The night before my departure to Japan, I was a nervous wreck. I was worried about pretty much everything from my luggage- to the language barrier. The biggest fear I had, which I didn't even want to admit to myself, was "What if it doesn't live up to the pedestal I put it on?"
If you ask anyone I'm close to, they'll tell you how obsessed with Japan I am, and have been for many years. It has been my dream to visit the country for so long, but it had always been just a dream until this year. I never had to seriously think about taking the trip before. It seemed so impossible, then suddenly, it wasn't. It was suddenly so real and I had to bring myself back to earth. My mind raced with thoughts such as, "What if I feel out of place and alone?" "What if I hate it?" "What if I just want to go home the whole time I'm there?" I had no sleep the night before the flight and no sleep while on it. All of that changed as soon as our bus from the Narita airport reached the city of Tokyo. I practically cried with joy. All of my fears melted away. I had made it! The place I could only dream about for so long was real, and I was right in the middle of it.
The passed few days have surpassed my expectations of Japan. I've love everything I've experienced in this country so far. I've even surprised myself with the amount of Japanese I can understand. Speaking is another story, but I feel if I spent enough time in the the country (and studied hard) I could become a well-off Japanese speaker!
As the days fly by I'm facing another fear, how little time we have left here. I want to experience so much that there's no way two weeks could ever been enough. I love it here and I feel like I'll never want to leave.
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Surprisingly, not so shy!
I've always been told that they Japanese people, as a collective are shy. Polite, but shy. I believed it whole heartedly before coming to this country, and even in my first few hours here. Now, after having a few more days of experience, I'm not so sure. I've noticed for every few people avoiding eye contact at all costs, there are plenty that will stare at you with curiousity. This surprised me, because I had been lumping a whole society of people into one personality trait. Americans love stereotyping after all.
I've also found it surprising how friendly people are to foreigners. In my experience in other countries, locals seemed to get annoyed at the presence of a big group of tourists. They seemed to just assume that all tourists knew anything about the culture or language. They also assumed us to be disrespectful. It is completely the opposite here. My previous experience shopping in other countries gave me nervous feelings about shopping in Japan. I was afraid I wouldn't understand the storekeepers, or they'd be impatient if I fumbled with money, but that is not the case. Thus far, the shopkeepers have been very polite and willing to help. They don't seem to look down on you at all, even if you don't speak Japanese. Some even try their best to speak English for you. I feel very comfortable in stores and restuarants because of this.
The final thing that surprised me the most is how willing these so called shy people are to pay compliments, or even ask you for a picture with them. This is something I will probably never get used to. People seem to have no problem telling me that I look "kawaii" or even practicing their English with me. This shocked me. I thought that people would be timid around foreigners and try to avoid us, but it seems like just the opposite!
I've also found it surprising how friendly people are to foreigners. In my experience in other countries, locals seemed to get annoyed at the presence of a big group of tourists. They seemed to just assume that all tourists knew anything about the culture or language. They also assumed us to be disrespectful. It is completely the opposite here. My previous experience shopping in other countries gave me nervous feelings about shopping in Japan. I was afraid I wouldn't understand the storekeepers, or they'd be impatient if I fumbled with money, but that is not the case. Thus far, the shopkeepers have been very polite and willing to help. They don't seem to look down on you at all, even if you don't speak Japanese. Some even try their best to speak English for you. I feel very comfortable in stores and restuarants because of this.
The final thing that surprised me the most is how willing these so called shy people are to pay compliments, or even ask you for a picture with them. This is something I will probably never get used to. People seem to have no problem telling me that I look "kawaii" or even practicing their English with me. This shocked me. I thought that people would be timid around foreigners and try to avoid us, but it seems like just the opposite!
Thursday, May 29, 2014
The most difficult and yet, simple question.
Upon arriving in Japan yesterday evening, our group was told to reflect on the question, "What do we hope to get from our trip?" To even begin to tackle a response, my mind immediately jumped to the question, "Why did I even want to go on this trip anyway?" That answer is simple. I came for love.
When I was young, my father served for the United States, Marines. He spent a lot of time in Asia in his military days. He visited the country of Japan 15 years ago, and brought back a love of Japanese culture to his impressionable 4 year old daughter. As a result, my sisters and I played Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service on repeat, as we played with our dolls, pretending they were Japanese girls. I kid you not. Japan has been a huge part of my life for so long that my life might have felt incomplete without visiting the country for myself.
I came to fall in love with the scenery, the architecture, the people (cute boys ahem ahem) and of course the food. I came because I wanted to find out if the connection I've felt to Japan my whole life was genuine.
So, as far as what's I hope to get out of this trip... More love! I never want my infatuation with this country to end. What makes this experience even better, is that I get to share it with people who appreciate and respect this country and it's customs as much as I do. As we talked and laughed over dinner tonight, I already felt the love I was hoping for. On the first day too! It will only get better from here.
When I was young, my father served for the United States, Marines. He spent a lot of time in Asia in his military days. He visited the country of Japan 15 years ago, and brought back a love of Japanese culture to his impressionable 4 year old daughter. As a result, my sisters and I played Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service on repeat, as we played with our dolls, pretending they were Japanese girls. I kid you not. Japan has been a huge part of my life for so long that my life might have felt incomplete without visiting the country for myself.
I came to fall in love with the scenery, the architecture, the people (cute boys ahem ahem) and of course the food. I came because I wanted to find out if the connection I've felt to Japan my whole life was genuine.
So, as far as what's I hope to get out of this trip... More love! I never want my infatuation with this country to end. What makes this experience even better, is that I get to share it with people who appreciate and respect this country and it's customs as much as I do. As we talked and laughed over dinner tonight, I already felt the love I was hoping for. On the first day too! It will only get better from here.
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