Month 3 in Review

Spring has sprung in Japan as we wrap up our first three months here. The sakura are in full bloom - and beautiful! Each time I think I've found the most beautiful tree - I stumble across another one. Stay tuned for a blog post that exclusively features sakura! 

In many ways - it seems like we've been here for three months and in other ways it doesn't. Time (and distance) are funny things. Each day brings new experiences, new victories, and new challenges. Kaz and I continue to learn, grow, and take each day one step at a time! 

Here's Month 3 in a nutshell! 

Places Visited
As the weather has gotten nicer - I've ventured out a bit more on my own and explored our "neighborhood" and surrounding areas.

-Atsuta Shrine (Atsuta is said to be one of the most important Shinto shrines in Japan. It enshrines the Sun Goddess Amaterasu and the sacred sword, Kusanagi. The sword is one of the three Imperial Regalia believed to have played a role in the formation of Japan. The other two - a mirror and jewel - are in shrines in other parts of Japan).  Funny story - as I was walking to the subway stop from the shrine I stumbled across a street lined with people. It appeared as though they were waiting for something - they all had their cameras out and kept cheering. There were even security guards. So, not being able to ask anyone what was going on...I hung around for about 40 minutes. At one point - a car pulled up - and everyone screamed and cheered. Then, it was over. I didn't see who got out of the car...but I am going to hypothesize that someone "famous" was eating at the restaurant that we were standing in front of. Everyone else stayed around to see the person come out...but I decided to head home. 
-Higashiyama Koen Zoo & Botanical Garden (About a 10 minute walk from our house; we bought our yearly passes and are excited to visit A LOT! Our first visit helped us to scope this out as our "spot" for the hanami - cherry blossom viewing.


-Osu Kannon Temple and Shopping District (The shopping district is packed with interesting little shops and food vendors. The smells and people watching are AMAZING! I think the only proof you need is the fact that I saw a real pig wearing sunglasses sitting in the passenger's seat of a red convertible! -Tsurama Park (More sakura searching - however, lucky for us there was some type of event going on in which people were dressed up like Japanese cartoon characters. There were a lot of photo shoots going on - but we had to be sneaky with our pictures since you can't silence the photo sound on the phones in Japan).
-Toganji Temple (A giant Buddha in the middle of our neighborhood).
-Yamazakigawa River walk
-Himeji Castle & Kyoto (see most recent travel entry for those specifics)

% Arabica had the most beautiful view ever! 

Cafes Enjoyed 
-Kannon Coffee
-Cafe Lamp (near Himeji Castle)
-% Arabica

Do you see the face in my mocha!!? 

-Metsa

Kit Kat Flavors Tasted
When we were in Tokyo at the end of February (before I headed back to the US), we found a store that sold TONS of Kit Kats. Needless to say, we stocked up on several new flavors. This month was filled with trying many of the new flavors! I also brought lots home for family and friends to try - so now they're in on the craze too!

Shinkoku Chugoku Citrus Blend (tasted like an orange creamsicle)
Tokyo Rum Raisin
Toasted Sweet Potato (package says to toast in toaster - but then it tasted like burnt sugar)
Sakura Matcha
Red Potato
Pancake (the Easter flavor - even though Japan doesn't celebrate Easter...they look like bunnies)
Wasabi

Victories

Month 3 has brought some interesting "victories" for me.

-Using a "squat" toilet! While Japan is known for their rather "futuristic" toilets...the ones that play music, have heated seats, etc...they also have "squat" toilets (I'm actually not sure of the real name) which are basically glorified holes in the ground. These were the first toilets I saw when we arrived in Japan - in the airport...and to be honest, I freaked out!  Luckily - as I opened some more stalls - I found the "western" toilets. Phew! Every time I am in a public bathroom - I can't help but wonder how everyone is okay using these. I would imagine it would be challenging in so many ways - not to mention painful on your leg muscles. It boggles my mind when the 90 year-old woman come out of the stalls! It's been VERY easy to avoid using these toilets since coming to Japan - so when I went into the bathroom in Kyoto before an hour hike and found ONLY "squat" toilets...I immediately turned around and walked out. As I returned to where Kaz was standing - I soon realized that this was my only option...so back I went. Luckily it was not as bad as I had imagined (and there were directions on the wall in English!) - however, I will reserve other experiences like this for emergency only situations! ;)

-Surviving my first earthquake! Last Friday, while exploring the riverside in search of sakura...I didn't actually get there due to getting super lost and pouring rain...I experienced my first earthquake. Kaz and I have talked a lot about earthquakes since coming to Japan since they are normal - and I have never experienced one. We have an emergency bag in our apartment - and an "emergency area" (a local park) to go to if needed. I hadn't, however, considered what I would do if I wasn't at home when an earthquake hit. I had just picked my phone up to take a picture - when my phone starting make really loud noises (even though it was on silent) and an emergency message popped up in Japanese. I instantly realized it was an earthquake and froze. Then, the alarms starting going off outside - spouting off information in Japanese. Kaz texted me at the same time to let me know an earthquake was going to hit. Japan has amazing technology and they are actually able to give people 7-10 seconds of warning before an earthquake hits...which is the time needed to get to safety. I knew I was actually in the best position - outside, by a river, with nothing that could fall on my head. And yet, I had the urge to get inside since that is how I handle all other natural disasters in life. So...I awkwardly sat on a bench and waited. And waited. And waited. As I did, runners and bikers passed by as though nothing was happening. After a few minutes, I got a text from Kaz - saying all was clear. I actually hadn't felt the earthquake at all. It was about 200 miles away from us - but I think my location so close to sea level played a huge role in not even feeling a little shake. Kaz felt the earthquake at work - and several other people we know felt it in their houses. It was a good experience for me - to now know what the sirens and alerts are like. Next time, I may be a tad calmer (I was shaking like a leaf) maybe I'll even feel a little shake. 

Goals

- Continue to put myself out there a bit more. I have been meeting lots of people through school and some of the meet-up groups/events. I tend to hold back a bit, though, and wait to be invited to these types of things. I am hoping over the next month to put myself out there a bit more - to initiate or even set up an event so that I can meet more people...and expand my network here.

- Talk more - and attempt to communicate a bit more in Japanese. I am finding that is it easy to just smile, nod, and use my typical one-word utterances at stores and such. However, that isn't helping me to learn or become anymore confident in my Japanese skills. 

-Appreciate the time and space...and slower pace of life as I continue to find a "new normal" for myself.

-Explore more...not only in my neighborhood - but perhaps in planning some little weekend trips. 

-Add to our "To Do" list on the blog! :)

Sunny Moments

In addition to the ones above...

-A healed ankle - which means getting back into running!

-Feeling a bit more comfortable exploring my "neighborhood." 

-Learning more about Japanese culture - taking a Shippo class. 

-Spring, sakura, and sunny skies...beautiful!! 

-A visit from Sophia - and getting to explore new places in Japan!

-Beginning to talk with friends about their potential visits.

Cloudy Moments

In addition to the ones above...

-A bit of homesickness once returning from the US

-Moments when the novelty of Japan has worn off a bit

-Wanting to use small talk with people...and not being able to

-Learning to find "routine" in a world where I have a bit less of one

-Doubt and negative self-talk that sometimes creep in...

Sun, clouds, sakura and love! 

~Jaime