Fuck, I'm in Japan!
My first livejournal entry, as promised, from the Land of the Rising Sun. I'm presently so brain dead that even finding my way around lJ is proving difficult, compounded with having to use a mac and a japanese keyboard! Aaarrgghh! Brain HURTS!
So, I've been here about 5 days now, and I've got enough knowledge to hopefully get by the first few weeks without completely breaking down (here':s hoping, guys).
1. My flat is beautiful - a haven of Japanese tatami mat tranquility. Japanese apartments come completely unfurnished, and by that I mean TOTALLY empty, including no stove, no light fittings (or the bare minimum in bathroom), no blinds/curtains, no heating, nada. And be warned, moving to Japan is notoroiously expensive because all these things must be purchased. All wierder and wonderfuller than one might think.
2. the problems start when I leave the halycon quiet of my home. It is a strange experience being a complete illiterate - I highly recommend it to everyone. It is a humbling, soul-destroying experience, and kinda liberating. So far I can get by with "excuse me" (sumimasen), "thank you" (arigatoo), bowing and pointing. That works for most things, so I have bought bus tickets, train passes, phone cards, meals and so forth with this sophisticated technique.
3. The weather sucks. If you thought sydney unpredictable, try snow one day, 14C the next, bucketing down for a day following, then balmy and breezy so you're sweating in your tights and turtleneck. But I:m still eagerly awaiting cherry blossom season (any day now), which for the Japanese is an opportunity to get shit-faced under the gorgeous cherry trees.
4. the job is ... an experience. too early to tell - the first few weeks (perhaps the first semester) will be hellish. This is the primary reason for my brain shut-down. information overload, information overload... Very soon I:ll be going mad like Hal in 2001, singing *Daaaaisy, daisy, give me your answer dooooo... luckily the rest of the teachers seem great for the most part - really friendly, welcoming and understanding, since their brains exploded too when they first came here. this is very reassuring, though one is aware that only the fittest survive...
5. Have I mentioned i love my new flat? I will post pictures soon. sorry this is such a boring entry, no banter (no neurons firing in that dept), no witty remarks, hell, they may never appear. Perhaps i should have given myself a few more months post PhD before embarking on a move to a foreign country and a full-on, incredibly demanding full-time job that i have no experience in. Hmmmm. Talk about grabbing the lion by its tail (or is that the dog? or the donkey?)
6. I miss you all, and will do my best to keep posting here and by email, though since I have no phone or internet at home, and start work next week in earnest, don:t expect too much. HUGS from afar!
Sayonara