MIShaps/adventures

The emergency teacher at my school whom I've had the pleasure of pal-ing around with told me in regards to each experience I have here that I'll "either have a good time or have a good story." I have a few good stories so far.

This is a list of the most awkward/ridiculous experiences I've had so far in no particular order:

I knocked down an entire row of bikes and had to pick them up one by one.

I thought I was on the right bus back from Tsukuba to my city, but after 30 minutes or more, it became crystal clear that I was not. Mostly because I had made a complete circle and was back where I started. This was a sad and costly mistake.

Yesterday, when I was meeting up with someone in Tokyo, I was supposed to meet them at this famous dog statue in Shibuya. I was in a hurry so instead of looking around a few extra minutes, I asked a window clerk, "Inu wa doko desu ka?" (Where is the dog??) Luckily, I was pointed in the right direction as if that's a common and not at all ridiculous question.

I left my keys at a convenience store in the middle of the night one night. I went there to pay a bill, which is how you pay bills in Japan strangely enough. Also, it's safe to walk around at night in Japan which I'm still not used to. However, this could have been dangerous considering that I have no cell phone (still), no friends in the area (on that particular night), and no spare key. 

I ordered food from a little outdoor stand/restaurant a few nights ago. I had a feeling I didn't want to eat tako (pronounced "taco" but NOT the same), but I soon found out this was all the little stand had to offer. The lady relaying my options (tako or tako ball) seemed so kind, and I could not bring myself to walk away. So I ordered tako. And like an idiot, I decided to eat there instead of taking my food to go. I saw a picture on the wall which confirmed my fear that tako was in fact some kind of octopus-looking creature chunked into tentacle-y pieces. So I ate octopus balls and grimaced . Horrific I tell you. But the only trash outside was for unburnable goods so I couldn't dispose of it and run away. Luckily, I think the nice lady could sense my pain and brought me a to-go box which I promptly disposed of as soon as I got home in the proper burnable and unburnable compartments.

tako ball. looks tasty enough, right? 

incorrect. the contents of a tako ball. this picture makes it look a little more appetizing than it actually is. 

On a scarier/more exciting note! I'm pretty sure I experienced my first earthquake a few days ago. It was early in the morning so I thought maybe I had dreamt it, but the earth was a-shaking, it was later confirmed. I have now been here over a month. How the time flies.

ring ring!

These pics were all taken while in motion on "Tsukuba Rin Rin ro do" (tsukuba ring ring road :)). It's SO pretty, and you can see the mountains in the distance as you get farther away from Tsuchiura.

i love this one

a fellow rider

i don't know what this stuff is, but there's an abundance of it

the beginning of the trail

my humble abode

my entire kitchen. it turns out a kitchen aid mixer is not essential after all, esp. when you don't have an oven :)

washing machine, bathroom sink, and kitchen (right), toilet room and shower/bathroom (left), trash with different compartments (left), and bedroom (straight) with a desk to the right and a closet and futon to the left that you can't see.

These are a couple pics of the shoebox I live in. I actually think it's kind of spacious for one person, although I've had to stretch my imagination to create storage space for certain things. For example, I have a small, 3 level shelf w/ wheels that goes in between my tiny fridge and my bathroom sink (which is only about 6 inches wide). That's where I keep all of my food. Also, keep in mind that everything I buy has to be either carried home or tied onto my bike w/ bungee cords. I'm not skilled at making things stay on the back of my bike so hopefully I will learn quickly. 

In other news, work is going fairly well. I'm learning to go in early and stay late sometimes so I can make sure I'm ready to teach my classes. During the day, I teach small classes/private lessons with mainly women. A couple of the ladies are really advanced and take discussion classes, which I find enjoyable. In the evening, which makes up most of the classes, I've been teaching lots of business men and a few sweet high schoolers. So far, I love the students. Sometimes they seem really nervous or scared of me (and of speaking English) at first, but mostly they're really fun to teach and very easy to talk to. I have many different levels of students and about 10 different textbooks, but most of the classes have the same basic structure. There are just a couple books that are more ridiculous than you could possibly imagine. I'm not sure what the writers were thinking. No kids come to our school, which I've realized I'm really grateful for! I don't think I'd have the energy to run around and sing all day on top of everything else. 

I've spent my mornings shopping, venturing out, sitting in Starbucks, and prepping for classes. I get home from work at 9:30 or 10 most nights. This weekend, I'm making it my goal to get to Tokyo!

a few pics

these are some houses in my neighborhood this is a little waterway 5 mins from me

my beautiful, pink bike. love it with all my <3.

i'm still trying to get the hang of this. everything is in japanese. eventually i'll put some more pics up :)

first impressions

Hi friends and family :D. I'm starting a blog because I know I probably won't be able to talk with you as often as I'd like. Hopefully, this one won't be as disheartening in content as xanga 2000.

I've made it through training and a week of work in Japan.  My initial impressions can be summed up best with the following words and phrases:

humidity. bad hair (mine only). tiny people. tiny cars! small apartments. hot. narrow roads. good food. bikes w/ baskets! lots of walking. rain. futons. 100 yen stores. good bread. fabulous convenient stores. friendly folks. compact buildings. escalators galore. no english. crunchy clothes (no dryers). no dishwashers. no garbage disposals. clotheslines. balconies. weird tv. tea. drink bars w/ ice cream. karaoke regularly. sitting on floors. cute shoes for tiny feet. izakayas. delicious, expensive fruit. bike parking garages. suits. high school uniforms-britney spears style. fried foods. temples. bike trails. lack of cereal variety. iced coffee in a can. little storage space. separated trash (burnable and non). amazing service. 

So far, I am loving it - much more than I thought I might! I feel challenged but also at peace. I can hardly understand anything that goes on around me. Maybe later on, I'll feel frustrated by this, but right now I'm intrigued because I feel like there's a greater chance that I'll eventually be able to communicate in another language. I now have a better understanding of how foreigners in America must feel. I have searched for things at the store and have not been able to find them because I don't know what the package looks like or because I don't know how to ask. My proudest moment of the week was finding and buying a bike. I found it at a "home center"- kind of like Home Depot/Wal Mart- that's about a 20 minute walk from my apartment. A cute, old man set it up for me. It came equipped with a basket, a bell, a light!, a lock attached to the bike, and a hardcore kickstand/back fender. Bikes in Japan come with a minimum of all these things. I'm not gonna lie, I am definitely having to re-learn how to ride a bike, and I feel like an idiot. An idiot in danger. I probably need to invest in a helmet and knee/elbow pads. Luckily, I'm not in Tokyo so I don't think I'll be killed :D.

I work with mostly sweet, sweet people. We karaoke'd the first night I was here, and my coworkers are planning a welcome party in a couple weeks. Teaching is a little intense, and I feel disorganized. I'm sure this will get better in time.

Sundays and Mondays are my days off. Yesterday, I ventured out into all that is Tsuchiura. Today, I did the same. I found a bike trail that goes on for 25km or something ridiculous. It goes through fields and past temple-like buildings (possibly temples?). I also found a park nearby that used to have a castle in it. Now there's a big empty spot where I assume the castle used to be. I explored the Ito Yokado (shopping center/mall) and exhausted the 100 yen and grocery stores. I don't think there's much of the city left to explore. Next, I plan to venture to Tsukuba, the neighboring and slightly larger city. I want to shop there and hike Mt. Tsukuba!!

My feet are scraped, blistered, and tired of heels and overuse. But I haven't paid a CENT for fuel! :)