First sweating, Then melting

On Thursday and Friday I had my first two days of work technically speaking. Yet, there really isn't anything I'm supposed to be doing. So I go over to the board of education (BOE) around 8:30am and proceed to keep myself busy for most of the day with a healthy dose of boredom. On Friday I took the time to write out what had been going on since I arrived in Japan. I'm sure more of the same will follow this week. I think I could go over to the middle school if I really wanted. I will ask this week and see what is going on because my supervisor is going to take me to the elementary schools I will be doing lessons at. At least that is what I thought she told me in Japanese...

I have never really lived entirely alone or on my own before. I suppose I was trained how to clean up and take care of myself though in the process though (Thanks mom). I've been eating lots of rice and other random things. Tonight I had eel on top of rice and finished off the yakisoba that I made on Thursday. Until I get more appropriate recipes I will just be putting whatever together and seeing if it comes out okay. I mean I could look up Japanese recipes on the internet but I've had enough food to make other things. Tomorrow I will take some time to find some recipes to try. One of the most perplexing things that I still haven't figured out entirely is the garbage sorting. I have a big colorful chart with instructions and cartoon pictures of what to throw away and recycle. I might as well just show you one of these so you know what I'm dealing with.



This was not much of a surprise because I know about garbage sorting in Japan but actually understanding what I am supposed to do with every specific piece of trash is perplexing to say the least. For example, I am supposed to take the cap and plastic wrapping on a pop bottle off. But I don't know if these plastic things are then included in the plastic bottle recycle or if they are just thrown in the burnable trash. I'll just hide my trash in other things until I find out. Old Japanese ladies like to snoop around garbage collection points and find who isn't sorting garbage correctly and then publicly ostracize the poor soul.


Picked this out of the vending machine (自動販売機) after dinner tonight.



It's what you expect cola and orange flavor to taste like. Cola and orange. I debated over just getting coke but I can drink coke whenever I want. After consuming this I thought why didn't I just buy Coke and orange Fanta and mix themself?


Yesterday, on Saturday, I took my first walk around parts of my town and the surrounding locales. This picture is right outside my front door. On the right is the board of education. Over on the top left where there are buildings is the middle school. I will be working at several different schools which are scattered along the road.



Lachlan told me about a road that started behind the BOE that went up into the hills and wound around.



The forests here are full of lush plants and trees. I don't think anyone had used this little road for quite some time because I kept hitting spider webs. Here is a picture from the early part of the road that looks out towards the town.



On the left of the picture is a building with 8 windows (4x2). I live directly behind there in the other white building. You can see part of my balcony. Pretty awesome right? I wouldn't have minded being up in Hongawa which is even more rural but this location is just perfect. At least we have a Co-op where we can get food. Its just a mini grocery but Hongawa doesn't even have that. So us folk are surely blessed. Sometime soon I'll probably hit up the dentist who runs his office right next to my house. I only pay 30％　of cost with Japanese health care so who says socialized medicine is so terrible?

My walk continued up the hill/mountain until I came to a more proper road. The only reason a good road was built is because there is some type of cell tower or other equipment at the top. So access is necessary. I was really surprised when I heard a truck coming from behind me. A little truck with an old Japanese man and woman looked at me. He slowed down and I was like "Awesome, am I going to get a ride down the mountain?" But the old lady looked scared and they sped off. I spent the rest of the walk down the mountain thinking how great a ride in the back of their truck would have been.



I've resigned to the fact that sweat will be a part of every day life until autumn comes. In fact, the only time I use the A/C is in the evening when I'm in my little bedroom. Otherwise I just sweat it out. It can't be helped. The best thing about this situation is that you can always talk about the hot weather with Japanese people and complain how hot it is.

Ended the day with more yakisoba and watching the O.C. in my cozy room on my futon.