One month in

It's officially been a month since I've left the States...it feels so surreal. I don't think that it's fully hit me that I am a) a junior in the States and thus less than two years until I graduate and I have to actually enter the real world, and b) that I am actually living in Japan and becoming accustomed to Japan's customs and daily life. I've noticed that when I point to myself instead of pointing or placing a hand to my chest as I had done previously, lately I've been pointing a finger to my face (Japanese custom). Now, I can't stop it and it's an unconscious act. However, it's little things like that remind me that I am becoming slowly assimilated into the culture which of course is much to my delight.

Despite continuing frustrations and changes, I still really like living in Japan - I could possibly see myself here in the future. Through this experience, I've also rediscovered my long-lost love for teaching children. Even as a child I had enjoyed teaching, but I left that idea sometime in high school. However, I could see myself as an English teacher here quite easily. Who knows, though - the future is so volatile that I don't bother to plan far ahead anymore. One day at a time is good for me :)

Rush hour on trains continues to amaze me in the sheer amount of people they can stuff within such a small space. Oftentimes, I see a stop approaching and a huge line of people waiting for my particular express train. The train is already full, and I think that there's no way they can fit that amount of people into this train, even with the usual amount of people disembarking. There's no way. But low and behold, almost always every single person at the approaching station will fit into the train car. It's magic, I swear.

Last weekend I visited my host aunt's house in Isu I think? I'm still vague on the actual location. All I know is that it is on the coast and I think two hours south via the Shinkansen (bullet train). Anyway, while there I met more of my host cousins; my favorite was Ryou, a soon-to-turn-two year old who was ADORABLE! He couldn't say much except "Koga?" which is supposed to be "Kore wa?" (which translates literally to "As for this?" but implies "What is this?"), and "Mama" which he would use to address me as he became more attached. He and I would look at a gigantic book full of characters from his favorite television show "アンパンマン"/"Anpanman" (anpan is a bread filled with anko, or red bean paste...so literally the main character was an anpan superhero of some sort? I didn't quite understand it...here's more information if you're interested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anpanman). I was so sad to leave him behind D:

During that stay, I also went to my first onsen (hot spring)! It was a little awkward at first - basically genders are separated and go to a huge room with a row of shower heads and then one huge hot spring that literally fills up half the room. Before even stepping into the hot spring, you must wash yourself using these shower heads (completely clean, soap and water!) and then you can enter the communal hot spring. I felt a little awkward mostly because I had no clothes on....in a huge room full of women (who also wore no clothes). It is customary to strip before entering the room containing the shower heads and hot spring, and as a prim American it was a little disconcerting at the very beginning. It only took a couple of moments to get over my shyness, and I was off! The place I entered also had an outside onsen (called 露天風呂, or rotenburo) that was magnificent - I will definitely want to go to one at night somewhere in the countryside to enjoy the night view and relaxing warm waters. Entering an onsen is usually fairly cheap, as well - I believe it was about 200 yen to enter. If you are ever in Japan, it is a must - the Japanese LOVE onsens (they're everywhere), and it's deeply rooted tradition (it's hard to find a Japanese person who does not like to go to them every now and then). It's also an enjoyable, relaxing experience ^_^