Role Reversal

Laundry, cooking, scrubbing, dusting, sweeping.....

These are small things that keep our households running and our worlds turning. These domestic tasks are things that we all have to do once or twice during a day or week and maybe a few thousand times during our lifetime. As many of you already know, my journey in Japan is a free one. One that isn't burdened by keeping a job, although one of these days I might want to get one. I have taken on the role of a housewife, otherwise known as Kyoto Kanai as my husband and I like to call it. Before our journey to Japan, Joel had just graduated college and I was working full time in the cosmetics industry at Macy's so my schedule was always different. Joel had taken on the responsibility of cooking and cleaning. I would often times leave him a list of things to do in fear that he would get preoccupied watching "The Daily Show" or playing Angry Birds. Things have definitely changed in the Crabtree household. I am now the provider of nutritious meals, a tidy home, clean clothes, and our household budget. 

I have never viewed myself as very 'domestic'. Cooking wasn't something that I did very often, in fact I think people around me wondered if I even knew how to cook.  In fact before our last family vacation with Joel's family, we joked that their other daughter-in-law who is very talented in the kitchen could cook and I would clean.  Much to my mother's relief I'm sure, I have been coming up with wonderfully nutritious meals. My mom, a very hardworking woman who seems to always keep the world spinning in the right direction, always set a good example for my sister and I. Something that I will always remember about my childhood was having a hot meal on the table virtually every night. Often times we take for granted that comfort. Through my few weeks as being a housewife, I have learned that these things are vital pieces of the puzzle that make a strong independent women, which is exactly how I want to view myself. Providing good meals and a clean relaxing environment for my husband is so wonderful, and it's something I've embraced to the fullest. Being able to step into this role has taught me exactly what I want to provide for our future family and children.

My journey to becoming domestic has been a rewarding one, but also a comical one. For example, I cannot speak any Japanese. Sometimes Joel will try to teach me something and it always goes in one ear and out the other no matter how many times I repeat and memorize. So naturally when I go to the grocery store, it's probably interesting for the other shoppers as well as the associates to see me carefully inspecting everything, looking for items with pictures on them, and trying to decipher what things are. The first week of being in Japan, I was pretty perplexed by our washing machine. It is completely different from American washing machines. Here's a picture that's similar to ours. 

Cooking with only two gas burners and no oven has been interesting as well. On days that I don't cook, such as Saturday or Sunday, Joel and I have to figure out what we're going to eat and where we're going to go. There's no Red Lobster or Arby's to drive down the road to here, it's constant speculation about what a restaurant has to offer, whether it's good, and whether we've made the right food choice! We received a flyer from Domino's in our mail box about a week ago with special deals. Craving a piece of home, we decided to give that a try on Sunday. We found ourselves laughing hysterically and studying the menu intensely not knowing what half of it was because descriptions were often hard to read. We wound up with a delicious meal, but getting there was not so easy. 

Stay tuned for more adventures and stories. Thanks for reading!

The Start of Something New

Hello again readers. My eyes have seen so many magnificent sights, my head filled with positive thoughts, and my feet have covered some truly historic ground since my last post. I want to share with you what I experienced with Joel in my first 2 days as a Kyoto resident. First off, I would like to say that nothing has been more settling and relieving to me than the more simplistic lifestyle that Joel and I have implemented. Of course I enjoy life's great conveniences such as air conditioning (a must during Kyoto summers), the great accommodations that the Japanese public transportation system provides, and technology. However, not having a t.v.,  phone, or many material possessions in Japan thus far has been a blessing. The idea that sometimes your material possessions weigh you down has become more relevant than ever to me. My mind feels more free of clutter. It could be the jet lag or heat exhaustion that I'm still experiencing, however I choose to believe that the Japanese way of life and a more simplistic lifestyle has brought a more euphoric peace of mind.

