Night before first day of school

It is the night before the first day of school. Help!

I go to a grand total of 4 schools each week which is quite a challenging routine. I go to my base school KTT on Mondays and Thursdays, NMT on Tuesdays, KKK on Wednesdays and NMT2 on Fridays. Next week's schedule looks good where I only have a class on Thursday at KTT. The other schools either have exams or would like me to get used to their schools first. Nonetheless, I will have to deliver a couple of self-introduction speeches starting with one to the whole of KTT tomorrow morning. Gosh! Why did I volunteer to speak in Japanese! While on one hand I feel the need to memorise the speech and deliver it fluently so as to set a role example to the students, my supervisor told me directly he does not think much about it and I wonder if he means it literally or maybe to calm me down. I can never memorise 100% (sigh) though I am 80% there.

Actually it was today that I finally felt I am in Japan. I guess I need to run to the countryside to take a look at the vast expanse of paddy fields to feel very different. I am starting to feel homesick as well, where I look at outside food and shudder. I cannot help but compare them with the very affordable prices in Singapore! A simple meal here can easily cost $10. However alcohol is cheap, like Choya is only $15 for a large bottle. Beefeater for only $20?! Fruits are very expensive - 1 momo peach cheapest at $2.60! But boy do they taste delicious!

I've also started cooking especially with the horrific prices outside and also for the sheer pleasure and convenience of it (it can be rather inconvenient to dress up again to step outside for a meal). I've got a few runny stomachs so far but it has been rather fun after a while. It feels like cycling actually, because the first time I cooked I was totally flustered but gradually I became more confident. Hopefully the food became more palatable but I won't know since I would be too hungry by the end of each cooking session that it will taste nice.

I have like pounced on and devoured my first month's salary so far, getting myself a keitai (mobile phone), accessories such as memory card and data cable, electronic dictionary and bits and pieces around the apartment like curtains (finally!) and cooking utensils. I still haven't found the public gymnasium and I heard there is a swimming pool near to that. I was invited to use KTT's swimming pool though, so I guess if I don't feel shy I might consider using now and then. Haven't done that yet so far.

Everyone is rather friendly with me in their own way, which I need to keep in mind as I cannot expect them to charter their spare time to my well being! I won't want to do that for one. If there is any effort, I feel it should be genuine and come from the heart. While I had to do a lot of things myself, such as finding out how to take public transport to the 4 schools which involves a lot of googling (or Yahooing, Japanese people love to use that) in Japanese, I take it as a way to learn Japanese though it is awfully frustrating sometimes! I just hope my colleagues don't take it as skiving!

Oh! Today I went to a barber in preparation for the big day tomorrow. The barber was an obasan who was a nice conversationalist. I think I miscommunicated to her by telling her short when I just wanted it cut, so it looks really short now. I always like short hair, but people think it makes my face look round and childish. A bit like JS's ;). Anyway it cost a lot, around $45 and it covers shaving and eyebrow trimming. It seems like a standard package of sorts. While it was expensive, it was a nice experience.

I'm running out of ideas or things to do. I think I just need a list and I can pick and choose when I suddenly find myself bored on a weekend. Help! The realisation came just now when I suddenly realise the weekend of my birthday is actually a long weekend (the following Monday is Respect the Elderly holiday) so technically I could have done an extensive travel over 3 days. Hmm, maybe I can visit KIC in Fukishima on Sunday/Monday?

Yeah so plans and ideas, so I can spend a day each week exploring somewhere. Like today I went to Hokota where there was a summer festival over the weekend. I didn't realise 1. the big fireworks was yesterday evening 2. the summer festival swings from evening onwards. I reached the place at 1pm just now (after the haircut) and met with 2 floats. And watched people set up the stalls. And I spent $26 on transport. Yay. But it felt good, because the area is rural and the weather was fine. It really reminded me of Mizayaki's previous anime on this little girl who had to rescue her parents who were turned into pigs for eating the food meant for gods. The introduction up till the point where they walked into the town felt exactly the same - the rolling grass fields, ripples in the fields as the wind blew, train tunnels... lovely.

I am in Japan!