Public Transportation...

As a midwestern girl (a title I hold proudly), public transportation is rather foreign to me. Aside from the school bus (which I don't think you can even consider a form of public transportation), I have always been driven or driven to my destinations. Most errands required at least 10 minutes of driving - and if you needed a gallon of milk, you didn't walk to the corner store - you jumped in the car and drove there. I remember seeing people standing at bus stops here and there - but I don't think I ever gave much thought to how much planning goes into getting somewhere by public transit (well, at least until you get the hang of it...I suppose).

Most people who know me could attest to my difficulty giving people directions on how to get from point A to point B. I have a hard time remembering street names and I almost never know which way is North. I am, however, often able to get myself somewhere after I have been there once - just by remembering visually how to get there. It's funny...I am not usually a visual person, words tend to come easier to me...not with directions though!

I remember taking the subway when in Chicago, New York, and Boston on vacation and being 100% reliant on the people I was traveling with to navigate. It wasn't until I moved to Washington DC in college for a semester that I actually had to figure out the subway (Metro) on my own. Luckily the system was rather straightforward (and I avoided buses or anything that was not the Metro) - and boy, am I realizing now how thankful I am for those six months of subway exposure. 

In Nagoya - we have one car, which Kaz takes to work and we have used for trips to Costco and to pick up furniture since being here. I don't plan to drive while we're here - as they drive on the other side of the road and the roads are also super narrow. Stressful! I have an international driver's license so I could if I had to...however, walking, running, and public transit are my main modes at this time.

I haven't been here long enough yet to give you the full lowdown on public transit - but here are a few things (and then a rather entertaining story about my Thursday afternoon public transit experience). 

Subway...

There is a pretty extensive subway system in Nagoya (though I have heard that Tokyo's is a million times more complicated) that connects to trains, buses, etc. We live off of the "Higashiyama Line" (which I more commonly call the yellow line) and it's been pretty easy to navigate. I should say that I haven't really done much connecting or transferring lines just yet. It's nice because you can get a Manaca Card, which is like a credit card that you put money on. Then you just tap it to pass through versus having to worry about buying tickets each time. It works on other trains and buses too. The only thing is - you stop realizing how much you are spending on transit. 

Trains...

I'll tackle this more in a later post. However, there are several types of trains here. Local trains, rapid trains (that don't stop as often as local trains), express trains, and then of course the Shinkansen (bullet train - which goes 200mph and you take to further places). We're taking the Shinkansen to Tokyo this weekend, so expect a full report. 

Buses...

Lots...and everywhere! 

Since being here - I have gotten more comfortable with the subway, which is all I really need on a daily basis. However, this week I embarked on two different trips (solo) that required a combination of transit options. The first being subway to train to get to the Immigration Office on Tuesday (successful!) and then subway to train to bus to get to the International School on Thursday (successful...in a different way).

After studying my route many, many times...I set out on Thursday ready for a challenge. I was able to get on the subway and the train with no problem. So I found myself at the train station ready to give this whole bus thing a try. Kaz had told me to take a taxi from the station to the school on the way there at least (so I wouldn't risk being late) and then to try the bus on the way home. I got to the station earlier than I planned - so I thought - Let's give this a try now! I wandered around the various bus areas looking for the characters on the bus that matched the ones Kaz had written and found the bus. I was the first one (since it was 15 minutes until it left) and so I sat down. As people got on I realized that they were tapping their Manaca cards as they got on (to stare the fare). Ooops...so I "nonchalantly" stood up and did the same thing. The stops were luckily written in kanji and English - so I could compare them to what I had written down. I also knew that I had to get off at the fourth stop. Managed that with little difficulty and found myself standing at the bus stop on the side of the road. Now just to pull up google maps and make my 10 minute walk to the school. Easy, right?! I set off on the walk feeling victorious, until....

...about 3 minutes into my walk - a man (who seemed to be controlling traffic) put his hand up to signal that I could not continue walking on the road I was walking on. You see, there was a ton of construction going on - and apparently I was going to have to find another way. He was saying a lot to me in Japanese - and I could not understand. I said - "International School" and he pointed in the direction I was not allowed to walk. I was sort of shrugging my shoulders - and after a minute of both of us talking back in forth to each other in languages we couldn't understand...he took my hand and started leading me through the EXTREMELY muddy construction site. Stopping bulldozers and backhoes as I slipped and slid. He was chuckling to himself - and I was too - what else can you do in a situation in which you are 100% dependent on someone else? We got to a road - and he pointed and nodded...and off I went - after bowing and thanking him over and over and over. My googlemaps "auto-corrected" my route - and told me that I would be getting to the school about 15 minutes after my meeting started. So after sending Luci a text saying that I was running late due to the road being closed - I started running (in a dress, boots, and a backpack) and made it to the school out of breath and extremely sweaty. I looked a mess - however, Luci congratulated me on surviving public transit and making it (a great reminder that success can be defined in so many ways). You'll be glad to know that I made it home with slightly less adventure (though I may have walked in circles many times before finding the bus stop - I will figure this route out eventually).

