Time for a break!

Thursday and Friday were such a whirl wind! It's hard to remember now, but I spent a better part of both days just try to get to my next teaching location. I covered at the culture center in the mall Thursday afternoon, but I had 20 minutes to catch a taxi to the train station in rush hour traffic to get to Sony. I ran into the train station, praying that the directions my co-workers had given me would lead to a platform I had never seen before.

I got to the train with a minute to spare, 20 seconds of which were spent trying to open the train door. Seriously, all the door were closed, so I just stood outside looking forlornly in and sort of waving my hand in hopes of hitting a sensor. Fortunately, I saw a little white to the right of the door. Unfortunately, the directions were in Japanese. (Duh!) So I squeezed my eyes, sent up another prayer, and pushed the button. And, ta-da!, the doors opened. So I jumped on board, and walked around looking for those freaky ppl with light hair and big noses (my gaijin co-workers) to sit by.

By Friday night, my voice was getting a little scratchy, and I was actually sick of talking about Florida. Everyone wants to know about it, which is fine, but there's only so many times you can say "No snow in Fl" before it take a personal toll.

Lisa took me shopping a showed me some tricks for buying in Japanese ( my fav - look at the picture. It's so basic!) Then she cooked me dinner. What a sweetheart! Lisa has really taken me under her wing. She is very supportive with everything from shopping to how to act in the office and who to talk to.

Saturday was Operation Clean Tatami. I put on my best trash clothes, tied a handkerchief around my nose and mouth, and pulled out all the cleaning supplies. I have 2 rooms with tatami ( straw mat floors), separated by a sliding door. After I moved all the furniture to one side of the sliding door, I dusted away all the spider webs, dust, and other random debris. Then I took the rags and wiped up the floor. The the furniture switched sides, and I repeated the process. I dived the furniture a little differently so know my bedroom is on the right side, and the living room is on the left. The only tv plug, and phone line, however, are in my now bedroom which might be a problem if I have company. Luckily my bed converts to a couch, so if I have enough notice, my living area can just a huge decked out room.

That evening I was talked into joining the group going to Fukushima to see Batman. Saturday was the first day Batman had been released in Japan. Having already seen it, and wanting to save money, I had originally decided not to go. At the last minute, Matty's gf couldn't go, so I only payed 1000 yen the gas money was waived. It was good chance to hang out with my new neighbors, so I am glad I went. A couple things that are different about Japanese theaters: 1. They sell beer. 2. No one talks. Not even when waiting for the movie or during the previews. You could hear a pin drop!

Sunday (today) was Operation Clean Kitchen, which slowly digressed into Operation Clean sink, gas stove, and food shelving unit. There was some pretty nasty grit built up, but now I can easily access the stove and not be afraid of catching the place on fire. Hopefully tomorrow I will get to the fridge and the dishes and utensils cupboard.

Today I also got to talk to my family! We've been chatting on email, but this was the first time I called home from Japan. I used Lisa's (see what a godsend she is?) vonage phone. Somehow it works that she has a state side number, so calling home is like making a local call. It was really good to hear my mom's, dad's, and bro's voice!

This week I have off. A vacation already? you ask. Why, yes, I say. This week is Obon. The actual vacation days vary depending on your company, but since we teach to so many companies James just gives us the whole week off. It's a really great way to start working here. I have a feel for what is expected of me as a teacher, and now I can have some time to explore and get used to Koriyama.