Life in Japan for an American can be filled with many emotions. Exhilaration, appreciation, humility, independence, loneliness, alienation, fear, love, and adventurous are all emotions that I have felt during my time here in Japan. This new way of life has exhilarated me and has given me a chance to view life in a different way, which is a common theme that I am encountering when talking to people visiting Japan or that have lived in Japan in the past. Everything about Japan is stimulation for the soul, from the culture to the nature, from the thriving metropolis to the serene lakes and mountains.
I am always greeted with challenges and adventures throughout my day and gain confidence in my ability to face these challenges by myself through perseverance and getting out and wondering the city while Joel is at work. Much to my surprise and amusement, last week I was able to order food and water by myself, ask for an English menu, successfully make purchases completely independent from Joel at big malls in downtown Kyoto, and get around town without looking at my bus map once! It's such an amazing feeling to finally get the hang of this and to successfully navigate my way around!
There are some things that I encounter in my day to day life as an American foreigner that always brings a smile to my face and makes me laugh time and time again. Although the attempt to use English to make our lives a little easier is much appreciated, I can't help but laugh at the strange translations of Japanese to English that you find all around Japan! It can often times be quite comical, and sometimes very confusing. Usually you will see strange sayings on people's shirts, bags, or purses that are in English and don't make any sense at all. It's hilarious because you know that the person wearing that shirt has no idea what it says!
When I first arrived in Japan, I often felt a little alienated by people staring at me on the bus or walking down the street. Although I knew it was probably because I am a blonde haired, green eyed, fair skinned American, I felt like an alien! Now I am somewhat used to it and just smile right back and try to imagine what they could be thinking. It's always interesting to see other foreigners in Japan trying to translate and navigate their way just like we often times do. Usually us foreigners just swap glances and probably think "I wonder what they are doing in Japan?" or "Hey they look different too!"
Another fun thing that Joel and I have grown accustomed to is being able to have a 'private' conservation in public. No one understands what we are saying, and it's wonderful since I am quite the private person. I always joke with Joel that one day he'll say something crazy and there will be someone around that can understand English. Most likely though, they wouldn't understand exactly what we were saying. I often wonder how I'll feel when I come back to the states and people can listen to my conservations.
If you have any funny experiences being a foreigner or would like to share interesting things that have happened to you, share them in a comment! Until next time!
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