Happy 4 month anniversary to me

Though I am slightly late with this post.
And slightly sick at the moment. But that just means I have time to not work on text development. :)

Thanksgiving was hard, since it is a very American holiday, there obviously wasn't anything remotely the same about it here. And I worked that day anyway. But I am trying to be thankful. I knew that moving to a new country would mean that holidays would be heard. And that I would feel alone. A lot. The loneliness has really his the last week week. Not that I al loving being here any less, but that as the holidays approach I am reminded repeatedly as everyone asks what I am doing that I am not going home. But I have a month off, which is crazy. A bit sad as I don't get paid for a month. But I am planning on doing a lot of things for the month anyway. 

• Two concerts. 
• Disney! 
• Time with international friends! 
• Hakone for an onsen trip!! 
• Osaka for new years with new friends. 

So I am keeping busy. Somewhere in there I need to learn more Japanese, and practice my Japanese, and catch up on a TON of reading and TV watching and video games. And mail packages back to the states. I have things I need to mail about 5 people. ^^*.  

I also thing i have finally found a place where I can just be me. And wear what I think is cute. And not have to apologize for the things that I like. I am not sure if that is because finally, at my age, I am accepting who I am, and like that person most days, or if it is because I stopped trying to make others happy and am finally doing the things that I know that I need to do. I am not sure. But it is worth thinking about. Things aren't easy, and I still have many bad days, but I am happier, and more OK with who I am, and I know who I want to be, and I am happy, and content, and not miserable, and a great many other things that I wasn't in the states. 

Sure, cancer research is an important and valuable thing. 

But if it destroys you, is is worth it?

I think not. 

But going where the path presents itself, doing something for me, that I wanted, and seeing something in my life finally appear to work for the better, and on the path of least resistance? It is a strange and wonderful feeling. 

And I look forward to seeing how else I can grow and mature in Japan. 

Another update later, with the apartment and things. 

I am the worst blogger ever. But its why I have facebook :)

So, on Wednesday it was my three month anniversary in Japan. Which is a bit crazy.
I should be sleeping. Or writing on a textbook. Or something. Buts its not even 2AM on a Saturday, and in Japan that means I should be out and about and having fun. Except, I am at home. With streaming j-pop internet radio, and my laptop. Yay.

1. I have started making friends. Some that I knew from the internet and various things. Some local. But mostly its people I meet when I am out at bars near my apartment, since that seems to be where most the community happenings are. BUT, since I recently found a church I have been embraced by all sorts of super wonderful warm happy people. Which makes me happy. For many reasons. But after leaving LA and having a very warm, very caring environment there I was worried that I wouldnt be able to find something like that in Japan. I seem to be wrong. I mean, I have met people who went to university in SA. Crazy.

2. I have started kinds sorta Japanese lessons. I started doing a language exchange with someone Japanese<-->English over coffee for free. But we both kinda suck at communication so that hasn't happened for the last two weeks. I need to sign up for lessons. But since payday is happening, and that sets me finally on the road to kinda sorta stable as opposed to what the heck, i am poooooooooooooor and have no things. And getting settled takes time and I know that. But there are group lessons for 2.5 hours Sunday morning for 1000JPY, which is cheap! And they offer one free, so next weekend I will try that, and see what happens. Since I need to start leaning to speak Japanese.

3. But some of y bar friends are helping teach me. We are staring with menu kanji and things, but they teach the SUPER casual Japanese, and I need to learn formal as well. Since I cant talk to work people in casual yo whats up Japanese.

4. The apartment is still 90% unfurnished, since moving to a new country is hard, and expensive, and I wont have the budget to really furnish it until them. But at that point to go with my purple bedding will be a yellow mirror. and turquoise IKEA expedit shelves. and a hot pinkish magenta bookcase. And I need heavy winter curtains, since my futon is near the window and coooooold. Maybe the kotatsu futon? 

5. I have walked a TON. Lost about 12.5ish kilos (at least). Which is about 27 lbs? I am not sure of my exact starting weight. But I am losing weight. Which is good. I just need to get down about 20 more kilos to be at a good healthy weight for my build. But it is a work in progress. The nightly/late night at least half hour wandering of the neighborhood helps I think. At least when it was warmer. But its cold now, so I go walking less. I need to figure out what to do about this.  But so does a diet with exponentially less sugar, and less processed sugar. Though I eat a lot of carbs. A LOT. And I do go out. And i drink. When I have money. But still, huge progress.

6. I still love Japanese pop culture. Am rediscovering my love for SMAP, whom a friend had introduced me to years ago when we first got into Rurouni Kenshin and Sailor Moon and Fushigi Yuugi and all things Japan. So Bz and Spitz and SMAP and Mr. Children and X-Japan are all things that make me happy, since it is nostalgic. And I might adore Nakai from SMAP. For all his awkward off key singing and questionable dancing skills he is adorable and all over the TV. And sometimes I can even understand what he is saying. But that also means that my enjoyment of Japanese pop culture increases. And there are more bands that I like ^^*.

