As I opened my eyes, I wondered if I was still dreaming. Cicadas were screaming in the trees, and I jumped as a voice on a loudspeaker announced something in Japanese. I rolled over and hit the tatami mats, to see Braden looking out of our apartment window.
"It's politics," he said. "They're campaigning." "In a car?!" I couldn't hide how surprised I was. "Welcome to Japan," he said, his grin huge.
When we landed in Osaka the night before, I was overwhelmed. There were people all around me speaking rapidly in Japanese, and I had never felt so out of place. Thank goodness Braden spoke some Japanese; I don't know what I would've done if I didn't have him.
He got us train tickets and on the way to our new home in Shikoku, a place I had never heard of until six months ago. When we got to our apartment I took a quick look around, but was so tired I could barely walk.
Braden set up a futon for me and I crashed instantly, too tired to protest there was no soft, comfy mattress. ALT training starts in two days, so hopefully by then the jet lag will have gotten better!
As I opened my eyes, I wondered if I was still dreaming. I could hear cicadas in the trees, and it made me jump when I heard a voice on a loudspeaker saying something in Japanese.
I rolled over on the tatami mats and looked up to see Braden by our apartment window.
"It's politics," he said. "They're campaigning."
"In a car?!" I was surprised. I'd never heard of that before.
"Welcome to Japan," he said. He had a huge smile on his face.
When we landed in Osaka last night, I was overwhelmed. There were so many people all around me, and they were all speaking in Japanese. I had never felt so out of place.
Thank goodness Braden spoke some Japanese or I don't know what we would've done. He got us train tickets and on the way to Shikoku, the place that would be our new home. I had never even heard of Shikoku until six months ago!
When we got to our apartment, I looked around for a minute, but I was so tired. All I wanted to do was sleep. Braden set up a futon for me and I fell asleep instantly.
I was too tired to realize how different the futon was from a mattress! ALT training will start in two days, so hopefully by then I'm not so tired, and the jet lag will have gotten better!
Ashlyn 「初めての日本に戸惑い」
