Doki Doki

"Doki doki" means "nervous" in Japanese. This mimetic word is supposed to imitate the sound of a throbbing heart. I find "どきどき (doki doki)" to be not only insanely adorable, but also pretty relevant to my life right now... Generally, I feel like a toddler. Okay, more like a little, newborn, infant baby kitten that can't even open its eyes yet. Eeep!

"wakarimasen...?" (◎_◎;)

Day 21

Oops... I guess it's still August 24th for you readers in America ^-^; Anyway, today marks exactly 3 weeks in Japan! It’s Sunday. I love my Sundays because, so far, they’ve been very relaxed. Sundays seem to be the only days that I get to sleep as late as I want and then have the entire day to myself. I usually clean, sort trash, run errands, do laundry and organize things. It’s just really relaxing and low-energy.

Today, I woke up to rain which was very refreshing. It’s the first time I’ve seen the rain since I came to Japan. I absolutely love rain so I’m in a really good mood! It feels much better too... I don’t even have the aircon on today. I felt like making breakfast, so I decided to tackle my first real cooking encounter since coming here (I’ve been eating out A LOT).

First, I cooked an egg on my gas stove. It was the first time I’ve ever had/used a gas stove! I got to use the heart-shaped cut-out that I bought to fry eggs in. It came out pretty well! I also wanted toast with my egg. The bread in Japan is different, though... It’s really thick. Each slice is about as thick as 2 slices of American loaf bread. So, I cut one piece in half to make 2 slimmer slices. I don’t have a bread toaster so I cooked the bread in my little toaster oven. I put butter on the toast. Even the butter is different in Japan! It’s in one big block as opposed to the sticks that I’m accustomed to. For one of the slices of toast, I added some caramel cinnamon sugar toast powder that I picked up at my grocery store. It was yummy !! I got a bunch of different flavors of this toast powder--chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, apple, etc. At first, I didn’t realize that it was meant for toast and I planned on adding it to my tea. I think I might still try that! I also had iced coffee for breakfast. I got to use the new glass that I bought from Daiso that has little pink flowers on it. For the coffee, I actually have some in my refrigerator in a bottle that is meant to be served cold. I added individually packaged cups of cream and liquid sugar. It seems so different from how it’s usually made in America, but maybe it’s just because I’ve never seen that stuff there. To the coffee, I added some tiny heart-shaped ice cubes that I made. I thought they would be a nice touch for when guests come over but I couldn’t help using some myself. The breakfast was pretty tasty and I even ate it with a fork that has a heart cut-out on the handle! My predecessor left a set of these cute utensils which I’m excited about.

♡ my first time making breakfast in Japan ♡

Day 10

I arrived in Japan on Sunday, August 4, 2013. The first thing I remember seeing as our plane prepared to land at Narita Airport was the landscape of Japan from thousands of feet in the air. I was lucky enough to have been seated next to the same girl who I was coincidentally seated next to at my interview for the JET Program, back in late February. She and I giggled about how Japanese the houses looked, the mountains... We were in Japan. The acknowledgment of how surreal it all felt was a recurring topic between us for the entire 12 hour flight. We thought everything would finally “hit us” once we landed but even then, we just couldn’t believe it.

Pre-Departure Musings

I just got back from the dentist. Today, I finished the process of getting my first crown! This year has been so busy for my dental work. Earlier this year, a cavity turned into an severely abscessed (and PAINFUL) tooth which led to my first root canal which led to my first crown. I also got all 4 of my wisdom teeth extracted this year ⁀(⊙﹏☉)⁀ But it all ended today and I'm finally caught up so yay. I'm also caught up with immunizations since I got my tetanus shot (which I have a still have a knot on my arm from, ouch). I've also obtained my International Driving Permit from AAA, just in case I decide to drive in Japan. I've printed out the forms to prepare a will and grant Power of Attorney to my dad but my IRS form 6166 hasn't come yet which is bugging me. I reeeally hope it gets here before I leave! Only 9 more days... It's so crazy how everything is coming together.

The Home Stretch

My head is swimming in a sea of anxiety... But my heart still floats! It's getting so close to departure that each passing day feels major. 18 days until I leave America, as of right now. I'm officially in the teens. Slowly but surely, I'm chipping away at my to-do list. Even so, it feels like every time I cross something off, I think of about 3 more things I need to do (一。一;;）As it stands, I should complete the following list within the next 2 weeks and 4 days.

