One More Day!

You know, there used to be a time when Japan was just a foreign country. They were far away, and they did things differently than I did, and that was kinda cool to me. Learning about their customs and their culture was exciting.

At that time, Japan was kinda how I see China now. Not in culture, but in the foreignness of it all. Filled with people speaking a language I didn't know, that didn't look like me, all with black hair, and different faces than I was used to. It was so different than me in so many ways. Even small things like riding a bike as an actual form of transportation (not just for kids), and the way the streets were laid out... this all made Japan something far away--something fundamentally foreign.

Now, looking at this video (I'll put it at the bottom), I look at it and I don't see something foreign. It doesn't seem so far away from me that it's like a "third world" anymore. It just seems natural and like the place I want to be. When I look at this video, the things there don't seem strange and exciting because they're a different culture; they merely seem exciting because I know it, and finally can be a part of it.

You know, there was a time when I became culture shocked, even all the way out here in the States. I didn't like Japanese culture. I wanted to study the language, but I didn't really want to deal with the "tateme" and "honne" culture, the "way I show people I am" and "the way I really am" culture (as well as several other jarring facets of the culture). But now--and maybe this is born out of naivety, since even though I've only been there for a month, studied about Japanese culture, and had Japanese friends, that probably isn't like being there for a long time--I don't feel so upset by it all. It just seems... well if not natural, then normal. Or if not normal for myself to participate in, then normal for myself to deal with.

--Caitlin

P.S. I LEAVE TOMORROWWWW!!!!


One Month In Tokyo from Eric Bates on Vimeo.

Two Days Left!

Problem:
You are female.
You are moving to a different country.
You have a limited amount of space.
You have a limited amount of weight that can go in that space.
And the airlines are stupid and give you a large amount of weight for a small bag (45lbs), and a slightly bigger amount of weight for your bag that's twice as big (50lbs)...

Guess who's going to have to pay money for going over the 50lb weight limit???

Okay, in all seriousness, though, I THINK I'm going to be able to keep everything below the weight limit. However, yesterday I went shopping for some clothes to look sufficiently Texan, and now I have to stuff more clothes in there. And I'm going to end up wearing my cowboy hat and boots on the plane. And I'm probably going to get funny looks. But such is the price you pay if YOUR BOOTS WEIGH 25 LBS.

Okay, I'm exaggerating. Slightly. But seriously, that's not going into my suitcase. It CAN'T. My suitcases are already packed to the point of no return.

Yakkan shoumei guys. It's like, "Hi, we're Japan, and WE DON'T BELIEVE IN MEDICATION. WE ARE SAMURAI AND WE MUST ENDURE WITHOUT YOUR PETTY MEDICATION. Oh, you're foreign and you need medication? YOU CAN'T GET IT HERE!! HAHAHAHA! Well, I suppose you inferior foreigners might need those kinds of things. We permit you to bring your medication. Just don't feed the children." And then you have to send in a form (the yakkan shoumei) and get it all approved to bring it all at once.

Actually, the Japanese are pretty lax about that. Even medication that they don't permit to be sold in Japan you can bring in, as long as you don't bring in stimulants. You know, like Sudafed (DANGER, DANGER, DANGER WILL ROBINSON!). Actually, the process was pretty easy, and even with a minor hangup (I forgot to sign the bottom), everything was in and out in around a week. The biggest problem is *dun dun dun!!* The Insurance Company™.

What? You need medication to go over to a foreign country? We only permit you to bring 6 months at a time!! Oh, but first we'll TELL you that 11 months is all fine and dandy, tell you to call back in a few days, and then switch our story randomly. Now you have to be switched around to different departments 11 million times before they we'll finally be able to help you. Glimmer!

NOT THAT I WOULD KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE OR ANYTHING.

Okay guys. Two more days. 

--Caitlin

Ohai!

Hey Guys! I'm still in America right now, but once I get to Japan (17 more days!) I'm going to use this blog to update everyone on how I'm doing, and what's going on. Also, if there's a natural disaster, or if North Korea ever gets around to attacking, or if a plane that's on its way to Japan mysteriously disappears, I'll update here to let everyone know that I'm still alive. Expect to see lots of pictures here (cause a picture says a thousand words, and that's a whole heck of a lot easier than actually writing all that) and the occasional complaint about how Japanese keyboards confuse me, because the punctuation is in all the wrong places.

I'm planning on updating here at least once before I leave, too, so check back in a week or so if you'd like. 

I leave in the Morning on August 31st, and I'll make it to Japan by early afternoon in Japan (late night in America), so that's when you need to start praying that my plane doesn't dissappear.

Wish me luck~!

--Caitlin