As I retold this story to Kaz over wine and pizza... I couldn't help but be surprised by the fact that this whole ordeal had not flustered me nearly as much as I thought it would have. And...I can't entirely put my finger on the reason(s). Perhaps it was because I knew I was safe; or because I had a phone and the ability to map where I was so I would have made it eventually. But I don't think that's it exactly. I think it was the fact that...in this situation...I was entirely helpless and completely dependent on someone else. And - I couldn't use language (exactly) to solve the problem. Hmm...I may need to keep pondering this one (and clean the mud off my boots).

Sunny Moments: Helpful people, understanding and accepting people, remaining calm - and problem solving!
Cloudy Moments: Getting lost, late for a meeting, extreme difficulty communicating!

Walk a Mile in His/Her Shoes...

As a speech therapist, one thing that I constantly try to remind myself of is to put myself in the shoes of my clients...to understand where they may be coming from or the reasons they may think, act, or react a certain way. In may ways, I think that we all do this - with family, friends, and people we meet on a daily basis. And - it's not always the easiest thing to do - especially if we haven't "lived" it. I remember talking to a friend about working with clients who stutter...and almost feeling bad that I didn't stutter and so I could never really "get" it. He made a point that has stuck with me - he said "we all experience the same emotions - there may just be different triggers for those emotions." So true.

And, now I find myself in a situation (or daily situations) in which for the first time in my life - language is REALLY hard. And the thought of communicating actually evokes feelings of fear, dread, anxiety, embarrassment, frustration and so much more. Sure, I have experienced these feelings before - to a much lesser degree and in more isolated circumstances. Now...it's part of my daily life. I find myself planning out speaking situations before I go into them. I want to order a coffee:  How do I say coffee? Oh, I have to let them know if I want it hot or cold - what are those words again? Oh and I have to tell them how many? And the words go in a different order - noun first. Be sure to say please. I find myself only knowing how to respond to a situation if a direct script is followed: Okay, I say "hi" and then they will ask me my name. Then, I ask them theirs and say nice to meet you. Oh wait - they just said something that didn't sound familiar. Cue silence and smile now. Then get out of there as fast as you can. I find myself having a hard time pronouncing sounds and words: Okay, they don't have "l" or "r" - but they do have a sound that combines those two - and adds a little bit of "d." Hmm..can my tongue do that? And wait - Japanese only has 5 vowels sounds and English has about 20...so how do I say that word?! And, at the moment - my understanding and use of the language is minimal. I probably understand maybe 5% of what is being said in a known context - and my use of the language is probably less than 50 words (sorry, hi, good morning, thanks, I don't understand...).

The other day as I was walking home from the store - it hit me just how amazing the process of language development is - and the fact that for most of us...it just happened naturally. And, for those who had to work at it or who learned more than one language - you have my upmost respect and amazement!!

Kaz was asking me the other day what my goals were in terms of the language - and I didn't know how to even answer that question. My first thought was...well, I just want to be able to communicate with people, express my wants/needs, read signs...basically be able to do things independently in Japan and have an idea of what is going on. Though deep down - there was a part of me that was thinking - I want to talk and understand just like I do in English...oh, and I would like it to come without any effort! Sometimes I can be a bit stubborn too...

His next question - well, what are some steps to get there? Oh man, he is giving me a taste of my own medicine! When did he become a therapist!? I was totally overwhelmed thinking about the steps...well, I have to at least master hiragana and katakana (Japan has 3 main alphabets...hiragana, which is a phonetic alphabet for Japanese words; katakana, which is a phonetic alphabet for foreign words; and, kanji, which is a symbol system where words are represented in symbols). By being able to recognize the symbols - I can get a feel for what the word sounds like and then look it up on Google Translate. Before we came, I took some Japanese lessons and became familiar with both. However, let me tell you - memorizing the individual syllables seems like cake compared to looking at something like this in the store - trying to figure out what it says, and not hold up the line!

