A Promise

Hey...

Yeah, talk about neglect. lol
Anyway, I'm not going to write anything for this, just post a couple of videos I've been sitting on for a while. But I'm going to promise a lengthy written blog within the next week detailing what I've been up to!

So there! You have a promise!

In the meantime, enjoy these videos!
(If you can, I HIGHLY recommend you watch them in full screen and in 720p HD)

Driving in Japan During a Typhoon

Storm Watching in Kyoto, Japan

Descending Tokyo Tower at Night

My Girlfriend Cooks もんじゃ焼き (Monjayaki)

A Day at the Races in Japan

Ridiculous Coverage of the Olympics in Japan

One Year Later

Wow! What a year! 

Yes, that's right... I've been in Japan for one whole entire year. It's a bit hard to believe isn't it? It seems like it was just the other day that I was in California saying my goodbyes, selling my things, and packing my life into two 70lb suitcases. 

And when I really stop and think about it, I can only come to one conclusion: I (and all the other foreigners in Japan) must be crazy. Good crazy or bad crazy... well, the jury is still out on that.

I moved to Japan. 

In Japan, everyone is Japanese. 

Japanese people speak Japanese. 

Let's just give that some time to marinate...

Did you soak all that in? ...No?

Of course you didn't... because I still haven't!

It's so stupidly simple and obvious... of course Japanese people speak Japanese! Just like English people speak English! And Spanish people speak Spanish! The same way that Canadian people speak Canadian! Hey! Wait a minute...

My point is: We all know this. The fact that different countries and people speak different languages is so fundamental to the human experience that we don't need to think about it. And we don't. People in other countries live so far away... of what concern are they to you and I? When was the last time you stopped to think about the life of a nomadic sheep herder in Mongolia? A struggling artist in Sweden? 

What I'm saying is: of course I knew, upon coming to Japan, that Japanese people speak Japanese. But at the same time I didn't know. It's not until you step off the plane and that wall of foreignness slams into you like a freight train and your brow begins to perspire and you look around and realize that you can't tell which bathroom is the men's and which is the women's and suddenly the beat of your heart begins to quicken and it's in that moment that you realize:

I moved to Japan. 

In Japan, everyone is Japanese. 

Japanese people speak Japanese.

So why did I do it? Is it the challenge? The thrill? The wonder? I don't know why I'm asking you these questions... for I don't have an answer.

The best I can do is say that despite the fact that I can barely speak to 99% of the people around me, despite the fact that I am now a part of a glaring minority, despite the fact that sometimes I want to rip my hair out because of cultural differences, despite the fact that I voluntarily chose to become illiterate, despite the fact that sometimes it seems as if all I do here is complain, and despite the fact that I am so far away from my friends and family... I'm still having a blast here.

One year ago I made the choice to move to the middle-of-nowhere in a country I knew little to nothing about. But given the chance to go back in time and do things differently, and knowing what I know now, I would still make the same choice.

In fact, I would even go as far to say that it was, far and wide, the best choice I’ve probably ever made in my life. That choice, unlike any other before it, has drastically changed how I view myself, how I view others, and how I view the world. I’m not going to waste my (and your) time by telling you what that choice has taught me and what I have learned from my experiences while here. All I can say to you is get on a plane, go somewhere, and see how other people live, work, and play.

You’ll learn something about others – and more importantly – you’ll learn something about yourself. You’ll see the differences, vast but few. And you’ll see the similarities, stunning and plentiful.

In short (too late for that, chief), all I will say is, “Here’s to another year in Japan! Hopefully I’m the good crazy, and not the bad crazy!”

Hopefully.

A Beautiful Day in Rural Japan

No updates this time around. Sorry!

Just this video. I took it during my lunch break as I was going from one Elementary School to another. The bike ride is a fairly lengthy one (about 30 minutes at a brisk pace; 45 at a leisurely pace).

It was a beautiful day though, so I decided to stop and film it so I could share it with you. And there are even some friendly sea critters at the very beginning... can you see them?