*last updated: July 27*

• Get a haircut
• RSVP to Nashville Pre-Departure Orientation
• Finish dental work
• Update my tetanus shot
• Start a YouTube account
• Shop for new business clothes
• Stock up on essential toiletries
• Dye my roots
• Pack and send winter clothes to Japan
• Pack and send picture books to Japan
• Ride horses on my granddad's farm
• Have dinner with a former JET & friend of my mom
• Finish preparing my 15-minute introduction
• Print recent pictures of my house and family
• Collect more Memphis memorabilia
• Grant power of attorney to my dad
• Get international driver's license from AAA
• Set up payment for student loans
• Receive IRS form 6166
• Ask my bank about international card use
• Ask my cell carrier about tethering on my iPhone
• Set up lowest form of car insurance
• Import pictures from my phone onto my laptop
• Prepare a will
• Withdraw savings
• Measure dimensions of my suitcases
• Pack everything!

Overview of Ehime

For no particular reason, I just really wanted to do a post about the prefecture I'll be living in, Ehime-ken! (Probably because the closer I get to departure, the more obsessive I become -.-') So yea I mentioned this in a previous post but I'll reiterate: Japan's prefectures are roughly equivalent to what states are in America. Like I'm from Memphis, Tennessee, USA but I will live in Yawatahama, Ehime, Japan. I also previously noted that Ehime's kanji (愛媛) directly translates to "love princess," (traditional translation is "beloved/beautiful maiden") which is just about the cutest thing I've ever heard. To get a sense of exactly where in Ehime I will live, check my placement post! Now then, let's discover more about...

Ehime's flag

Ehime (pronounced eh・he・meh) truly is a hidden treasure – a place where natural beauty and industry meet ヽ(愛´∀｀媛)ノ!

Intro to My Apartment

One thing I've been particularly anxious about is seeing my apartment for the first time once I get there. It will be where I sleep, eat, recollect and well... Live, after all! So far, I haven't seen any pictures of the inside but I do know my exact address which has allowed me to get a few pictures of *what I believe to be* the outside of it via google earth (PS you can click the pictures to enlarge)ヽ(〃v〃)ﾉ~

front view

left side street view

right side street view

 Look at those big green mountains ♡ ‿ ♡ Haha! But, luckily, I do have more information than just that.

Sailor Moon Musical

YES OMG FHBCKAHBFCB, YOU GUYS. It's sooo cool that this is happening..  After almost a decade, this is like a revival !! This musical will only be shown in Japan though, which is sad for all of my fellow Americans. Luckily for me, it's from September 13-23 in Tokyo which is about a 2-3 hour trip from Yawatahama. I'd have to take an hour-long train ride to Matsuyama and then an hour-long plane ride to Tokyo but ahh! I feel like it may be worth that, plus the $68 admission fee. I just wish I could understand what they're saying ; ~ ;

My Mascots

Japan's cuteness has overwhelmed me yet again.

You know how sports teams have mascots and then that mascot subsequently becomes the symbol for the whole town? Like, we're the Memphis Tigers. We also have the Redbirds and the Grizzlies but the mascot for U of M is the tiger. Anyway, it's generally just represented by an animal or some type of person (titans, saints, pirates, knights, etc), right? Well in Japan, they design detailed characters for prefectures, regions, towns and it doesn't stop there. Mascots also exist for certain castles, police stations, ski resorts, mountains, nature parks, shopping streets, foods, bullet trains, festivals and sooo much more. Like: you know that big brown square guy with the wide-open mouth and sharp teeth, Domo? He's actually the mascot for Japan's NHK television station. Many businesses in Japan understand the positive impact that a mascot can make on their customers, so it's an extremely common thing. Not to mention they're SO CUTE! We do have corporate mascots in the US like the Geico gecko, Ronald McDonald and the Trix rabbit but Japan takes it to a whole new level. These unique, one-of-a-kind and sometimes downright weird characters not only exist in 2D illustrations, they also all have very well-made 3D mascot costumes. Here are just a few examples:

Dreams of Japan

I plan to do sooo much while I'm in Japan, just as anyone would! I'll be there to connect with my coworkers, students, and community but I also definitely want to take time to travel. This is an initial checklist of things I want to do and see. By the way, these are in no particular order!

Take a ferry to Beppu and experience its famous onsen (hot springs)

More about Honai Town

I got this really great e-mail from the Ehime AJET group that gave me tons of information about.. well, EVERYTHING I might need to know! I also got the second e-mail from my predecessor which is hdbehsvefkgvf just SO exciting and, AND I received my Notice of Appointment and Terms and Conditions from my CO (Contracting Organization) in the mail! It's sooo cool to hold a package with a real YAWATAHAMA stamp on it ♡＾▽＾♡

My Placement

Okay! I'm going to break down where I'll be living in Japan. For reference, the country of Japan is only about the size of the US state of California. Crazy huh?! Let's start out with a cute pink map of Japan that shows its 4 main islands:

The JET Program

Back in November of 2012, I made a comment on my blog that I wish I could teach English in Japan. A follower of mine asked, "Have you heard of the JET Program?" A few clicks later and Google had shown me everything I needed to know. I guess you could say the rest is history!