Then, I need to start recognizing some kanji - there are over 50,000 characters of which about 2,000-3,000 are used daily...and combined with one another make up about 99% of Japanese words. (Example - there is kanji for sun and a kanji for moon - if they are written together - it means bright...and it you include bright and another sun kanji it means tomorrow). So what are the most important ones for me to recognize? Do I learn what they say in Japanese or just memorize their English meaning? Oh, and then I need to build my vocabulary so that I can understand what people say and also be able to talk back...at least a bit. Phew. Needless to say...had to take a step away from that conversation for a while. To give myself time to process...and also...to work through my expectations...and try to be a bit more reasonable with myself. 

I found myself having this deep-rooted desire to be able to blend in and speak Japanese when I needed to and to not "burden or bother" anyone with my lack of language. Yep...unreasonable! Though strong - and occupying much of my thought process at the moment! 

A lot of people will attempt English with you - and you can get through an interaction with the desired outcome. Today, we had a chair delivered...I said konnichiwa (hello) - pointed where I wanted him to put it and then said arigatou gozaimasu (polite form of thank you) and that was that. He said a lot more - and may have asked me questions...who knows?! I just smiled and kept nodding. So...the challenge I am giving myself is to see this as a successful situation...instead of thinking...oh man, I totally inconvenienced him...what is he thinking?I should have had Kaz stay home and take care of this because he could have talked with him...ugh, total fail!!

I realized that even though I talk to my clients about this sort of thing all the time - doing their best, not worrying about what other people say, setting goals, thinking about the outcome....I realized that sometimes (or a lot of the time) it is WAY easier said that done!!

And so...the theme of this post will frequent the blog often...as I know that my thoughts, actions, and reactions when it comes to language will morph and evolve along this journey. 

As I sign off for today...the rain has stopped and the sun is streaming brightly into the living room! A reminder to cut myself some slack, keep learning, and do the best I can? I think so! Oh, and Japanese lessons will start up again next week!

Sunny Moments: "Successful" grocery shopping trips, ordering lunch (with a mix of pointing, English, and attempts at Japanese); handling multiple deliveries on my own, walking a whole new journey in the shoes of my clients.

Cloudy Moments: Struggling to read and speak Japanese....and all the thoughts and emotions that have come along with that!

Our First Week in Japan

WE HAVE ARRIVED!!

Our flight to Japan was actually delayed for a few hours because the computer wouldn't work...so after walking across the Detroit airport and boarding another plane...we were on our way. The flight was uneventful...lots of eating, some wine, a few movies, reading half a book, and a few hours of sleep! We were able to also meet a few other Toyota families on the plane too...glad to know we'll have some great people to share the experiences with too!

Once we arrived - we started the process of getting the luggage we brought with us...and going through customs and immigration. I am so thankful that Kaz can speak Japanese - as he did the explaining and I simply smiled and tried to understand the pointing and gestures. We made it to our hotel in one piece after a ride in a jumbo taxi. Taxis here are SPOTLESS...way different that in the US. And, the drivers all wear suits which is their uniform...they also strictly follow traffic laws and don't make you fear for your life!

On Tuesday, we were ready to get into our place! Toyota works with a company called ReloJapan - and they help to get us settled in Japan. They also helped us find a place when we came in November. We used one of our two "settling in" days to get our Residence Card (Sort of like a driver's license that shows we are here legally...I will most likely have to show mine more than Kaz), get new iPhones (process took more than two hours), and then to get a heater, fridge, and washing machine from a recycle shop (like a second hand store). Jeremy did most of the talking for us...which was nice! I am not sure we totally would have been able to do all of that on our own.

The next few days were full of eating out (since we didn't have most appliances), getting our car (which Kaz will drive...not me!), exploring, and trying to figure out what we needed for our place. It's odd because right now we have temporary furniture and also our air and sea shipments have not been delivered yet. So everything is all over the place...and we are even sure what we shipped anymore! Hence the reason that I have not posted pictures of our place yet...those will come...once we get settled and it does not resemble a college dorm that has been hit by a tornado!

