whatup party people. What you see above is the main train station in Kumamoto. And to think its been little over 2 months since I’ve arrived in this wonderful prefecture. Japan is an interesting entity all in itself. And living here as a long term guest is one hell of an experience. Allow me to explain:
First, let me tell you ‘bout “The Most.” This is a list of observations that I think has had the most impact of different things or ideas. I actually have a loooooong list. So for this issue of “The Most”, I’ll just go through some myth dispelling and actualities.
1. Ubiquitous thing out here: Convenience Stores: Seriously, you will find them all over the place. Right when you’re driving, and you think you won’t spot one: BAM you find a Lawson/7-i/Family Mart/SuperKid. They are everywhere, and sometimes you’ll find clusters of them.
2. Surprisingly easy thing to do: DRIVE! Yup, thas right. Driving here is surprisingly easy. With the whole road and tranny flip, you’d think its hard right? Wrong. Easy. Hella easy. Just super slow.
3. Disappointing: Public Transport. Okay, all my anime/manga heads. Think that Japan is a country of trains? Think again. While you will undoubtedly take a Shinkasen trip or ride the rails in a major city, if you live outside the Yamanote loop or a major city, or straight inaka(countryside), then chances are that you’ll drive and/or take a bus. It’s not all that bad. But I do realize that I am reliant on a car out here. *sigh* so much for a transport paradigm shift.
4. Irritating.: Shopping at a store that will have a person saying irrashai every 5 seconds. Bonus points for it being the person with the most grating voice. You’ll eventually tune out, but at first its horrid on the ears.
5. Surprisingly Difficult: Finding clothes that will fit you. Even for my fellow ALT and British brother Matt, who is a very fit person, clothes that will fit properly are hard to find at first. Thank god for UNIQLO and Zara.
6. Pleasant Surprise: The PEOPLE! To many people out here, you’re one of a small group of foreigners that they will ever meet. Not many people get out abroad. Within my school of 30 teachers, 6 have gone abroad. So a lot of people are excited to meet someone foreign. Especially if they are nice and break the stereotypes that one has set. In major cities, the gaijin population has grown, but people still find it a pleasure to talk to someone different. Brownie points for having basic working knowledge and the want to learn and improve.
I’ll leave it here for now. Remember these are just small things that add up to the bigger picture, but still, it was surprising to experience them. To sum it up so far, I love living here. I have done a ton of things, but there is still more out there. Just wait until I go past there borders. *obvious foreshadowing*