Death by Cashews

It's been a while, ne?

I seriously can't believe it will be June in a few days... time is going by too fast, and I'm not liking that. In fact its going so fast that in just two months I will have been in Japan for a year! What?!?!?

So... what have I been up to recently? To be honest that's kind of a difficult question to answer. In fact I know that I've officially become accustomed to life here because I'm sitting here and struggling to write this blog. At first these blogs were easy as pie to write... everything was so fresh and so new that I knew instantly what would be interesting to readers (with most of you living outside of Japan). But now I've ...habituated, if you will.

The first thing that comes to mind in terms of what I've been up to recently - which also happens to relate to the title of this post - is that I've been eating boatloads of cashews. In fact, I was eating so many that my local grocery store ran out for a while there. There were riots in the streets.

And by streets I mean my house.

Luckily the stock has since been replenished, and the checkout clerks are once again commenting on my unnatural obsession with these fine delicacies. At this rate the mostly likely cause of death, were I to die in Japan, would be death by cashews (not earthquakes, difficult language barriers, or the encroaching brutality of Japanese summer).

Let's see... what else?? I had a great weekend a little while back in Nagoya. I went bowling, saw a movie in theaters (The Descendants), went to a game center, and had REAL Mexican food. Oh, did I mention it was good? It was good. To be honest, the food I miss the most from home is actually Mexican food. I miss burritos, enchiladas, tacos, chips & salsa, chimichangas... okay tears are falling on the keyboard... better change the subject

lol... seriously though. its not funny. you're probably eating chips and salse whilst laughing at me. rude.

Recently I've been hanging out a lot with a teacher I used to work with. It's been great! It honestly feels like the first true friendship I have with a Japanese person other than my friends in Tokyo. But it's a bit confusing, because I would honestly like to be more than just friends... but I also don't want to ruin the friendship either. Dilemmas. I have no idea how a Japanese person would act in such a situation or what I should do according to "modern Japanese norms"... but at the end of the day I'll probably just go about it the same way I would back home. In Japan, this could very easily turn into an epic fail. But that's alright I suppose. At least I will have tried and hopefully I will have learned something in the process.

Oh! I also finally made it to the AMAZING beach in my town. It's stunning. I was lucky enough to have gone on a day with perfect weather (not too hot and not too cold) and yet there was almost nobody there. It was so relaxing and just what I needed. I'm going to try to go at least 1 or 2 times every month.

This weekend I'll head north, and depending on the weather I'll either be heading to an amusement park and riding roller coasters or visiting a jail-themed restaurant.

I'll say that again: a jail-themed restaurant.
Its exactly what it sounds like.

If I don't go there this weekend, I'm definitely going to go there some other time. It's a must. Details once I've done it.

Well.... I guess that's it.... I don't really know what else to say. Sorry that this has been a short one. I just wanted to update everyone back home. I'm sorry these aren't more regular.

Have a good morning/day/night in whatever corner of the world you live!

Oh, What a Journey!

Let's get a little bit serious.

Lately I've been somewhat.... unhappy? depressed? unfulfilled? And up until last week I never really had the time to just sit down, think it through, figure out why, and come up with a solution.

Fortunately, last week was Golden Week (which means I had 9 glorious days off of work in a row) and I had plenty of time to just stop and think. What follows is the conclusion that I came to:

Throughout my life, at least from the age of (about) 15 and onward, I've always had a goal. I've always been moving towards something. There was a path ahead of me and it was clear. But I would argue that I didn't really choose the path, it sort of just came to me, and I followed it. From 15 years of age, the goal was to get a job and make money so I could afford all the nice things I wanted. From 17 years of age: finish high school and prove all those wrong who thought I would most certainly drop out. From 18: go to a respectable college, get a degree, prove to myself that I can do it, make up for senior year of high school. From 22: get into the JET Program and go to Japan.

Much to my satisfaction, I have completed all these goals. And don't get me wrong, it feels great. So why am I... less than content? 

Is it Japan? Culture shock? The language barrier? Am I homesick? Lonely? 

