It's still morning and I'm already sweating. My apartment definitely has a funny smell. I think it's mildew in the tatami mats, of which there are maybe twenty or so. When I came in two days ago, my landlady was 'airing' the place out. If she hadn't been doing that all month, I think there'd be green mildew all over the mats by now. I've got the windows open as we speak for some airing, before the weather climbs over into 'toasty hot.'
The heat is a real burden for me, even after a lot of training in it before I left. I wonder if what I learned about it so far is to just bear it, and let it bother me minimally. Coming back, though, it's obvious that it's much hotter than Philly or CO. I'm going to shut myself in my room right now, turn on the air-con, and not go out unless I have to. 'Have to' meaning, for example, if someone knocks on the door... hang on...
Ha, ha. :-) Japanese Jehovah's Witnesses at my very own doorstep. Helps to not know Japanese at times like these, chuckle, chuckle.
These first couple days back have clarified some things for me already. Of which kind of climate I prefer: much drier and cooler than here. Of what I haven't been able to do: make many Japanese friends(my 3 closest non-Japanese friends, who all happened to be in Japan on the JET program, all returned to the U.S. this summer). Of something I missed about being in Japan: it's so quiet I can sometimes hear my 'inner voice' again already. And of a hard lesson: it takes a lot of work to make a life in a foreign country. That I have a small network of Aikido and orchestra and other friends here has taken my full effort for two years. I don't envy people who can't return to their own countries. It's much easier to know I have the safety net that is 'home'...
I tell of my day-to-day experiences in a funky Japanese town from my American viewpoint. This blog could also be called 'Bizarro World', 'Notes From Kyushu, a Smaller Island', or 'Teaching English in Japan: Smash Your Ego in 10 Easy Lessons."
Saturday, August 26, 2006
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2 comments:
Dear Julie,
I'm happy you arrived safely in Tamana. I'm also happy you prefer the climate in the US. Maybe that means you'll really come back here to stay. I'll look forward to that day. I'll admit I don't read your blogs frequently enough, but did some catching up. I have a couple of questions about the ones from earlier this summer. What is a "shodan" and have you heard any more about the yakuza?
Well, if I come back to stay, it will be much more than just for the weather, that's a definite! So many times during the past month, I remember being out with friends or family and sitting back and thinking,
"this is really what it's all about (for me), being a part of healthy relationships."
To answer your questions, 'shodan' is a first-degree black belt. The 'sho' part comes from the Japanese for 'beginner,' and 'dan' is simply 'level,' I believe. Quite different from the common American interpretation of 'black belt' being a sort of 'master.'
As far as the yakuza,I did learn that there are three cities in this area, of which mine is one, involved deeply in yakuza dealings. Supposedly, it has to do with a port being so close, and lots of fruit being exported much of the year. Spooky, eh?
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