Home at Last

I apologize for not posting in a few days. I have been in transit to my new home in Iwade. I also am posting from an internet cafe because the internet is not set up in my place yet. This also means that I am unable to post the many photos that I have taken since my arrival. I promise to get them posted as soon as possible. Brief summary of my journey.....arrived in Tokyo and had jet lag that really did not kick in for a few days. I would be wide awake in the middle of the night and really sleepy in the afternoon. It sucked and I think until yesterday I was operating on about 10 hours of sleep for about 6 days. The orientation conference was good but basically I was in workshops all day, surrounded by English speakers and it did not feel like I was in a foreign country. In the evening, a group of us would journey out for dinner and excessive drinking. That seems to be the trend here (the drunk salaryman photo will be posted soon). My evenings have been fun; however again I always went with somone that spoke Japanese and knew where they were going, so culture shock did not hit me until yesterday when I got to my town. I am very lucky that my predecessor, Amy, is here until August 20. She picked me up from the airport, helped my sign the many documents that the board of education needed filled out immediately, buy some groceries, take me to dinner, and showed me how to work basic things in my apartment. Thanks Amy! I honestly do not know how other JETs get through the first few days without some guidance from someone. Oh, let me also tell you about my apartment. For those that have been to my loft; my apartment is about the size of my bedroom; maybe a little bigger. I have tatami mat floors; which are kind of neat. I also have sliding paper doors that seperate the kitchen and bedroom from the living space. I took one set down to get better air flow. I have a little bitty kitchen with interesting cooking devices that I have not tried out yet. The toilet is in a closet like space and after you flush it, water runs through the sink that is attached. The shower is through a door off of the living room. It is a room with a big square tub that you must sit upright in. The water pressure on the shower device is awesome though. I have not actually tried the tub yet. I have quite a bit of storage and a nice patio. I am on the 2nd floor, so there is a little view of a mountain and a delapidated house. Overall, I am pleased with the space. I think it will feel more like home after I get it decorated. I promise to post photos also. My job seems OK, school is out until September, so I report to the board of education from 9-noon. Nice that it is only for half a day. I really do not have a job to do there though. I just read and study Japanese. I think they just want me there so that they know that I am OK and if I have any questions. I do not mind; it is nice to be around other people. Everyone is extremely nice; you get greeted by everyone (even the workers at the grocery store as you pass). I will have to get use to the odd stares though. I will write again soon and I hope that everyone is doing well.