I've been here for over a month now...

...and I still cannot speak a sufficient amount of Japanese. I feel that everything I know about Japan in general is the bare minimum. However, that will get you pretty far in most cases. "Gaijin" in Japanese means "Foreigner" and I am a prime example of one. Someone in my training class taught me the term "Gaijin Smashing," which I assume means to do something so ridiculous that it freaks out Japanese people. I do this everyday. My mission is to record all of my travels and adventures in Japan, especially these aforementioned instances of "Smashing".

I've seen a lot already since moving to Nagoya. When I first got here, it was being on another planet. The housing agent, we'll call him Bob, picked me up outside of Exit 13 at the Sakae Underground Mall/Subway stop. Let's first move backwards a second and get to the point when I actually get off the airplane. As soon as I get through Immigration, I still half-expected to find Bob standing there and helping me get directly to the apt. I realized I was dreaming. This was Japan, and I had to learn that I was on my own. No longer was I going to have to rely on people helping me all the time. They did tell me about the baggage delivery service, so I decided to go to them for help. Sorry, no English. The baggage delivery service at Central Japan International Airport did NOT speak English. After some repeating and frustration because I could not write my name in Katakana alphabet, my baggage was on the way for delivery and I could now take the Meitetsu train to the Subway then to Sakae where my new Apt. lie.

When I get to Sakae subway stop the realization that I am in Japan starts to set in. Suddenly I am surrounded by hundreds of people, of whom 80% are dressed for a funeral. The other 20% are either dressed as princesses, pirates, or 80's hairmetal concert-goers. There are shops left and right, and of course nothing is in English. I finally get to Exit 13, and Bob gives me a short rundown of the Sakae area, but I of course am too jetlagged to listen close enough so it just goes right over my head. The big thing I should have asked was where the closest Supermarket was, because it took me a couple weeks before I found one by accident in the underground Sakae mall (another co-worker from training calls it the Mole Village).

We reach the apartment building, and it doesn't look that bad. It's for sure in a great location, so I am not alarmed, until we get to the hallway on the 8th floor. It kind of reminds me of cross between a psychiatric hospital and a decades-old Holiday Inn. The doorways are about 5'9'' tall, so I had to duck to get inside. Bob, the agent, is very Canadian, and stands there next to me saying, "So ah just check the money, make sure it's correct eh." He is wearing a sweatsuit and a beanie and looks very alarming. I am jittery but count the money and give him the first month's rent plus other expenses like sheets and internet hook-up. I am alone again in a tiny apt. It reminds me of being on a submarine. I like to think of it as a Captain's quarters, so I feel a little more positive. Hey, at least there are no mice or broken utilities.

It wasn't until I got into work for the first time that I was told the Japanese have low standards for housing, for which reason I have no idea. There is no insulation or sealing in the corners, no heat can stay within even if you use a space heater. The walls are also thin, so everyone outside can hear your music or even you talking on Skype. I have accepted this and know that it is rare anyone can understand it anyway. I don't want to get into too much nit-picking with regards to the apt. but the bathroom is so below American standards it is worth a mention. Overall, it is the size of a plane's, and just a little bigger for the shower. The tub isn't even big enough for me to lay down sideways. Apparently, they sit down or squat when they are washing themselves. There is also a drainage hole on the floor because flooding is very easy to do since the curtain keeps coming unattached. It is a big step dpwn from what I've been used to, but there was really no alternative when I got here. I've been looking elsewhere for a better apt. There is a building with a lot of English speakers called Freebell Apts. that I am interested in. About the same price as the one I'm in now but near the Nagoya Train Station and in better condition (from what I've heard). I will write more about other experiences later. This is just the tip of the iceberg.