Well, I made it to Japan a week ago today. It is very hot and muggy.
Organizing the apartment is coming along fairly well. I will put up pictures and a video when everything is where it should be!
I am now living in Nabari in Mie Prefecture. This is about 2 hours south from where I was living before in Komono. I now live in an actual city (a small city, but still, there is stuff actually around) and conveniently right next to the train station. Although I have left my gorgeous mountain scenery behind in exchange. There are some mountains here however. I can see them if I peak over our balcony between the other buildings. Still, all is well to be surrounded by friends, a social life, and my boyfriend whom I’ve been away from for a year.
Friday all our friends were here- saying goodbyes to the couple who we took over the apartment from and giving greetings to us.
Saturday was the welcome beach party to all the new JETs in Mie. Everyone (so far) seems actually nice and normal- a welcome change from the many socially inept weirdoes that have come over the past two years.
After the beach party, a bunch of us went to an onsen- a natural hot spring. The ritual of going to such a place is: men and ladies go to the respective separate areas, get naked, take a shower, then once you’re clean you may enter the hot water and relax. We were sort of on a hill and had a nice view overlooking the area while lightning flashed in the background. I stayed in too long and compounded with the fact of seeing the most naked people ever at once, I nearly passed out. I barely managed to dry off and get dressed without falling over, and grabbed the closest fizzy drink to get my blood sugar up. That happened to be a grape Fanta. It was completely disgusting, but I drank it and I did perk up.
After this adventure we went to a small Chinese restaurant. I ordered a tofu stir-fry, asking if there was any meat in it. She said it’s just tofu, I reconfirmed it by repeating “only tofu?” and she says yes. Of course it had bacon in it. Bacon is considered ok for vegetarians here. Oh Japan… We spent the night at a friend’s place- 7 of us in one room.
Sunday I saw a few more old friends, went home and had a chance to relax with Ed alone in our new place.
This past week has been lots of cleaning up, rearranging, doing domestic chores and getting some must-haves for the place. I also bought a mini-sewing machine and will be making new curtains!
Tuesday we went to my favorite restaurant, Moku Moku.
It is an all-you-can-eat organic buffet, and it has soy ice cream. It’s a little expensive, but well worth it for the variety of fresh food. After we ate too much, we went to the Melting Pot. This is a bar that was holding the JET welcome party, so I was able to meet some more new people there too.
Thursday we went to the Nara lantern festival for Obon. Every year spirits return home and the lanterns help them find their way back to their families.
Ed and I bought & lit candles at the Big Buddha (daibutsu) and I saw one of Nara’s prominent deer population ambush a small child’s shaved ice. Just snuck beside him and stuck her muzzle right in his cup! The family let her eat it in the end.
That is about all for now!
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