In JAPAN!! wheeee!

This was written after my first night in Shimane... so about a week ago now, but I wanted to post it anyway.

July 29, 2010

Well, I officially spent my first night in Shimane last night.  I know that I must have fallen asleep at one point because I did open my eyes this morning around 6 o’clock when my room was filled with the morning light.  Please don’t think I mean that in a happy way.  You’re talking to someone who has just flown to the other side of the world (literally, it’s a half day ahead of my family in America), drank a little too much at karaoke, and is pretty sure she’s been dehydrated since she left Chicago.  (No really, I’ve hardly peed since I’ve been here).

Anyway, last night I thought might be my first really good night of sleep because I wasn’t sharing a small hotel room with a complete stranger, which always makes me uncomfortable when I need to sleep. But… I didn’t (still don’t) have a bed.  My lovely supervisor, did let me borrow a futon to sleep on.  Now, if you’re from America (chances are pretty good that you are) and you’re reading this, you might think to yourself, “Oh, a futon.  That’s not too bad.”  Uh…. No.  In Japan, futons are not like those in America.  Some are nice and probably comfortable, some are not so nice and suck ass. Which can be like American futons as well.  The one that I slept on last night reminded me of something someone might take with them if they were planning on camping in a tent and wanted a pad of some sort to separate them from the earth.  I say “someone” because I don’t camp unless there is an air-conditioned camper a hook up to running water.

So I’ve decided to invest in a twin bed as soon as I get the chance.

I threw up.  That was fun.  I gagged a few times, dry heaved once or twice before the actual vomiting occurred, but yes, I threw up.  It tasted like the lunch I had, which was really delicious on the way down but not so lovely on the way up.  I think it was a mixture of nerves and fatigue but I really wanted my mommy right then.  Luckily, it was only the one time and I was able to unpack all of my bags afterwards.  I even tried to look awake and lively when my supervisor and three other teachers knocked on my door to tell me they were going to have a drink.  I was in a t-short and gym shorts, not how I wanted to first present myself, but hey… I had just vomited about an hour earlier. Oh, I’ve realized how incredibly SCARED I am to use any of the Japanese I know, which consists of “Hajimemashite, Watashi wa Shanyn desu, and Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu.”  That is the standard first time greeting and I didn’t use it well.  So, I must be making great first impressions all around.

Another one of the English teachers took me grocery shopping yesterday.  I’ve been told by multiple people how incredibly busy my supervisor is, so it was one of the Sensei that picked me up at the airport yesterday.  I must have looked like death, now that I think about it.  I’m sure anyone who saw me was like, “Holy shit, that’s NOT the new teacher is it?!?”  And I’m sure everyone already thinks that I don’t eat well.  Sensei had to convince me to get something other than instant noodles.  LOL.  But I didn’t end up eating any of it.  Just snacked on the dry cornflakes I bought because, like I mentioned earlier, I puked.  Who wants to eat “hambaaga” after they’ve puked?  Or salmon and mayonnaise onigiri?  Not this girl.

By the way, there is a weird smell in my room that I can’t quite place.  I hope it’s not mildew.

Re-reading this one might think I’ve already entered Stage 2 of culture shock, which means I’m irritable, upset, grumble grumble grumble Japan.  I haven’t.  I’m actually pretty amused by everything that’s going on.  Can’t wait to tell my successor, “Yeah, I totally puked the first night I was there and my dinner was a handful of dry cereal.  So take my advice and get some sleep in Tokyo, ok?”  And even though it took me 15 minutes to figure out how to get hot water to my shower last night and another 15 minutes to iron one shirt this morning, I don’t care.  I’m where I wanted to be and I’m happy about it.