It happened

Well it happened, everyone said it would happen and it finally did. Friends even said it might happen around the three month mark. And I am fast approaching that time. What is "it" you might ask? Homesickness. The novelty of Japan has worn off and the daily acts of living such as getting around and buying necessities (like food) is just difficult. I can ask for what I want just fine, but understanding the response is a completely different manner. And people inevitably ask me questions which I don't understand. Its usually something simple like do you want a bag for that. Or do you want a straw for your drink. But sometimes I have no idea what it is, so I just smile and say Eai (no) or Hai (yes) depending on my mood.

And then there are all the strange little idiosyncracies about Japan and their culture that make no sense whatsoever. For example, yesterday I was walking in Nagoya with a friend and we saw some garbage collectors. In America they would have been wearing orange vests and carrying orange bags, maybe even with a sign plastered on their back saying "I am a drunk driver". That is not the uniform in Japan. These were adults dressed in full Power Ranger costume collecting garbage. They carried a sign that my fluent-in-Japanese friend said read "Trash Rangers". So is garbage now the enemy that we need superheros to defeat? "Why are they dressed up," I asked. She responded, "This is Japan." Who knows why they were wearing costumes, there just aren't explanations for why Japanese people do some of the things they do.

It all really started to get to me yesterday when I just wanted to order a simple sandwich from a cafe. I saw the sandwich I wanted in the window and the woman told me they were out. But I see the sandwich sitting right there, I thought. Apparently, there were two versions of the sandwich, expensive and cheap. The cheap version is where you pick up the sandwich from the window and take it to the counter and pay for it. That's what I wanted. And the expensive where you order it from the sales person and she goes and makes a fresh one. And since I wasn't holding the sandwich I must want the expensive version. How am I supposed to know that I can reach in and grab the sandwich. I know this sounds silly and you are right it is. But it is on top of all the other strange things I encounter. And I think I was just tired and hungry.

Before you start to feel too sorry for me, know that it isn't really as bad as I make it sound. Japan really is a great place and I am having a great time trying to figure out how to teach these little kids English. And I'm having a great time traveling. But I do miss understanding the culture and understanding what people are saying. And above all else I miss you guys my friends and family.

I was talking to another English teacher (not with Amity) about this yesterday. He reminded me that the difficulties of living in another culture just make us realize that we are not in control. He is right we are not in control. God is in control. And He has me in Japan for a reason. I'm not entirely sure what that reason is, but I am sure that it is a good one. And it is not my job to understand everything that is going on all of the time. It is only my job to trust God and wait for His timing. So that is what I will do.