12 08 2004
It's been a lazy month. In the last month I got the internet and a new
computer, which has alleviated what used to be a major motivator in my
study, friendship making, etc - a lack of things to do at home.
Catching up all the computer stuff I used to busy myself with back
home has been fun, but it's left me feeling a little guilty as I
haven't accomplished much this month. It was good to get it out of my
system, I guess, but I've about hit the stage where I think I need to
put down my internet sites, pick up my textbooks again, and spend
more time with friends.
On the plus side, my food and drink budget was considerably lower this
month, on account of eating out less!
An often talked about phenomenon for people living in a foreign
country is "culture shock" - depression or other unpleasant
experiences due to living in a different country and being constantly
exposed to different things. For some it's immediate, for others it
follows a "honeymoon" period where everything is new and exciting -
then reality sets in.
I don't think my lethargy was due to that. My experiences here have
been largely positive, and I'm actually really happy to be here. While
sometimes bemused by the things that go on, what I've seen here didn't
differ to a great degree from what I expected.
There are trying things, but they're things that apply to living in
any country where you can't speak the native tongue well. Some people
come here and never bother to learn Japanese. That's okay, if that's
what they want - but I was always determined to be able to speak with
a degree of fluency by the time I returned home. I'd still love to
attain that, but sometimes it's hard to keep up the motivation to
study every day in order to meet that goal. The study is usually fun,
but it requires energy, and it's infinitely easier to relax in front
of the idiot-box or similar.
When I first got here I talked about how debilitating it can be to be
unable to speak the language. For simple social interactions I no
longer bumble about; communications with shop attendants are for the
most part smooth and I've made some good friends. The more complicated
inevitabilities of life are still taxing at times, though - bills
written in Kanji with no clear indication of if money is due or not,
the renewal of my visa, the possibility of a trip to a doctor and how
complicated that would be - finding a doctor with a modicum of English
ability, or dragging a friend or coworker along to help me out.
I'm aware that by tackling the language issue I'm indirectly solving
my other concerns, but that knowledge alone is not a sufficient
motivator. While it's nice to know that by improving my language
ability I'd be reducing concerns about bills, trips to the doctors,
conversations with people - for the most part I'm able to get by
pretty easily. I can function enough in daily life now.
So recently I've been trying to remember my original goals about
studying the language. And I'm finding it necessary to set a schedule
of time to study, or I never make the time for it. I actually enjoy
studying when I do it. It's just some subconscious aversion to the
energy required that makes it hard to start.
On another note, convenience stores (conbinis) are everywhere here,
and reasonably priced. There's one about 2 minutes walked from my
house (in fact, there's at least 4 within a 5 minute radius). I often
walk to the local one when I want a bottled coffee or something to
eat. The food photo is what I had for lunch today - "soumen". Soumen
are cold, thin noodles dipped in a combination of water and soy-sauce.
Great in summer.
The other photo is my new computer next to my old one - if you look
carefully you can see tape on the left side holding the screen
together.