Yes, its probably a little bit of each of those. 

But what it all really boils down to is this: I currently do not have a goal towards which I am moving.  I feel as if I'm stuck in limbo. I'm at a point in life where I've pretty much got everything I wanted and asked for thus far (and for that I am eternally grateful)... 

But what's next? Where is the path?

I came to Japan for a number of reasons - the main ones being: 1) an interest in Japan, 2) to delay real life and important life decisions, and 3) to save money.

But the real problem here is that second reason: to delay real life and important life decisions.

For some odd reason, I thought that coming here would be like an extended vacation; a brief sojourn that would effectively delay the inevitable inconvenience of growing up.

But I can't escape it. I have choices that need to be made... and soon. At the very least, I need an immediate goal to work towards.

During my Golden Week brainstorming (and I quite literally spent a whole day doing nothing except sitting, staring at a wall, and thinking), I came up with the following goals:

• Study Japanese... Hardcore: while this seems like the obvious choice, its actually something I sort of find myself leaning away from the more time passes. It's sad to admit, but I find myself wondering if I will ever use Japanese again once I leave Japan. This shouldn't be an excuse, and I know I should be diligently learning the language of the land I live in... but I have limited time and energy.
• Study for Law/Grad School: this is probably the goal I am most leaning towards, with the end result being getting into a good school and studying again for another 3-4 years. But honestly, where does that leave me? As of now, I only see this as delaying real life even further. Add to this the problem that I don't even know 100% if I want to do Law School or if I want to do Grad School (heaven forbid having to choose a field to focus in)... and this option slowly becomes less and less appealing. Yet still, I continue to lean very heavily in this direction.
• Get Ripped: this one is easy. Work out. It takes up time, makes me look better, feel better, and there is really no way to lose. 
• Indulge in the Arts: this is something I've been toying with for a while as well. Do I want to learn a new musical instrument? Do I want to learn some other artsy craft that I would otherwise never have the time for? Yeah... I sort of do...

All these are great ideas, and if I was crazy, I would certainly attempt to accomplish all of them. But I know that such a task would be impossible. So I need to choose 1 or 2... But which to choose? I honestly haven't yet figured it out. I still need more time to think about it. I feel as if once I put my eggs in one basket, they are locked in, and taking them out means I don't pass 'Go', I don't get $200, and I have to go directly to jail.

I guess in the end, it all boils down to my dreading the day when I have to return to America. What happens if I haven't figured it out by then? Will I be 27 years old, single, unemployed, and living with my parents? I love my parents and all, but quite honestly this is a doomsday scenario that basically stamps a big giant red "LOSER" into the middle of my forehead. To prevent this, I need to think NOW. I need to plan NOW. This problem needs to be solved before I leave Japan in a little over 2 years.

So yeah. This is where my mind is currently. It's in purgatory. Stuck in the middle of nowhere, relishing where I came from and how I got here, only to be haunted by the fact that the numerous paths ahead of me are shrouded in fog and irreversible once chosen - and sooner or later one must be chosen.

I guess to make a long story short...

I'm growing up.

And I don't want to.

Of Holy Matrimony

Disclaimer: This blog is opinion and observation based solely on my own experiences.

As with most Americans of my generation, I've never really been too concerned about getting married just quite yet. In fact, I feel as if the general consensus among Americans my age is that marriage doesn't need to be (and quite honestly shouldn't be) a concern when one is in their early to mid 20's. That is of course if one even intends to get married at all.

In Japan, at least in the rural areas, this doesn't really seem to be the case. I can't speak too much for the young men of Japan, but I've noticed that a large part of the women in the 18-25ish age range are either already married or actively seeking to get married and have a child. To me, this active pursuit and interest in marriage is a very strange departure from what I perceive to be an overwhelming disinterest in marriage on the part of most young Americans.