7. Work had me traveling all over to the prefectures out Tokyo (Kanagawa, Yokohama, Shizuoka) as well as as far as Kyoto for the moment. There are so many places that I want to go and I want to see BUT financial stability, furnish my apartment, and paying off credit cards and loans comes first. Then with the extra money I can do fun things. But I am planning Disney over Christmas, and Hakone with a friend after christmas, and koyo viewing in Kamakura/Enoshima late this month/early December, so I am doing things. :) 

8. It is really weird to not be working 70 hours a week, with no days off. Now I work 70-120 hours a MONTH. It is kinda amazing. BUT it also means that I have more free time that I know what to do with. And days off. But I do spend a lot of time on the train, since I travel a lot for work. Which means I was a hermit for a while. Caught up on ALLLLLL the sleep I missed in grad school. 

9. Im lonely. And I miss people. And I miss hugs, and physical contact. While I have met awesome awesome people here like they live far enough away that seeing them is intermittent. But this is what happens when you go from living in a sharehouse with some amazing and awesome people to living in a small 1LK in Tokyo.

10. I get hit on 3958498768259 more than I ever got hit on at home. But thats usually at the bars. usually by married or taken men. Since thats apparently a thing here. IDEK. I also acquired a pushy admirer in an expat who keeps suggesting we go places. By car. Alone. Puts me on edge a little. But he is only pushy when he is SUPER drunk, and has backed off. But that has been inserting, since I never seemed to get any attention when I was back in the states. And I don't know how to deal with it well. 

But all that is to say that i like my job. And I am happy. And I enjoy life again. I don't dream every moment of every day. I don't look for anything that will get me out of there. While I probably needed to be in LA for the two years that I was there, this is a good new start for me, and I regret nothing. 

This next week I get paid, and get to go furniture shopping!! Some of it is mail order, so I dont know when it will arrive for sure, but when I have pic of the apartment with stuff in it, i will post them. And try and post more as a whole. 

Love you all!! 

Settling in

Japan is, to this point in time, pretty much what I was expecting it to be. The biggest surprise has been the realization that I am living about 2 blocks from where I stayed with my friend when I visited here 7 years ago. I didn't realize until I got off the train to see the company apartment that this was so close to where she lived, but it is. Though Nogata has changed some. But I am getting ahead of myself.

The flight was long. Super long. I didnt really sleep the night before. But the Dreamliner was cushy, and I finally got to watch Skyfall. I am so behind on things ^^*.

Immigration took all of 30 min between getting my visa, getting my bags, and clearing customs. Then I took my two 70lb suitcases to get delivered to the office. And then I was off to the hotel. The room was TINY. Super TINY. A bed, bathroom, small desk and thats it. Maybe, Maybe 50sq ft and that is being generous. But it was enough for the 2 nights that I was there until I got settled into the apartment.

The first "day" at work was just seeing the apartment, which is tiny and cute, and mine, and I like it. Even if it is right on the train tracks. Ill have some pictures up at the end of this post. :) It doesnt have tatami like I wanted, but I just got an extra foam pad for my futon, and that seems to have helped.

The second day was a bit crazy. I started orientation, which they cut short an hour early since the time change was killing me. After that I got to lug my carry on and laptop bag (about 70 lbs) through Shibuya, to the hanko shop (since I need a hanko for bank account and cell phone acquisition), to Shibuya station, on the Yamanote Line, to the Seibu Shinjuku line, to Nogata, which is where I live. Yes, I was that person on the train. I have been that person on the train every day since I have been here. One more day of that, and then I will be all moved in. Then I had to go to the Nakano city ward office, register, come back to get my gas hooked up, then go back out and get a futon, so i wasn't sleeping on the wood floor. It was a LOOOOOONG day.

Did I mention that with the humidity factor its felt like 100-110 daily. Its gross. On the plus side, with the heat, and all this exercise, I have been a lot less hungry, and I am eating healthier, even if it is just convenience store sandwiches, onigiri, and soba (and beer) for the first 3 days. I think I have lost weight already. And hope the trend continues. :)

I also got to wander to the drug/sundries store and try and find shampoo, body wash, conditioner, a razor, toilet paper, and things like that. Which is harder than one would think. But at least I know enough katakana to sound out conditioner, since with curly hair that is a must.

One the second day training was a bit better. I met the other instructor who just started, who is three doors down from me. Glad I arrived when I did, as my apartment came with a fridge!! But then I had to go, open a bank account, get a keitai (cell phone (which was an experience and involved an iPad, face time, and a translator, but we got it done)) and home internet (WiMax is great, I can take it with me anywhere, and its immediate. So no waiting! Yay technology). I also had lunch with my trainer and the snarky american who was making speedy gonzales references in the emails to me, and goya is still not to my taste, but a lot better when cooked at least. And to lug large suitcase 1 or 2 from the office to my apartment. Again. in 7PM rush hour train time. I was that person again.

