In Which I Receive a Little Taste of Home

This past week has been a whirlwind of paperwork. It has actually been a bit of a struggle to get everything done, and I am constantly reminded of my inability to speak Japanese. Luckily, I have many people who are willing to help me, but I just hate not being able to understand and communicate with people, and worse, I hate relying on other people to take care of my business. I have started taking Japanese classes twice a week, and I study at work because there's not much to do yet, so hopefully I can improve quickly!

I haven't spent a lot of time at the school yet, but I love the atmosphere. Japanese students have to test into high school. High schools are ranked by academic level, and the students who test the highest go to the same school, and so on. Tosho high school, where I teach is a low academic school. However it boasts the best band in Kyushu, and has many amazingly gifted artistic students. The teachers have all been really nice to me, and most of them can speak at least a little English.

The apartment is really big, but old. Turning on the shower is an 8 step process (not exagerating), and there is no dryer or oven. (Although it is very rare for Japanese homes to have either). I do have a Western bed and toilet though, for which I am grateful. I also bought a car, and have been driving around Sasebo. Driving in Japan is pretty scary, the roads are narrow, and of course, you drive on the left side. Also, everyone just backs in to parking spots. Everyone. I imagine it is comical for the Japanese people to watch me try to do this. Luckily I am catching on pretty quickly.

Last weekend, Sasebo hosted a seaside festival. A few of us went to eat at a Mexican restaurant, and then watched a one hour fireworks extravaganza by the port. It was a good taste of home. Eating has been interesting. I have been to a variety of restaurants, and am slowly learning what to eat, and what not to eat. In Japan, hamburgers are made out of a pork/beef mix. Not as good as pure beef, let me tell you. Going grocery shopping is a bit of a challenge too. Besides the fact that I can't read Japanese (yet), Japan has no cheese. NO CHEESE. No peanut butter. Also, the ice cream comes in tiny, and really tiny. There is not a huge selection of bread, as rice is the meal of choice. I will also probably need to acquire a taste for fish. While getting my car insurance through the USO, I was able to find Hershey's chocolate, Drumstick ice cream cones, and other delictable American treats. I think I will stop by often... ;-)