OK folks, I'm here!

Took me a while to figure out the town well enough to find somewhere I could use the internet... actually, I didn't do the figuring on my own. I've already met a great batch of Nova folks who are practically fighting over who gets to show me around next. I love it!

I arrived in Osaka without any difficulty, and was met at the airport (along with about 10 other Nova recruits) by a rather fat young Aussie who has been in Japan for about 5 years. I don't recall his name, but he was very soft spoken, which was nice considering we were all a little zoomy from the long flight. He took us over to the place where our luggage was tagged for delivery to our respective new homes. We were then given our welcome packages which included maps to our houses and keys, as well as brochures and loads of information on things like registering as an alien in your city, and how to buy a mobile phone and open a bank account. There was also a phone card in the package, already charged up with 500 Yen (about 5 bucks). All of us grouped up on a bench and whiled away the hour before the first of us was to leave for the next leg of the journey (that was me). I went to the vending machine and bought what I thought was lemonade and was shcoked to discover that it was hot! A guy from Calgary who was returning for his second year at Nova chockled and informed me that the surest way to tell the season was by whether the vending machines were serving hot or cold drinks. (He was wearing a brown suit and he had terrible breath, by the way.) The drink tasted like Neo Citran, without the medicine part.

The next part involved the gentle Nova guy herding us all outdoors to start to parcel us off for part II. I was taken over to the bus waiting area and shown how to read the schedule, instructed on where to stand, and then everyone waved and said goodbye and left me there. On my own in Japan for the first time ever! It was very brisk and chilly out, so I was glad to have my long coat and gloves. The bus ride itself was very long, about 3 hours, and I was really starting to feel weird-- I hadn't slept on the plane at all. We drove through these massive industrial cities which were like green meccas of the future. It was a little terrifying, as night had fallen and all I could see were massive green glowing towers of pipes and tubing, giant warehouses, big red-and-white thingies that looked like stretched-out eiffel towers spewing smoke and flames... it was all a little nightmarish, and I started to fret that Tokushima might be like that.

When I arrived in Tokushima (I knew I was there because the bus had a voice-system that announced every stop in Japanese and English-- and played a little jingle too) I got off the bus and looked for the train station that I was to meet a guy named Jon at... I didn't see any trains anywhere. We were in kind of a city square, with big tower buildings on three sides. Lots of lights and razzle-dazzle, but nothing like Tokyo. It didn't look too scary. I decided to follow the old couple who had gotten off ahead of me, and lo and behold, there was a group of three gaijin (foreigners) waiting. "Are you here for me?" I asked, and thankfully, they were. Jon is 27 (I'm exactly 2 days older than him) tall, blond and pointy-nosed in a good-looking sort of way. He's from Idaho, and has been with Nova for 2 months. Shona is a cute little snub-nosed brunette from Austrlia with a ton of spunk, age 24-- she's leaving in a month-- and her room-mate, Denise, is from Nova Scotia and is about 34, brunette and petite as well, a little more stoic than Shona. She's been with Nova for a year now, and plans to stay on for another, I think. ANYWAY, the three of them wanted to take me out to eat and then to Ingrid's International bar for karaoke, but I was nearly incoherent by this time. I couldn't remember the word 'airport' and called it "the place where planes go". Jon got us a taxi, and Shona and Denise biked off. The taxi driver didn't undersatnd my map or address, and swore and grumbled in Japanese for the whole ride. I was starting to worry that I wouldn't make it home, but luckily Jon had been to where I was to live before, and was able to get us there.

My apartment was dazzling to me when I arrived-- in fact, it still is! It's meant for 3 people, but I have it all to myself. The floors are all hardwood, and every room has sliding doors that open onto a narrow balcony. I'm on the fourth floor, and have a beautiful view of a river (I'm not sure which one, as there are several running through Tokushima) and of Mt. Bizan, a beautiful bushy green landmark. I only have the view when the doors are open though, as every piece of glass in the place is frosted. I chose the Japanese style room as my bedroom-- it's "Japanese Style" because it has the sliding paper screens over the window and doors, and tatami mats rather than hardwood. While Jon was still there, instructing me on things like how the heaters/air conditioners work, the futon delivery guy arrived. I didn't recognize him (I have a little phone-buzzer thing with a tv, so I can see who is downstairs) and I almost hung up-- thank god I didn't! After I had my futon, I sent Jon on his way and set up my futon, which means zipping the mattress pad and the duvet into their covers, and putting them on the floor. Once in my pajamas and in bed, I rapidly discovered why having those heater thingies in every room is so important! Unfortunately, I was too jet-lagged to figure out how they worked or remember Jon's instructions, so I ended up wearing my jacket and plugging in an electric heater. I spent the night rolling about to try and warm various body parts and shiving from the icy fingers of cold that kept on seeping in from the non-heated side of the floor. The next day, the first thing I did was figure the heater out. The thing 'bows' with it's directional fan whenever I start it up or shut it off!

