We leave Japan 2 weeks from today. Our impending
departure has got me thinking about what I’m looking forward to
seeing/doing/eating in the US and what I will miss most about Morioka. I know
we’ve only been here for a little over 4 months, but I am finally feeling
settled in and have mixed feelings about leaving right now. Here’s an
incomplete list of things I will miss and will not miss when we leave Japan. In
no particular order…
10 THINGS I WILL NOT MISS WHEN WE LEAVE JAPAN
1.
Not being able to read or
understand what’s going on around me. Not being able to read or speak is my own
fault and I have no right to complain about it, but it’s my blog and I want to
whine a little. I cannot talk to half the moms in Catie’s school other than
simple greetings. I get along by pointing, gesturing, and using my 50 words of
Japanese liberally. I’m often amazed that I have not had a more difficult time
here because of my lack of language skills, but it will be nice to be home
where I can communicate freely.
Being illiterate has been much harder
than I expected. Shopping is the biggest challenge. I need a “cheat sheet” to
tell the difference between baking soda and confectioners sugar in the grocery
store. I have to guess what flavor onigiri
I’m picking up based on the package color. Buying cleaning supplies is a
nightmare! Ordering from a menu can be rough if they don’t have good photos. I
stood outside of Catie’s school for 20 minutes one day because I couldn’t read
the sign that said to go in the other door. Yup, being illiterate sucks.
2.
Doing dishes by hand. I know this
is silly, but I truly dislike washing dishes. Maybe I’m just lazy, but washing
dishes by hand is not my thing. I promised myself in graduate school that I’d
never live without a dishwasher again, and for the most part I’ve managed to
keep that promise… until now. I want my dishwasher back!!!
3.
Washing the trash. Do I really
have to explain this one? I’m all for recycling, but having to wash and dry
more than half our trash is a pain!
4.
Not having a real clothes dryer. I’m
fine with hanging clothes on the line to dry when the weather is nice and dry,
but it is a pain when it’s raining, super humid, or snowing! I am going to give
a little prayer of thanks every time I do laundry in Indiana, well, at least
for a month or two :-)
5.
Being in trouble all the time.
This is a bit of an exaggeration, but I often feel like I’m in trouble with
Catie’s school. I think the school-parent-student relationship is defined
differently here. Schools have a lot more power in children’s lives in Japan that
they do in the US, and they take that responsibility seriously. One aspect of
this different relationship is sending notes home to mom, requesting that you
trim your child’s nails or hair, or work harder to teach your child to cover
their mouth when they cough, etc. While all these things are likely true, the
American in me bucks at a school telling me how to be a parent.
6.
Not having a car. As much as I
enjoy biking around town there are days when I really miss having a car! I miss
being able to put groceries in a car rather than carry them all. I miss driving
when it’s pouring or snowing outside. I miss being able to travel around
without having to pay strict attention to bus and train schedules. Maybe we
will not drive as much when we return to the US, but it will be really nice to
have the option!
1. Being a giant. I am
the biggest mom on the playground in all dimensions- tallest, heaviest, biggest
chest, etc. Considering I’m short for an American woman, this continues to
surprise me. I look forward to being average again.
2. Earthquakes. I hate
them. Having ones base level moving around is extremely disconcerting. There
are far too many earthquakes here for my taste!
3. Slutty clothes for
children. I’m not a fan of fashion trends that involve lace-up skirts and
shirts that say “Sexy Baby” on them for my 3-year old. Short skirts (or frilly shorts)
with thigh high socks are everyday wear at Catie’s school. On the one hand, the
thigh-high look is practical- it’s easier for a child to use the bathroom
alone. But, just WOW. I guess there is a part of this look that I’ll miss too.
I mean, where else can you can dress your child like a baby hooker and not have
any repercussions?
4. The lack of central
heating. Why does a country that is so advanced technologically not have
central heating (or cooling)??? We have a small heat exchanger in the kitchen
that sort of heats/cools the kitchen and possibly living room/office/Catie room
and a kerosene heater in our bedroom- that’s it. I just don’t get it!
