Sitting here, the room is clear...

At a glance I knew it was familiar, something I had seen in Tokyo. Oddly enough the two dollars seemed like more than a deal for all the internet I can handle in one hour. Here I sit in a chair. A chair that is slightly uncomfortable, but only meant to get the job done. That job being quite hard when it is in the moment. So, what has been happening in my life?

Well I am now seeing Yokohama. I was staying their for a while, but now I have time too see it. I also am able to wear my heavily faded M*A*S*H t-shirt, ripped jeans, and rope sandals. Something of a luxury now that I am a working man. Though I do the things I can to fight what most call The Man. Ultimately, although in an interesting and unusual way, I have succumbed to the working lifestyle. Or at least will come Tuesday. At least teaching is a respected profession. Molding and shaping the minds of tomorrow. In Japan`s case however, that may be a bad thing. Maybe good, depending on how the children react to me. Either way my radical American idealism and individualism can`t be good, right?

We`ll see.

I have been steadily losing my sense of foreign prowess though. I look at other foreigners with mild disdain and curiosity. It`s happening much quicker this time. Hopefully my integration before my duties as an educator begins adds to the good impression I have to make. The Japanese know how to put pressure on someone using only slight of hand. Magicians of guilt and shame.

You won`t know what you`re in for until you`re there.

A warning siren bellows across Japan. Millions hang there head in silence for thousands who have died.

Of course at the time I didn't know this. It is a siren for earthquakes. I knew that. So, for probably the first time in my life (at least when it mattered) I pondered how heavy my ceiling and everything else above it might be. Would the thin mattress they told me to cover myself with in case of an earthquake be enough? Or, would I bolt for the window and hop out of its welcoming and easy exit option?

I wasn't sure. I then turned on the TV to watch that same siren at a baseball game. Hats off, heads lowered. The "big one" they had last week. It killed thousands, and possibly many more. I had just missed it, but later the next day I would have an experience of my own.

I woke up three hours earlier than planned. Maybe it was the jet lag, or maybe it was just the extra sleep I didn't need. Either way I felt something similar to when a train would pass by my house in the states. The only thing is that it kept getting stronger. I also noticed the entire building began to sway slightly. It then quieted only to come roaring back for a millisecond. All I did was sit in awe. Was it deadly? Not for me, but maybe for those hundreds of miles away at the epicenter. However, if it was deadly and I just sat there...I would have died pleasantly in complete wonder. It is something I won't forget. Nor will I forget that what I felt was less than half of the last experience thousands had only a week ago.

My town had many more surprises. For one, I am the only white English speaking foreigner that has ever lived in the area. They thought is was quite important to let me know how amazing that was. Also, I am the first teacher for my company in the Area. A brand new location for them. No pressure of course. What was nice was that the entire day for several days I had a Japanese helper. She aided me in almost every aspect of getting my life started. From my cell phone to getting registered as an alien in where I live. Much to my surprise she informed me that I am the most patient person she has ever met. I thought this quite the compliment especially if it was coming from a Japanese citizen. I briefly told her about things I liked. My time in the Alaskan mountain range came up and in a rare bit of wisdom I stated that, "Mountains are difficult, people are not". Maybe not as true as it sounded at the time, but when you went through the experience I did, dealing with civilized life was hardly a comparison with surviving from day to day.

Her husband is a detective for the Tokyo police department. I saw a bottle of alcohol underneath the passenger's side dash as she drove me around doing our errands. Many cliche thoughts filled me head. I found out he is never home. How awesome is his job? There was a low possibility that is was as awesome as my imagination wrought it to be.

Between the high intensity shoot outs and serial killer chases I had time to think about home. I am not, and maybe I have never been, sure of where home was for me. If it did exist it was not in the classical sense. I have decided recently though.

Home is where someone is thinking about you, and to that place you can return

So I have many homes. Many places and many people to return to.

This is mostly to clear some space.

Here I am. Back at this once more.

I told some people that this time would be different, I would be trying. Hopefully the constraints of time (or rather poor allocation of time) won't be an issue.

Back I go. To the land of the rising sun.

Mountains of things....

Here are some more pictures...more updates. The things I am supposed to be doing. One day at shakeyś, some temples, and of course. Mt. Fuji.

This marathon, I shall run it.

http://monumentalmarathon.com/


Also, I will have a very wordy post that will be...posted. It will be interesting to read and I encourage debate. Because I hope that is what will come of this blog after Japan.

...if anything at all.

Japan, like that one kid...kind of interesting, but often makes you say what the f*ck?

So here is Japan in all of its modern glory. I think I will let the pictures speak for themselves. Humor is often best when discovered on your own.

japan, new

The one of all the pictures of faces...which ones are guys and which ones are girls? Who knows?!

Crepes, most countries have them. Japan is no different. Although they are the only place to have a condomania...and boob cakes. At leat all that stuff open and on the street.

Also, a fine look at Japanese electrical engineering...I couldn figure it out either.

Bruce-Pee, what the hell? I guess they never liked the Chinese anyways...

Children lovre pure Jam, any other combination that does not in 100% Jam is blasphemous and hated by children world wide.

(To the above question, it is a trick. They are all guys!)

It is just beginning, but the journey is half over...

So, after 4 weeks, 20 hours of fenagling, and some other things I now have a working internet and vonage phone. Oh how great it is...

As I promised I have a major updateand many more will come with many more pictures and of course the video of the nightingale floor. Trust me, it is all quite cool.

However, I would like to talk briefly about Japan. Customer service here is amazing. It goes above and beyond anything in the US, but not only that there is NO tipping. So what is the incentive to do a (in this case) great job? Cultural? Who knows...I will let you decide.

Hormones and preservatives (especially in meat) are illegal. All the food tastes...cleaner I guess. It seems healthier when I shove a McDonalds hamburger down my throat...but again, who knows? Could just be they clean with the fervor of a man on the front lines. This kind of constant dedication to anything still amazes me, or course that is not everyone here...just my general understanding.

Public places are clean! Such as bathrooms....even though it is not private property people still take care of it. Maybe it has to do with the group mentality I hear about...again, I will leave that decision up to you. (even the cheapest places have a toilet with a bedet and such.)

I have come to believe that Japan is in fact cheaper that America, or at least it can be. Many things are expensive, but just as much is less. For instance a Ramen Set at a favorite restaurant of mine concsits of a Large bowl of Ramen (considered large for american standards) a bowl of fried/white rice and 5 gyoza (potstickers). All for 500 Yen, or roughly 5 dollars. A deal I would take even in Mexico (which had some of the most delicious cheap food ever).

Everywhere you look there will be shrines, temples, things that remind you of the old days...maybe you will see a samurai around the corner. Sometimes it feels that way. Of course, there are many technological inventions and renovations going on. It is a modern nation with modern wonders. Many countries I have visited seem to be this way also...like italy....I am thinking with the United States being so young there is not much of the blending with the old. Traditions vary and are many. (Though I consider it a good thing the native americans didn desire to build great monuments that would last forever, they respected the land and their people. Though the destruction of the culture is and will be unfortunate).

Anyways hereś the video. Listen closely, it is old...so you can hear the wood creaking also.



Thatś it for now. I have yet to find a website that will let me upload all of my pictures for free. I might just have to split it up among different ones.

Also, the new Sigur Ros (Icelandic Band) album is amazing. Everyone should get it.