oneyear.
I've now been in Japan for a year. I've been doing my first 'proper' job for a year, and living alone for a year.
I've been teaching, studying, cycling, shorinji-kempoing, and making friends.
I've eaten new foods, shaved my locks, relied on the kindness of strangers and felt the gaze of those less friendly, I've watched my friends wed, and thought of others wed when I couldn't make the trip, I've seen my nation fall on penalties... again, missed Wimbledon in its entirety, listened to the Ashes being lifted half-asleep at 4am on the radio, blown 30 minutes of wind into a shakuhachi without a squeak, tried koto and shamisen, paraded in streets drinking and shouting, paraded a considerable anount of the girls at my Board of Education on my shoulders in said drunken festivities, sat stark bollock naked surrounded by my principal and superiors feeling the warmth of Suntory whiskey, learnt to ski, and seen snow 40ft high, explored the zen gardens of Kyoto, the forested mountains and hills of Shizuoka, and the pizza cafe at Kuala Lumpur international airport (extensively), read poetry, novels and plays, watched films, documentaries and The Sound of Music, listened to the BBC world service over breakfast, bought more work clothes than I hope I ever need again, more thermals too, two guitars, and inherited a third, none of which quite make up for my acoustic at home, bought a tent (as yet unused - Hokkaido beckons in two weeks time), full cycling apparel - lycra shorts, a bright yellow bicycle with my name emblazened on the side, been on club rides, cycled in a paceline, crashed into a mountain, collecting an additional four stitches in my face, bringing the total up to twelve, been hiking in Fuji's shadow in the snow, lost the ability to speak for five days, played open-mic nights and organised a mini-concert with friends, been mobbed by hundreds of 5-8 year olds seeking my autograph, been bitten by countless mosquitoes and scared frightfully by giant flying cockroaches visiting in the night, slept on futons and in capsules, been confused in almost every conversation attempted in Japanese, and every function with rules of behaviour, caught 10 horse-mackerel and eaten them an hour later as sashimi, spent more time and money in Starbucks and Mister Donut than I probably should have, been invited to a Japanese wedding and stay at a Buddhist temple...
I've also felt the most frustration and anger in my life to date, felt the lonliest and most uncertain, restless and awkward. Helped through by a motley bunch of friends, the majority of whom are leaving over the next week.
I know I'll see them again, and I know a whole pile of new excitable and delightfully ignorant foreigners are coming in their place;
amongst them, new friends.
I've been teaching, studying, cycling, shorinji-kempoing, and making friends.
I've eaten new foods, shaved my locks, relied on the kindness of strangers and felt the gaze of those less friendly, I've watched my friends wed, and thought of others wed when I couldn't make the trip, I've seen my nation fall on penalties... again, missed Wimbledon in its entirety, listened to the Ashes being lifted half-asleep at 4am on the radio, blown 30 minutes of wind into a shakuhachi without a squeak, tried koto and shamisen, paraded in streets drinking and shouting, paraded a considerable anount of the girls at my Board of Education on my shoulders in said drunken festivities, sat stark bollock naked surrounded by my principal and superiors feeling the warmth of Suntory whiskey, learnt to ski, and seen snow 40ft high, explored the zen gardens of Kyoto, the forested mountains and hills of Shizuoka, and the pizza cafe at Kuala Lumpur international airport (extensively), read poetry, novels and plays, watched films, documentaries and The Sound of Music, listened to the BBC world service over breakfast, bought more work clothes than I hope I ever need again, more thermals too, two guitars, and inherited a third, none of which quite make up for my acoustic at home, bought a tent (as yet unused - Hokkaido beckons in two weeks time), full cycling apparel - lycra shorts, a bright yellow bicycle with my name emblazened on the side, been on club rides, cycled in a paceline, crashed into a mountain, collecting an additional four stitches in my face, bringing the total up to twelve, been hiking in Fuji's shadow in the snow, lost the ability to speak for five days, played open-mic nights and organised a mini-concert with friends, been mobbed by hundreds of 5-8 year olds seeking my autograph, been bitten by countless mosquitoes and scared frightfully by giant flying cockroaches visiting in the night, slept on futons and in capsules, been confused in almost every conversation attempted in Japanese, and every function with rules of behaviour, caught 10 horse-mackerel and eaten them an hour later as sashimi, spent more time and money in Starbucks and Mister Donut than I probably should have, been invited to a Japanese wedding and stay at a Buddhist temple...
I've also felt the most frustration and anger in my life to date, felt the lonliest and most uncertain, restless and awkward. Helped through by a motley bunch of friends, the majority of whom are leaving over the next week.
I know I'll see them again, and I know a whole pile of new excitable and delightfully ignorant foreigners are coming in their place;
amongst them, new friends.
posted by Jyon-sensei at 5:45 pm
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