Oh, wow I'm bad at keeping up with blogs.
I've been here just over a full week, and I'm loving it.
Tuesday through yesterday were pretty uneventful, but relaxing- just what I needed. Everything here closes down for the New Year, so there isn't a whole lot to see or do.
We had a very American Tuesday night: bowling and basketball. We went with friends to an arcade-style megacenter. They had a bowling alley and every arcade game imaginable (including those basketball shooting games.)
I also finally got some popcorn to satisfy my craving!
Wednesday we went for an extended "hike" through Tsukuba.. saw some parks and the scenery of the city. There's a lot of greenery for being a "metropolitan" area, although I'd say this is an interesting blend of rural and city. I experienced my first foreign post office. It was surprisingly efficient.
Thursday is 10% off at the grocery store day... how can you pass that up? It takes about an hour to get through the 15-aisle store, because you have to match up the little symbols on your grocery list with the little symbols on the product (which may be slightly different than what Google Translate tells you!)
I found recipes to make Tonkatsu (pork) and Chicken Katsu, so we had to stray from the "normal" routine in the grocery store to accommodate the needed items. I spent maybe 10 minutes looking through the sauce section for ketchup. I was so proud of myself for finding the right one, but that quickly melted when I looked 12 inches down the shelf to see "Heinz Ketchup" clearly printed on a bottle.
Oh well, it was a fun experience.
If there's one thing I've noticed, it's the similarities in humanity that stand out far more than the differences. Babies cry the same in every language, children laugh the same, and the teenage population still can't drive. Emotions and body language transcend cultural barriers, and hand gestures are a great way of communicating when words aren't possible.
At JAXA Monday, we wanted a picture with the space shuttle that is on display in the quad. A woman and her daughter (presumably) were taking pictures also. They spoke Japanese and we spoke English, yet we somehow managed to get a picture together with the shuttle, as did they.
I know just enough Japanese to get me thrown into jail.
"Excuse me" and "thank you" are the extent of my knowledge. I know "Kon'nichiwa," but since that's only appropriate to use at certain times, and I don't know when those are, I avoid saying it so I don't look like that silly American who watched Tokyo Drift and thought she knew everything about the culture.
Luckily for me, the keisatsu (police) don't look that intimidating and I could easily out run them long enough to get on the global news and become a public figure, rather than another Pat thrown in a white padded room and lost forever.
Today, if we ever get going, we'll be climbing Tsukubasan (Mt. Tsukuba), which will take most of the day (since we rely on public transportation). My sinuses have been the main reason we've been lazy. They're irritated from the heater and dry air and have been bleeding for about a week and slightly infected.
I know, you really wanted to hear that information.
If sinus transplant surgery ever becomes an option, I'm going to be the first one on the table. I call it.
The problem with having sensitive (aka crappy) sinuses is that you just can't win. In the spring/summer/fall, allergens irritate them and I have sinus infections and sinus congestion and feel crappy. In the winter, when everything is dead and I have no allergens, the dry air and the heat irritate them just as bad (or worse) than the other 3/4 of the year. This isn't a Japan problem.. it's followed me here.
I also bitterly hate the cold, and it is bitterly cold here, so I'm kind of trapped beneath 14 layers of clothes in this prison cell called my body.
It will be nice to get outside and moving around (hopefully) enough to warm up and feel at least partially human. Everything here is small-sized: a 10x10 gym, a 12x12 apartment, tiny streets, tiny sidewalks, tiny cars. I'm more of a wide-open space type of girl. Hence, excited to be in the great outdoors again.
There aren't as many cars and people as you would expect to find in Japan (based on the movies, at least) but we're not in a highly concentrated area. This is a big research center and university town, so picture Gainesville (if you've been there) and you have Tsukuba. Minus the English.
But I am enjoying it here. It's fantastically interesting to watch people of different cultures and experience first-hand how to live in that culture. There's a huge difference between visiting a place, with hotel life, and concierge and translators, to diving head first into a new culture and having to adapt to it as quickly as possible.
It's a fun challenge. Even with the few frustrations I wouldn't trade this experience for anything!
The equipment Ray is here to use is down until January 5 (bye-bye birthday plans!) so I get un-interrupted hubby time for the next week! No sharing with the lab equipment (something that NEVER happens, even in the States!) Hopefully, it will be up and running with enough time for him to finish what he came here to do. We're very thankful it's even going to be fixed at all! (Which was a big possibility.)
Life is good, God is great, and I'm off to enjoy another beautiful day! (You do the same!)