That's not to say I don't miss my cat, Bailey Bear, or my donkeys, Sweat Pea and Princess Jasmine.
For those of you wondering, this is where I live in North Carolina.
And this is my home in Japan.
This is where I cook.
If you think your space is cramped, wait until you see my bathroom.
Since my last entry, school has taken up most of my time. Sadly, no time for many trips because most of my days are filled with homework and other duties, like making food and shopping. I have to be conservative now with my budget because of how expensive everything is in Japan. So this entry will be a day in the life of Japan (with all the pictures already on this blog. Not much else to report).
So what do I do? I wake up when the sun hits my face, at 4 a.m. This is known as the Land of the Rising Sun for a good reason. Even with the shades shut, the light still hits my face every morning. I eat breakfast at cafe near the train station, which is about a ten minute walk from my dormitory. I get on the train, known as the JR Line, past Shinjuku, Shibuya, Gotanda, and other districts of Tokyo. The train is always packed because every hour is basically rush hour. Sometimes I can barely find room for myself. The train system in Japan is on time, all the time. Their structure is streamlined so that everyone can understand what is going on. A person on the loud speaker announces the next train, where it is going, music sounds for how much time you have before the doors shut, and displays in the train tell you the route you are on, where you are heading, and how long each stop will take. The ride always lasts about fifty minutes before I reach the main campus.
So what are the people of Japan like? Very quiet. Rarely do I see other Japanese citizens conversing with each other. Every one is in their own world. Not that I haven't seen this on other trains, like in Washington, D.C. or New York, but it is abnormally quiet, with people reading manga, a Japanese style of comic, playing a DS, or texting on their cell phone.
I'm taking an Ideology course, so this helps in my entry today. The Japanese society is very conformist and militaristic. Not that this is a bad thing, it is something I have picked up. People work as a unit, either for their family, school, or work place, and try to better their work for each other. People are not paid for overtime; instead it is a way of helping advance the unit in society. The institutions of Japan to not promote the individual, but would rather see everyone keep to themselves. When they are out of work, I see a lot of business men, out at the arcade. It is a way of fulfilling a fantasy, whether it would be a street fighter, a mech pilot, or a singer at a karoke bar. People assume that they will not be the next Prime Minister, so they accept the fact that life is about striving for fame or glamor. Nobody bats an eye when an old man is seen at an arcade, it is just the way of things.
Everything in Japan is very expensive, especially in Tokyo. I have had many opportunities to figure this out, as one time I got a small portion of food for thirty dollars or a movie ticket for twenty dollars. These were lessons well learned early on. I applied for my Alien Registration Card and National Health Insurance which also cost a lot of money. But the most money I have spent so far has been on the train, with my pass costing $150 dollars. The card lasts until December, so this should be easy for me now.
The people of Japan are very nice. Like most students, it is easy to get lost. The people of Japan are willing to guide you in the right direction, even if they cannot speak the language. Someone told me a story of a child separated from his mother at the train station. The child was crying and forty people stopped where they were going to help the child find his mother. They waited for the mother to arrive before they were on their way. Something like that would rarely happen in the U.S.
This is not to say that I have not experienced some unpleasantness in this country. A few nights ago, my friend and I were out at a restaurant. A group of individuals were there before us, when we reserved a spot for two. One individual of the group decided to stare at us for a long time, like we were monsters. A waiter came by to ask this person a question and he answered in English, to the amusement of his friends. One could tell they were making fun of us, by picking out the tone, some words, and their body language. We were seated before them, which angered the antagonist of the group. He continued to glare at us, even after we were seated. I found the experience a little amusing, that as two Americans, we had done nothing to upset the man in the first place. The two of us did the grown-up thing by ignoring him and remained polite through the incident. Other Americans might have reacted differently in our position. Discrimination still occurs, no matter where you are, and this is just a fact of life that will probably never leave society.
That's all for now. I have to get back to my school work. It is raining outside and it is Saturday afternoon. I am still loving Japan, as everyday I experience something new and learn more words of the language. Next week, I'll have a five day weekend. I have a lot to look forward to as I will attend a Sumo match, possibly travel to another city, like Kyoto, climb Mount Fuji, and in few days attend the Tokyo Game Show. Yes, I will have more pictures up. Until then, true believers.
"Silence is a source of great strength"
- Lao Tzu
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