Hooray! I found some lost pictures that I took my first week in Japan. This also includes some video I took. I may post links to these videos, but in the meantime you should check out this trailer I made for my life. That's right, a preview of my life. 

We use the term "Japanified" pretty regularly around here to describe things that have become smaller. 

For example: 

"Look at that couch! It got Japanified!"

Woah, this Starbucks cup is definitely Japanified."

My microwave was Japanified, but in a different way: it got better! It is a microwave AND an oven AND a steamer AND a broiler/toaster oven. Of course some things were sacrificed for this convenience. I do not have a full-size oven or broiler or toaster oven. Try sticking your Thanksgiving turkey in this thing!

I successfully completed one full week living in Funehiki. Whew!

Proficient in buying groceries, asking for directions, and ordering ramen, I can get around town when I need to. 

Before I arrived in Funehiki one of the finishing teachers put her bike up for sale. I grabbed it for $50. I quickly found that the tires needed to be pumped up so I borrowed a pump and learned a lesson about Japanese bike tires. Unfortunately, before I could ride it my tires went flat again :( So, I think today I'm going to a new store "Daiyou 8" to pick up a pair. Yesterday was my first day in Koriyama, the small city about 20 miles to the west. Interestingly, even though it is further from the reactor plant and further from the epicenter of the earthquake, Koriyama's buildings sustained more damage and detect more radiation in the air compared to Funehiki. This is due to the density of bedrock and wind direction...sadly ill-favoring Koriyama's residents. 

Well, I'm very sorry but I was having too much fun on the airplane to write a blog about it. This means that you will not have the pleasure of reading a minute-by-minute account of my 20+hour immigration journey from Ohio to Japan. Try not to cry.

What I CAN tell you is that it was a very late night. We were picked up from the airport after a fluid walk through customs and promptly met Enchou Sensei (our employer), Kawaii Sensei (the elementary school principal), some other key people , and the rest of the team who had flown in from other parts of the country. It was dark and the windows quickly fogged up because of the rainy weather. There did not seem to be a metropolis or anything noteworthy in terms of landmarks, only the obvious presence of Japanese style architecture, language on signs, and seemingly reckless driving. (Turns out they're actually SUPPOSED to drive on the opposite side of the road…who'd have thought…). We stopped off at a favorite eatery for dinner and I had my first experience of Japanese vending machines. There's no kicking, pounding, or yelling at dysfunctional innate objects. Everything is well-lit and works perfectly. Even in another language there are enough pictures that one can easily figure out what to do. The selection is beyond one's imagination. I chose a grape/aloe drink that came recommended by a team member. I haven't tried it yet. 

We rolled in late at night and I took just enough out of my suitcases to fall asleep on my bed…zzzzz….

In the morning I started to try and organize my room. In a modest single apartment on the second and topmost floor, my genkan (entryway) is shared by the kitchen area. It sports a mini fridge and freezer, microwave/oven (not a microwave oven…this is actually a two-in-one deal), two burners, sink, small table and chair, and hutch full of dishes and spices. Due to the sudden departure of the previous tenant, there were many things left in the closet and elsewhere that first had to be removed. The good news is I inherited some things like a printer, closet shoe rack, incense burner, and massage chair! 

The entire team of 8 took a walk to the bank to exchange our money to yen, weaving through garden alleys and across the quaint orange bridge spanning the town’s river. I’m looking forward to next spring when the sakura tree-lined banks burst into blooms of pink and white. 

The rest of the day was riddled with cleaning, picture appointments for foreigner cards, and team meating with Enchou Sensei. We discussed our teaching assignments and received curriculum, learning that we start to teach on Monday! Waaa!!!!!

The biggest surprise came next:

Enchou: Ah. Tomorrow, please be ready to take bus and meet the mayor at 8:40am. You can wear nice clothes like suit. You have many suit? After, we will meet Board of Education. You can wear maybe more casual clothes. (There is no time to change in between these appointments…) We will return maybe at noon. At 2:30 please meet here to go to onsen. We will go there, take onsen, then have dinner. Maybe after dinner have onsen again and stay the night. In the morning, please have onsen and then breakfast. That day is Friday. Friday we will have bus tour, then back to onsen and have dinner. We will stay another night, then have onsen in the morning and come back to Funehiki. We stay at onsen hotel for 2 nights.  


It was aMAZing!!!

Who thought taking a bath could be so much fun?! It turned out to be a short van ride away, and we paired off into rooms. First order of business was the inaugural onsen. Before any of you start freaking out, the ladies are separate from the men.
Us ladies slipped on our complementary yukatas (cotton kimono), wrapped an obi around the waist, and donned hotel slippers. Up 6 floors to the top we rode the elevator and passed many hotel workers who happily uttered "irashaimase!" Every time we made eye contact. Making a few turns we entered into the genkan area where one always removes shoes. Putting them in a cubby, we found numbered baskets to hold our yukatas and personal items. Ready, set, strip!

The hard part is over. I went to a Japan-sized washing station and sat on the stool, turned on the little shower nozzle and scrubbed myself down. This included a thorough hair lather. Together we each folded our small towels, placed them neatly on top of our heads and walked into the bathing area where we had several pools to choose from. Each was lined with a different kind of smooth stone or wood supposedly to be good for one's body and overall health. I choose the pool closest to the wall, which was actually one gigantic window overlooking the lush green valley. There were submerged reclined benches, smooth and aged, that invited bathers to relax in the overlook. It was very hot. The general ritual was submerge (NOT your head) and soak, then sit on the side to cool off a bit. When you think you're ready to stand the heat again, sink back down into a water wonderland. Repeat as desired. Chat as much as you wish. Rotate pools at your leisure. After bathing I walked back to the showers and washed again, conditioned my hair, and went to the mirrors for some lotion sampling and to dry and style my hair. We wrapped ourselves in our yukatas and headed back down to our rooms to change into nice clothes for dinner. Squeaky clean, the men and women arrived in the dining room for a Japanese buffet. 
YUM.
After dinner: Onsen again! 
We spent the night and did onsen in the morning before breakfast. After breakfast we did onsen again before leaving on a tour of the 5 lakes. Back at the hotel we had time for a run and onsen before dinner. After dinner...yep, onsen again! This time the women and men switched places and moved upstairs to "the view" room. The women went to the first floor onsen where the men had been bathing and we enjoyed onsen in an OUTSIDE fashion! It was walled and covered over the pool area to deter any onlookers, but inside these fences was a beautiful garden with pools of different sizes, temperatures, and stones/wood. It was beautiful. As my roomie and I walked back to our room for the night we heard some karaoke happening and followed the sound to a bar. Not wanting to really join the ruckus but craving some karaoke action, Janelle and I combined our language resources and yen and asked the desk clerk for a private karaoke room. We got an hour by ourselves for $5 apiece :) So fun. 

After singing ourselves to sleep I awoke the next morning to go running with two friends and then, you guessed it, onsen before breakfast. Sadly it was sayonara time for the onsen hotel, but Enchou Sensei (our generous employer and host) promised we would return.