On Friday - Kaz had to go into work for a health assessment...so I was on my own. Toyota is about 35km away from where we live - so it's a hour one-way by multiple trains for a 45 minute drive. About five minutes after he left, an alarm started going off in our house. I had no idea what it was. We have all these panels and things here - which are in Japanese and don't make sense to us. We are just learning what they actually do. They have been labeled in English - however, it doesn't help! I am looking at these keyboard and it keeps blinking "red" - so I decide we must have a security alarm (that we didn't know we had) and Kaz must have activated it when he left. And, since I was still in apartment I must have set it off. So I see a button that says "alarm off" and push it...nothing. Suddenly, there is a knock at the door - and the security guard is there...and he speaks no English. a frantic me, still in my PJs, am saying things like "key," "husband at work," "help?." And he says a few things in Japanese and walks away. I finally get hold of Kaz and somehow get it turned off by going outside and unlocking the door with a key. Apparently the alarm gets set when you lock the top lock on the door with the key...who knew?! The guy came back and when he saw that it had stopped - he nodded and left.

After calming down...I was able to laugh at most of the situation. I had a hard time shaking the frustration of not being able to communicate with the security guard and bothering him with my mistake. I practiced saying "I'm sorry" (gomen nasi), so that when I say him next I could say it to him. We did see him the next day - and I apologized and he explained to Kaz that it happens to so many people when they first get here. Phew!!

Some other highlights of the week...we drove about 90 minutes away to a city called Otsu (in the Shiga prefecture). It houses Japan's biggest lake - Lake Biwa. We will definitely have to explore this area more.

It was a sunny day - and we even stopped at a shrine there. Just to look around.

On our way back, we stopped at the Costco - which was about 45 minutes from our place. I have never been to a Costco - so it's funny that my first experience was in Japan. It was crowded - though I am told that it is the same in the US. I have to say it felt nice to see some familiar foods - like bagels, frozen fruit, granola, etc. We bought many things - especially ones that we can freeze and use over time. And, we got a membership - so we'll be back! :)

Sunday was spent doing a little more shopping and exploring. I am sure you all know how much we love coffee shops and cafes - so we tried our first one. Cafe Cosmonaute, which was French-themed. I even had a quiche...which was nice!! :)

Kaz starts work this morning (it's Monday morning here)...so this starts my adventure of exploring a bit more on my own (and building up confidence) and figuring out a routine over the next few weeks! More soon! :)


Sunny moments: exploring a new city, beginning to get settled, getting a phone with iMessage and still being able to text with family and friends, learning to laugh at "failures"...

Cloudy moments: language barriers, feeling less independent, things taking longer (websites and labels completely in Japanese)

Japan & Blogging...

As most of you know - Kaz and I headed to Japan on Sunday, January 3rd, 2016! Kaz's job (Toyota) sent him on a two-year placement here. We are living in a city called Nagoya, which is the third largest city in Japan. Sort of like Cincinnati - there are neighborhoods here within the cities. We are living in the Higashiyama ("East Mountain") Koen ("Park") area. So far, we like it...there is the city zoo and botanical gardens right down the street...so there is more "green" space than I have seen anywhere else in Nagoya (which means more room to run...and you know that is a neccessity in our lives)! I've actually been on two runs here already...and found my way back in one piece! :)

I am hoping to work as a "freelance" speech therapist while I am here. The Nagoya International School (and some other local international schools) have some English-speaking students who may need therapy. I can't get a work visa - but I can get a work permit that allows me to work about 20 hours per week...which will be nice with doing some research back home, language lessons, exploring, and all the other things that I am sure will pop up. Since everyone has been shut down for the New Year's holiday - I am hoping to start the process of getting my permit this week. It's been busy trying to get settled - and we still have lots to do (as our shipments have not arrived yet and they come to take our temporary furniture away in a few weeks).

I knew that I wanted to start a blog about our experiences in Japan. While stressful in many ways - this is also an exciting and once in a lifetime experience for us. I was actually hoping to start the blog before we left the States as it took a lot to get ready to go - and we had some wonderful send-offs by our amazing family members and friends...but I could not think of the right title for the blog. The other day - as I was spouting off my thoughts for the blog...wanting to talk about adventures and challenges...my desire to view this whole experience - even the hard parts - with a growth mindset... Kaz started giving me some phrases in Japanese that encompassed that idea. The perfect one - Hare Tokidoki Kumori - which literally means "sunny with a few clouds." It is often used to describe the weather - and also emotions and experiences! PERFECT! :)

My goal - other than to connect with family and friends and to log my experiences...is to also be able to talk about the "sunny" moments and the "cloudy" ones too! And to see them all as a way of growing and evolving! Please feel free to comment, share stories, and even request topics for posts too!!

Love to you all!
~Jaime