What I really think of Japan

I think the trauma of flying from Charleston to Japan is finally fading, as I find myself feeling a bit restless about Okinawa. To be quite candid, I find myself looking for familiarity these days rather than running away from it. I have stopped trying to teach myself Japanese, and I have been feeling a bit nostalgic about home. I find myself daydreaming about going back to Charleston or living in Chicago or Seattle, and yearning for comforts of American life: cold weather (so hot here!), drinking tasty (& cheap!) coffee, eating Japanese food in America! (I can't believe I am admitting this, but yes, I find the sushi and the Japanese food to be so much better in the States-call me uncultured, unrefined, it's okay), I love the Japanese food I get back in Chicago, Seattle, NY, anywhere but here. It's not that it's not good here, because it is, but I find it plain and bland. I think Americans in general just do a great job when it comes to ethnic food-even Koreans think the Korean food in LA is better than Korea! So there you have it, I'm not by any means trying to put down Japanese culture, because I do love it, and it is beautiful, but I miss home and the comforts of America. Here is a list of some funny things I miss:

1. Driving on the right side of the road. (I still keep hitting the blinkers on the left side, which here, is the windshield wipers)

2. Being able to read, write and understand the street signs! I love exploring, but it would be nice if I can at least understand if I am heading into a restaurant, or a salon. (I have done that).

3. Going to the bank, and having a BANK account would be VERY nice. I hate going to the American ATM to withdraw dollars, to exchange it then at the exchange center, and then paying my bills at the Japanese bank. It is a TOTAL pain. If you are SOFA status, you cannot open a bank account.

4. There are no garbage bins in the public areas. I bring all my garbage back at home. This is a total pain, but I shouldn't complain about this one.

5. No AC in so many public buildings! This is not funny-considering Okinawa's climate is equivalent to Florida's climate, only it doesn't ever get cold here.

6. The narrow streets. Don't even think about bringing your American SUV here. The streets are narrow, and the parking positions that one needs to maneuver into is worse than parallel parking in the city. It stresses me out when I have to park my car here, I burst into a cold sweat because EVERY car is waiting for the Y plate driver to park like a Japanese. I hated doing this at the previous school's parking lot.

7. No parking! This drives me crazy, because I can never ever find public parking near the destination I would like to be at. Then again, I don't even know how to read the signs, so maybe there are many parking areas near me, but don't even know it. This happened once, I was looking for "P" for Parking, but it ended up being something else. I don't even know what it was. I parked my car there, and some man told me I couldn't park in there. Perhaps it was parking for non-Y plates! (if you are not a citizen in Japan, you are branded by the "Y" on your car plates. I HATE that! Y means foreigner, military, and probably an idiot.)

8. Japanese and Korean language are so different, I cannot understand it. I thought the Japanese language would be easy to pick up, considering I can speak Korean, but this is not the case. I would like to communicate with parents, teachers and build friendships, but sometimes at the end of the day, when everyone else is talking to each other, I just don't have the energy to talk in Japanese, or talk in broken English!

9. Which reminds me, my English is definitely digressing. I speak in broken English to my Japanese and Chinese counterparts, and when I am finally talking to my friends back in the States, they ask me, "What's up with your English!!!" Ah! can't speak Japanese, my Korean is really bad these days as my mother in law commented the other day, and my English is not far from becoming my second language.

10. I am so happy for the experience here. LOVE the school here. The teachers, parents, children, and the administration have been nothing but kind, and warm to us. I wouldn't trade that for anything. That's how I feel at the end of the day, and I feel blessed.