Alien World...yes, no, maybe!!!

So here I am!!.... Twelve months on (well almost) and I'm still living in Japan. For me, life in this wonderful country has been quite different! From full time work as a teacher, for most of my parenting years, to living in Japan as a 'kept woman' was a radical change. Finishing work at home would have been change enough, but actually leaving my family and country behind was huge!! At home I would have continued to pursue my interests (sailing, diving, cruising) and devoted plenty of time to my garden and gorgeous family.

Surely that would have been too easy though...... much better to take a blank canvas and recreate your life. There are plenty of fish in the sea so.......

 .......off we flew......up through the clouds and down into the 'Land of the Rising Sun'!!

We bravely stepped into our new life.......into a world where we understood no-one and no-one understood us!!

Day to day there is the normal routine. The 'breadwinner' is up early and leaves the apartment at about 6.20am, with briefcase and umbrella in hand, to catch the 6.32am train. Any later and the trains get very busy and it becomes a case of 'breathe in' and be grateful you've got a standing space. Such a funny vision when compared to his previous departures for work.
......jump in the troopie, yell at the dogs chasing you down the driveway, contend with the corrugations and potholes on the road and silently curse the departments that have allowed the road to reach this stage etc etc.

Here it's out the front door....

....down the road and across the crossing......

 ......into the station........recharge the Suica card if necessary....

......and up to the platform.

It's then seven stations north to Tsurumi Station......ten minutes walk and into the office where work awaits!!

Once at work, it's meetings with the Japanese, phone hook ups with the US and Australia, never ending paperwork, that 'useless' computer, budgetary arguments, defending the team's needs. model reviews ...blah..blah...blah! And of course, where to have lunch today?.....there is a lifetime of choices!

Personally I think he needs a secretary!!

For me, I listen as the elevator ascends to the 16th floor and the 'breadwinner' steps in and descends. I then ponder! 'What will it be today?' And so begins my day.......a day with myself until about 6.30-7.00pm when 'himself' returns.

The biggest challenge for me is the lack of interaction with others during the day. Like in the movie, 'Lost in Translation', when I first arrived I didn't know where to begin. It is not unusual for me to go a whole day without having a conversation with anyone, unless I have 'alien visitors'. I do have a go at using my new language skills but, realistically, busy cash register staff don't have time to wait while I clumsily test my skills. However, twelve months on, I believe I have assimilated quite well into my new life in Japan, with the exception of mastering the language. I now know my way around pretty well and enjoy the challenge of catching different trains or riding my bike into unknown territory. I often accost the girls at the desk, who speak English, for assistance with my homework or to make telephone bookings.

This Naoko and Reina!!

We now have a new Naoko to replace the other Naoko, who got a job closer to her home in Tokyo.

The new Naoko is a very outgoing type! She is very helpful and offers lots of advice and ideas.

Sometimes it still amazes me that I am in Japan and I'm running or riding around the streets of Yokohama and Tokyo. It all feels so familiar to me. I guess it proves that no matter where we are, we are just ants surviving from day to day!!! The train system is awesome and very few parts of Japan are inaccessible to anyone. Often, as we sit in yet another traffic jam, we watch as trains go speeding past and arrive at their destination way sooner than us. Still though, there is nothing like the challenge of outdoing 'Honey', our trusty GPS. I mean what does she know compared to 'himself'. I must say though, that since an earlier post about 'Honey', we seem to have arrived at a healthy level of compromise/co-existence!

Twice a week, Monday and Thursday, I have Japanese lessons. I receive tuition from Tokyo Lingual School at the apartment, courtesy of the 'breadwinner's' employer. The lessons begin at 1pm and last for 75 (embarrassing) minutes each. I have two incredibly patient, lovely teachers. Toshiko-san comes on a Thursday and Ritsu-san on a Monday. In preparation for my lessons I seem to spend an awful lot of time completing homework (shukudai-pronounced shoo-koo-di) and studying vocabulary/sentence structure for very little progress.

Ritsu-san prepares for a Monday lesson.

