it’s been a week that i’ve been in japan and i’m still in a sort of shock. sometimes it’s still difficult for me to believe i’m actually already here.
some basic info about my stay here so far:
my job. i teach english to little kids from 4 to 11 years old. five to seven classes a day, one hour each class. maximum of six or seven kids in one class. i also have a couple of adult english conversation classes for professionals who want to learn english. the schedule can get erratic, and sometimes i work till 8pm. but so far i’ve nothing to complain about. the bosses (a married couple, australian + japanese) have been very nice to me. driving me around, helping me get acclimated, even treating me to dinner twice already. they want me to have a car so it’s easier for me to get around, but if that’s the case, i’ll have to learn to drive a right hand drive car on the left side of the road. pretty tricky, but the japanese are enormously disciplined drivers.
my place right now. temporarily, i live in a real bona fide house fit for a family to reside in, and it’s tremendously expensive. but in september i’ll be moving to a smaller, more appropriate apartment for a single person trying to blaze her way through her life span, and far more affordable too. you can keep in touch with me through my email or here on friendster. i will try to be online regularly on saturday afternoons. hope to catch you guys on YM.
lifestyle. everything and i do mean everything is more expensive here than in manila. internet rental alone is P140 or so an hour. however, this internet cafe is open 24hrs, has la-z boy seats, and top of the line computers. the only thing that gets in the way is the japanese language, haha. the keyboards are truly a conundrum. speaking of the japanese language, it’s very very difficult since very very few people speak english and my japanese is pathetic at best. i’ve gotten lost many times! i try to laugh it off, but when you’re in that moment of perplexity, it’s really not funny. the japanese are at least quite helpful to foreigners who get lost or have no idea how things are done or what the heck things are. but so far, i guess i’m doing ok. i eat whatever’s cheap or free, surviving mostly on cup noodles and canned goods. by the way, how do you operate a microwave oven? i’ve no idea. please tell me how, i’ll be forever grateful. the oven toaster is a big help right now; at least i know how to operate that one.
these two weeks are the summer holidays. last saturday, there were so many people walking around in kimonos and yukatas - traditional japanese costumes. beautiful creations, if i do say so, and the japanese are justified in wearing them proudly even in modern times, whatever that means. most interesting is how they managed to look clean and fresh in those clothes even if it’s very warm here. yes, the japanese summer is quite hot. nothing like pinoy summer, but still nothing to take lightly.
I’m so homesick i want to puke. i can’t understand anything the people say or what’s written around me, i.e. signs, tv, labels on food stuffs, labels on consumer products, etc. i miss everything and everyone at home. but i’m trying my best to be very brave. i hope i’ll learn the japanese language soon. in the meantime, the busy schedule actually helps keep my mind off the numbing loneliness.
so i guess that’s about it for now. please update me on what’s going on there with you guys. i’ll try to be online as often as i could. wish me luck. till next time =D
(posted elsewhere 6 Aug 2007)
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