Note: I just noticed I never published this. It's in English, and from my first week in Japan. Interesting, maybe irrelevant, but I took the time to write it so I'm publishing it.
こんばんは、皆さん！今、留学生として日本に住んでいます！火曜日日本に着いて、それからもうたくさん面白いものを見たんです。どこから始めましょうか？
First, I'm not sure who will be reading this. I'm mostly writing this post and future posts for the sake of myself (to reflect upon my experiences) and my family (who want to know everything I'm doing). So, if someone from 日本語の授業 or 他の日本語が分かる人happens to be reading this...my posts are going to be in mostly English from now on. ごめんなさい.
The first thing I remember stepping off the plane, seeing Japan for the first time, albeit in my suffering-from-airline-food-and-jetlag state, was that everyone was so polite. Japanese flight attendants and airport workers lined the hallway, bowing to all of us weary passengers as we hauled our luggage to wherever we were going. Although I haven't had all that much airport experience, I know this isn't exactly the norm in America. But no, here, everyone seemed happy, even thankful, that we passengers made it. I already know that when I go back to America (whenever that is), I'm going to really miss the Japanese sense of manners.
My host family met me at the airport, greeting me with handmade, heavily glittered signs. I have two little sisters: Mei (11 years old) and Ayaka (9). I said something in horrible Japanese, and immediately presented my sisters with two Notre Dame teddy bears. They quietly accepted them and gave me shy smiles, and I worried for a few minutes that they were of the shy variety of kids who don't take too well to strangers suddenly living in their homes for the next 4 months. Luckily, by the next day, Ayaka was climbing all over me, and Mei was visiting me in my room to look at pictures of my friends from school. In fact, today the two of them took me on the subway to a new part of the city to wait for our okaasan (mother). It was a long train ride, so the two decided to pull me around, teach me songs, and suddenly decide their legs didn't work so the only way they could get off the train was if I carried them. I'm sure it was quite a sight for the other passengers- these two little girls directing and climbing all over some foreigner who dresses and talks weird.
As for the parents...they're polar opposites. I guess I can't say much for otousan (father), because he's not home very often. From what I've gathered, he works odd hours at the train station so he's rarely home. When he is, there's a painful silence between us. He knows no English, and my Japanese is pretty embarrassing, so often our conversations are limited to "Good morning" and "いってきます"(what Japanese people say to someone who is leaving the house). My mother, however, is quite interesting. She spent 2 years studying abroad in the US, and teaches English now to Toyota company workers and little children, so she's almost fluent. However, she only uses it when it's vital I understand something. When talking to me, she speaks kindly and slowly, and has a bubbly laugh. However, she can switch gears in an instant when Mei or Ayaka do something wrong. I've figured out my host mother is not someone to cross, so I'm doing my best to help her whenever I can to get on her good side. She also puts a lot of stock in my ability to do things on my own...like return home from school an hour away by myself. That was probably one of the scariest hours of my life, but that night when I saw the familiar door of my home, I got this sense of immense pride and reassurance. I mean, I managed to figure out the subway and local train system of a different, non-English speaking country...I must be at least semi-competent.
So that's the family. As for the house, I know I got extremely lucky with my home-stay placement. I live in an actual two-story house (which is rare in Japan, as space is limited and most people live in an apartment). My home is furnished here with Wifi, central heating, and two very advanced toilets. Space is still limited, with the kitchen being pretty small and no real dining room. Over the summer, I remember the Keio University students noting the waste of land Americans use on unnecessary things like huge yards and 3 car garages. I can see where that mentality comes from-in Japan, EVERYTHING (from utilities to food) is expensive, so they try to save as much as possible.
Weird differences I've noticed:
1) The trash system is a LOT more complicated. In fact, it seems like none of it is really "trash"...it's all recycled. You can usually see 外人(foreigners) around the trash cans with confused expressions on their faces, trying to figure out where to put their plastic box from lunch. As I would guess, this system was born out of a sense of needing to conserve as many resources as possible in Japan. I'm not sure why this sentiment is so prevalent in Japan and not America...perhaps Americans are too cocky to think they need to both with that sort of thing
2) In bathrooms, there's almost never paper towels provided. Most people carry around their own cloth towels to dry their hands with (I unfortunately never go that memo). That goes along with the "saving resources" thing.
3) Japanese people are exceptional at falling asleep immediately upon boarding the subway.
4) LOTS of people here those medical masks, in order to prevent catching a cold. I'm not sure why this is so prevalent in Japan but not America...again, maybe Americans are too cocky to think they could get sick.
5) Children here walk to school, no matter the age. However, if they're still in elementary school, they walk in groups and wear matching yellow hats. As my host mom explained, these hats are supposed to catch an adult's attention so that someone is watching and protecting the children at all times.
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