Not much about the Japanese language is anything like English. How much we take for granted the words that naturally fall out of our mouths. Each lesson for me is an ongoing struggle to recall words and remember particles and sentence endings that create the meaning, grammar and tenses.  Japanese words bare no resemblance to their English counterpart ......... imagine trying to learn lists and lists of 'goobledy gook'......and therein lies my struggle. I wake in the morning with words coming off my tongue but where do they go???  (Out the window I suspect!) Pronunciation I seem to have satisfactorily mastered, but it ends there. The lessons take subjects, objects, verbs, nouns, tenses, positives and negatives etc.. etc.. to a whole new level. Add in particles, reversed sentences, a variety of counting systems, words borrowed from other languages, a different manner of speaking and well........say no more!!!

This is my Thursday teacher, Toshiko Itaya-san.

Recently I completed my first test......a test which required me to translate and say 100 sentences in Japanese. I had a 15 minute time limit. The language course has 20 sections, with each section taking about 4 teaching lessons to complete. Each section has a list of words (on average about 50) which you need to memorise in preparation for the learning. After each lesson I receive my homework (shukadai), which includes reviewing the last and next lesson as well as Katakana practice. With Section 5 completed, I had to pass my oral test before I could move on to Section 6. Yeeks!!!!......I was at risk of never moving on. Let me say at this stage, that there is no room for slackers!!! I wondered why I had to learn the word 'oni', which means 'slave driver', in my first list of words. I now know why!!!! The day of the test arrived and my teachers were full of confidence and expectation that I would do it.

I was handed a sheet with my 100 English sentences, the recorder was turned on and the stop watch activated...........and I thought recorder tests at Teacher's College were nerve wracking! Half way through I couldn't even hear what I was saying........my brain went in to 'lala land'. Finally I got to the end and fully expected to see Ritsu, my teacher, in tears. Instead a big smile greeted me and a 'Subarashi-i desu, you did it'.......13 minutes 19 seconds.

Oh my goodness, was all I could think. However, I had made too many errors to pass. Damn!! Pleasingly, Ritsu said she would accept my time and we would review the errors, most of which I realized anyway. But.......wait....there was more!!!! 'OK Jennifer-san, now you do it again!' 'What??? All 100 again???' ........the recorder and stopwatch were reactivated and off I went. Brain overload!!! Where's the wine when I need it?

Finally, I reached the 100th sentence, fully aware that I had made some of the same mistakes again.....those damn -wa -o -ga -no -de -ni -to particles, kore/kono's, shi-te-i-ru-'n desu, ja na-i desu, na-i 'n desu, na-kat-t'an-desu's etc!!! Please...please...please!!!......don't make me do it again! This time 13 minutes 33 seconds and with the admissible amount of mistakes!!! Now it was my turn to say, 'Subarashi-i desu!!!' No rest for the wicked though....straight into Section 6......the expected attained and time to move on!! I must admit though I was very proud to be presented with my medal a couple of weeks later.......one very small step but enough to keep me going!!

There are no grey areas......miss the time limit by a few seconds and you miss out. Initially I thought it a little harsh but then ....'No, I knew the rules. Why should they change them for me?'

When it came to my 30 restaurant phrases, to be recited in 4 minutes, I knew I was the one who had to put in....almost good enough was not going to get me the reward! First time around my accuracy was OK but I was 40 seconds too slow....next time 20 seconds too slow........so more studying and then next lesson......Success!!.....3 minutes 14 seconds and halfway to achieving another medal. I studied hard and felt far prouder for achieving the third time around.
Now there is the next 100 sentences related to adjectives and their 'na' and 'i' rules to contend with before I can progress to Section 8. Lordy....retired and studying harder than I did when I was younger!

The stresses of trying to learn aside, I do really like my teachers and have a lovely relationship with them. I enjoy the contact with both Ritsu and Toshiko and am constantly picking their brains about different things. I guess, the challenge of the whole business keeps me on my toes. Like a child who is learning to read, I am constantly trying to decipher signs and billboards. Unfortunately, not many words are written in only Katakana, they are often a combination of Katakana, Hiragana and Kanji. Katakana symbols (48 of them plus the other 25 you get adding a " or o to some) are used to write foreign words, Hiragana are Japanese symbols (another 48 of them) and Kanji are Chinese symbols (and wait there are over 10,000 of them!) To read a newspaper you need to know all 48 characters of both hiragana and katakana and about 2000 kanji. Obviously, I don't read the Japanese newspapers. Fortunately for us, there is an English version of one daily newspaper available.

