udonandsushi-blog

[udonandsushi-blog]

My first 24 hours

Those who know me, know that for the past year I have been teaching Japanese students, also that my lessons, have been mainly about me getting to know about Japan,  the customs, the culture, the best places to go, the best things to eat, the history of Japan, and very little about the students learning English. Of course, alongside the dept of knowledge and firsthand experience shared by my students I did lots of my own ‘research’. Most of my nights (pre-departure) were spent either drunk, laboriously learning how to say sorry to my boss after falling asleep in a park during work hours ‘Sumimasen deshita’  or reading about Japanese recluses ‘hikikomori’. Things which would be of great use to me through my adventure. I started to study the Japanese language, as despite me putting in lots of effort to develop the use of the Yorkshire dialect and English language to the population of Nippon, a large majority of the Japanese population do not speak any English (apart from the under 30′s who are a dying breed). For a few weeks I studied how to count to 100, how to appropriately ask somebody if they want to go to a party and how to ask where the bathroom is. Three things; all of which would be completely useless to me :D (Yens are in 100′s and 1000′s, party- what party, Nagoya’s clubbing scene is comparable to that of my village in Serbia’s, toilets are everywhere, and marked very well).

So, I came here feeling like I knew everything. I have visited more places on Google maps in Japan than anybody could visit in person in a whole year. I really felt that I had been introduced to so much of Japan, and had fallen in love with the country, that arriving here was quite overwhelming, and yes, of course I cried when I arrive. 

My first 24 hours involved far too much travel, I only saw stations trains and the airport, so I can’t really say too much. I was planning on having a lovely meal when I arrived, something Japanese, like I don’t know, sushi or udon, which didn’t happen (see picture below) In all reality most of my first 24h was spent trying to figure out how to turn the damn toilet seat heater off, but so far so good. It is truly anther world.

[udonandsushi-blog]

BG-AUH-NRT

So, I arrived :) 

The flight to Abu Dhabi was awful, of course I drank too much the night before and got no sleep (which has become a bit of a pre-flight ritual). This meant spending the whole flight mantra-ing ‘hmmmmm do not throw up Ivana over the lady sat next to you hmmmmmm’. She was already suffering my gin tonic/ beer breath, which no amount of chewing gum was covering up. (Good job I made myself get in the shower that morning). 

When they brought the food, chicken fried in onions with questionable rice, I am sure that the lady next to me had followed suit with the mantra. :) 

The best part of the first leg was when we reached Abu Dhabi, looking out at the city it looked like somebody had gone crazy in the desert with Simcity. A conglomerate of  high-risers, gated communities, lights and, well, SAND, lots of SAND. 

I only spent 90 minute there, enough time to run and buy a $10 toasted sandwich, and hook up to the wifi for a quick catch up. 

The flight to Tokyo, Narita airport was a different story. I boarded the huge plane and prayed for a hot guy to be sat next to me (as I always do), of course that was not the case, however as they announced that boarding was complete I realised I was alone, three whole seats all to myself, ahhh sleep time. Somehow, I had also managed to accumulate 6 pillows, I am not sure how, as there was only one per seat, I think the steward Nikolas took pity on me and brought me all the spares. After I ate some more questionable 'chicken', popped a sleeping pill and slept for a good 6 hours (which I needed).

I woke up somewhere over Korea, a little baffled. We were around two hours away from Tokyo and the sun had still not risen. All I could see was a dim red sky outside. It was strange, as it was around 12pm Korean time. After accepting that it was still night (I had seen the sunset twice in the space of 24 hours, I was confused), I noticed that there was a small button by the window. I messed with it (something this trip will see me doing a lot of, I assume), and low and behold the sun started blazing through. I grabbed my sunglasses and enjoyed the view of what was left of Korea.

[udonandsushi-blog]

Goodbye Europe

Since I remember I have always been very independent, this independence has driven me at times and probably made me into the person I am now. 

For the first time in my life I am pushing myself to do something I have never done, go somewhere I have never been. And now I ask myself why did I not just book a two week holiday to Cyprus, lazed about on a beach and eaten some authentic Cypriot food, surely I would have realised after the first few days that being alone in a new country is not the easiest thing, and I would have 'got it out of my system' or so to say! Nope, I have always got to go to the extreme. So, In a few weeks time I am setting off to a country whose language I can barely say 'Konichiwa' in, and I will probably be too embarrased and shy to let those 4 syllables pass my lips. Oh well! 

So, I have never ventured farther east than Berlin and farther south than that 50 min stop over I had at Istanbul Atatürk Airport. The shores of the Island of the rising sun should be a walk in Shinjuku Gyoen National Park! (see, I have done my research). 

In all truths, I am nervous. More nervous than at any point in my life, and I have done some pretty difficult things, moving to Serbia for one. I moved to the country everybody is fleeing from....good work Ivana! But I do feel as if I have made progress here, and if I hadn't have come here I would certainly not be shitting a brick about going to Japan now, would I! I would probably be working a 9-5 office job, I would own a car, perhaps a house, perhaps I would even have a fella, a kid. And living my conveyor belt life! I am definitely not living that lifestyle, and even though I sometimes yearn to have a 'normal' life, most of the time I am happy. I have been able to live without pressure, and materialism (to some extent). I have had the chance to discover what is really important, and what counts. I have been able to grow as a person, become stronger, learn how to live independently and alone. 

However, this has now become the norm for me. I am not a person who likes to live the same day in day out, I require a challenge and change. This is the reason I chose to go to Japan, alongside developing my career, it will give me the chance to test myself even more, which in turn will perpetuate my personal growth (which has come to a bit of a standstill). 

I am sat here writing this from my cozy flat in Karaburma (Belgrade), fully aware that in a few weeks time I will wake up and be in some crammed little apartment,  far away from my little save haven, waking up to the realisation that an earthquake could hit any time (Japan is preparing for the 'big one'). Discovering a new country, a new continent and more importantly myself!!! 

Between the fear that something would happen and the hope that still it wouldn’t, there is much more space than one thinks. On that narrow, hard, bare and dark space a lot of us spend their lives. - Andric