I had the first day to myself, and decided to try and find some groceries and a blanket. I walked into town through the narrow streets and noticed that every 2 inches of space is jammed with potted plants and flowering trees and palms. I guess when you're surrounded by so much concrete, you do what you can to cultivate a green patch. I walked towards Mt. Bizan-- everything is very flat, exlcluding the mountain itself. I decided to hike up it a bit, and found the houses at the base of the mountain to be more trational, with bigger yards containing vegetable patches and terraced gardens. I hiked up past where the road stopped and stood on the paved path taking pictures when I noticed a dirt trail going into the woods. I jumped the rail of the path and follwed the trail into the woods, where I found a tiny (4'X4'X4') Shinto shrine in a thick grove of thin, tall trees. At that moment, the sun came dazzling through the green leaves and I breathed deeply. What an amazing dicovery! No-one was about, so I stayed for a while before walking back down. I meandered through the streets until I found a Second Hand Shop-- the store keeper came out and helped me choose the best fuzzy blanket for my needs. She spoke English remarakably well. She informed me that I had come along at tea-time, and invited me in to her office. I sat down and we chatted while she was brewing the coffee. Her name is Misako Eno, and she's proably in her fifties-- she'd been to Canada before. Her friend came along with tea-time treats from Mr. Donut-- I had a donut filled with red bean paste. It was delicious! The two of them drew me a map to the closest supermarket to my apartmet, and after I had finished my coffee and donut, I thanked them both profusely and headed back towards my new home.

I've since been to the supermarket, which deserves an entry all it's own, so I'll save that for another time. My luggage was delivered without hassle that evening. The next day I met with Jon and asked him a few questions about the washing machine (hang to dry) and about shopping and the town-- he took me through the city to Big Brother's Cafe (run by a pair of Americans) for lunch. We met with Shona there, and continued on to get my Gaijin card, which registers me as a legal alien resident of the city. If I didn't have it, I could get hassled by the police or deported. We then went on to a bike shop to purchase a bike-- a MUST have, as I will be doing all of my getting around by bicycle. I will be riding over a one-kilometre-long bridge to go to work everyday, and there aren't any buses. I bought a midnight blue "Crispy" brand bike. Shona said that I am now part of the Crispy Club, as that seems to be the gaijin bike of choice. It's a one-speed with a basket and a rack behind the seat, a headlight, a bell and a built-in lock-- which solved my question as to why everyone leaves their bikes unlocked on the streets-- they are locked, but it's more of a disabling device. No-one wears a helmet, which freaks me out, especially since there are no road-rules for the bikes. You ride on the street, on the sidewalk, on any side of the road, in any direction. Everyone bikes. At any given time on any given corner, there are no less than 10 bikes parked-- usually more like 50. Outside where my bike is parked now, in front of the department store there are hundreds and hundreds.

Anyway, there's lots more to come. I'm exhausted-- I was at a party last night hosted by Root Down and Ingrid's International-- it was sort of like a university pub-party with cooler lighting and bartenders in spiffy matching outfits. I drank too much and harrased some of the male gaijin, openly accusing them of coming to Japan so they could pick up Japanese chicks. Luckily everyone was in wonderful spirits (or into the spirits) and I wasn't taken for a jerk. We (being me, another Aussie Nova girl named Maz, and a bunch of folks I had just met) stayed until the party ended, and then headed back to Ingrid's... I stayed for about 15 minutes before I decided it was time to ride my wobbly way home on my bike... very carefully! I have never been drinking and biking before, and I'm not sure I reccomend it.

Well, that's it for now! I'm meeting with Maz later on today, I have a few questions for her. I begin training in Okayama tomorrow-- that's on the main island, so I'll be catching a train early in the morning. I'll be there for about 5 days, and then I will come back to Tokushima to work right away. It's so exciting to be here, and I love it so much! Until next time...

Right this very minute I am on hold with Air Canada. It's no wonder the mofos keep frickin' having financial trouble-- no-one seems to have a clue. The only number I could find on their web-page was not the right number for my particular question (regarding overweight baggage) so the guy gave me a new number. I dialed that number, and got a voice saying, "This number has been changed. Please call 1-900-643-2000. You must be over 18, and calls cost $2.99 a minute..." Poo, POO on Air Canada! I hear that they charge $$$ for things on the plane that you'd usually get for free-- pillows, blankets, meals. I'll be returning by way of a different airline, for certain! Cathay Pacific is so-o-o good, they even come around with heated face towels for us peons in third class.

On a bright note, I went out for dinner and laser-bowling last night. It was a Goat Girl extravaganza! (meaning there were four Capricorn girls re-celebrating our recent birthdays). I recieved some very thoughtful gifts-- Kelaine gave me a hat and an umbrella to replace the ones I left on the bus a couple months ago, and Jessica and Ryan loaded me up with Long-Flight-Essentials-- hand sanitizer, saline nose spray, eye drops, a book of Sudoku (my latest obsession) and lots more. Kelaine says there's a surprise on the umbrella (in the umbrella? On?) and I've decided to wait until I get to Japan and it rains before I open it up to find out what the surprise is. Probably a dirty drawing or something!

