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Published: January 25th 2007
My 6 month stint at home in San Diego is over and I'm back on the road again. Whew, what a whirlwind the past few weeks have been saying good bye to family and friends and the best co-workers ever at American Technologies where I was lucky enough to work for the past few months. Its funny how time seemed to drag on a bit during the early months when I was home and how time seemed to completely speed up in the last few weeks. I must say that I did far less preparing for this move to Japan where I will be for one year than I did for my three month european traveling excursion with Mel, Blair and Alyssa last year. But somehow, I got everything that was truly essential in, albeit with an extreme lack of sleep (which I have no regrets about) and have arrived safe and sound in Osaka, Japan after a 12 hour flight from San Francisco. ( I love flying, I spent the whole time relaxing, watching Little Ms. Sunshine, writing in my journal and listening to my IPOD which my wonderful sister loaded up with all kinds of music for me😊.
I am sitting in my hotel room at the Dotonbori Hotel in the Dotonbori district in Osaka right now. I was met at the airport by a couple of very friendly Nova workers who helped me get my luggage shipped to my new apartment and guided myself and a few other future Nova teachers to a hotel for the evening. So far this place is making a very positive first impression on me. Although I cannot understand or speak a word of Japanese, people seem to be very friendly and there are English signs everywhere! Another thing that has struck me is how flippin clean this place is, and how modern it is!!! The street that my hotel is on looks like a mini Tokyo. There are great big neon signs everywhere, with Japanese writing all lit up, there are noodle houses with great lanterns in front, views into restaurants where you can see people enjoying their meals seated on cushions on the floor, intricate displays of food platters on each restaurants menu (fake food of course) in the windows of restaurants facing the street. (Side note--I have already seen a McDonald's and Starbucks-- that didn't take long). And all
Drink Vending Machines
They are EVERYWHERE and they sell everything from Coffee to beer!!the Japanese people are so cute, I of course, especially love the older people. I feel like I am surrounded by a ton of my very own grandparents!!!! Its wonderful!!!
My room at my hotel is small and very Japanesey, I have a buckwheat pillow and a teapot with green tea at my disposal. I have been flipping between Jpanese cartoons and CNN this morning on TV, there are a pari of sanitized slippers for me to use (reminds me of my grandma's house). Oh and the toilet is so high tech, it can turn into a bidet.
I will be leaving in an hour and tkaing the bullet train to my new home Shizuoka. I know just about nothing about it, so I'm calling today my blind date with Shizuoka. Its very close to Mt. Fuji and I think it is much more rural than I am expecting. That could be a good and bad thing and needless to say I am a little nervous.
I have taken a few pictures already, but crazy me, I left my camera cord at home in san Diego, I think I can actually put my memory card in my NEW 😊 laptop (which i love 😊) so hopefully there will be pcitures to share very soon!!!
I'll write again soon from my new home!!!
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Jess
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MISS YOU AND LOVE YOU!