Tokyo Baby!

I am safe in Japan, which is about as safe as you can be in the world today! :-) Wow, so many things to tell, so many ideas and experiences already! We had a 15 -/+ flight from New York, with about 120 JET (Japanese Exchange of Teachers) teachers on it (there are about 1800 coming to Japan this year from all over the world). So it was so much fun to meet so many people who are interested in Japan, ask where they’ll be living, what kind of school they will at teach, etc. Everyone’s just so excited and exhausted and nervous, etc. After about 20 hours of travel (most people didn’t sleep more than a couple hours the night before either), we finally arrived in Narita (Tokyo airport), and found about 100 JET veterans and Japanese employees in a LONG line guiding us through the airport, out to the busses, sorting out luggage into what goes to Tokyo and what goes straight to our schools, getting on the busses, and then another line of people leading us through the hotel, through check-in and getting LOTS of books and information, and then into our rooms. I’ve never been so taken care of (or baby-sat) since I was 5! :-) But it’s kind of nice, since there’s enough to be nervous about, and we didn’t have to worry about anything.
Coming in on the bus (about 1 hour) I was so excited to see Tokyo, and was actually disappointed by what I saw. Lots of green fields that reminded me of Ireland, then tall buildings in the haze that remind me of Los Angeles, nothing really strikingly Japanese. I realized that there was no different quality to the world, it is the same reality, the same planet. The light shines the same way, the dust moves in the wind and lands on leaves the same way, the cars pollute in the same way and make the air feel the same, etc. Of course everyone was Japanese, but I kind of expected that.
Then I got settled in my hotel (4 star, right in the center!), and called Megumi (close Japanese friend from California). She took me about 10 minutes walk away, mostly underground (I was lost in 3 minutes, maybe less). When we came above we were in the middle of a huge shopping and entertainment district. Lights EVERYWHERE, I was the only foreign person in sight among 100s of people (and the tallest), and I had the first moment of palpable culture SHOCK in my life. The only thing I could think and say was “oh! Oh! OH! I’m in Tokyo, aren’t I?” Crazy. Check out the pictures on facebook and video on www.youtube.com/extravpenguin.
Meg and I went to a nice sobaiya (soba means buckwheat noodles. If you don’t know what that is really, then look it up because neither do I! A sobaiya is a restaurant for soba noodles) (again, pictures!). We sat at a large table with other people (I saw no other foreign people in that area at all), and they secretly watched as I tried to use chopsticks (no other option), which wasn’t too bad (I’ve been practicing, and good thing!).
Then I went to the hotel and slept. I think this is the only group of 1000 foreigners in their first day in Tokyo where everyone was completely ready to go to bed by 10:00. :-) I was actually able to sleep 8 hours, went to breakfast (I had breakfast with two Indians, two Brits, and one Aussie), and then to the very big, crowded, formal welcome meeting. Lots of speeches about out time in Japan, culture shock, our work, life, etc. Some funny and entertaining, some boring and sleepy. Now I’m taking a break and talking on and on and on in this email. :-) I think I’m a little tired and a little excited, so I know this is too much information. Don’t worry, it won’t often be like this.
I’ve got to go to a workshop now, and later I’m planning to get lost in Tokyo for a while! The weather here is HOT and HUMID! Very! But it’s survivable, since all the shops are like igloos!
Day after tomorrow I’ll take the bullet-train about 2.5 hours south, to Kyoto, and there meet my school supervisor who will take me another hour south-east to Kasagi and Minamiyamashiro. I’m a little nervous about that, because from there I will be on my own, dealing with Japan and Japanese with no one holding my hand. But, what’s what I wanted anyway. Everyone who hears that I’m going to the Kyoto area is so jealous. Apparently everyone requests that area, but no one gets it. I made no requests, and from talking to MANY people I think I have the best placement in Japan. Well see how I feel about that in a few days! :-0
:-) Take care everyone! Matane! c: