Today was a pretty laid back day. The weather was nice and I ended up going for a walk that turned into a run. I passed a park where there was a large group of people hanging out and some of them were playing baseball. It all seemed very American. People over here really seem to like America for some reason. For example, I saw someone who had a one dollar bill hanging from the rear view mirror of their car. They also like to print American phrases on their clothes, even if they make no sense (like a guy wearing a jacket that said ’Rocker Girl’, that I really should have taken a picture of) I explored another temple that was off the road and saw one of my students at the onsen that I’m staying at. I did not recognize him, but he recognized me of course. I did some reading about the process of adjusting to Japan and found a section about international calling. After reading this I went to a local convenience store and used a machine to purchase a prepaid calling plan. You pay $10 and get to call someone in the U.S. for 24 minutes. It worked and I was able to wake my parents up in the middle of the night and talk to them for a while. It was nice because I did not feel so disconnected and now I know how to contact someone quickly if I need to for any reason.
4/12/10 Monday, Monday!
With Monday came a cold morning of waking up and seeing my breath in the air. I have refused to use my gas heater because it is Spring and it should be warm. However, my stubbornness was challenged on this particular Monday due to an occurrence of snow accumulation around noon. My excitement for the after school clubs was quelled today when I learned that they do not meet on certain days. This Monday was one of the days. The students still amaze me with their enthusiasm for seeing an American such as me roaming the hallways. Some common things for them to say to me are “hello”, “peace”, “Mikel Oody (Michael Woody)”, “Mikel desu” (It’s Michael!), and “teeth white”(I was actually impressed with this use of English). They love to shake hands with me and have mastered the “how are you” phrase, but when I reply that I am good and ask them how they are, they just giggle and are too shy to reply. And then there are the ones that just don’t speak any English and I can’t understand what they are babbling on about.
Fortunately for me, I have located an internet hotspot that is within driving distance after school. Some people laugh at me because I enjoy the atmosphere of a cemetery, but it is I who laugh now because I discovered an internet hotspot located at the cemetery in Furukawa, of all places. Of course I am aware that the connection is most likely not coming from the cemetery itself, but there is free parking there and it is within range of a connection as well as across from Mos Burger, my favorite new restaurant. As a matter of fact, while I’m writing this I am enjoying a delicious teriyaki melted cheeseburger with onion rings, French fries, and iced tea with lemon and liquid sugar. I am most definitely trying to avoid acquiring a meat deficiency by eating lots of chicken and beef because the majority of the food that is easy for me to make is noodles and I do not want scurvy, which according to Will, is something that foreigners get by coming to Japan and eating nothing but noodles.
This is my school. Iwadeyama Junior High School.
This is the view from my school.
These are incomplete versions of posters I did for my introduction class.
Well I hope you have a good day it is 9:30pm
ReplyDeletehere and guess you are at work! I miss you!!
love ya MOM