Some Thoughts on Japan
Japan is definitely not the States. I once lived in Switzerland and although I wasn`t in the States somethings stayed pretty much the same just because both were western countries. On the other hand, one sees extreme differences between Japan and the States. The respect that people have for others is huge here. People really think twice before doing anything here. And EVERYTHING is done backwards, practically. It seems like anything that was done in one direction in the States is done in the complete opposite here. For example, they drive on the left side (and yes, I do drive here. It`s actually not bad at all.) Faucets and locks are turned on/opened in the opposite direction. They think, grammar wise, opposite of how we think.
When I first got here, I found out that I would be in the boondocks. My predecessor and others kept saying "oh it`s a really rurual town." There`s practically nothing to do here. In addition to this I found out that I wouldn`t have any other people in the program near me. I thought this a REAL bummer. So much so, I got soo nervous. I thought, `God why in the middle of nowhere with no communication with other foreigners?` I mean, I was definitely all right with me being in the middle of nowhere. But the thought of not having any other foreigners around made it seem a bit frightening. But, this is the perfect way for me to improve my Japanese. This means that when I leave school, I`ll HAVE to speak Japanese to get around. Anyways, I`ve found that my town ISN`T as small as everyone kept saying. It`s actually a nice size town. It has everything that one would expect of a city. There`s a department store, a blockbuster type store :) (I`ve got to keep myself enterained somehow) and tons of other little stores and restaurants that make a city a city. So in that respect I think I really lucked out. AND! My school is only a 6 minute walk away from the beach. Next week I`m going to start running there before school.
I`ll take pictures of the beach, my school and the town next so that you guys could have a look-see :)!!
When I first got here, I found out that I would be in the boondocks. My predecessor and others kept saying "oh it`s a really rurual town." There`s practically nothing to do here. In addition to this I found out that I wouldn`t have any other people in the program near me. I thought this a REAL bummer. So much so, I got soo nervous. I thought, `God why in the middle of nowhere with no communication with other foreigners?` I mean, I was definitely all right with me being in the middle of nowhere. But the thought of not having any other foreigners around made it seem a bit frightening. But, this is the perfect way for me to improve my Japanese. This means that when I leave school, I`ll HAVE to speak Japanese to get around. Anyways, I`ve found that my town ISN`T as small as everyone kept saying. It`s actually a nice size town. It has everything that one would expect of a city. There`s a department store, a blockbuster type store :) (I`ve got to keep myself enterained somehow) and tons of other little stores and restaurants that make a city a city. So in that respect I think I really lucked out. AND! My school is only a 6 minute walk away from the beach. Next week I`m going to start running there before school.
I`ll take pictures of the beach, my school and the town next so that you guys could have a look-see :)!!
posted by Shrls at 3:09 PM
3 Comments:
I don`t actually start teaching until the 1st of September at my base school. The school that I go to for four days of the week. With the school that I only visit once a week, I don`t start there until September the 14th I believe.
Wow, you're driving over there? You must have an international driver's license then, no? You're braver than I, but then, I lived in a pretty big city.
I`m not braver, it was mainly a necessity thing. Transportation in my area is pretty much NON existant. There are no trains that run in my town and the nearest I hear is a 40-45 minute drive away. I live about a 12-16 minute drive away from school, so I kinda need a car here if I can`t take the train. I hear it would take hours to catch the bus to my schools.... thus the car. For now I have my international driver`s premit, but I`ll have to get a japanese license in one year.
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