Well, I’ve been in Japan for… five weeks now. And now I’m beginning to settle in. Not going to get too into it, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hit by the homesick thing. You battle through it though, you know? Trying to find that happy medium between my bed back home and the crappy bed I have here (Ikea over plushed sofabed, you’re mine in, like, 2 weeks, and it’ll be AWESOME), trying to decide if I like Tsukuihama enough to stay here, or if I want to switch over to a place closer to work. Everything has its pros and cons, you know. My number one goal right now is to start sleeping better. I was cheap when buying my bed, and am suffering the consequences now. LUCKILY, it’s REALLY hot now, so I’ve switched to the summer blankets, and been able to use the regular blanket as padding under my mattress. I’ve also made the decision to run the AC at all times when I’m in. Will it cost me? Oh yes. Will I sleep better? Probably. So is it worth it? Very.
Here in Japan, we get paid on the last day of the month, for the month previous. This means that, while I’ve finished a month of work already, I won’t see the fruits of my labour until July 30th. So, I’ve been doing my best to try be as cheap as I could be. Though, it’s sometimes difficult, since there are bills that now need to be paid, and friends to visit. I think I’m a little better off than most, since I’m not letting it stop me from enjoying myself, but I think a lot of that comes from the fact that I learnt through university that putting money first and me second is really the stupidest thing you could possibly do. So, while I am being careful, I’m making sure that I’m well, both mentally and physically. I’m making sure I see friends when I can, going to do things, even when it involves forcing myself at times.Today, I went to the beach, despite the fact I was scared of the heat. It was worth it, the ocean has put me in a nice, relaxed mood all the rest of the day.
I have nine days of classes left until the vacation starts (of course I’m not counting) and I’m both settling into the routine and beginning to find it a bit routine. I teach, at the very very most, four classes a day. Which is absolutely exhausting. I normally get two or three a day, which means that almost half of my time is considered “material development” time. Which means I have a lot of spare time. So far, I’ve been doing a lot of reading the same few stories over and over. I’ve tried writing, but my brain has turned into uninspired plot mush. So I’ve decided I should buckle down and try learn the language here more. I don’t quite know where to start, but I’ll do my best!