But I've found myself slowly getting sucked into this mindset that one should be trying to get married at this age. For me personally, there are a number of factors which contribute to this. The biggest, and most obvious factor for me (I think) is that I work with young kids. And let me tell you, they are SOOO freakin' cute. While teaching at Elementary School isn't exactly my favorite, when I get the chance to go play with the kids outside or just hang out and talk with them, I sometimes think to myself "You are so cute! Why aren't you my kid?!"

I think the other factor which plays into my changing mindset is the fact that "Do you have a girlfriend?" is probably the most common question I get asked, aside from "Where are you from?" and "What is your name?" And don't just think that its women in my age-range that ask this question... My students ask me this. Old ladies ask me this. Middle-aged men ask me this. Complete strangers ask me this. Basically, everyone asks me this. But why?

To be honest, I don't quite have an answer. All I can say, is that (at least from my perspective) there seems to be a much greater concern about whether or not someone is single, dating, or married in Japan. In America, the question "Do you have a girlfriend/boyfriend?" is quite heavy and carries with it the implication of "I'm interested in dating you" or "I know someone who is interested in dating you." In Japan, the question seems to carry no such weight and really isn't all that different from asking "Do you like apples?" 

But despite the question not seeming to carry any significance whatsoever, I do feel that it contributes to the desire (pressure?) to marry at a young age. It's almost as if being asked this question is a constant reminder of either A) the fact that you are single, have no bf/gf; therefore cannot get married, or B) the fact that you have a bf/gf combined with the implication, "Then why aren't you married yet?" It's a vicious cycle. Basically, my opinion is that this light-hearted, no-ill-intended question actually plays a lot more mind games on the young Japanese people than they think.

So yeah, its all quite a different change from America. And while I say that I've been swept into this mindset (and I can just see the looks on the faces of my family and friends back home), let me assure you that I recognize the fact that I am still young, foolish, am in no way ready to make any big life decisions (this a large part of why I'm in Japan in the first place), and that most importantly I want to stay this way for as long as possible. 

Now... trying to find a Japanese girl to date? That's an entirely different, complicated, and confusing story. lol

But yeah, that's it for this blog. I hope it was interesting? Oh... and I've gone back and added the answers to the blog about Japanese emoji or smiley faces.

Be seeing you next time!

Toyota Duet!

I got my car!! Here's the features:

• 2001 Toyota Duet (1,000cc, automatic)
• 5-door Hatchback
• 50,000km (~35,000 miles)
• Forest Green
• Leather Seats
• A/C
• Power doors/windows/mirrors
• CD/Cassette player
• 40-50 MPG

Watch me on YouTube in HD!

In Japan, there are two types of cars. There are white plates and yellow plates. Yellow plates are referred to as "Kei" cars, and are basically advanced go-karts. They have really small engines, and they are much lighter (and less safe) than their white plate brothers. Kei cars are much cheaper to own and operate, as the reason for their very existence is to take advantage of certain loopholes in car laws/regulations in Japan.

Fortunately, I got a white plate. It's got more kick, has airbags, and feels a lot more sturdy than a Kei car does. And here's the kicker: I pretty much got the car for free. I paid ¥120,000 for it (which is about $1,500 at todays exchange rate), but this cost isn't for the actual car itself. Because I know the daughter of the man who owns the car shop who "sold" me the car, they gave it to me for free. The ¥120,000 breaks down as follows: ~¥100,000 for mandatory taxes, inspection, etc. and ~¥20,000 to file the necessary documents, change ownership, etc.

So, yeah! Awesome!

I took it out for my first drive in over 8 months yesterday. It was also my first time ever operating a vehicle with the handle on the right side, and also my first time driving on the left side of the road. Overall though it wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be. In fact, it seemed somewhat natural.

I'm definitely looking forward to the increased freedom that owning a car will bring. No longer will I have to wait around for 2 hours to catch the next train if I want to go somewhere. Best of all, living in one of the rainiest regions in all of Japan, this baby will REALLY come in handy on days when the sky is practically falling and I HAVE to go to the grocery store because I am out of food.

Finally, I hope to go and visit friends in northern Mie much more frequently, and I definitely want to plan some road trips as well.