Live from Japan!

don’t say anything at all.

I know this familiar mantra, and I was about to follow it, but then I reminded myself that this is my blog, after all, and I can write about whatever I want, whenever I want. And besides, the bad days and the unhappy tales are just as relevant as the comical and happy stories we’ve been able to spin thus far.

Today I was having one of those down-in-the-dumps, culture-shock, I-hate-Japan-with-a-passion, sort of days. Not to worry, these days come fairly infrequently, and the feelings tend to pass quite quickly. Most of the time it is a teary moment or two, and then I quickly move on. But today, today was different.

This general grumpiness actually began last night. We decided to venture out to our local izakaya (think tapas) and my dinner was awful. Definitely my fault, not the restaurants fault. I ordered what was advertised as tuna sashima (raw tuna, I’m fine with that) and grated sweet potato over rice. What actually came to me was some sort of white rice goo (think about not fully formed jello or perhaps really soggy oatmeal but stickier, it is quite difficult to explain), with tuna sashimi on top, chopped seaweed, and, get this, a raw egg cracked right on top. Yuck! Note to self, don’t order that again.

Then we came home and finished reading the last Harry Potter book. I am happy to have read the series, but part of me is sad to see it go. Aaron and I started reading the series aloud to one another when we were newly dating, and have spent countless hours reading every book since. I’m sort of sad that it is over, in some ways it is the end of an era. I really enjoyed doing that with him, and I am sad that it has gone.

Then, I woke up, checked the weather and found that at 7:00am it was already well past 80 degrees and the humidity was high, very high, as well. This, my friends, is stupid hot. As I walked out of the shower this morning, I started sweating heavily and immediately. It is almost as though the shower were entirely pointless.

From there, things didn’t get much better. I had to cook some lunch for both of us, we ate out for dinner last night, and as a result had no leftovers to pack along. After last nights failed attempt at acquiring nourishment at a local establishment, I wanted a sure thing. I made pasta. Cooking the pasta was a hot and sweaty affair (have I mentioned that it is hot yet?)!

I went to school, arrived sweaty and stinky after my thirty minute bike ride. No one was at school, again. There was one teacher and one vice principal in the office. I had about an hour and a half of passive social interaction when I went and watched kendo practice (kendo is definitely a sport I do not wish to participate in anytime soon) then during the other five hours of school I had three people talk to me, for about 5 minutes total. Needless to say, I was bored to tears and lonely.

After work, I went out to bike. It was even hotter than when I came to work, my tires had lost a lot of pressure (making it significantly more difficult to ride), and I had a strong head wind. Just as I was approaching my apartment I was greeted by a fellow foreigner that I am not particularly fond of (not mentioning any names).

All in all, it was just one of those terrible days. Now, I know that also, given my mental state, at the moment, it is very easy to focus on the bad and horrible. I know this will pass. It already has, in part.

I was glad to be out with friends this evening, thank you Andrew and Alex and kids. They had us over for the most lovely dinner and they seemed perfectly content to let me moan and complain without judging me or even trying to shut me up. I suppose that is how it goes when you’ve been here for two years.

I also got a chance to make a quick phone call home. It is my Dad’s birthday today, Happy 51st! It was good, even on stolen internet, to hear some familiar voices.

Better days tomorrow, I’m sure. We have Gifu Orientation on Thursday and Friday and will be surrounded by all the JETs in Gifu for a few lovely days. Bring it on!