River Walk

I wish there were public trashcans. But I get why there aren't.

Compared to last year, I care less about what people think about me here. Last year I was like...oh god, they're staring at me and noticing my gaijin-ness...they're probably wondering what I'm doing here and why I'm in their country, taking pictures of "normal" things like they're special, and not knowing the social codes and not speaking fluent Japanese. I've seen it in reverse in the states. People getting treated with suspicion and contempt because they aren't "American." It's inhuman. The difference is, here in Japan they are still friendly, kind, and helpful on the outside, and keep their opinions to themselves. This year I feel like saying, accept it people, I'm a member of this community now and that's that. You can think what you want but that isn't going to change the fact that I'm here now, teaching English to YOUR kids. Oh, and thank you for letting me experience your beautiful country.

I've got to say though, doing "normal" things takes up so much more mental energy here. Everything is new. Today I drove to school (just for practice), I drove to Daiso/Torisen, Besia, and the other Daiso/Torisen, and then went home, and it felt like a full day's work. Just driving and doing errands. Because it's so new and a little intimidating to me.

There is more of a stigma attached to being a foreigner in this town compared to Nagasaki because at least Nagasaki attracted tourists and private English teachers. (Although I can count on less than one hand the number of times I ever saw another white person there, it's still a big city.) Shibukawa, as far as I can gather so far, is a collection of neighborhoods, some "suburban," some not so suburban. I live in a valley with no garden patches or rice fields or unpaved roads, but I will work up a hill in an area that does. Because my work neighborhood and my living neighborhood are different, I don't know if I'll ever experience the common ALT phenomenon known as "running into your students at the store" or "having your neighbors bring you produce." Both ALTs who live in my complex told me that they've never spoken to their neighbors. WELL I DID, TODAY. This middle-aged overweight Japanese man, I saw him coming up the stairs, and I said, "konnichiwa." But that doesn't mean he'll bring me vegetables.

I would enjoy the familial closeness of being placed in a smaller community, but I would be more isolated and experience much more inconvenience than here. On my walk tonight I walked to the train station and bought my tickets for tomorrow, easily, in about 20 minutes. Then I walked along the river and looked at the bridge and marshy banks. Shibukawa is not as beautiful as Nagasaki but it is still a nice place.