11:31 pm, according to Japanese clocks. As Americans start their grind, my gears are starting to ache and beg for oil. Having sated them with oil , this machine is now freezing in a tiny, Western-style apartment. While the organs are metallic and rusting and shutting down and the logic is beginning to break down into chaos , the heart is strangely different… it bleeds.
Hands
If you know me well, you do not need to be reminded of my ridiculous avoidance of asking people for things. There are more fingers on my hands than people I can call and ask for a favor. It is hard for me to call people when I am in their vicinity because I don’t want to disrupt their day or interrupt the wonderful and interesting lives I imagine everyone else to lead. Even worse, those seven people (approx) soon become overburdened by my requests and three months later I have overstayed my welcome.
The problem is, obviously I am fully aware of this, is that I do not give them a chance to make the choice, the chance to say no. I would rather not ask than to hear no. My life has been shaped by avoiding the questions I need to ask. People think moving to Japan is brave. I think asking someone out on a date is brave. By someone, I do not mean a random stranger in a bar, but someone who you can feel will change your life forever if you just jump off that bridge of hesitation.
See, you only see a child who was denied a fishing trip, but I see a man in the glass that no longer uses ink to schedule appointments. It saves me from dealing with disappointments and buying White-Out… and I honestly think I’ll be okay if I never learn how to gut a fish.
27 March, 2009
07 March, 2009
A Thousand Tiny Little Explosions of Death in My Mouth: My Memoir
Greetings family, friends, and fans alike.
It's been far too long and I can explain. Like the over-used phrase I keep hearing in American news, my work honeymoon is officially over. I am getting e-mails every day from Head Office about all of the responsibilities I have to fulfill that I didn't quite know about or fully understand. I do not have a problem whatsoever including these duties into my routine, because I accept it's all part of the job. However, if you know me well, you know I get frustrated when I do not have control over my time or when I don't know something that everyone else does. I never want to be the last horse to cross the finish line, you know. That means I've been bringing work home with me, staying up until 4 or 5 trying to make sense of everything only to get more work to do the next day. Everyone assures me that this is normal and I will eventually learn to juggle everything. But I want to be able to do it all now. Don't worry, peanuts, chocolate and beer have been keeping me composed.
Anyway, while I am loving my time here- which has been a month for those of us counting- I am slowly composing a list of things I hate and at the top are: shaving every day (my face and my neck especially are not coping well either) and this sushi roll I had today that was basically a ton of large orange fish eggs. I've had a few of the eggs before atop other rolls and didn't mind the taste, but I never had so many as I had in this one piece for lunch. The look of revulsion on my face almost scared my friend and fellow teacher Sarah, who thought I was physically hurt. The best way I could describe what I felt was having "a thousand tiny little explosions of death in my mouth." I decided if I write a book someday, that would be a possible title.
I am working on my travel plans, since next month, starting April 28, I will have an entire week to travel. I haven't decided yet on the specifics, but I am pretty sure I'll be working Korea into that week. I really want to go to Angkor Wat in Cambodia, where ils parlent français et anglais aussi, or India. China can wait. Australia and New Zealand need to happen at some point as well, though I think that will have to wait for Kristin's visit in November so we can both visit Mr. Monk in NZ. And I still have to plan my first trip to Toyko! I am very excited about shopping in Shinjuku and Harajuku. Maybe the clothes there will fit me!
Things are good, though. Nothing cool and cultural to report as of yet. Once I start doing more than teaching, I promise the updates will happen more regularly. For now, just note that Japan is pretty much everything I expected it to be, which is fantastic.
Except the fruit. Can someone please tell me who would pay the equivalent of $50 for a honeydew melon? Yes: Honeydew = $50!
4,980 JPY = 50.60 USD as of 3/6/2009
Peace out.
Sayonara.
It's been far too long and I can explain. Like the over-used phrase I keep hearing in American news, my work honeymoon is officially over. I am getting e-mails every day from Head Office about all of the responsibilities I have to fulfill that I didn't quite know about or fully understand. I do not have a problem whatsoever including these duties into my routine, because I accept it's all part of the job. However, if you know me well, you know I get frustrated when I do not have control over my time or when I don't know something that everyone else does. I never want to be the last horse to cross the finish line, you know. That means I've been bringing work home with me, staying up until 4 or 5 trying to make sense of everything only to get more work to do the next day. Everyone assures me that this is normal and I will eventually learn to juggle everything. But I want to be able to do it all now. Don't worry, peanuts, chocolate and beer have been keeping me composed.
Anyway, while I am loving my time here- which has been a month for those of us counting- I am slowly composing a list of things I hate and at the top are: shaving every day (my face and my neck especially are not coping well either) and this sushi roll I had today that was basically a ton of large orange fish eggs. I've had a few of the eggs before atop other rolls and didn't mind the taste, but I never had so many as I had in this one piece for lunch. The look of revulsion on my face almost scared my friend and fellow teacher Sarah, who thought I was physically hurt. The best way I could describe what I felt was having "a thousand tiny little explosions of death in my mouth." I decided if I write a book someday, that would be a possible title.
I am working on my travel plans, since next month, starting April 28, I will have an entire week to travel. I haven't decided yet on the specifics, but I am pretty sure I'll be working Korea into that week. I really want to go to Angkor Wat in Cambodia, where ils parlent français et anglais aussi, or India. China can wait. Australia and New Zealand need to happen at some point as well, though I think that will have to wait for Kristin's visit in November so we can both visit Mr. Monk in NZ. And I still have to plan my first trip to Toyko! I am very excited about shopping in Shinjuku and Harajuku. Maybe the clothes there will fit me!
Things are good, though. Nothing cool and cultural to report as of yet. Once I start doing more than teaching, I promise the updates will happen more regularly. For now, just note that Japan is pretty much everything I expected it to be, which is fantastic.
Except the fruit. Can someone please tell me who would pay the equivalent of $50 for a honeydew melon? Yes: Honeydew = $50!
4,980 JPY = 50.60 USD as of 3/6/2009
Peace out.
Sayonara.
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