My first night in Kyoto was a hard one. Literally, hard. I am so accustomed to a cushioned soft mattress that sleeping on a traditional Japanese futon posed problems for me. However, we remedied this by purchasing another mattress pad, and now my back feels great! I was also in complete shock over the apartment and the fact that when I walked into it I had to accept it as home for the year. The realization that I was here to stay sunk in. This feeling lasted only about 5 minutes until I realized I was being a little melodramatic. I said to Joel, "Japan isn't supposed to look like the states!" I am very thankful for our Japanese style apartment and actually love it! Day 1 of Kyoto, Japan was truly something special. This was my first adventure on the Kyoto city buses. I must say that it can become crowded very quickly, but you don't mind as much since everybody is respectful of your space and is mindful of their manners. I also loved the Kyoto train system, the cars and seats are wonderful. There is nothing sketchy about the underground train system here in Japan, nothing but a clean environment and respectful people making their way to their destination.

Joel navigated us to a traditional Japanese ramen restaurant where we enjoying a delicious meal. No packaged 5 for $1 ramen here, only fresh noodles and ingredients with fantastic flavors. We then visited a fantastic store/mall called Takashimaya. It had several very high end offering and a vast amount of merchandise to chose from. We also had a list of things that we needed for our apartment such as bowls, towels, and the mattress pad I mentioned earlier so we charted our way to a store that's similar to an IKEA. We purchased several things and had them delivered to the apartment that evening for a small fee. The delivery was wonderful because I was at this time battling some heat exhaustion and could not have carted those items through the train system. The heat was such a shock to my system and something I don't know that I'll ever get used to.

Ramen!

Joel and I on our ramen adventure

You know how children are notorious for poking and proding their parents in the wee hours of the morning whispering "are you sleeping?" When they finally do wake up and ask "What?" the kids just look at them with big angelic eyes. Well that was what was occurring in the Crabtree household my second morning in Japan! Restless and tortured by jet lag I awoke at 3 am and finally woke Joel up at 5 am which I know he was thrilled about! The second day we organized our closets, put away our purchases from the day before, and put our new apartment together. This was actually a fun task and provided some nice quality time for Joel and I. We then ventured down several blocks to a conveyer belt sushi restaurant Joel was informed about. This was something I have always wanted to do, and it did not disappoint! It was tempting to pick up every plate off of the conveyer belt, however this was a meal that filled you up for little cost. We spent $20 and got some great tuna, salmon, and salmon roe sashimi among other things. It was a dollar a plate and the plate had two pieces on it. We calculated that back home these same offerings usually run about $5 for 2 pieces so we saved tons of money! 

Hurry and grab your selection before it moves down the line!

After our wonderful meal, Joel and I took a different route home and discovered a quaint little street where we saw many traditional looking homes and some lovely flowers. The street wasn't wide enough for cars, only for about three or four people to walk down, so it was calm and quiet. A lovely ending to a divine day! 

More adventures to come soon!

Crossing Over

I awoke at 1:30 am Indiana time on August 9th, 2013 to start preparing for my long journey to Japan. My day was filled with 3 different flights, teary goodbyes with my sister, mother, and grandmother as well as struggling with two large suitcases and a carry on suitcase. One of my suitcases weighed 82 lbs, which I can attribute to being extremely over prepared with toiletries. I'm not sure if I thought I wouldn't be able to get my beloved Estee Lauder serum or favorite Redkin shampoo here in Japan, but I knew I had gone overboard when the Delta associate checking my bag gasped at the weigh meter and told me "This is going to cost you an arm and a leg!" She then proceeded to almost fall over when lifting it from the scale to the conveyer belt. 

 After my goodbyes to my mom, who is one of my closest friends, and my grandmother who is near and dear to my heart I was able to pick myself up and move onto a different phase in my life. Walking away seemed very monumental and symbolic to me since I have never been away from home. I told my mom "I'm on my own now" while crying joyful and sad tears. It all seems very cliche, but it is one of those moments in life that you never forget. Several tissues later, I passed through security with flying colors and managed to get a cafe mocha from Starbucks while heading to my gate. Despite exhaustion and battling the effects of severe insomnia from the night before, I couldn't even drink my coffee due to anticipation and excitement. After the initial stress from the separation wore off, I was excited for my journey and relieved that I would be reunited with my husband shortly.

