After TWO MONTHS AND TWO DAYS, I finally have Internet. Whoa.
I am not even sure where to begin?
Things have been hard. Instead of the so-called JET “honeymoon” stage in Japan, I feel like I fell down a long flight of stairs. I am trying to stand up now, to adjust to the long work hours and being illiterate and having no money and mourning the end of most of my hobbies.
In the end, I think that I will be glad that I did this for a year, but right now…..
I feel…..
kind of like a moronic (so hard not being able to fully communicate!) Debbie Downer. I am hoping this stage passes soon.
The good news is that I am picking up some Japanese (I am REALLY poor at picking up languages, especially ones with three different writing systems), meeting people from all over the world, and all of my pictures are interesting over here.
So, I will just share some shots from my weekend in Tokyo for now.
After working 8 days straight, 10-12 hour days, I finally got a long weekend. I needed to get OUT of Toyama prefecture, and the weekend luckily coincided with a friend of a friend’s visit to Tokyo.
The city is MASSIVE. Larger than NYC and London.
amazing pictures! i think you are so brave for going on such an adventure. i hope the hard stage passes soon and that you have lots of cookies and YA favorites to keep you company in the meantime…
Thank you Rachel! Such a sweet comment. The beginnings are always hard, eh? Thank goodness for sweets and books! I am actually getting into Game of Thrones a bit over here too. Have you read it?
Yay for Internet! I’m sorry you’re off to a rough start in Japan, but sometimes we learn the most about ourselves and about live when we’re pushed out of our comfort zones. I hope things pick up. No matter what, though, you’ve got beautiful photos, and that’s all that really matters.
Thanks Chrissy! I think it was my own fault for only knowing three words in Japanese when I moved here. MUST STUDY MORE! Things are getting easier though – little by little:) And it is so, so, so nice to have Internet. I keep saying that it feels surreal.
Aw, I’m sorry your adventure is not off to the best start. On the bright side: yay for Internet and cheers for gorgeous photos! Seems like things are already looking up.
Hooray! You’re back! It must be such a huge relief to have internet in your apartment- I hope that makes a big happy difference for you! Send me your address- I’ll try to pop a little something in the mail!
Yes, it is….surreal to have Internet. Did you have good Internet in Africa? I can’t remember.
Anyway, it has been GREAT. I have not had much time to be on it, but am looking forward to feeling more connected. Will send you my address! It is kind of a funny one. You’ll see.
Loving your photos and talk about a culture shock indeed! Welcome Back and Have a Great One:)
Thank you!
You are definitely inspiring me to get out of my comfort zone. All the little things I’ve been too scared to do seem really insignificant compared to what you are doing.
Beautiful pictures, too!
Hahaha! That is awesome. I thought I might have scared people. Things are getting better, but this was WAY outside of my comfort zone. More so that I could have imagined.
Keep looking up! Things will get better! And definitely keep taking pictures and exploring when you have the chance －Japan is one of the most beautiful and photogenic countries in this big world.
Thanks Ashley! Yes, and things are getting much better lately. I am adjusting to work and school and life and cooking a bit more. A few teachers signed up for a yoga class on Friday nights. It is fun to take a yoga class in Japanese. I think once I pick up more of the language, things will become easier for me. Must. Study.
Well that’s great news! Picking up the language may come a bit faster than you realize (maybe not to the point of fluency, but still). The amount I have picked up just from my far-away love of the country surprised me. I imagine it will come faster when you’re actually surrounded by it. In any case, I hope you keep us updated on your progress! Ganbatte!
Glad you’re back on blogging! Thanks for all the great pics!
Thanks Herba! It is nice to have Internet again.
Glad to see you’re back. It will be interesting to see how this all gets put into perspective after you come home. Look forward to learning more.
Wow, I love your pictures and how you see Japan through your eyes!
So glad that you are back!! What are all those cats doing, so artfully displaying themselves?
Omedetou on getting the internet!
Tokyo’s not my favorite city either–I much prefer Kobe, Kyoto, and Osaka, but I studied abroad in Osaka, so I’m a bit biased. On the bright side, all three are easy to get to from Toyama on the train. (And by “easy” I mean 1-2 transfers, even though the price of expresses out of Hokuriku is a bit high.)
Domo arigato gozaimasu! It almost doesn’t feel real. Hahaha! It has been so long. I have had little time to play with it yet….beyond Skyping. SO EXCITED.
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