I won the official title of 'biggest loser' at bowling. As a consolation prize, Andrea showed up and returned my Shins cd, which I think I lent to her last summer... thanks Andrea! It was good to see everyone.

And now I have to go and unpack and re-pack. I am over the allowable baggage weight, and there are no alternatives. (Insert explitives here).

Eating as much red meat as possible. I'm also eating lots and lots of chocolate; I expect that these items may be a little more spendy in Japan. Donna's been spoiling me rotten by making just about anything I desire. Bacon! Pastries! Steaks! Cookies!

Altogether, I am feeling very calm, although I ought not to, considering the high doses of caffiene in my system. I am not quite packed yet. I'm not quite sure how everything is going to fit; one half of my large suitcase is already filled with shoes.

Mom is calling every day and crying a little. She's happy for me to be going, but she says she's sad for herself, since she won't be able to talk to me all of the time. I told her, "Don't worry mom! You can still call me in Japan-- it'll just cost more!" I'm lucky to have a family that is so supportive!

Less than a week to go!

It's a beautiful sunny day, and Donna is out shopping for what will be my last Wednesday Night Supper for at least a year. The weds night suppers are sort of a Barrell family extravaganza-- every wednesday Donna cooks a big meal, and anyone who wants to come, comes. And eats. Alot. Tonight it's tacos and burritos ("what's comin' outta your speedo?" Sarah would sing... nothing like diarreah humor to lighten your mood)!

I've just gotten in from feeding and letting the chickens out. One thing I won't miss is Jester, that assholic rooster. He was the second bird out of the hen-house, and he promptly attacked me. So now I'm a little shaken up, and I smell like chicken poo. Oh well. I do like taking the eggs, nice and warm, and putting them into the bucket. And I like to eat the eggs, oh yes. That has to be my favorite part! So there, Jester! I consume your would-be offspring-- I get my revenge!

I'm getting a little wishy-washy at this point-- I'm excited to be going, but I don't like to say goodbye. There's so many people I would have liked to have seen (and seen more of) before I go, but I don't think I realized how fast the time would speed by. Shout out to all y'all.

Well, I've caved to the uniquely 21st Century desire to set up a blog. I may not be making the world a better place, but more people are going to hear about it, so maybe they'll keep me accountable.

A few days ago I received an address for my new residence in Japan. I'll be living on the island of Shikoku, just south of Osaka. I'll be in Tokushima, also known as the Water Living City. I'm not sure if it really is the Water Living City or if it's just one of those alluring tag lines that municipalities tack on in the hopes of impressing folks-- for example, Port Moody, City of the Arts was so named because Port Moody by itself was doing a poor job of attracting the Asian homebuyer's market. It turns out that Port Moody in Chinese characters translates into Gloomy City of Death or something equally appealing.

Anyway, Tokushima it is. When I was hired by my company, I was asked if I might have any preferences for where in Japan I might end up living and teaching, and I asked for the island of Shikoku as my first choice, simply because I have never been there before. That sounds a bit worldly of me-- really I'm not worldly at all (yet). I want to see the world, but it seems that I keep on going back to Japan. My first trip there was a two-and-a-half-week student exchange when I was fifteen, comprised of Tokyo, Sendai and Tsukuba, all on the main island. My second trip was a two-and-a-half-week city exchange to the northern island of Hokkaido when I was seventeen. I'll be twenty-seven tomorrow, so it's been ten years. I can't even remember how to ask to use the washroom. (Here's hoping I'll get Japanese for Dummies as a birthday gift!)

I'm not going to Japan becuase I'm crazy into anime or manga. I don't care that much about ninja or swords or feudal lords or bonsai. My karaoke skills are weak, and I don't want to hang out with the harajuku girls. All of this could change, I suppose. The real reason I am going to Japan is because it doesn't scare me. I like sushi and tea and ritual good manners. I'm not afraid of fish soup for breakfast or corn on my pizza, I'm not afraid of wearing toilet slippers. I'm not worried about drunken businessmen who want to know my bra size or my blood type. I like the differences that Japan presents to me, and because of previous experience, all of them are safe differences.

At this point the only things that have me wondering are the unknown factors of my future room-mates. From the floor-plan of my apartment that the company sent, it looks as though there will be three of us, all girls. That's just as well. I don't think I could bear to be shacked up with those oddball North American guys who see Japan as a sort of mecca for their anime fantasies. My company hires from all the English-speaking countries in the world, so I've got my fingers crossed that we'll have a little variety in the apartment-- it'd be weird if I went all the way to Japan just to find myself rooming with two other Canadian chicks from B.C. It really doesn't matter; I believe that whatever happens will be the right thing.

I fly out of Vancouver on January 24th. In the meantime I'm shopping for shoes for my enormous feet and getting poked with needles for diseases that I might catch when I holiday in Thailand or China...