I had layovers in Minneapolis and Seattle which were a breeze. I was a bit anxious about going through customs in Japan by myself, however I felt a new sense of empowerment while traveling by myself! The independence was fantastic and made me realize I can do this! Before boarding my flight to Seattle, I was forced to check my carry on luggage because the overhead bins were incredibly small. Although I clarified with the associate about five times that my bag would make it to my final destination, I had a gut instinct that my bag wouldn't make the trek with me to Japan. I was later proven right when collecting my luggage in Osaka. I was blessed with two enjoyable flights which brought me to Seattle. Upon arrival in the Emerald City, I charted my way to my international gate where I was met with many Japanese citizens making their way back home. This sight absolutely filled my heart with joy and brought a big smile to my face because everyone that I encountered was incredibly kind and sensible which is a rarity to find while facing a long flight. 

When I was boarding my flight, I was thoroughly surprised that I could pick up some of the dialect being spoken. Of course there were only a few words I knew, but I was proud of myself for picking it up based on hearing Joel talk. The flight was rather enjoyable for the first 5 hours. I watched Wizard of Oz, The Croods, listened to The Beatles, and listened to "Your Song" by Elton John about a million times because it makes me think of Joel. I was reflecting back on all the times Joel whisked me around the kitchen dancing with me. One of my favorite things to do with Joel is dance, so while he was in Japan I expressed to him how much I missed that. Being the romantic that he is, he picked me up over Facetime, put on a slow tune, and danced with me via the internet. How lovely. 

The first 5 hours of my flight were great, followed up by the last 5 which were completely miserable. I became incredibly stiff from about 10 hours total of crummy plane seats I had endured already. I watched minute by minute and mile by mile pass by on my small personal t.v. screen. Realizing that this was going to put me over the brink of insanity I decided to pull out my Travel and Leisure magazine I had bought in Minneapolis. Turning through the pages, I found the source that would revive my enthusiasm. Kyoto was voted #2 city in all of Asia and #5 in the whole world by Travel and Leisure and their readers. How awesome! I am going to be living in one of the best cities in the world!

I soon landed in Osaka, Japan where I would then navigate my way through the airport and into customs. There I collected my residence card, which basically acts as my identification and passport while in Japan. I then found my way to baggage claim where I was greeted with a sign on the conveyer belt that read "Natalie Jean Crabtree see a flight specialist." I then knew for sure that my carry on had been left in the states. I was however happy that my worst nightmare of my 82 lb bag ripping at the seams and spewing cosmetics and skincare all over the airport runway wasn't realized! I was thoroughly impressed with the wonderful customer service I received from a sweet Japanese woman who helped me with my luggage issue. She even took me through customs which was a relief. 

She walked me through a set of automatic double doors where I glanced around until I met eyes with my husband. We were reunited once again. Despite fatigue from my 28 hour travel day, the possibilities for the year ran through my head and love filled my heart as we made our way to our apartment and our new lives. Home is where Joel is.

Fear of the Unknown

One of the main problems that I have encountered time and time again during the JET process is my tendency to want to plan and control the process. I have always had the predisposition that I need to lead the way and somewhat control what is going on out of fear that someone else might lead me astray. As I have mentioned before in previous posts, the process of being accepted and hired as a JET is a lengthy process, and one that you absolutely cannot control aside from your application and interview. It takes patience and faith, something that is hard to process for a worrier and planner. However, somewhere along this journey I have gained the knowledge to harness the power of positive thought, how to relinquish power and have faith in the process and in myself, and to stop believing I can plan everything and take things one day at a time. All of these things are new concepts to me and will take strength to implement in my future, however all of them can be life-changing to myself and to others if you just let them. 

Something that I never got used to while telling people that I would be soon moving to Japan was their response. I would receive many "Aren't you scared?" comments or "I could never do that, you are so brave!" It didn't matter if I was at work talking with customers, in meetings, talking to family members, or even friends, someone would usually hit me with one of those responses. The first few times maybe I would respond with "Well, should I be scared?" But then I realized why they were saying this to me, they were fearful of the unknown. I often wonder how many beautiful opportunities are brought into people's lives and they turn them down out of fear. It's okay to proceed with caution. However, when the universe is trying to propel you into the next phrase of your life don't let fear of the unknown rob you of the tremendous gift of adventure. Let faith take over and let yourself go, something that I am thankful I did. 

Lovely picture of Mt. Fuji, possibly one of the biggest adventures to be had in Japan