This says Jennifer

ジエニフア-
 ji -    e  - ni-  hu- a - a  (the dash means you hold the last sound)     

ji-e but because e is small ji-e becomes je -ni- hu-a (because the a is small hu-a should become fu-a but the Japanese have difficulty saying 'f').

This says coffee                             

コ-ヒ-      

ko -o- hi - i

I haven't started to learn Hiragana yet, I'm still working on Katakana!!!

When it comes to grocery shopping I go to a variety of places. We have a supermarket just near us at the Ishikawacho Station (which stocks most of your daily needs) and also Union Motomachi (it's a bit expensive for most things but they do have some alien brands) just around the corner. Cheese in Japan is very expensive and usually comes in very small quantities. I had sourced a place in Motomachi Street where I could buy 500 grams of NZ cheddar for about 1,000 yen ($12.00) but since the earthquake there has been none. Alcohol, because it is not heavily taxed, is an excellent price. I have found a nice Sav Blanc from the US (Woodbridge) which costs about 899 yen and whisky is a ridiculous price. Johnny Walker Black Label is about $32.00AUD and a single malt is ridiculously cheap. The Japanese whiskies, according to those who drink it, are good.  Depending on the exchange rate 1200 yen is about $14.50AUD.

4 litres of whisky for less than $40.00!

Beer, on the whole, is cheaper than in Australia. Alcohol is sold pretty well anywhere....... supermarket shelves, Seven Eleven and Family Mart stores etc.

Check out the range of sizes available for the beer drinker, it's bit like Goldilocks and the Three Bears!

Two litres for papa bear....135ml for baby bear!!!

When it comes to sake, the choices are limitless....
 
I tend to try different supermarkets for a bit of a change. I set off on my bicycle, not in the car like at home, with my shopping 'wheels' on the pack rack. Leaving the apartment I collect my bike from the 'back door'......

Currently there are 7 bikes, a scooter and a ripstick in the back yard!

...... head down 16 floors in the elevator....

......and leave via sliding glass doors and the foyer.

The Ishikawacho Station supermarket is very convenient....parking is easy!!

 If you like mushrooms take your choice!

 Vegetables in Japan are varied, many and so fresh......

With the absence of English on nearly all milk packages I was shown by our expatriate advisor how to choose by the fat content.....it's third on the ingredients chart!!! It was a valuable clue and one which I use almost daily.

Finally it's out through the cash registers to pack my purchases.

There is also the OK supermarket about 2 kilometres away and lately I have started doing a bit of shopping, particularly for seafood, under the Yokohama Station. It's crazily busy but very entertaining. As opposed to home, where the checkout staff pack your groceries, in Japan your goods are transferred from one basket to another. You are given the bags and then move to an area where you pack your own purchases. If you want to pack into recycled boxes, everything is supplied.......scissors, a variety of tapes, stanley knife etc. In Summer even ice is supplied. I have got quite used to the process and it is just another part of life in Japan that I like........taking responsibility for yourself.

Interestingly in many places the cash registers are not near the exit. In Yokohama I couldn't even find the registers and had to follow other shoppers to locate them. They weren't even near the seafood area and were actually separated by another shop. Honesty and trust......it drives everything here!!

Face masks are a common sight.  They are usually worn by someone who is unwell, but not always!

Getting a parking spot is pretty easy..... stop .... lock the bike and go. In a car it is often the same process ...stop.... put hazard lights on and go!! We don't do it as we try to avoid situations where we may need to explain!!

Riding around it is not unusual to change between footpath and road. It can be advantageous to choose one over the other if the traffic lights are against you or one is too crowded.

We were very excited when a SevenEleven store opened on our corner. Easy access to an ATM, icecreams after tea and forgotten food items...........