10 THINGS I WILL MISS WHEN WE LEAVE JAPAN
1.
Biking everywhere. Although the
streets in Japan are narrower and there is more traffic, it feels so much
easier and safer to bike here. There is a culture of biking for transportation,
not just sport like in the US. Bikes and pedestrians have the right of way in
Japan, so even with the worse physical conditions, drivers are much, much about
sharing the road with bikes. Almost all stores have a bike parking area- often
covered. The bikes themselves are better commuter vehicles too. They only have
3 speeds, but the covered chain (no grease spots on you pant legs), frame
without a crossbar (they are ALL girl bikes), large baskets, generator-powered
bike light (you cannot forget it or run out of batteries), and super stable kickstands
all make it better bike for running errands, dropping the kids off at school,
or simply going to work.
2.
Courtesy. Maybe it’s just because
the population density in Japan is so high, but there is an overall sense of
community here that tends to be lacking in the US. Everyone just seems a bit
nicer to each other in Japan.
3.
Awkward Conversations. There is
something about Japanese culture which makes it ok to ask about pretty much
anything. No question is too risqué. Maybe it is because they all live on top
of each other (high population density), maybe it is communal bathing from
birth. I don’t know, but it leads to some pretty funny conversations that would
never happen in America! I will never forget discussing the color of Catie’s
butt on the playground (see http://catieonthego.blogspot.jp/2013/11/blue-butts.html
if you don’t know what I’m talking about). Another example is at the “Hello
Party” at Gandai, one of the Japanese students kept commenting on how huge the
American student’s chest was! The poor girl was mortified. She is quite
athletic and always wears conservative clothing, never trying to call attention
to her body and here is this Japanese student going on and on about her huge
breasts. The Japanese student wasn’t trying to be rude, if anything it was a
compliment. In addition to body issues, they have no problem asking things like
“what do you do during the day?”, “What time do you go to bed?”, “When does
your husband come home from work?”, etc. I’m going to miss these awkward
conversations.
4.
Ramen. It’s impossible to explain
just how yummy real ramen is to anyone who has only eaten the poor dried
substitute sold in the US. It’s sooooo good. Andy & I have become lunch
regulars at a neighborhood ramen-ya and I am going to miss those big bowls of
hot noodlely deliciousness when we’re back in Indiana.
I probably should just have a
whole category on Japanese food I’m going to miss. There is a lot of it!
5.
Fun Indoor Play areas. Maybe this is only true up in the cold north, but
there are very few outdoor playgrounds in Morioka. It’s not like the US and certainly
not like Spain where there are very nice playgrounds in every tiny village.
However, to make up for the lack of fun playgrounds, Morioka has some great
indoor play areas that we will miss when we are back in Indiana.
6.
Forvever
Fall. Autumn lasts for months here! We have had gorgeous foliage for over 6
weeks! Every time I think it is finally peak, new trees turn. Fall is really a lovely
time of year to be in Japan.
7.
The “bike bow”. So Japanese
people bow. You probably know this. You bow when you meet people, to say thank
you, etc. My favorite newly acquired skill is the bike bow! Rather than waving
to cars who let you pass or pedestrians who make way, you give them a little
bow while peddling. It amuses me.
8.
Food trucks. Maybe this is more
for Catie than me- she loves all the food trucks around town! It’s going to be
sad when she doesn’t have the meat truck to look forward to on Saturday nights.
9.
Running into people. Morioka has
10 times the population of Richmond or West Springfield. You would think that
living in a ‘big city’ we would be somewhat anonymous, but the opposite is
true. I can go for weeks without running into people I know in Indiana or West
Side, and yet I run into someone I know almost every day in Morioka. Could be
on the street, at the mall, in the post office- you name it! We’ve only lived
here 4 months, I don’t know that many people!!! Morioka might have 300,000
people living in it, but it feels like a small town.
10. My Friends. If you’ve been
reading this blog…enough said.
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