Then Saturday came. Since All I had was one curtain panel, and a futon without coverings or a duvet, this weekend was crazy get stuff done day. And I had done some research, and based on work recommendations Nitori is the way to go, since Muji is a bit pricy. And I liked Venus Fort last time I was there, so why now. So I spent the morning (having run into the new instructor on her way to the apartment) at the grocery store, and then the 100Yen shop, and finding the random recycle shop stall and scoring a rice cooker and electric tea kettle for cheap) and then around 5 we went to Venus Fort.

Which might have been a mistake, since it is Obon, and there was some festival with a bunch of people in yukata, and fireworks (HANABI!!!!!!) and everyone seemed to be on the island. Which made leaving with a foam futon cushion, and 2 large bags of bedding, towels etc a ton of fun (not) and I was even more that person on the trains. More than usual. But it was nice to hand out with M, and we had amazing pasta, a seafood pasta with a genovese sauce that was better than a lot of italian food that i had had, and the kirin with the icy creamy foam on top was good. Also, it was random to see a Glay caricature display at the mall, as I didn't even realize they still made music ^^* And of course, there was giant Gundam.

Today was low key, though I did make about 2 trips to the 100Y shop, and the grocery store, getting things I forgot. But I have pocari sweat in a pitcher in the fridge (they sell it in powder!!!) and barley tea so I am staying hydrated. And I cooked my first meal at the apartment. Beef curry with some unknown green vegetable over rice. Oishii!!

And that pretty much covers it. I need to settle down and get some work done.
And I am hoping to hear back from someone on craigslist about getting a washer, microwave, vacuum, kotatsu, chair, and small cabinet for cheap. We shall see. I wont be totally settled in, but I will be minimally settled in. Will still need to get bookcases, but those can wait.

 the view from my balcony

 Pretty sunflowers near the 100Y shop

 Did I mention the train was right outside?

 House slippers and Kirin Green label. For reasons. 

 Giant Gundam!!!!!! 

 Glay! 

 Frothy delicious Kirin Black!

 Reflection of the ferris wheel on buildings

 Curtains! 

 Bedding!! 

 Bedding and curtains! 

 Adventures at the french bakery. Iced coffee. A edamame cheddar things. A chorizo, onion, edamame, mayo hotdog, and a apple cream pastry. 

 Itty bitty kitchen. Still needs the microwave. Which will go on the fridge. 

 Food, pots and pans. 

 Not zojirushi, but for 5000Y for both, I cannot complain too much. 

 Induction cooktop. 

 Scientist duckies! 

Dinner! Curry!! 

I get to meet a online friends on Friday, and then another on the weekend (didnt realize she was even in Japan, and so close (3 stations down)) and hopefully training doesnt suck too much. :)

Almost time

This should be the last post this side of the Pacific.
I have an apartment (Company apartment initially, it is small and tiny, but cute. Super cute).
I will be near Nogata Station in Nakano-ku
I think i will have a lot of high gloss red furniture to spice things up.
I had to rebook my flight since the visa took so long.
It is sitting in customs right now, and I hope that I dont have to rebook it AGAIN since that would be awful.

I am supposed to leave Monday August 5th.
Let us hope it happens.
Then I can start the new life/new job, being an expat thing.
Which just sounds odd terminology wise, since I am not in exile, but I am voluntarily absent.
We shall see.

Updates and ramblings

1. My Japanese is still atrocious. And will be for a while. I have always been one who works best under pressure and actually using things, and while my workbooks, and the Pimsleur approach audio files are useful, since I am not applying it on a regular basis, I fall into the trap of Oh, I know that except really, I don't. So I need to find motivation or focus or something.

2. My visa, because it is me, is taking longer than expected. No surprise there. They are still looking for a start date as the 1st or 2nd week of August. Which is exciting. But it'll be cutting it close than I would live for the visa. But even if they send me the pre approval in mid July, it should only take 3 days  at the consulate since I am going in person it might not even take that long.

3. This entire business professional with make up and no crazy nail colors might kill me. Not really. But it'll take some getting used to. Also trying to decide if it is worth it to fight the humidity and try and do with straight professional hair, or just accept the fact that I have a mop of messy curls and the humidity will just make that all the more evident.

4. I want to be IN Japan already. With my tiny apartment. And not here. Trying to figure out where I think I want to live, and what would be good. I think a 1LDK would be best, ideally I would want 2 "rooms" but that might be asking a lot. But a room with tatami for the futon and eventually kotatsu, and then a room where I can have a desk/bookshelves/TV would be great.  Since I am tall, and not the most slender, I hope that I tup will actually accommodate me, since I adore the idea of a soaking tub. But yeah. I want to close this chapter of my life, and move on, and have spent FAR too much time looking at apartments and things online. Ideally I want something like this but that might be asking a bit much. But that is my hope. We shall see.

Welcome to my adventures!

I am starting a blog so that everyone who wants to know about my soon to be new and exciting life in Tokyo can read all about it. This where I will go into detail about all of the things that are going on with me, and what the images that I post to facebook are, and really anything relevant to my travels.

I will be going over late July, first week of August, for a first or second week of August start date. I am still waiting for that to solidify on their end as far as when they actually need me, but welcome!

よろしくおねがいします！