Oh!!!.....and of course some of that delicious Meiji chocolate. It is the best!!!

All of our 'alien' visitors find it irresistible too!!

Most days I go out riding and usually end up down near the foreshore, but I also like to explore unknown streets and places.....parks, zoos, temples, shops etc. I stop and take photos or just sit and watch life in Japan. The roads are busy and the footpaths often crowded, so care is needed. I would hate to be deported for injuring a pedestrian due to careless riding.

I also enjoy going for a run and love the freedom this affords me. I carry my camera in a small waist pouch and my phone, which records my run, in an arm band. Add water, money and my Suica card (just in case I feel like catching a train home) and I'm off!! Recording my runs inspires me to do more!

This one was 12.7 km's

This run covered 13.8 km's.

Of course, some things never change....there is always washing, housework and cooking to be done. The apartment is so spacious and easy to live in that it requires little effort to maintain. The 'no shoes' rule means dirt and grime remain outside and living up high seems to decrease the dust. There are no mice or flies or spiders! If anything goes wrong we just call in the handyman!! Every person's dream I suppose.....but sometimes things happen slowly.......a new tap to replace the leaking one took about 3 months.....the hot water issue about 6 weeks until which time we had to wait at least 3 minutes before tepid water arrived at the sink and I suspect the issue of black stuff falling out of the air conditioner will never be resolved!! Once you accept that nothing gets done quickly here and everything has to be checked and double checked then checked again.....it's all good! At regular intervals I am even entertained by fire drills and safety checks, which can see up to 12 people entering the apartment with all sorts of equipment. Drop sheets are laid down, ladders climbed to check things, gizmos are run over the ceilings, automatic fire doors are checked etc.....it's a bit like 'GhostBusters'.

Air conditioner vents were covered for 3 days.  An inspection revealed there was indeed black stuff coming out, but nothing ever came of it. The problem still exists.

Communicating with everyone in Australia is easy. Skype, phone calls and emails keep me in constant touch and reduce the separation factor. We use a Brastel card to make phone calls from home......you simply put credit on the card at a convenience store and off you go. For 2,000yen ($23 AUD) you get about 600 minutes landline (Japan) to landline (Australia). It's fantastic. If you call landline to mobile phone the time is significantly reduced. I can also make Brastel calls on my mobile but that attracts an extra fee, still less than a normal call though. In Japan my monthly mobile plan of $70.00 gets me unlimited download and emails and free calls (between 1am and 9pm) to other phones with the same provider. Unfortunately, as my provider is SoftBank and Steve's is Docomo, calls between us cost 21 yen/30 seconds. I really only use my phone for the Internet anyway, so that's not an issue. I have also downloaded an application called Viber, which gives me free calls to anyone at home who has the app on their phone. I can call from anywhere but people at home need to have wireless connection for it to be free. All our bills are either automatically debited or paid at the nearest convenience store! It is so simple as their are convenience stores everywhere. We also use the ATM's at either a post office or SevenEleven store to make cash withdrawals. As can happen anywhere in the world, you do have to be very careful where you use your credit card. A few people we know have had large amounts taken from their accounts.

It has been an exciting change and this new life has thrown many wonderful opportunities our way. We have had so many weekend adventures, on our bikes and in the car, exploring different places. 'Team building' events at night time have been numerous and have given us an opportunity to sample all sorts of eating venues. Who can live in Japan without........

.........eating sashimi

 .......doing karaoke

PubJoy in Tsurumi. Not cheap but fun!!

........or making new friends?????

The Three of Us!!

Hash running in Tokyo and Yokohama has meant having fun with other expatriates and Japanese people. And, of course, living here has been a perfect excuse for family and friends to have a Japanese experience as well.

I won't say I don't get lonely, because I do, but there is something about this place that will be difficult to let go of. It has an attraction which is hard to fathom and I can see why many people come here and never leave. For us though, we have children, grandkids, family and friends who have always been a very integral part of our life and so our time here will invariably end. Until that that time we will enjoy every minute and be grateful for having had such a fabulous experience!

Truthfully it has been a pretty action packed 12 months!!!