures!!
The view from my veranda (as I like to call it). In actuality, the small balcony like area.
Consider that my computer now knows it's in Japan & I don't know how to fix it, I also do not know how to rotate pictures. This is the 'main drag' in front of my apartment building.
The shopping center across the street. The grocery store is called Happy's. I have yet to go. 
More of the view. I don't know what these buildings are just yet.
Some more scenery. The sky looks dark and 'typhoon-like'.
There are so many buildings. I have yet to see any real open space. Opposite of Iowa, obviously.
If I go out my front door I see:
More buildings and a makeshift park (I think they play soccer and/or baseball here).
The sky was kind of creepy.
You can always see hills in the background. They are really pretty (and apparently protect us from typhoons). :)
Oh, and for those that don't know ... Before I left (literally 3 days before) Lacey cut 11 inches of my hair off. I was really sad. I don't know if I dig the new hairstyle yet, but it's growing on me. And, yes I already know, my hair will grow back. Although when it is hotter than hell and you're sweating buckets, it is nice to have short hair. Here's me on day #1 of work - short hair & all.
(nerdy, I know.)
tomorrow's a new day, and hopefully typhoon-free.
-tara-
xoxo
No comments:
Post a Comment